2006年VOA标准英语-Arms Control Experts Urge Senate to Change US/I

By Deborah Tate
Capitol Hill
14 November 2006

A group of prominent arms control experts has sent letters to U.S. senators urging them not to approve legislation relating to the Bush administration's nuclear deal with India unless significant changes are made to the bill.   The measure is expected to come before the Senate as early as this week.

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Senate action on the U.S./India nuclear cooperation agreement is a top priority for President Bush before the outgoing Republican-led Congress ends its session next month:

President Bush   
  
"On the foreign policy front we need to complete legislation that will allow us to cooperate with India on civilian¹ nuclear technology," said President Bush.

The agreement received a boost from the Senate's top Democrat², Senator Harry³ Reid of Nevada.

"I think it is important that we do something with the India nuclear agreement," said Mr. Reid.  "This is important.  India is the largest democracy in the world.  We want to work with them."

Under the accord, reached during President Bush's visit to India earlier this year, India would be allowed access to U.S. civilian nuclear technology in return for a pledge to open its nonmilitary nuclear facilities to international inspections⁴.

 
Senator Harry Reid (file photo)
  
The House of Representatives has already approved the legislation, which would change U.S. law to allow nuclear trade with India despite its development of nuclear weapons.  India has refused to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.  Many arms control experts are concerned that the agreement could harm efforts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons.

But the Bush administration says the nuclear accord would strengthen nonproliferation efforts by putting a majority of India's nuclear plants under international inspections.

Michael Krepon, co-founder of the Henry Stimson Center, an independent nonprofit public policy research institute that examines security issues, sees it differently.

"Anyone who thinks in any depth about the problems of proliferation that we face will have misgivings⁵ about this deal. It is wholly unsupportable to argue, as this administration does in public, that this is a net plus for nonproliferation.  It is not so," said Mr. Krepon.

Krepon spoke⁶ Tuesday at a forum⁷ in Washington, sponsored by the Arms Control Association.   The association released a letter, signed by 18 arms control advocates, that was sent to U.S. senators this week, urging them to make changes in the legislation before senate action.

The arms control experts are calling for the bill to be amended⁸ so that before nuclear cooperation begins, the United States would determine that India had stopped producing fissile material and that civil nuclear trade would not assist India's nuclear weapons program.  They also are proposing that the United States end cooperation if India tests a nuclear weapon.

Senator Russ Feingold, a Wisconsin Democrat, agrees with the experts' recommendations.  He told VOA he plans to introduce an amendment⁹ that will ensure that U.S. nuclear assistance to India will not be used to further develop India's nuclear weapons capability¹⁰.

"Without that kind of assurance, a certification by the president that this is the case, I will not be able to support it [the accord]," said Mr. Feingold.  "I agree with the letter that there are serious concerns, and without change I am not comfortable with the agreement."

Skeptics of the nuclear accord also are concerned about India's cooperation with Iran.

Congressman¹¹ Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, is calling on the Senate not to act on the legislation until it investigates weapons-related transfers between India and Iran.

In a report released this month, the Congressional Research Service says companies in India and Iran appear to have engaged in limited nuclear, chemical and missile-related transfers over the years.  It notes that U.S. sanctions have been imposed on Indian companies for transfers to Iran as recently as July of this year.

1 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

2 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

3 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

4 inspections   

n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅

参考例句：

• Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
• Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 misgivings   

n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧

参考例句：

• I had grave misgivings about making the trip. 对于这次旅行我有过极大的顾虑。
• Don't be overtaken by misgivings and fear. Just go full stream ahead! 不要瞻前顾后， 畏首畏尾。甩开膀子干吧！ 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

8 Amended   

adj. 修正的 动词amend的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He asked to see the amended version. 他要求看修订本。
• He amended his speech by making some additions and deletions. 他对讲稿作了些增删修改。

9 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

10 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

11 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。