French Fighter Jets Bombard Mali http://www.cbsnews.com/video

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French Fighter Jets Bombard Mali
(CBS Evening News, January, 2013)
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50138940n
French fighter jets bombarded Islamic militant strongholds in northern Mali today and military
officials vowed (that) there would be many more airstrikes to come to protect its former colony.
France has deployed more than five hundred troops to the West African nation to stop Al Qaedalinked militants from turning it into a safe haven for terrorists.
Islamic militants seized control of a vast desert area in northern Mali nine months ago. Since then,
they have imposed an extreme form of Islamic Sharia law. Public amputations and beatings are
commonplace.
Mali’s music, an important part of the country’s culture, has been silenced. The militants have
banned the annual music festival in Timbuktu.
National security analyst Juan Zarate: What you have in Mali is a safe-haven for Al Qaeda, an
aggressive terrorist group and organization and one that presents a threat to the stability of Mali and
the region. That explains why the French have decided to intervene now.
France’s decision to intervene is not without risk. The French government upped its terror alert at
home and rebels have already threatened to attack French citizens.
Charlie D’Agata, CBS News, London.
Vocabulary
01. strongholds
02. vowed
03. airstrikes
04. former colony
05. from turning it into a safe haven
06. since then
07. beatings
08. commonplace
09. has been silenced
10. to ban
11. a threat
12. to up the terror alert
des bastions
ont juré, promis
des frappes aériennes
ancienne colonie
de les transformer en refuge
depuis ce moment-là
des flagellations
courant
a été réduite au silence
interdire
une menace
augmenter l’alerte terroriste
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French Fighter Jets Bombard Mali
(CBS Evening News, January, 2013)
Exercise: fill in the blanks with the correct words
French fighter jets bombarded Islamic militant ____________
_____ in northern Mali today and
bastions
military officials _______________ (that) there would be many more _____
ont juré
_______________ to
frappes aériennes
come to protect its ___________________. France has deployed more than five hundred troops to
ancienne colonie
the West African nation to stop Al Qaeda-linked militants from turning it into a _____________ for
refuge
terrorists.
Islamic militants seized control of a vast desert area in northern Mali nine months ago.
________ _______, they have imposed an extreme form of Islamic Sharia law. Public amputations
depuis (ce moment-là)
and beatings are _______________.
courantes
Mali’s music, an important part of the country’s culture, ______________ ___. The militants have
a été réduite au silence
______________ the annual music festival in Timbuktu.
(ont) interdit
National security analyst Juan Zarate: what you have in Mali is a safe haven for Al Qaeda, an
aggressive terrorist group and organization and one that presents a ______________ to the stability
menace
of Mali and the region. That explains why the French have decided to intervene now.
France’s decision to intervene is not without risk. The French government __________________ at
a augmenté l’alerte terroriste
home and rebels have already threatened to attack French citizens.