2006年VOA标准英语-US Denies Plot With Israel to Destabilize

By David Gollust
Washington
14 February 2006 

Sean McCormack  
  
The Bush administration says it is not having separate talks with Israel about how to deal with a Hamas-led Palestinian government. The New York Times reported Tuesday that U.S. and Israeli officials were discussing ways to undermine a prospective¹ Hamas led Palestinian government and force new elections.

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State Department officials say they are puzzled by the New York Times account, and insist there is no discreet² or secret dialogue with Israel over how to confront a Palestinian government led by Hamas.

The New York Times account, which said the U.S. and Israel intention is to starve a Hamas-led Palestinian Authority and force new elections, drew an unusually vigorous response from the Bush administration.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack, in an impromptu³ talk with reporters, said contacts with Israel on the issue were no different that those being held with other U.S. diplomatic partners. He said all the parties want a Hamas administration to recognize Israel, renounce⁴ violence, and accept previous agreements Palestinians reached with Israel.

"There's no plan, there's no plot. The conversations that we are having with the Israeli government are the same conversations we're having with other members of the international community including the Quartet. And the context and the basis of those discussions is quite transparent⁵: it's the Quartet statement and the principles outlined in that statement," said McCormack.

Spokesman McCormack said U.S. policy continues to be based on the statement the Quartet - the United States, European Union, Russia and the United Nations - made January 30 in London.

In that statement, the four parties said members of a future Palestinian government must be committed to non-violence, recognition of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations including the Quartet's April 2003 road map to a Middle East peace accord.

The New York Times account also drew a response from Israeli Ambassador to Washington Danial Ayalon, who said there are no U.S.-Israeli discussions designed to bring down the Palestinian government, and no conspiracy⁶ to hurt the Palestinian people.

Spokesman McCormack said future international financial support for the Palestinian Authority depends on the platforms and policies that the next Palestinian government pursues.

He said if that government breaks with existing moderate policies, the entire international community will review its funding and that the United States' opposition⁷ to providing aid to a terrorist organization is very clear.

The United States has long listed Hamas as a foreign terrorist organization and its campaign of suicide bombing against Israel in recent years also killed a number of U.S. citizens.

This year's U.S. aid program for Palestinians totals more than $230 million, about a third of it for the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency, to which the United States has traditionally been the largest contribution.

Spokesman McCormack suggested under questioning that an aid cutback, if one occurred, would not be total. He said the international community recognizes that the Palestinians have certain humanitarian⁸ needs and that they would be considered on a case-by-case basis.

1 prospective   

adj.预期的，未来的，前瞻性的

参考例句：

• The story should act as a warning to other prospective buyers.这篇报道应该对其他潜在的购买者起到警示作用。
• They have all these great activities for prospective freshmen.这会举办各种各样的活动来招待未来的新人。

2 discreet   

adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的

参考例句：

• He is very discreet in giving his opinions.发表意见他十分慎重。
• It wasn't discreet of you to ring me up at the office.你打电话到我办公室真是太鲁莽了。

3 impromptu   

adj.即席的，即兴的；adv.即兴的(地)，无准备的(地)

参考例句：

• The announcement was made in an impromptu press conference at the airport.这一宣布是在机场举行的临时新闻发布会上作出的。
• The children put on an impromptu concert for the visitors.孩子们为来访者即兴献上了一场音乐会。

4 renounce   

v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系

参考例句：

• She decided to renounce the world and enter a convent.她决定弃绝尘世去当修女。
• It was painful for him to renounce his son.宣布与儿子脱离关系对他来说是很痛苦的。

5 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

6 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

7 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。

8 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。