VOA标准英语2009年-Clinton Meets Pakistani Foreign Minister on Reg

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi late Tuesday as part of the Obama administration's policy review of the Afghan conflict and related unrest in Pakistan. Qureshi said his government is determined¹ to defeat terrorism.
　
Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi (left) and Secretary of State Clinton

Clinton met for more than an hour with Qureshi in the first of what will be a series of meetings this week with her Pakistani and Afghan counterparts on how to deal with burgeoning² extremist violence in the two countries' border region.

The Obama administration has launched a far-reaching policy review on how to deal with Taliban and al-Qaida linked radicals³ in the troubled region, but in a sign of mounting concern it has already committed another 17,000 U.S. troops to Afghan operations.

In brief comments to reporters after the meeting, Clinton pledged a very open and consultative review process with the two governments. Qureshi said he sees a convergence of interests with Washington on the conflict, and reiterated⁴ his government's commitment to combat extremism.

"There is a convergence of interests. There is a willingness to work together. And I see a lot of hope in the new U.S. administration, the new leadership. And Pakistan is willing to work with the American administration to fight extremism and terrorism. We are determined to defeat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," he said.

Afghan Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta is also in Washington for the review, and met with Qureshi Tuesday before the Pakistani minister went to the State Department.

The two neighbors have had tense relations and have frequently engaged in finger-pointing over blame for border violence. But Qureshi told reporters after a hotel meeting with his Afghan counterpart that there is a new environment between them and that trust and confidence has increased greatly.

The Pakistani official also said his government's controversial deal to allow Islamic law in the insurgency-ridden Swat Valley region is a local solution to a local problem and is not appeasement⁵ towards militants⁶.

Secretary Clinton will hold a three-way dinner meeting with the Afghan and Pakistani foreign ministers Wednesday night and meet separately with Spanta on Thursday.

Richard Holbrooke, the new U.S. special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan who recently toured the region, is also taking part in the consultations⁷.

Pakistan's Qureshi is also due to meet with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry, who along with former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel will release a report Wednesday urging as much as $5 billion in U.S. and European aid to help shore up Pakistan's government.

The report by the Atlantic Council policy group which Hagel now heads warns that without early and massive help, Pakistan could be headed for a financial meltdown.

1 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

2 burgeoning   

adj.迅速成长的，迅速发展的v.发芽，抽枝( burgeon的现在分词 )；迅速发展；发（芽），抽（枝）

参考例句：

• Our company's business is burgeoning now. 我们公司的业务现在发展很迅速。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• These efforts were insufficient to contain the burgeoning crisis. 这些努力不足以抑制迅速扩散的危机。 来自辞典例句

3 radicals   

n.激进分子( radical的名词复数 )；根基；基本原理；[数学]根数

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals. 一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The worry is that the radicals will grow more intransigent. 现在人们担忧激进分子会变得更加不妥协。 来自辞典例句

4 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。

5 appeasement   

n.平息，满足

参考例句：

• Music is an appeasement to shattered nerves. 音乐可抚慰受重创的神经。
• There can be no appeasement with ruthlessness. 对残暴行为是不能姑息的。 来自演讲部分

6 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

7 consultations   

n.磋商（会议）( consultation的名词复数 )；商讨会；协商会；查找

参考例句：

• Consultations can be arranged at other times by appointment. 磋商可以通过预约安排在其他时间。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Consultations are under way. 正在进行磋商。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》