VOA常速英语2007年-US Presidential Candidates Speak on CIA Interro

By Jim Fry
Washington, D.C.
20 December 2007
 

As the U.S. presidential campaign moves toward its first primary season voting in early January, much of the campaign has focused on domestic issues. Candidates have talked about some foreign policy issues, but as VOA's Jim Fry reports, what a presidential candidate says on the campaign trail and what the next president will say once in the White House may not be the same.

The Central Intelligence Agency revealed early this month that it had destroyed interrogation videotapes of two top al-Qaida terrorist suspects.

Republican candidate John McCain was a prisoner of war in Vietnam.  He often speaks out against the administration's detention¹ policy and reacted strongly to the news. "When tapes are destroyed of interrogations, it contributes enormously to the cynicism, the skepticism and also is further damaging to the image of the United States of America in the world."

But most of the other Republican presidential candidates support the Bush administration's policies toward terrorist suspects.

The Democrats³ mostly do not, and accuse the administration of civil rights violations⁴. Most want to close the Guantanamo Bay military prison in Cuba where suspects are held.

When candidates take specific positions on foreign policy, says Max Boot of the private Council on Foreign Relations, foreign audiences should be wary⁵. "Don't pay too much attention to what people are actually saying in the middle of a presidential campaign.  It often has little relation to what they would wind up doing once in office."

Boot says U.S. foreign policy is dominated more by continuity than change from one presidential administration to another.

Yet, Peter Beinert, another expert from the think tank, disagrees. "Max is undoubtedly⁶ right, that American foreign policy responds to events, to big events.  And he's also right that there are strong themes and traditions that run through American foreign policy.  But I also think events don't simply explain themselves.  Events have to be interpreted."

For example, the latest U.S. intelligence estimate that says that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 drew different reactions from candidates.  A Democrat² equated⁷ President Bush's earlier warning that Iran poses a danger to false prewar claims that Iraq possessed⁸ weapons of mass destruction.

Senator Joseph Biden said, "They're a real problem.  But are they a World War III problem?  Is there a likelihood of a nuclear cataclysmic exchange?  Are they on the verge⁹ of getting nuclear weapons?  This has a strange echo of Iraq -- a strange echo -- same kind of malarkey [foolish talk]."

Republican candidates mostly backed the administration's tough line, focusing on the conclusion that Iran could still develop nuclear weapons. Candidate and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said, "The option of this government should be that we don't take any option off the table and we keep the pressure on them."

Former Senator Fred Thompson said, "Not only is Iran probably the major long term threat to our country, whether or not they have a nuclear capability¹⁰ or a nuclear program, is the most important part of the Iran consideration."

Candidates for the major party nominations¹¹ face voters for the first time in early January, when Iowa conducts its presidential caucuses¹² and New Hampshire its primary election.

1 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

2 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

3 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

5 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。

6 undoubtedly   

adv.确实地，无疑地

参考例句：

• It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
• He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。

7 equated   

adj.换算的v.认为某事物（与另一事物）相等或相仿( equate的过去式和过去分词 )；相当于；等于；把（一事物） 和（另一事物）等同看待

参考例句：

• Production costs for the movie equated to around 30% of income. 这部电影的制作成本相当于收益的30%。
• Politics cannot be equated with art. 政治不能同艺术等同起来。

8 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

9 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。

10 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

11 nominations   

n.提名，任命( nomination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nominations are invited for the post of party chairman. 为党主席职位征集候选人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Much coverage surrounded his abortive bids for the 1960,1964, and 1968 Republican Presidential nominations. 许多消息报道都围绕着1960年、1964年和1968年他为争取提名为共和党总统候选人所做努力的失败。 来自辞典例句

12 caucuses   

n.（政党决定政策或推举竞选人的）核心成员( caucus的名词复数 )；决策干部；决策委员会；秘密会议

参考例句：

• Republican caucuses will happen in about 410 towns across Maine. 共和党团会议选举将在缅因州的约410个城镇进行。 来自互联网