Song | Rights Groups Question U.S. Drone Strikes |
Artist | 英语听力 |
Album | VOA慢速英语:时事报道 |
[00:03.03] | From VOA Learning English, |
[00:06.46] | this is In the News. |
[00:08.51] | This week, |
[00:09.79] | two human rights groups accused |
[00:12.97] | the United States of killing more civilians |
[00:16.57] | in drone strikes than American officials say. |
[00:21.08] | The groups say many of the attacks |
[00:24.03] | appeared to be illegal under international law. |
[00:29.15] | Human Rights Watch investigated |
[00:31.75] | six drone strikes in Yemen since 2009. |
[00:36.81] | It found that at least 57 civilians died in the attacks. |
[00:43.59] | Letta Tayler studies terrorist acts |
[00:46.95] | and anti-terrorism efforts for the group. |
[00:50.70] | "Two of the six cases that we examined in my report |
[00:54.13] | show that the U.S. indiscriminately killed civilians. |
[00:58.24] | This is a clear violation of international law." |
[01:01.50] | The report says some drone strikes violated the rules |
[01:06.06] | set by President Obama to justify such attacks. |
[01:10.86] | The president has said the unmanned aircraft |
[01:15.01] | can be used when responding |
[01:17.58] | to an immediate threat to the United States. |
[01:21.25] | He also said they can be used |
[01:24.32] | when there is no hope of capturing a targeted terrorist, |
[01:28.98] | and "near certainty" that civilians will not be harmed. |
[01:34.30] | At the White House, |
[01:36.51] | Press Secretary Jay Carney rejected accusations |
[01:40.32] | that drone strikes violated international law. |
[01:45.14] | "To the extent these reports claim that the U.S. |
[01:48.05] | has acted contrary to international law, |
[01:50.07] | we would strongly disagree. |
[01:51.92] | The administration has repeatedly emphasized |
[01:54.37] | the extraordinary care that we take |
[01:56.12] | to make sure counterterrorism actions |
[01:58.18] | are in accordance with all applicable law." |
[02:00.73] | Amnesty International examined |
[02:03.14] | nine American drone attacks in Pakistan. |
[02:06.94] | It says it found evidence that more than 30 civilians |
[02:12.36] | were killed in four of the strikes. |
[02:15.27] | A United Nations report has estimated |
[02:18.72] | that drone strikes in Pakistan killed 400 civilians |
[02:24.16] | over the past 10 years. |
[02:26.81] | Both Amnesty and Human Rights Watch |
[02:30.44] | are calling for more congressional supervision of |
[02:34.20] | the Central Intelligence Agency and the Defense Department. |
[02:38.96] | The first American drone attack in Pakistan took place in 2004. |
[02:46.02] | Many observers believe there was a secret agreement |
[02:50.03] | in which Pakistan privately approved of drone strikes |
[02:55.20] | but publicly condemned them. |
[02:57.87] | Pakistani officials say they are strongly opposed to the attacks. |
[03:04.29] | They condemn them as a violation of their country's sovereignty |
[03:09.05] | – the right to be free from interference by another country. |
[03:13.82] | They also say the attacks are fueling militancy in Pakistan. |
[03:20.70] | North Waziristan has long been considered |
[03:24.62] | a center for al-Qaida militants and the Haqqani network. |
[03:30.00] | That group has been blamed |
[03:32.90] | for some of the deadliest attacks in Afghanistan. |
[03:37.28] | The United States has long pressured the Pakistani military |
[03:42.64] | to move against extremists in North Waziristan. |
[03:47.40] | However, some officials believe |
[03:49.95] | that state control has almost disappeared in the territory. |
[03:55.88] | On Wednesday, |
[03:57.78] | President Obama and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif |
[04:02.79] | met at the White House. |
[04:04.90] | They discussed cooperation in fighting terrorism |
[04:09.10] | and concerns about what the president called |
[04:12.62] | "senseless violence and extremism" in Pakistan. |
[04:17.88] | Afterward they spoke to reporters. |
[04:20.24] | Prime Minister Sharif said the two countries |
[04:23.79] | will continue to increase cooperation against terrorists. |
[04:29.42] | But he also called for no more drone attacks. |
[04:34.24] | "Pakistan and the United States have a strong, |
[04:37.25] | ongoing counterterrorism cooperation. |
[04:40.10] | We have agreed to further strengthen this cooperation. |
[04:42.61] | I also brought up the issue of drones in our meeting, |
[04:45.68] | emphasizing the need for an end to such strikes." |
[04:48.73] | And that's In the News, from VOA Learning English. |
