Bush Defends US Policy on Iraq, Promotes Democracy in UN Spe

 

By David Gollust
 
President Bush defended the U.S. decision to invade Iraq in a United Nations General Assembly address Tuesday in which he also urged the world community to fight terrorism and promote democracy.
Mr. Bush did not refer directly to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan's comment last week that the invasion of Iraq was illegal.
But he said the U.N. Security Council had threatened the former Iraqi regime with serious consequences if it defied past resolutions, and said the U.S. led-coalition had in his words "enforced the just demands of the world."
In a wide-ranging address to the General Assembly, Mr. Bush urged the world community to rally around the U.S.-backed governments of Iraq and Afghanistan now in the face of terrorists aiming to disrupt their coming elections.
"We can expect terrorist attacks to escalate¹ as Afghanistan and Iraq approach national elections. The work ahead is demanding. But these difficulties will not shake our conviction that the future of Afghanistan and Iraq is a future of liberty. The proper response to difficulty is not to retreat, it is to prevail."
The president promised to stand by the people of Afghanistan and Iraq until their hopes of freedom and security are fulfilled, and said those countries will be a model for the broader Middle East, where he said millions of people have been denied human rights and simple justice.
The president said many nations including the United States, have tolerated and even excused oppression in the Middle East in the name of stability.
He said democratic reform is essential to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and said both sides need to act to achieve the promise of the international "road map" to peace:
"Arab states should end incitement² in their own media, cut off public and private funding for terrorism, and establish normal relations with Israel," the president said. "Israel should impose a settlement freeze, dismantle³ unauthorized outposts, end the daily humiliation⁴ of the Palestinian people, and avoid any actions that prejudice final negotiations⁵."
Mr. Bush, making clear the administration's global agenda extends beyond the Middle East, congratulated the Security Council for its resolution last week on the Darfur crisis in Sudan, and called on the Khartoum government to honor the cease-fire it signed last April, and to "stop the killing⁶ in Darfur."
He stressed the U.S. commitment to the fight against AIDS, human trafficking and corruption⁷ and endorsed⁸ a transition from loans to outright⁹ grants in aid to developing countries, as well as a Costa Rican initiative for a comprehensive ban on human cloning.
Mr. Bush said the advance of liberty is the path to a safer and better world, and proposed establishing a Democracy Fund within the United Nations to promote the rule of law and democratic institutions.
David Gollust, VOA News, the United Nations.
注释：
invade 入侵
terrorism 恐怖主义
U.N. Secretary-General 联合国秘书长
the U.N. Security Council 联合国安理会
regime 政体
consequence 结果
resolution 决议
disrupt 破坏
escalate 逐步增强
conviction 信念
tolerate 容忍，宽容
essential 必需的
Israeli-Palestinian conflict 以色列－巴勒斯坦冲突
prejudice 破坏
negotiation 谈判
agenda 议程
Darfur 达尔福尔
cease-fire 停火
comprehensive 全面的，广泛的

1 escalate   

v.(使)逐步增长(或发展)，(使)逐步升级

参考例句：

• It would tempt Israel's neighbors to escalate their demands.它将诱使以色列的邻国不断把他们的要求升级。
• Defeat could cause one side or other to escalate the conflict.失败可能会导致其中一方将冲突升级。

2 incitement   

激励； 刺激； 煽动； 激励物

参考例句：

• incitement to racial hatred 种族仇恨的挑起
• Interest is an incitement to study. 兴趣刺激学习。

3 dismantle   

vt.拆开，拆卸；废除，取消

参考例句：

• He asked for immediate help from the United States to dismantle the warheads.他请求美国立即提供援助，拆除这批弹头。
• The mower firmly refused to mow,so I decided to dismantle it.修完后割草机还是纹丝不动，于是，我决定把它拆开。

4 humiliation   

n.羞辱

参考例句：

• He suffered the humiliation of being forced to ask for his cards.他蒙受了被迫要求辞职的羞辱。
• He will wish to revenge his humiliation in last Season's Final.他会为在上个季度的决赛中所受的耻辱而报复的。

5 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

6 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。

7 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

8 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。