2007年VOA标准英语-Analysts Say Hariri Assassination Tribunal is D

By Meredith Buel
Washington
31 May 2007

The U.N. Security Council's decision to establish an international tribunal to prosecute¹ suspects in the assassination² of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri is a blow to the government of Syria and might spark a new outbreak of violence in Lebanon.  Middle East analysts⁴ say the government in Damascus is concerned that high-level Syrian officials could be charged in connection with Mr. Hariri's assassination.  VOA correspondent Meredith Buel has details in this background report from Washington.

A clock at the Prime Minister's tomb counts the days since his murder

A massive suicide truck bomb in Beirut killed Mr. Hariri and 22 others in February 2005.

The assassination sparked huge demonstrations⁵ against Syria, which was widely seen as culpable⁶. 

Damascus denied involvement, but was forced to withdraw its troops from Lebanon, ending its nearly 30-year military domination of its smaller neighbor.

The Security Council's decision to create the criminal tribunal breaks a deadlock⁷ among Lebanon's feuding⁸ political factions⁹ over how to prosecute suspects in Mr. Hariri's murder.

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Zalmay Khalilzad, acknowledged the council's action could trigger violence, but said the vote demonstrates the principle that political assassination is not acceptable anywhere. 

"Those who killed Rafik Hariri and so many others will be brought to justice and held responsible for their crimes," he said.  "The tribunal will also serve to deter¹⁰ future political assassinations¹¹."

The government in Damascus says it will not cooperate with the new tribunal, and pro-Syrian politicians in Lebanon criticized the Security Council's decision.

Lebanon's pro-Syrian president, Emile Lahoud, has warned creation of the court could lead to more bloodshed.

Syria's U.N. Ambassador, Bashar Ja'afari, says there will be consequences.  

"Those who were behind such a draft resolution will assume the consequences," he noted¹².  "But definitely this is something that goes against the interest of the Lebanese people and Lebanon as a whole."

The pro-western government of Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora asked the Security Council to create the court after the country's pro-Syrian parliamentary speaker, Nabih Berri, refused to convene¹³ the legislature to approve the tribunal.

Middle East analyst³ and author Barry Rubin has just published a book on Syria.

Rubin says the tribunal is a major threat to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"Of course the tribunal on the investigation¹⁴ of their involvement in murder and terrorism in Lebanon is absolutely critical and to stop the tribunal is a very high level goal," he said.  "I mean after all we should remember that among the people considered involved are the two closest people to Bashar, his brother and his brother-in-law.  This is very dangerous for the regime."

A preliminary U.N. investigation implicated¹⁵ Syrian intelligence officials and their Lebanese allies in the plot to kill Mr. Hariri. 

Theodore Kattouf, a former U.S. ambassador to Syria, says the international tribunal is an existential issue for the Damascus government.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad speaks before Syria's Assembly House, also known as the parliament, in Damascus, 10 May 2007

"If the choice President Bashar has to make is international sanctions on Syria or handing over his brother and his brother-in-law, you know that is a choice he never, ever, ever wants to make," he noted.  "So he is going to do everything that he can think of to try to stymie¹⁶ that."

In addition to Mr. Hariri's murder, the new tribunal will have jurisdiction¹⁷ over other cases, including more than a dozen political attacks against anti-Syrian journalists, scholars and politicians.

Analyst Barry Rubin says the court puts major pressure on both Syria and its allies, such as Hezbollah, in the Lebanese government.

"Syria has made a very high priority to kill the tribunal," he added.  "Remember that Hezbollah walked out of the Lebanese cabinet, not over the poverty of Shi'ite Muslims in Lebanon, but over the government's intention to go ahead with the tribunal.  This is a tremendous card, the most powerful card and the question is how it should be played."

Analysts say as the U.N. tribunal begins its work, bombings and other violence will likely increase in Lebanon.

Former U.S. Ambassador to Syria Theodore Kattouf says he is concerned that Lebanese citizens will suffer.

"What I fear is that once again the Lebanese people are going to get the bill," he said.  "We are seeing it already and I think it may get far worse."

The Security Council resolution gives Lebanon's political factions until June 10 to settle their differences and establish their own court.  If they fail, the U.N. tribunal will be created.

The resolution was adopted under Chapter Seven of the U.N. Charter, which authorizes¹⁸ the use of military force to support it.

1 prosecute   

vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官

参考例句：

• I am trying my best to prosecute my duties.我正在尽力履行我的职责。
• Is there enough evidence to prosecute?有没有起诉的足够证据？

2 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

3 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

4 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

5 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

6 culpable   

adj.有罪的，该受谴责的

参考例句：

• The judge found the man culpable.法官认为那个人有罪。
• Their decision to do nothing makes them culpable.他们不采取任何行动的决定使他们难辞其咎。

7 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。

8 feuding   

vi.长期不和（feud的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• Riccardo and Cafiero had been feuding so openly that the whole town knew about it. 里卡多和卡菲埃罗一直公开地闹别扭，全城的人都知道此事。 来自辞典例句
• The two families have been feuding with each other for many generations. 这两个家族有好多代的世仇了。 来自互联网

9 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

10 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

11 assassinations   

n.暗杀( assassination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Most anarchist assassinations were bungled because of haste or spontaneity, in his view. 在他看来，无政府主义者搞的许多刺杀都没成功就是因为匆忙和自发行动。 来自辞典例句
• Assassinations by Israelis of alleged terrorists habitually kill nearby women and children. 在以色列，自称恐怖分子的炸弹自杀者杀害靠近自己的以色列妇女和儿童。 来自互联网

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 convene   

v.集合，召集，召唤，聚集，集合

参考例句：

• The Diet will convene at 3p.m. tomorrow.国会将于明天下午三点钟开会。
• Senior officials convened in October 1991 in London.1991年10月，高级官员在伦敦会齐。

14 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

15 implicated   

adj.密切关联的；牵涉其中的

参考例句：

• These groups are very strongly implicated in the violence. 这些组织与这起暴力事件有着极大的关联。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Having the stolen goods in his possession implicated him in the robbery. 因藏有赃物使他涉有偷盗的嫌疑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

16 stymie   

v.妨碍，阻挠

参考例句：

• Companies have been stymied by the length of time it takes to reach an agreement.由于耗时过长，各公司一直未能达成协议。
• Relief efforts have been stymied in recent weeks by armed gunmen.最近几周的救援工作一直受到武装分子的阻挠。

17 jurisdiction   

n.司法权，审判权，管辖权，控制权

参考例句：

• It doesn't lie within my jurisdiction to set you free.我无权将你释放。
• Changzhou is under the jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province.常州隶属江苏省。

18 authorizes   

授权，批准，委托( authorize的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The dictionary authorizes the two spellings 'traveler' and 'traveller'. 字典裁定traveler和traveller两种拼法都对。
• The dictionary authorizes the two spellings "honor" and "honour.". 字典裁定 honor 及 honour 两种拼法均可。