VOA常速英语2007-Lebanon's Saad Hariri Says Syrian Official Plann

By Challiss McDonough
Cairo
30 October 2007

The leader of Lebanon's anti-Syrian ruling coalition¹ says he has information about a plot to kill him. He and other anti-Syrian politicians have been living under tight security for several years amid a string of assassinations³ that they have blamed on Damascus, although Syrian officials have denied any connection to the killings⁴. VOA Correspondent Challiss McDonough has more from Cairo.

Lebanon's parliamentary majority leader, Saad Hariri, said he has evidence that a senior Syrian official has been plotting to assassinate⁵ him and Lebanon's Prime Minister Fuad Siniora.

Hariri was in Cairo and responded to a reporter who asked whether Syrian military intelligence chief Assif Shawkat was behind the alleged⁶ plot.

"We have information about this, and it is accurate, " he said. He said Lebanon's security services are following up on intelligence about the alleged assassination² plot, which he said also targeted Prime Minister Siniora.

Hariri said his talks in Cairo with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak centered on Lebanon's upcoming presidential election. Pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud's term in office expires next month, but Lebanon's rival political factions⁷ have been deadlocked⁸ and unable to agree on a successor. Parliament is set to meet again on November 12 for a last attempt to reach a consensus⁹.

Hariri said he and President Mubarak agreed that no Arab state should interfere¹⁰ in Lebanon's political process, an implicit¹¹ swipe at Syria.

Saad Hariri heads the anti-Syrian bloc¹² holding a slim majority of seats in parliament. A wave of assassinations of anti-Syrian politicians over the past two years has prompted many members of the ruling coalition to take extreme security measures to protect themselves. Some have left the country, while others stay in fortified¹³ compounds or hotels. Most of the cabinet members have spent the last year living in the Grand Serail compound, which houses the prime minister's offices.

Hariri's father, former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, was killed in a massive car-bombing in Beirut in early 2005.

An initial U.N. inquiry¹⁴ into that bombing implicated¹⁵ some senior Syrian officials, including Shawkat. In addition to heading Syria's military intelligence service, Shawkat is also the brother-in-law of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Saad Hariri and Prime Minister Siniora have led the push to establish an international tribunal to try suspects in the killings. Damascus denies any involvement in the murders, and has said it will not turn over its citizens for trial outside of Syria.

1 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

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 assassinations   

n.暗杀( assassination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Most anarchist assassinations were bungled because of haste or spontaneity, in his view. 在他看来，无政府主义者搞的许多刺杀都没成功就是因为匆忙和自发行动。 来自辞典例句
• Assassinations by Israelis of alleged terrorists habitually kill nearby women and children. 在以色列，自称恐怖分子的炸弹自杀者杀害靠近自己的以色列妇女和儿童。 来自互联网

4 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

5 assassinate   

vt.暗杀，行刺，中伤

参考例句：

• The police exposed a criminal plot to assassinate the president.警方侦破了一个行刺总统的阴谋。
• A plot to assassinate the banker has been uncovered by the police.暗杀银行家的密谋被警方侦破了。

6 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

7 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

8 deadlocked   

陷入僵局的；僵持不下的

参考例句：

• The plan deadlocked over the funds. 这个计划由于经费问题而搁浅了。
• The meeting deadlocked over the wage issue. 会议因工资问题而停顿下来。

9 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

10 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

11 implicit   

a.暗示的，含蓄的，不明晰的，绝对的

参考例句：

• A soldier must give implicit obedience to his officers. 士兵必须绝对服从他的长官。
• Her silence gave implicit consent. 她的沉默表示默许。

12 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

13 fortified   

adj. 加强的

参考例句：

• He fortified himself against the cold with a hot drink. 他喝了一杯热饮御寒。
• The enemy drew back into a few fortified points. 敌人收缩到几个据点里。

14 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。

15 implicated   

adj.密切关联的；牵涉其中的

参考例句：

• These groups are very strongly implicated in the violence. 这些组织与这起暴力事件有着极大的关联。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Having the stolen goods in his possession implicated him in the robbery. 因藏有赃物使他涉有偷盗的嫌疑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》