Iran Sends Envoy to Iraq to Help Defuse Tensions

 

 

David Gollust

 

Senior U.S. officials say that Britain, and not the United States, invited an Iranian team to visit Iraq. But they say the Bush administration did not oppose the gesture and believes Iran could play a helpful role in defusing tensions between the U.S.-led coalition¹ and Iraqi Shiites.

 

Officials here acknowledge there have been recent exchanges with Iran over the violence in Iraq, and they say they are hopeful the Iranians will make clear that they do not endorse² violence or confrontation³ by Iraqi Shiites, and support the central authority in Baghdad.

 

The comments follow a statement by Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi that the United States had sought Tehran's help in ending insurgent⁴ violence in Iraq, and a subsequent announcement that an Iranian diplomat⁵ had gone to Baghdad for talks with the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council and Iraqi religious figures.

 

A senior U.S. diplomat who spoke⁶ on condition of anonymity⁷ said Britain, not the United States, invited the Iranian team to Iraq. At the same time, he said the Bush administration did not object to the British move and is hopeful Iran can uses its considerable influence with Iraq's Shiite community to help calm the situation.

 

At a news briefing, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the United States has long been urging Iran to do what it can to stabilize⁸ the situation in Iraq. While declining to discuss specific messages or dates, he said the point has been made again "recently".

 

"We have made clear to Iran as we have made clear to others of Iraq's neighbors that they need to play a helpful role," he said. "They need to play a positive role to calm the situation and help Iraq achieve the goal of a stable transition on July 1st and help with the reconstruction⁹ of a stable, democratic and peaceful neighbor. We have been concerned about the role that Iran has been playing, and it's something we monitor very closely."

 

The Iranian foreign minister said the U.S.-Iranian exchanges had been made through Switzerland, which looks after U.S. interests in Iran in the absence of direct relations.

 

It is unclear whether the Iranian team in Iraq would meet with rebel Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose militia¹⁰ followers¹¹ have battled coalition forces this month in Najaf and several other Iraqi towns.

 

Asked about a reported offer by Mr. al-Sadr to drop preconditions for peace talks, spokesman Boucher said the United States is "open and willing" to look for a peaceful resolution of the situation in the Najaf area.

 

But he said Mr. al-Sadr, who faces Iraqi charges in the killing¹² of a rival cleric, needs to face justice, and his "Mahdi Army" militia should be disbanded along with other such groups.

 

Mr. Boucher also said Mr. al-Sadr's followers should hand over the police stations and other government offices they have seized to legitimate¹³ authorities.

 

defuse [di:5fju:z] vt. 去掉……的雷管

U.S.-led coalition  美国领导的联合军

Iraqi Shiites  伊拉克的什叶派

Iranian [i5reinjEn] adj. 伊朗的

anonymity [7AnE5nimiti] n. 匿名

object [5CbdVikt] vi. 反对

State Department  n. （美国）国务院

Switzerland [5switsElEnd] n. 瑞士（欧洲中部国家）

militia [mi5liFE] n. 民兵

Najaf [`nAdVAf] 纳贾夫（伊拉克中南部城市）（伊斯兰教什叶派圣地）

drop [drCp] v. 放弃

precondition [5pri:kEn5diFEn] n. 前提

disband [dis5bAnd] v. 解散，裁减

legitimate [l i5dVitimit] v. 使合法，给……以合法地位（或权力）

1 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

2 endorse   

vt.(支票、汇票等)背书，背署；批注；同意

参考例句：

• No one is foolish enough to endorse it.没有哪个人会傻得赞成它。
• I fully endorse your opinions on this subject.我完全拥护你对此课题的主张。

3 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

4 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

5 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 anonymity   

n.the condition of being anonymous

参考例句：

• Names of people in the book were changed to preserve anonymity. 为了姓名保密，书中的人用的都是化名。
• Our company promises to preserve the anonymity of all its clients. 我们公司承诺不公开客户的姓名。

8 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

9 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

10 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

11 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

12 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

13 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。