VOA慢速英语2009-IN THE NEWS - US Sees a Place for Iran at Meetin

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

The United States is proposing a big conference on Afghanistan and wants to invite Iran, one of its neighbors. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says dealing¹ with extremism in Afghanistan and Pakistan requires a regional effort.
　
An American soldier with the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan

She announced the proposal to hold a high-level meeting on March thirty-first. It would also include donors² and members of NATO, and might take place in the Netherlands. The United Nations special representative for Afghanistan, Kai Eide, could be the chairman.

Secretary Clinton presented the idea to NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. Then, on Friday, she met in Geneva with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to discuss arms control and other issues.

The NATO ministers agreed to restart high-level contacts with Russia. Those were suspended last year after its military action in Georgia.

President Obama wants Russia to help keep nuclear weapons away from Iran. He says that would reduce the need for an American missile-defense³ system proposed for the Czech Republic and Poland. But he also says his comments do not suggest a weakening of support for the security of those countries or other NATO members.

Russia opposes the defense plan. President Obama says it is directed at Iran, not Russia. But his administration is also re-examining current American policy which aims to isolate⁴ Iran from the world. At the same time, he has decided⁵ to send two high-level officials to Damascus for talks with Syria.
　
Israeli President Shimon Peres gave Hillary Clinton flowers and a kiss in Jerusalem on Tuesday

Secretary Clinton announced the trip in Jerusalem earlier this week during her first visit to the Middle East as America's top diplomat⁶. The United States has not had an ambassador in Syria since former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri was killed in two thousand five.

The United States has criticized Syria and Iran for supporting militant⁷ groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. But, in a development announced Wednesday, Britain says it is open to talks with the political wing of Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Britain halted contacts in two thousand five. And last July it added Hezbollah's military force to its list of banned organizations. But Hezbollah is part of a national unity⁸ government that was formed last year in Lebanon. The United States says it has no plans for now to follow Britain's lead.

Finally, in other news, this Sunday is International Women's Day. A new study says women's rights have gained some ground in Arab Gulf⁹ states since a similar study completed five years ago. The group Freedom House notes that in Kuwait, women have won the right to vote. In Oman, women have made gains in areas of higher education, the work force and politics.

Just last month, Saudi Arabia got its first woman cabinet member, Noura al-Fayez, the deputy minister for women's education. But the Freedom House researchers say much more progress is still needed, especially in Saudi Arabia.

And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English, written by Brianna Blake. I'm Steve Ember.

1 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

2 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

4 isolate   

vt.使孤立，隔离

参考例句：

• Do not isolate yourself from others.不要把自己孤立起来。
• We should never isolate ourselves from the masses.我们永远不能脱离群众。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

7 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

8 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

9 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。