2006年VOA标准英语-Rice Ends Middle East Trip With Surprise Visit

By Sonja Pace
Jerusalem
05 October 2006

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wound up her tour of the Middle East with an unannounced visit to Baghdad for talks with Iraqi officials. Her visit to the region was aimed at boosting support for moderate Arab leaders.

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Condoleezza Rice, left, with Iraqi PM al-Maliki, right, in Baghdad  
  
Secretary Rice's stopover in Baghdad was not previously¹ announced for security reasons.

Her visit came amid increasing insurgent² and sectarian violence in Iraq and growing concern among many experts that Iraq is on the brink³ of, if not already in, a civil war.

According to opinion polls, there is diminishing support for the war among the American public and Iraq has become a major political issue before next month's congressional elections in the United States.

Secretary Rice previously visited Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the West Bank and Israel on a tour aimed mainly to strengthen support for moderate Arab leaders and to urge allies to do more to help re-start Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

In the West Bank city of Ramallah, Rice met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and in Jerusalem she held talks with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and other senior Israeli officials

No details were immediately available on her meetings with the Israelis, but Rice had indicated she would be discussing how to ease restrictions⁴ on the movement of goods and people in and out of Palestinian areas, especially the Gaza Strip, which has been closed off for much of the year.

"I will see what I can do to make sure that some of these crossings are open longer and more frequently so that economic activity can return," she said.

Condoleezza Rice (l) meeting with Mahmoud Abbas    
  
Rice made those comments Wednesday after talks with President Abbas in Ramallah.

The Israeli government has said it will re-open the Karni Crossing soon, and U.S. officials have welcomed an Israeli promise to re-open the Rafah crossing at regular intervals⁵ during this Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Rafah is on the Gaza-Egypt border and is the only access for Palestinians to the outside world without going through Israel. Karni is the main commercial crossing point from Gaza to Israel.

Secretary Rice said the United States is very concerned about the humanitarian⁶ conditions in the Palestinian territories and would re-double its efforts to help.

Her open praise for President Abbas was meant to shore up support for the moderate, secular⁷ Palestinian leader in his power struggle with the militant⁸ Islamic group Hamas, which dominates the government.

But her effort did not go over well with the Hamas government. Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya accused Rice of trying to re-arrange the Middle East to better suit the needs of Israel and Washington.

1 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

2 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

3 brink   

n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿

参考例句：

• The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
• The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。

4 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

5 intervals   

n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息

参考例句：

• The forecast said there would be sunny intervals and showers. 预报间晴，有阵雨。
• Meetings take place at fortnightly intervals. 每两周开一次会。

6 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

7 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

8 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。