Unit 15
Compound dictation
The Geneva Conventions are 4 international treaties governing the protection of civilians in time of war, the treatment of prisoners of war, and the care of the wounded and sick in the armed forces. The first convention, covering the sick and wounded, was concluded in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1864; it was amended and expanded in 1906. A third convention, in 1929, covered prisoners of war. Outrange at the treatment of prisoners and civilians during the World War II by some belligerents, notably Germany and Japan, prompted the conclusion, in August, 1949, of 4 new conventions. Three of these restated and strengthened the previous conventions, and the fourth codified general provisions of international law governing the treatment of civilians in wartime.
The 1949 convention for civilians provided for special safeguards for the following categories of people: wounded persons, children under 15 years of age, pregnant women, and the elderly. Discrimination was forbidden on racial, religious, national, or political grounds. Torture, collective punishment, reprisals, the unwarranted destruction of property and the forced use of civilians for an occupier’s armed forces were also prohibited under the 1949 conventions.
Also included in the new 1949 treaties was a pledge to treat prisoners humanely, feed them adequately, and deliver relief suppliers to them. They were not to be forced to disclose more than minimal information.
More countries have formally accepted all or most of the humanitarian conventions as binding. A nation is not free to withdraw its ratification of the convention during the wartime. However, there is no permanent machinery in place to apprehend, or to punish violators.
Officials in Switzerland scheduled a meeting on January 27 to 29, 2003 with representatives from different nations to reach a possible consensus on how to apply the principles of the Geneva Conventions to the world of the early 21st century. Key
1. 4 international treaties 2. in time of war 3. in the armed forces 4. amended and expanded 5. during the World War II 6. prompted the conclusion 7. codified general provisions 8. special safeguard 9. pregnant women 10. racial, religious, national and political 11. destruction of property 12. were also prohibited 13. a pledge to treat prisoners 14. deliver relief suppliers 15. minimal information 16. have formally accepted
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17. permanent machinery in place 19. reach a possible consensus
Unit 16
18. January 27 to 29, 2003
20. the world of the early 21st century
Compound dictation
The nuclear bomb was used as a weapon for the first and to date, last time in the bombing of Japan that ended World War II. The bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, each equivalent to some 20,000 tons of TNT, destroyed a large part of both cities and killed more than 100,000 people within days. After that, the balance of power in the world and fears for massive retaliation deterred the small body of nuclear nations from using the weapon again.
Nuclear weapons rank among the most fearsome options potentially available to terrorists. The more powerful devices among today’s fission and fusion weapons are many times more destructive than the bombs that hit Japan. Besides their direct damage, they release radiation – which if it does not kill quickly may cause disease and a slow and painful death. However, such weapons are generally kept under tight control. Terrorists would find it difficult to acquire one – though not necessarily impossible; they might steal one, or buy it from corrupt officials, or get it from a nation willing to use terrorism to advance its foreign policy objectives.
Concerns over the security of these nuclear devices have been voiced particularly about Pakistan, where Muslim extremists enjoy significant popular support, and the Russia, which inherited the bulk of formidable Soviet arsenal after the Soviet Union’s 1991 disintegration but found it difficult to finance strict security procedures. It was claimed that in 1997 that 84 “suitcase” nuclear devices were found to be missing in the 1990s, though some senior Russian officials have denied this. These small portable bombs could produce an explosion equivalent to perhaps 1,000 tons of TNT, with a blast radius of 1,600 feet. The al-Qaeda terrorist network has reportedly spent heavily on efforts to acquire portable nuclear devices from the former Soviet Union.
Key
1. for the first and to date 2. in August 1945
3. more than 100,000 people within days 4. fears for massive retaliation 5. the most fearsome options 6. fission and fusion weapons 7. release radiation 8. a slow and painful death 9. under tight control 10.buy from corrupt officials 11. advance its foreign policy objectives 12. have been voiced 13. significant popular support 14. the bulk of 15. strict security procedures 16. to be missing 17. small portable bombs 18. equivalent to 19. has reportedly spent 20. the former Soviet Union
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