Hi, everyone, I'm Carl Azuz, thank you for joining us for a new week of CNN student news. Today we're going to start with something that actually started just more than two years ago.
Unrest in the Middle Eastern nation of Syria began with protests, turned into a civil war. In 2011, some Syrians were (protesting) their president Bashar al-Assad, they wanted him out of power, Assad and his government responded with force, Syrian military started fighting the protesters. Eventually, the Opposition got armed and began fighting back. Syrian officials called the rebels (terrorists).
Two years later, Bashar al-Assad is still president, the fighting hasn't stopped. International aid groups accuse both sides, the Syrian military and the rebels of (abusing) human rights. More than 70,000Syrians are reported to have been killed, now we say reported because it's not possible to confirm that number, or to confirm some of the accounts of (violence), that's because Syria hasn't given CNN or any other international news organizations free (access) inside the country.英语口语培训
The violence in Syria involves one country, what about (tension) between two nations. Diplomacy, trying to work things out (peacefully) is usually the preferred strategy. But governments have to prepare for the possibility of conflict. Chris Lawrence has more on that when it comes to the U.S. and North Korea.
If a nuclear missile is ever fired in the United States, this is the best hope to stop it. Thirty interceptor missiles, which commit (launch) from ground silos in Alaska and California. Now the Pentagon is deploying up to 14 more. The reason that we're doing what we're doing, and the reason we're (advancing) our program here for homeland (security) is to not take any chances, is to stay ahead of the threat.
North Korea tested a long range missile in December, it conducted its third nuclear test in February. And just this month, threaten a preemptive nuclear (strike) on the U.S.. That caught the Pentagon's attention. But as far back as the State of the Union speech, president Obama said the U.S. would, "strengthen our (missile) defense and lead the world in taking firm action in response to these threats."易说堂电话英语
But Republic Congressional sources say the president's action have been anything but firm. 2011, the administration boss bought one Alaskan missile field, arguing (intelligence) show there wasn't enough of a threat, a short-sighted move, said the Congressional sources, quote, "The lintel didn't change, this is way where we expect North Korea to be, and that is in position of a missile that could travel nearly 5,000 miles, in (theory), since North Korea has never successfully launched a long range ICBM.
"I think what you see here is mainly apolitical signal to North Korea, that no one is going to be (intimidated) by their December launch and the subsequent nuclear test."
The existing interceptors have had (technological) problems, and haven't performed as planned. The Pentagon is testing a new missile, and won't buy the additional 14 until officials are sure they can fly.
"We spend ten billion dollars a year on missile defense. We spend about 250 billion over the last few decades. We still don't, aren't anywhere close to a (system) that can actually protect the United States from a determined adversary, yes, I'm saying, we're wasting our money."
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