2006年VOA标准英语-Syrian President, Foreign Minister Sought

By Ernest Leong
Washington, D.C.
02 January 2006
 
watch report on Syria

A United Nations commission has asked to interview Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Foreign Minister Farouq al-Shara regarding the murder of Lebanese ex-Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri in early 2005. 

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Abdel Halim Khaddam (File photo) 
  

The UN commission's request follows an al-Arabiya interview with former Syrian Vice¹ President Abdul-Halim Khaddam.  The commission also wishes to interview Mr. Khaddam. 

Mr. Khaddam recently told a reporter for the Arabic al-Arabiya network that in August 2004, months before the assassination², Syrian President Assad subjected then Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri to "very, very, very harsh words."

The former vice president said, "The harsh words were, 'You want to bring a [new] president in Lebanon. ...  I will not allow that.  I will crush whoever attempts to overturn our decision'."

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad  
  
The Syrian parliament responded to the interview by recommending the former vice president be tried for high treason, while the official Syrian newspaper Al-Baath called Mr. Khaddam's comments "fabrications and illusions". 

The U.S. Ambassador to the UN, John Bolton, recently expressed impatience³ with the Syrian government's apparent reluctance⁴ to cooperate.

"But their lack of cooperation, indeed their affirmative obstruction⁵ of the Mehlis [UN] commission needs a response and we're looking to find exactly what that should be," said Mr. Bolton.

Syria's UN Ambassador Fayssal Mekdad responded to Mr. Bolton.  "Ambassador Bolton has always been wrong.  Whatever he said was wrong."

 
Rafik Hariri
  
Rafik Hariri was assassinated⁶ in a truck bombing.  In two interim⁷ reports published last year, the UN commission stated high-ranking Syrian and Lebanese intelligence officials were behind the assassination.  Syria has repeatedly denied the accusation⁸.

It is believed Mr. Hariri was killed because he opposed extending the mandate⁹ of pro-Syrian Lebanese President Emile Lahoud another three years. 

Since the killing¹⁰, Lebanese-Syrian relations have deteriorated¹¹.  In April, Syrian forces withdrew from Lebanon.  In elections held last June, the Lebanese voted in a new legislature dominated by an anti-Syrian majority.

Lebanese Parliamentary Member Ghinwa Jalloul says, "The Lebanese people want the whole truth, Arabs want the whole truth and also the international community."

For now all the world, and the UN, can do is wait for Syria to respond to their interview requests.

1 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

2 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

3 impatience   

n.不耐烦，急躁

参考例句：

• He expressed impatience at the slow rate of progress.进展缓慢，他显得不耐烦。
• He gave a stamp of impatience.他不耐烦地跺脚。

4 reluctance   

n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿

参考例句：

• The police released Andrew with reluctance.警方勉强把安德鲁放走了。
• He showed the greatest reluctance to make a reply.他表示很不愿意答复。

5 obstruction   

n.阻塞，堵塞；障碍物

参考例句：

• She was charged with obstruction of a police officer in the execution of his duty.她被指控妨碍警察执行任务。
• The road was cleared from obstruction.那条路已被清除了障碍。

6 assassinated   

v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏

参考例句：

• The prime minister was assassinated by extremists. 首相遭极端分子暗杀。
• Then, just two days later, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. 跟着在两天以后，肯尼迪总统在达拉斯被人暗杀。 来自辞典例句

7 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

8 accusation   

n.控告，指责，谴责

参考例句：

• I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
• She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。

9 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

10 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。

11 deteriorated   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Her health deteriorated rapidly, and she died shortly afterwards. 她的健康状况急剧恶化，不久便去世了。
• His condition steadily deteriorated. 他的病情恶化，日甚一日。