VOA标准英语2010年-Iraqi Prime Minister Visits Syria to M

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is visiting Damascus for the first time in more than a year.

Outgoing Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his first visit to the Syrian capital in more than a year. Observers say the meeting was intended to end a lengthy¹ rift² that began after Mr. Maliki accused Damascus of responsibility for several devastating³ car bombs last year in Baghdad.

President Assad reportedly told Mr. Maliki that he was pleased that relations between both countries were on the mend. He added that the "rapid formation of [a new] Iraqi government" would reinforce stronger ties.

Prime Minister Maliki was quoted as saying that relations between Iraq and Syria are "special" and that neither country can "get by without the other."? Mr. Maliki spent several years in exile in Damascus, while an opponent of former Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein.

Mr. Maliki is thought to be seeking Syria's support to remain in office, after months of political wrangling⁴ following inconclusive parliamentary elections last March. Former Iraqi prime minister Iyad Allawi, his chief rival for the job, visited Syria two weeks ago.

A political analyst⁵ in Baghdad, Salem Mashkour, says the invitation for Mr. Maliki to visit Damascus followed the intervention⁶ of Iranian leaders in his favor.

"The Prime Minister of Syria [Naji Otri] invited Maliki to visit Damascus and this came after more than one year of tension between Maliki personally and the Syrian leaders," he said. "That was after an agreement between Syria and Iran about Maliki. Iranian leaders convinced Syrian leaders, especially [Syrian President] Bashar al Assad, to accept al Maliki and Bashar Assad agreed to start a new page with [him]."

Syria has long had close ties to Iraq's Sunni-opposition movement and Damascus has repeatedly insisted that it was trying to "remain equidistant" between Iraq's Sunni and Shi'ite political parties.

Iraq expert Peter Harling of the Crisis Group in Damascus says Syria appears to be bending in favor of Mr. Maliki now that the United States and Iran appear to be supporting him for a new term.

"I think the Syrians realize that Maliki now has support from Iran obviously, but also from the U.S., for a lot of different reasons," he said. "He is seen by both as a solution of continuity."

"I think the Iranians see current dynamics⁷ in Iraq as pointing in the right direction from their own perspective, and as you know, the U.S. wants out and Maliki is the least problematic option, perhaps. So, it becomes more difficult for the Syrians to oppose him with as much vigor⁸ as in the past," he added.

Harling argues that Mr. Maliki brought several economic incentives⁹ with him to Damascus, in a bid to garner¹⁰ Syria's support for his remaining in office. Among those incentives are several projects that were frozen last year, including an oil pipeline¹¹ from Iraq to the Mediterranean¹², via Syria, and a pact¹³ to refine some Iraqi crude oil in Syria.

Prime Minister Maliki recently indicated that he has gained the support of Iraq's key Shi'ite political formations, giving him the votes in parliament to form a new government. Harling believes that the prime minister wants Damascus to help convince rival Iyad Allawi to "join the government under acceptable terms."
 

1 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

2 rift   

n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入

参考例句：

• He was anxious to mend the rift between the two men.他急于弥合这两个人之间的裂痕。
• The sun appeared through a rift in the clouds.太阳从云层间隙中冒出来。

3 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

4 wrangling   

v.争吵，争论，口角( wrangle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The two sides have spent most of their time wrangling over procedural problems. 双方大部分时间都在围绕程序问题争论不休。 来自辞典例句
• The children were wrangling (with each other) over the new toy. 孩子为新玩具（互相）争吵。 来自辞典例句

5 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

6 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

7 dynamics   

n.力学，动力学，动力，原动力；动态

参考例句：

• In order to succeed,you must master complicated knowledge of dynamics.要取得胜利，你必须掌握很复杂的动力学知识。
• Dynamics is a discipline that cannot be mastered without extensive practice.动力学是一门不做大量习题就不能掌握的学科。

8 vigor   

n.活力，精力，元气

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• She didn't want to be reminded of her beauty or her former vigor.现在，她不愿人们提起她昔日的美丽和以前的精力充沛。

9 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

10 garner   

v.收藏；取得

参考例句：

• He has garnered extensive support for his proposals.他的提议得到了广泛的支持。
• Squirrels garner nuts for the winter.松鼠为过冬储存松果。

11 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

12 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

13 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。