美国国会议员及“9-11恐怖袭击事件调查委员会”委员们说， 美国的外交政策将在美国防止未来恐怖主义袭击事件中起重大作用。

　　Speaking before the House International Relations Committee, the Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, Maura Hardy, said much has been done to reform a visa screening and processing system that allowed 19 hijackers from the September 11 attacks to enter the United States with little or no scrutiny. "In visa processing, we have established a new worldwide policy for interviewing, added additional security clearance checks for counter-terrorism purposes for certain groups of applicants. We have strengthened procedures following revocation of visas to ensure timely notification to the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI," she said.

　　美国国务院负责领事事务的助理国务卿哈迪在国会众议院国际关系委员会的听证会上说，就9-11事件中19名劫持者漏过签证审查的问题，美国在改进发放签证的审议程序方面已经做了许多改变。他说：“在签发签证方面，出于对某些特定组织申请人在‘反恐’方面的需要，我们建立了一套新的、全球性的‘面审’政策，增加了额外的审查程序。我们加强了对那些被撤销了签证之后重新申请签证的审批程序，确保及时通知国土安全部和联邦调查局。

　　But the State Department does much more than issue visas, and Thursday's congressional hearing focused on the larger subject of American diplomacy and the war on terrorism. "It is abundantly clear that the credibility and reputation of the United States is at an all-time low internationally and, particularly in the Muslim world," said Democratic New Jersey Representative Bob Menendez. "To lead in the fight against terrorism, we must regain our credibility and our reputation. To win that fight, we must also win a tough battle for the hearts and minds of the Muslim world."

　　然而国务院的工作决不是仅仅发放签证。国会星期四的听证会还把注意力集中在更大的方面---美国的外交政策以及反恐战争。来自新泽西州的民主党众议员梅嫩德斯说：“非常明显：在国际上，特别是穆斯林世界，美国的信誉和声望已经下降到了有史以来的最低点。要想领导反恐战争，我们必须重新建立起我们的信誉。要想赢得这场战斗，我们必须首先赢得穆斯林世界的‘人心’。”

　　To that end, the committee heard a plethora of recommendations from members of the September 11 Commission who argued that the United States must focus attention on the dreams and aspirations of countless Muslims who may be wary or even disdainful of the United States, but who are not hardened terrorists. Commission members recommended expanding foreign assistance programs that have an impact on education, infrastructure and economic opportunity as well as boosting U.S.-funded television broadcasts to Muslim nations.

　　就这一问题，听证会还听取了9-11事件调查委员会委员们的大量建议。他们认为：美国必须关注大量怀有梦想和抱负的穆斯林。这些人可能担忧甚至蔑视美国，但并不是死心踏地的“恐怖主义分子”。调查委员会的成员们建议：扩大那些对穆斯林国家影响着教育、基础设施、就业机会以及美国出资的电视广播等的对外援助计划。

　　On the subject of government-to-government contacts, September 11 Commission's Deputy Executive Director Christopher Kojm advocated creating a forum for regular consultation between Western and Muslim governments. He also gave an impassioned plea for a renewed U.S. commitment to improving relations with allies and international partners. "Whether it is military cooperation, law enforcement, aviation security - we are going to have to work with other governments. It all takes place in the context of the overall relationship that we have with governments. And if we do not have a relationship of trust and cooperation with key international partners, these other forms of cooperation in sector-specific areas will not happen," he said.

　　就国与国之间的接触来说，9-11事件调查委员会副主席科基姆则建议：在西方国家和穆斯林国家之间建立一个进行正常磋商的“论坛”。他还令人印象深刻的“请求”美国政府做出新的承诺：改善美国和盟国以及国际夥伴的关系。他说：“不论是军事上，执法方面还是航空安全方面，我们都必须和其他国家的政府协作，都是在我们和其他国家政府之间的关系上进行的。如果我们和国际夥伴之间没有那种相互信任的合作关系，那么在其它什么特定领域里就不可能有任何形式的合作。”

　　For cooperation to succeed, however, Mr. Kojm said that U.S. policies must not alienate partners and allies, nor should they alienate potential future partners and allies. He noted that the September 11 Commission was not tasked with judging the efficacy of current U.S. foreign policy. But he said that success in Iraq along with progress in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would greatly aid overall anti-terror efforts.

　　科基姆说，要想合作获得成功，美国的政策无论如何决不能“疏远”美国的夥伴和盟友，也不能“疏远”潜在的、未来的夥伴和盟友。他指出：9-11事件调查委员会的任务并不是挑剔现美国政府的对外政策的。然而他说， 在伊拉克问题上的成功、在解决以、巴冲突上所取得的进展，都大大地帮助了在反恐方面所做出的努力。