2006年VOA标准英语-US Security Strategy Reaffirms Preemptive

By Meredith Buel
Washington
23 March 2006

The White House recently released a new national security strategy that reaffirms President Bush's doctrine¹ of preemptive war, but says diplomacy² is the strong preference in combating the threat of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction.  The strategy also identifies Iran as the country likely to be the greatest challenge to the United States in the future.

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This latest version of the Bush administration's national security strategy updates one published in September 2002, a year after the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington and before the invasion of Iraq.

The new edition offers no changes to the preemption policy, saying the United States may use force before attacks occur because it cannot afford to "stand idly by as grave dangers materialize."

The document does stress that diplomacy is the strong preference over military action.

Carlos Pascual is the director of the Foreign Policy Studies Program at the Brookings Institution.

He says the spread of democracy is still the key element of the administration's strategic policy. 

"In particular it focuses a great deal of attention on democracy," he said.  "Democracy as an endpoint, democracy as a tool, democracy as a factor that is a function of a whole range of other tools such as foreign aid."

Michael O'Hanlon is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution specializing in U.S. defense³ strategy.

O'Hanlon agrees with the administration's policy on using preemptive strikes, saying the focus on expanding special forces within the Pentagon is an important element in fighting terrorism.

"The military tools are in pretty good shape with the one huge caveat⁴ that the all-volunteer force is being enormously strained by the Iraq operation," he explained.  "But I am not too worried that if an al-Qaida cell pops up in Yemen, or pops up in Somalia or somewhere else I am not too worried that we won't have the capacity to address it.  I think we will have the capacity."

The national security strategy calls for the creation of effective democracies, suggesting that countries should not simply conduct free elections, but also must create democratic institutions.

Middle East specialist and former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk points to the recent victory of Hamas in voting for the Palestinian parliament as a concern that radical⁵ Islamist groups could benefit from elections.

"The very forces that we are seeking to defeat in the war of ideas, that democratization is supposed to be our vanguard idea that we are trying to defeat them with, those very forces are using democratization to come to power," he noted⁶.  "So democracy cannot be the antidote⁷ to terror if the terrorists use democracy to gain advantages against us."

The administration's security strategy says diplomatic efforts with Iran over its nuclear program must succeed to avoid confrontation⁸.  The document does not specify⁹ what would occur if diplomacy fails.
 
President Bush's national security advisor¹⁰, Stephen Hadley, says there are signs that Iran is beginning to listen to international concerns.

"There is beginning to be a debate within the leadership, and I would hope a debate between the leadership and their people, about whether the course they are on is the right course for the good of their country," said Mr. Hadley.  "That has only come about because they have heard a coordinated¹¹ message from the international community."

The national security document says the ultimate goal of democracy is to end tyranny around the world.

1 doctrine   

n.教义；主义；学说

参考例句：

• He was impelled to proclaim his doctrine.他不得不宣扬他的教义。
• The council met to consider changes to doctrine.宗教议会开会考虑更改教义。

2 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

3 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。

4 caveat   

n.警告； 防止误解的说明

参考例句：

• I would offer a caveat for those who want to join me in the dual calling.为防止发生误解，我想对那些想要步我后尘的人提出警告。
• As I have written before,that's quite a caveat.正如我以前所写，那确实是个警告。

5 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 antidote   

n.解毒药，解毒剂

参考例句：

• There is no known antidote for this poison.这种毒药没有解药。
• Chinese physicians used it as an antidote for snake poison.中医师用它来解蛇毒。

8 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

9 specify   

vt.指定，详细说明

参考例句：

• We should specify a time and a place for the meeting.我们应指定会议的时间和地点。
• Please specify what you will do.请你详述一下你将做什么。

10 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

11 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法