2006年VOA标准英语-Britain Guardedly Welcomes Iraq Study Group Rec

By Tom Rivers
London
06 December 2006

Initial reaction from London has been positive to the 79 recommendations outlined by the bipartisan U.S. Iraq Study Group, which presented its report to U.S. President George Bush. For VOA News, Tom Rivers reports from the British capital.

 
Margaret Beckett (file photo)
Britain's Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett says her first reading of the Iraq Study Group report shows "some important elements."

"We welcome the publication Iraq Study Group's report," she said. "It is substantial and a complex piece of work which of course the prime minister and senior British officials have contributed. From those discussions we get the impression that their thinking was broadly in line with our own but obviously we need to read and digest their formal recommendations."

 
Tony Blair (file photo)
Those recommendations will be discussed in detail Thursday when Prime Minister Blair meets with President Bush at the White House.

Part of the study group report says a renewed emphasis must be placed on finding a solution to the Israel-Palestinian problem. Beckett says she would strongly back such an initiative.

"That has been British policy for a very long time and something that we have encouraged and supported. What we all want to see are real concrete moves towards it," she said.

Opposition¹ political leaders in London are digesting the report as well. Liberal Democrat² Menzies Campbell for one, sees some important aspects that he hopes will be taken up by the U.S. administration.

"We have argued as Liberal Democrats³ that there ought to be some kind of regional approach, that there needs to be a contact group, particularly we have argued the United Nations should have much more to do with the reconstruction⁴ which is very largely stalled," he said. "And we have also argued the importance of talking to Iran and to Syria, both of whom have no interest in Iraq breaking up."

 
President Bush, center, speaks to media following meeting with Iraq Study Group at the White House, 6 Dec 06
As to how it will be received in Baghdad, Iraq's ambassador to Britain, Salah al-Shaikhly believes the recommendations can have positive ramifications⁵ if adopted.

"Any effort including the Baker⁶ report would be welcome in Iraq," he said. "My government would study the report and I think they would respond in good time."

Britons will be watching Tony Blair's trip to Washington with intense interest. The government here has announced it would like to see a substantial draw-down of some of its troops in Iraq next year.

1 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

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 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

5 ramifications   

n.结果，后果( ramification的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• These changes are bound to have widespread social ramifications. 这些变化注定会造成许多难以预料的社会后果。
• What are the ramifications of our decision to join the union? 我们决定加入工会会引起哪些后果呢？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。