Powell Defends Bush Middle East Policy

 

David Gollust

Secretary of State Colin Powell said Tuesday that President Bush has not pre-judged any final-status issues in Middle East peace negotiations² despite his commitments this month to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Mr. Powell held talks with Qatar's foreign minister at which he raised U.S. concerns about news coverage³ by the Qatar-based Arabic TV network al-Jazeera. President Bush's endorsement⁴ of Mr. Sharon's plan for "disengagement," from the Palestinians and the associated exchange of letters at their April 14 White House meeting, have drawn⁵ widespread Arab criticism.

But Mr. Powell says the president's statements, that it would be unrealistic to expect an Israeli withdrawal⁶ to pre-1967 borders, and that Palestinian refugees would be expected to have the right of return only to a Palestinian state, were only taking into account "obvious realities."

The secretary made the comments at a joint⁷ press appearance with Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin⁸ Jassim al-Thani, who raised his own concerns about the course of U.S. Middle East policy.

Mr. Powell said the understandings with Mr. Sharon have not changed the president's commitment to the international "road map" to peace, or to his June 2002 policy statement calling for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"[The] president clearly wanted to also take account of obvious realities we all recognize with respect to right of return, and final borders have to be aligned⁹ in accordance with the reality on the ground, as mutually agreed upon between the parties. So the president has not moved one step away from his vision [but] acknowledged reality on the ground. And we hope that in the course of our conversations with our guest here today as well as other Arab leaders, they will come to understand the president's position more clearly."

For his part, Sheikh al-Thani said there do appear to be positive elements to the Sharon plan, which is to start with an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. But he said there are many other points that need clarification.

"We have no doubt about the seriousness with which the United States takes this issue, and especially President Bush, about the Israeli Palestinian conflict. There are some positive signs in the plan which Sharon gave. But there are many other things which we don't understand up until now. We support any effort to bring the land of the Palestinians back to them and also we hope that in any negotiation¹ in the future that we see also with the Israeli party and the Palestinian party and the United States, so the negotiation could be on a mutual¹⁰ basis."

Mr. Powell and his Qatari counterpart spoke¹¹ after an initial round of talks in a bilateral¹² "strategic dialogue," in which the secretary said he renewed U.S. complaints about news coverage from Iraq and elsewhere of the Qatar-based Arabic TV network al-Jazeera.

Administration officials have repeatedly accused al-Jazeera of anti-American incitement¹³. They have also criticized the network for airing unedited versions of tapes from Osama bin Laden¹⁴ and other terrorists leaders threatening the United States and its allies with attacks.

Mr. Powell did not elaborate on the discussion about al-Jazeera, but said U.S.-Qatari friendship is such that they can discuss what he termed "difficult issues that intrude¹⁵ in that relationship."

He said the two sides were having "very intense" discussions about the matter which would continue over the next couple of days.

Qatari officials have in the past fended¹⁷ off U.S. complaints about the network, citing a desire to promote a free press.

注释:
commitment [kE5mitmEnt] n. 许诺，承诺
Qatar [5kB:tEr] n. 卡塔尔，阿拉伯东部一国家
al-Jazeera 半岛电视台，自称是中东地区最为独立自由的媒介
endorsement [in5dC:smEnt] n. 背书
unrealistic [5QnriE5listik] adj. 不切实际的
pre-1967 borders 1967年前的巴以临时边界
Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim al-Thani 谢赫·哈马德·本·贾西姆·阿勒萨尼
road map美国公布的"中东和平路线图"计划
accordance [E5kC:dEns] n. 一致
clarification [7klArifi5keiFEn] n. 澄清
counterpart [5kauntEpB:t] n. 对手方相应的人
bilateral [bai5lAtErEl] adj. 双边的
strategic dialogue 战略对话
secretary [5sekrEtri] n. 书记，大臣，这里指美国国务卿鲍威尔
incitement [In5saitmEnt] n. 煽动
air [ZE] vt. 宣扬
unedited [5Qn5editid] adj. （新闻等）未经审查的
Osama bin Laden 奥萨马·本·拉登
elaborate [I5lAbEreit] vt. 详细阐述
intrude [in5tru:d] vi. 强行进入
fend¹⁶ off v. 挡开，回避

1 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。

2 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。

3 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

4 endorsement   

n.背书；赞成，认可，担保；签(注)，批注

参考例句：

• We are happy to give the product our full endorsement.我们很高兴给予该产品完全的认可。
• His presidential campaign won endorsement from several celebrities.他参加总统竞选得到一些社会名流的支持。

5 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

6 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

7 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

8 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

9 aligned   

adj.对齐的，均衡的

参考例句：

• Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。

10 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

11 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。

12 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

13 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。

14 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

15 intrude   

vi.闯入；侵入；打扰，侵扰

参考例句：

• I do not want to intrude if you are busy.如果你忙我就不打扰你了。
• I don't want to intrude on your meeting.我不想打扰你们的会议。

16 fend   

v.照料（自己），（自己）谋生，挡开，避开

参考例句：

• I've had to fend for myself since I was 14.我从十四岁时起就不得不照料自己。
• He raised his arm up to fend branches from his eyes.他举手将树枝从他眼前挡开。

17 fended   

v.独立生活，照料自己( fend的过去式和过去分词 )；挡开，避开

参考例句：

• He neatly fended off a jab at his chest. 他利落地挡开了当胸的一击。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I fended off his sword thrust with my spear. 他一刀砍来，我拿枪架住。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》