Libyan Role in Saudi Plot Impedes Progress Toward Full Relat

 

By David Gollust
 
Secretary of State Colin Powell said Friday that Libya's alleged¹ role in a plot against Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah remains² an obstacle to further normalization³ of U.S.-Libyan relations. Mr. Powell met Thursday in New York with Libyan Foreign Minister Abdel-Rahman Shalgham.
The meeting with Mr. Shalgham at the Secretary's New York hotel was the highest-level contact between the two governments in more than 25 years, and underlined the dramatic improvement in relations since Libya renounced⁴ weapons of mass destruction last December.
However U.S. officials say considerable work remains to be done in resolving questions about the past involvement in acts of terror by Libya, which remains on the State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism.
At a New York news conference, Mr. Powell said he raised with his Libyan counterpart the issue of the Saudi terror plot, in which Libya is reported to have recruited dissidents in Saudi Arabia two years ago in a conspiracy⁵ against the life of Crown Prince Abdullah.
"I conveyed to my Libyan colleague that it was an outstanding issue," said Mr. Powell. "It required continued inquiry⁶ and investigation⁷, and that it would be a problem in our relationship and in the road map as we go forward until the matter is cleared up. But he did not have any information for me that advanced my knowledge of the subject or removed the problem."
A senior U.S. official who briefed reporters on Thursday's meeting said the Secretary of State expressed serious concern about the issue, and that Mr. Shalgham reiterated⁸ an assurance that Libya has no intention to settle any future dispute with a fellow Arab country with violence.
The official said the United States also has concerns about human rights practices in Libya, including the case of five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor sentenced to death earlier this year for allegedly infecting hundreds of Libyan children with the AIDS virus in 1999. Amnesty International and the European Union have also criticized Libya's handling of the case.
U.S.-Libyan relations have nonetheless improved markedly since last year, when Libya accepted responsibility for downing a U.S. Pan Am jetliner over Scotland in 1988 and agreed to eliminate its chemical and biological weapons, allowing U.S. experts to verify compliance⁹.
President Bush earlier this week lifted most remaining U.S. economic sanctions against Libya, which cleared the way for another Libyan compensation payment to families of victims of the Pan Am Flight 103 attack.
David Gollust, VOA News, the United Nations.
注释：
impede 阻止
Crown Prince 皇储
obstacle 障碍
normalization 正常化
underline 强调
sponsor 发起人
recruit 征募, 征集
dissident持不同政见者
reiterate重申
Amnesty International 国际特赦组织
Pan Am jetliner 泛美喷气式客机
eliminate 消除
chemical and biological weapon 生化武器
economic sanction 经济制裁
compensation payment 赔偿金

1 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

2 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

3 normalization   

n.（normalisation）正常化，标准化

参考例句：

• The visit signalled the normalization of relations between the two countries.这次访问显示两国关系已经正常化。
• He was pleased to the normalization of relationship between the police and the people.他很高兴警方和人民之间关系的正常化。

4 renounced   

v.声明放弃( renounce的过去式和过去分词 )；宣布放弃；宣布与…决裂；宣布摒弃

参考例句：

• We have renounced the use of force to settle our disputes. 我们已再次宣布放弃使用武力来解决争端。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Andrew renounced his claim to the property. 安德鲁放弃了财产的所有权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

6 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

7 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

8 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

9 compliance   

n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从

参考例句：

• I was surprised by his compliance with these terms.我对他竟然依从了这些条件而感到吃惊。
• She gave up the idea in compliance with his desire.她顺从他的愿望而放弃自己的主意。