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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
By Gary Thomas
London
08 August 2006
Tony Blair
British Prime Minister Tony Blair is calling for the rapid approval of a U.N. Security Council resolution to halt hostilities1 in the Middle East. But, the British leader warns against any resolution that might benefit Hezbollah.
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In several different interviews with British television outlets2, Prime Minister Blair called for the quick passage of a U.N. Security Council resolution that would halt the ongoing3 fighting between Israel and the Hezbollah militia4. But he warned against any resolution that would leave a power vacuum in Lebanon.
"I think we can achieve what the Lebanese government wants to see, as well as what the Israeli government wants to see, which is the government of Lebanon back in full charge of its own territory without us leaving a vacuum in which the Hezbollah militia can move in," he said.
A proposed resolution, drafted by the United States and France, calls for an immediate5 cease-fire. Diplomats6 envision a second follow-up resolution that would call for a withdrawal7 of Israeli forces from Lebanon and their replacement8 by an international peacekeeping contingent9.
The Lebanese government has proposed sending 15,000 of its own troops to southern Lebanon to reassert control over the area after Israeli forces pull out. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has labeled that idea "interesting" and worth studying.
Prime Minister Blair also said that idea has some merit, but says any force deployed10 to southern Lebanon would have to be international in its makeup11.
"This is one of the things we're going to need to discuss with the Lebanese government," said Mr. Blair. "But you're going to need to make sure that it is internationally verified. Now there already is a U.N. force in there, and that U.N. force also can be bolstered12."
The British leader, who gave the multiple interviews just before heading for a vacation, downplayed the notion that British troops would be included in any international force.
"I don't think that the idea is for British forces, British ground forces, to be in there," noted13 Mr. Blair. "I mean, there may be all sorts of different ways we can help. And, incidentally, we will help a lot with humanitarian14 aid. We will help particularly with things like repairing the infrastructure15 of Lebanon, where we have a particular expertise16 there. And there are other assets that we can use in order to help both the Lebanese government and the situation. But for very obvious reasons, particularly with Afghanistan at the moment, you know, we have a lot of commitments."
Britain has 3,600 troops deployed in Afghanistan as part of an expanded NATO mission to root out a resurgent and resilient Taleban movement. There are also over 7,000 British troops in Iraq.
1 hostilities | |
n.战争;敌意(hostility的复数);敌对状态;战事 | |
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2 outlets | |
n.出口( outlet的名词复数 );经销店;插座;廉价经销店 | |
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3 ongoing | |
adj.进行中的,前进的 | |
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4 militia | |
n.民兵,民兵组织 | |
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5 immediate | |
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的 | |
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6 diplomats | |
n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 );有手腕的人,善于交际的人 | |
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7 withdrawal | |
n.取回,提款;撤退,撤军;收回,撤销 | |
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8 replacement | |
n.取代,替换,交换;替代品,代用品 | |
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9 contingent | |
adj.视条件而定的;n.一组,代表团,分遣队 | |
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10 deployed | |
(尤指军事行动)使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 ); 施展; 部署; 有效地利用 | |
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11 makeup | |
n.组织;性格;化装品 | |
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12 bolstered | |
v.支持( bolster的过去式和过去分词 );支撑;给予必要的支持;援助 | |
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13 noted | |
adj.著名的,知名的 | |
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14 humanitarian | |
n.人道主义者,博爱者,基督凡人论者 | |
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15 infrastructure | |
n.下部构造,下部组织,基础结构,基础设施 | |
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16 expertise | |
n.专门知识(或技能等),专长 | |
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