正值争端时期 奥巴马会见沙特国王

AS IT IS 2016-04-21 Obama Meets with Saudi King Amid Disputes 正值争端时期 奥巴马会见沙特国王

President Barack Obama sat down Wednesday with King Salman of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh.

The meeting comes at a time of difficult relations between the two countries.

The Saudi government has concerns about the U.S. nuclear deal with Iran and the Obama administration policy toward the Syrian civil war.

Obama has said Saudi Arabia has not done enough to fight terrorism in the Middle East. He called the Saudis “free riders,” suggesting they gain from United States security efforts without sharing the responsibility.

Another issue is the possible release of U.S. documents that might point some blame at Saudi officials for the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Saudi officials strongly deny this.

The president and King Salman shared friendly comments at the start of their meeting Wednesday at the Erga Palace.

The president thanked the king for his “hospitality,” and for organizing a six-nation Gulf¹ summit meeting on Thursday.

“I and the Saudi people are very pleased that you, Mr. President, are visiting us in the kingdom,” King Salman said.

Still, King Salman did not meet President Obama at the airport, as he has done for other leaders.

U.S. Defense² Secretary meets with Gulf leaders

Also in Saudi Arabia is U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter.

At a press conference, Carter called on Gulf nations to do more in the fight against the Islamic State. He also asked the nations to work with the U.S. to stop what he called Iran’s “destabilizing” behavior.

However, it will be hard to settle basic disagreements between the United States and Gulf leaders. They disagree on what the major concerns should be.

The United States and much of Europe see Islamic State and al-Qaida as major dangers.

But Gulf leaders worry more about Iran and the people and groups it supports. That includes Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Shi’ite Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Meeting in Saudi Arabia are leaders from the United States and the six Gulf States. They include Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and also the Saudi Kingdom.

Obama administration spokesman Josh Earnest was asked about a secret 28-page document that may point to Saudi involvement in the 2001 terrorist attacks.

Earnest said no matter what the documents show it is clear that “since 9/11 we have seen the Saudi government” work to combat terrorism.

Rob Malley is the U.S. top adviser³ for the Middle East and North Africa. He offered his views on what will come of the meeting between Obama and King Salman.

“The differences are not going to disappear, but our work together is not going to disappear either,” Malley said. “In fact, I think this summit will show how much has been accomplished⁴ over the last year and how much more can be done in the coming months.”

But Michael Rubin, a Middle East expert with the American Enterprise Institute, said he does not expect much more than “polite” comments.

He said that the Obama presidency⁵ is nearing its end and that Saudi and other Gulf leaders “are more likely” looking ahead to what policies to expect from the next U.S. president.

Words in This Story

hospitality – n. generous and friendly treatment of visitors and guests

destabilizing – adj. to cause a government to be unable to continue existing or working in the usual or desired way

summit – n. a meeting or series of meetings between the leaders of two or more governments

accomplish – v. to get something done

1 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。

2 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。

3 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

4 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

5 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。