Zimbabwe: West aided 'mercenaries'
津巴布韦怒斥西方资助雇佣军

Wednesday, March 10, 2004 Posted: 2243 GMT (0643 HKT)

HARARE, Zimbabwe -- Zimbabwe has accused U.S., British and Spanish spy agencies of helping suspected mercenaries detained in Harare to overthrow Equatorial Guinea's government.
津巴布韦，哈拉雷----津巴布韦指责美国，英国以及西班牙的特工机关帮助拘禁在哈拉雷的妄图颠覆赤道几内亚政府的雇佣军。

☆ Zimbabwe 津巴布韦
    Harare 哈拉雷(津巴布韦首都)
    mercenaries 雇佣军
    overthrow 推翻, 颠覆

The 64 men, mainly Angolans, South Africans and Namibians, were arrested in the Zimbabwean capital on Sunday after arriving on a Boeing 727, officials said. The plane is currently impounded.
据官方声称，主要由安哥拉、南非及纳米比亚人组成的64人于周日乘坐波音727抵达津巴布韦首都后被捕。飞机也被暂扣。

☆impound  拘留, 扣押 

Meanwhile on Wednesday, 15 men were also under arrest 3,200 kilometers (2,000 miles) away in Equatorial Guinea. The president of the small central Africa country said the groups were part of a coup plot funded by "enemy powers" and multinationals.
于周三，15人在3，200公里(2，000英里)外的赤道几内亚被捕。这个位于中部非洲的小国家总统宣称，
该集团是由敌对的多个国家秘密援助的政变组织。

☆ coup  政变
    multinational 多国的

Zimbabwe's Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi backed those claims, telling reporters the mercenaries were trying to overthrow the government of Equitorial Guinea
津巴布韦内务部长Kembo Mohadi对这些指责表示支持，并且告诉记者，雇佣军正试图颠覆赤道几内亚政府。

☆ back 支持

"They were aided by the British secret service, that is MI6, ...American Central Intelligence Agency and the Spanish secret service," Reuters quoted him as saying.
“他们由英国的特务机关--军情6处，以及美国中央情报局和西班牙的特务机关提供帮助，”路透社援引津巴布韦内务部长Kembo Mohadi的话说。

☆ secret service 特务机关
    Central Intelligence Agency CIA，美国中央情报局

Earlier Wednesday, Zimbabwe's Foreign Minister Stan Mudenge threatened to execute the 64 men arrested in Harare.

It was unclear as to what crime they might be charged with under Zimbabwean law, but Mohadi said "a sinister motive" was suspected. "The modus operandi of the group ... indicates that the group was on a military mission on the African continent," he said.

☆ sinister险恶的
    modus operandi 做法, 惯技

Zimbabwean authorities said the owners of the U.S.-registered plane had falsely declared its cargo of what they said was "military equipment."

Items displayed for reporters included camouflage uniforms, an inflatable dinghy, portable radios and tools such as bolt cutters, but there was no indication the aircraft carried any weapons.

Zimbabwe's government said Tuesday it had put its army on full alert after seizing the plane.

Authorizes also said they had arrested a former member of Britain's elite Special Air Services (SAS) and two other men who were at Harare's airport on Sunday to meet the plane, according to Reuters.

Mudenge also said he was in contact with counterparts in Equatorial Guinea.

Officials there described the 15 men as an "advance party" for a coup attempt by those seized in Harare.

In a speech reported by state media, Equatorial Guinea's President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo thanked South Africa and Angola for warning him of the plot.