[04:54.78] | I'm Steve Ember. |
[00:03.03] | From VOA Learning English, |
[00:06.46] | this is In the News. |
[00:08.51] | This week, |
[00:09.79] | two human rights groups accused |
[00:12.97] | the United States of killing more civilians |
[00:16.57] | in drone strikes than American officials say. |
[00:21.08] | The groups say many of the attacks |
[00:24.03] | appeared to be illegal under international law. |
[00:29.15] | Human Rights Watch investigated |
[00:31.75] | six drone strikes in Yemen since 2009. |
[00:36.81] | It found that at least 57 civilians died in the attacks. |
[00:43.59] | Letta Tayler studies terrorist acts |
[00:46.95] | and antiterrorism efforts for the group. |
[00:50.70] | " Two of the six cases that we examined in my report |
[00:54.13] | show that the U. S. indiscriminately killed civilians. |
[00:58.24] | This is a clear violation of international law." |
[01:01.50] | The report says some drone strikes violated the rules |
[01:06.06] | set by President Obama to justify such attacks. |
[01:10.86] | The president has said the unmanned aircraft |
[01:15.01] | can be used when responding |
[01:17.58] | to an immediate threat to the United States. |
[01:21.25] | He also said they can be used |
[01:24.32] | when there is no hope of capturing a targeted terrorist, |
[01:28.98] | and " near certainty" that civilians will not be harmed. |
[01:34.30] | At the White House, |
[01:36.51] | Press Secretary Jay Carney rejected accusations |
[01:40.32] | that drone strikes violated international law. |
[01:45.14] | " To the extent these reports claim that the U. S. |
[01:48.05] | has acted contrary to international law, |
[01:50.07] | we would strongly disagree. |
[01:51.92] | The administration has repeatedly emphasized |
[01:54.37] | the extraordinary care that we take |
[01:56.12] | to make sure counterterrorism actions |
[01:58.18] | are in accordance with all applicable law." |
[02:00.73] | Amnesty International examined |
[02:03.14] | nine American drone attacks in Pakistan. |
[02:06.94] | It says it found evidence that more than 30 civilians |
[02:12.36] | were killed in four of the strikes. |
[02:15.27] | A United Nations report has estimated |
[02:18.72] | that drone strikes in Pakistan killed 400 civilians |
[02:24.16] | over the past 10 years. |
[02:26.81] | Both Amnesty and Human Rights Watch |
[02:30.44] | are calling for more congressional supervision of |
[02:34.20] | the Central Intelligence Agency and the Defense Department. |
[02:38.96] | The first American drone attack in Pakistan took place in 2004. |
[02:46.02] | Many observers believe there was a secret agreement |
[02:50.03] | in which Pakistan privately approved of drone strikes |
[02:55.20] | but publicly condemned them. |
[02:57.87] | Pakistani officials say they are strongly opposed to the attacks. |
[03:04.29] | They condemn them as a violation of their country' s sovereignty |
[03:09.05] | the right to be free from interference by another country. |
[03:13.82] | They also say the attacks are fueling militancy in Pakistan. |
[03:20.70] | North Waziristan has long been considered |
[03:24.62] | a center for alQaida militants and the Haqqani network. |
[03:30.00] | That group has been blamed |
[03:32.90] | for some of the deadliest attacks in Afghanistan. |
[03:37.28] | The United States has long pressured the Pakistani military |
[03:42.64] | to move against extremists in North Waziristan. |
[03:47.40] | However, some officials believe |
[03:49.95] | that state control has almost disappeared in the territory. |
[03:55.88] | On Wednesday, |
[03:57.78] | President Obama and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif |
[04:02.79] | met at the White House. |
[04:04.90] | They discussed cooperation in fighting terrorism |
[04:09.10] | and concerns about what the president called |
[04:12.62] | " senseless violence and extremism" in Pakistan. |
[04:17.88] | Afterward they spoke to reporters. |
[04:20.24] | Prime Minister Sharif said the two countries |
[04:23.79] | will continue to increase cooperation against terrorists. |
[04:29.42] | But he also called for no more drone attacks. |
[04:34.24] | " Pakistan and the United States have a strong, |
[04:37.25] | ongoing counterterrorism cooperation. |
[04:40.10] | We have agreed to further strengthen this cooperation. |
[04:42.61] | I also brought up the issue of drones in our meeting, |
[04:45.68] | emphasizing the need for an end to such strikes." |
[04:48.73] | And that' s In the News, from VOA Learning English. |
[04:54.78] | I' m Steve Ember. |