Ес обсуждает меры по борьбе с терроризмом

Министры иностранных дел стран – членов Евросоюза обсуждает в понедельник в Брюсселе вопросы борьбы с международным терроризмом. Джек Стро, министр иностранных дел Великобритании, которая сейчас председательствует в ЕС, заявил, открывая встречу, что времена, когда террористическим актам давались оправдания, прошли навсегда. По его словам, взрыв, совершенный в субботу на одном из турецких курортов, показал, что террористы используют любой предлог для своих деяний, ведь Турция не поддержала войну в Ираке. Ожидается, что министры иностранных дел 25 государств ЕС поддержат пакет мер по борьбе с терроризмом, уже одобренный министрами внутренних дел и юстиции. Кроме того, на встрече будут обсуждаться перспективы переговоров с Ираном о его ядерной программе, а также положение на Ближнем Востоке.

Helpful vocabulary

EC member-states (страны-члены ЕС); take the chair (председательствовать); justification (оправдание); ground (предлог); Ministers for Internal Affairs and Justice

Text 3

Reading

You are suggested to read one more text concerning terrorism. Be ready to discuss the problem using additional information that you know about the situation.

Narcoterrorism

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, narcoterrorism refers to terrorist acts carried out by groups that are directly or indirectly involved in distributing illicit drugs. The term is generally applied to groups that use the drug trade to fund terrorism. However, it has also sometimes been used to refer to the phenomenon of increasingly close ties between powerful drug lords motivated by simple criminal profit and terrorist groups with political agendas, particularly in Colombia.

But some experts say that the term is too vague and is mostly used by politically driven Western politicians and journalists out to score rhetorical points. They argue that nearly every terrorist group operating today raises some money from the drug trade, and that while terrorists and drug traffickers often share some short-term goals, they have different long-term objectives (political goals for terrorists, greed for drug lords) and shouldn’t be conflated.

Terrorist groups are connected to the drug trade in several ways. Some terrorist groups, like Colombia’s FARC, collect taxes from people who cultivate or process illicit drugs on lands that it controls; others, including Hezbollah and Colombia’s AUC, traffic in drugs themselves. Moreover, some terrorist groups are supported by states funded by drug trade; Afghanistan’s former Taliban rulers, for instance, earned an estimated $40 million to $50 million per year from taxes related to opium. The drug trade is also a significant part of the economies of Syria – which has funded terrorist originations such as Hezbollah, the Popular front for the Liberation of Palestine – general Command, and Palestinian Islanue Zinad – and Lebanon, a haven for numerous terrorist groups including Hezbollah and Hamas.

Terrorists would turn to drug trafficking becouse they need money – for weapons, equipment; training, computers and other information systems, transportation, bribes, safe houses, forged passports and other documents, and even payroll. Drugs are a handy way to get cash – lots of it.

The drug trade is extremely lucrative. Heroin, cocaine, and marijuana are uncomplicated and cheap to produce, but because they`re illegal and therefore risky to supply, they can earn more than their weight in gold on the vast international black market. The United Nations estimated in 1998 that the illicit drug business generates about $400 billion per year. Also, became the drug trade is secretive, terrorists can amass large sums of cash without, being detected by authorities.

Perhaps, narcoterrorism is increasing since. September 11. U.S. authorities say the new international climate – including crackdowns on terrorist funding and growing international pressure on state sponsors of terrorism – may drive some terrorists deeper into the drug trade. One example is Hezbollah.

Sonce experts say that terrorists might use the drug trade to wreak havoc. Osama bin Laden has reportedly advocated main narcotics trafficking to weaken western societies by supplying them with addictive drags. (In 2000, Americans spent almost $63 billion on illegal narcotics).

Task 1

Find in the text synonyms to the following.

Illegal Connected To collect To provide To calculate

To support To divide To disagree Trade Important

Task 2

Explain the following words and expressions from the text and give their Russian equivalents.

Safe houses Forged passports A handy way Black market International climate

International pressure Addictive drugs Drug lords Drag trafficker State sponsors

Task 3

Match the linking words from Column A with their Russian equivalents from Column B. Use them in sentences.

А Directly Generally Sometimes Between Nearly Every Like Without For instance

В Иногда Подобно, как Обычно Почти, приблизительно Без Непосредственно, прямо Например Между Каждый

Task 4

.Answer the questions and give your own opinion.

1. What does the tern “Narcoterrorism” refer to?

2. How are terrorist groups connected to the drug trade?

3. Why would terrorists turn to drug trafficking?

4. Is the drug trade lucrative?

5. How much money does the drug business generate?

6. Is natcoterrorism increasing since September 11?

7. Do terrorists use the drug trade to wreak havoc?

Task 5

Render the following text into English.