2006年VOA标准英语-Lawmakers, US Officials Criticize Venezuela in

By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
13 July 2006

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and his government have come in for more criticism during a congressional hearing on Capitol Hill, Thursday. State Department officials testified about what they say is evidence of Venezuelan support for terrorist groups, and the failure of Venezuela to respond to U.S. efforts to build cooperation on anti-terrorist efforts.

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Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez  
  
Venezuela was added earlier this year to the list of countries the U.S. State Department designates as not cooperating fully¹ with anti-terrorist efforts.

Republican Congressman² Ed Royce said evidence shows Venezuela maintains close ties with terrorist groups and countries supporting them.

"Venezuela under President Hugo Chavez has tolerated terrorists on its soil and has forged close relationships with officially-designated state sponsors of terrorism, for example Cuba, Iran and North Korea," said Ed Royce.

Royce also sites reports of Venezuelan support for Colombian narco-terrorists, and the use of Venezuelan territory as a safe-haven.

Lawmakers are particularly distressed³ with Venezuela's failure to crack down on forging of passports and other documents.

Frank Urbancic    
  
Frank Urbancic is State Department Principal Deputy Coordinator⁴ for Counter-terrorism:

"Most worrisome, Venezuelan government officials direct the issuance of documents to ineligible⁵ individuals to advance political and foreign policy agendas," said Frank Urbancic. "As a result we are detaining at our borders increasing numbers of third country aliens carrying falsified documents or fraudulently-issued Venezuelan documents."

U.S. officials say a major outcome of all of this is to place ordinary Venezuelans under greater scrutiny⁶.

Efforts to construct an anti-terrorism dialogue with Caracas have been largely unsuccessful, amid increasing concern about President Chavez' outreach to Iran and North Korea.

Charles Shapiro is Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs:

"Over the past three years, the U.S. embassy in Caracas has submitted roughly 130 written requests for different types of biographical or immigration-related information on potential terrorist suspects, and to date has not received one single substantive⁷ response," said Charles Shapiro.

Key areas of concern for lawmakers include the Chavez government's intensifying⁸ ties with Iran and opposition⁹ to sending the issue of Iran's nuclear program to the U.N. Security Council, as well as fund-raising activities by Hezbollah in Venezuela.

California Democrat¹⁰ Brad Sherman says President Chavez should address these concerns, but also urges U.S. patience:

"The U.S. must have patience in dealing¹¹ with the Chavez government," noted¹² Brad Sherman. "Those who talk about taking Chavez down should recognize that it is up to the Venezuelan people to decide who will be their leader."

U.S. officials reiterated¹³ Washington's opposition to Venezuela obtaining a two year non-permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council, something the Chavez government says would help it represent the interests of developing countries.

The officials noted that Venezuela's designation as a non-cooperating country in the fight against terrorism, will result in the cutoff of U.S. military equipment sales on October 1.

1 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

2 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。

3 distressed   

痛苦的

参考例句：

• He was too distressed and confused to answer their questions. 他非常苦恼而困惑，无法回答他们的问题。
• The news of his death distressed us greatly. 他逝世的消息使我们极为悲痛。

4 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

5 ineligible   

adj.无资格的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The new rules have made thousands more people ineligible for legal aid.新规定使另外数千人不符合接受法律援助的资格。
• The country had been declared ineligible for World Bank lending.这个国家已被宣布没有资格获得世界银行的贷款。

6 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

7 substantive   

adj.表示实在的；本质的、实质性的；独立的；n.实词，实名词；独立存在的实体

参考例句：

• They plan to meet again in Rome very soon to begin substantive negotiations.他们计划不久在罗马再次会晤以开始实质性的谈判。
• A president needs substantive advice,but he also requires emotional succor. 一个总统需要实质性的建议，但也需要感情上的支持。

8 intensifying   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的现在分词 )；增辉

参考例句：

• The allies are intensifying their air campaign. 联军部队正加大他们的空战强度。 来自辞典例句
• The rest of the European powers were in a state of intensifying congestion. 其余的欧洲强国则处于越来越拥挤的状态。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史

9 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。

10 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。

11 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

12 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。

13 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。