2006年VOA标准英语-Landmark Reconciliation Conference Underway in

By Margaret Besheer
Baghdad
16 December 2006

 
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki made the call at national reconciliation¹ conference of Shi'ites, Sunni Arab and Kurdish politicians to halt communal² bloodshed
Iraqi political figures took the first tentative steps toward national reconciliation Saturday. But they quickly discovered the path would not be a smooth one, when one major Sunni Arab party left the talks. VOA's Margaret Besheer was at the Baghdad conference and files this report.

Iraq's government hopes that the national reconciliation conference will show a serious will to end the sectarian violence that has been terrorizing Baghdad and other parts of the country for many months.

Naseer al-Ani, the conference spokesman, told reporters that representatives from many ethnic³ and religious groups, as well as former Baathists, are attending the two-day meeting inside the heavily protected Green Zone.

The conference will take on sensitive issues, such as what to do about militias⁵ and whether former members of Saddam Hussein's military can be reinstated in the new Iraqi army.

 
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
One of the most important items on the table is a possible amnesty. In Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's 24-point reconciliation plan, announced last June, he proposed pardoning all criminals, except those who have killed coalition⁶ forces or Iraqi civilians⁷.

Haidar Ibadi, a Shi'ite member of parliament from Mr. Maliki's Dawa party, said the prime minister would announce an amnesty on Sunday.

But Rida Taki, a member of a rival Shi'ite party, the Supreme⁸ Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, says there will not be an amnesty.

"Not amnesty," said Taki. "I think something between amnesty and, for example, setting free the detainees; not general amnesty. We need approval from parliament about the amnesty."

Mithal al-Alusi, a Sunni Arab with the secular⁹ Umma Party, says his party supports a month-long amnesty that would apply to anyone willing to admit their crimes, and who wants to be part of the new political process - even militia⁴ members. He says an amnesty is vital to peace.

"It is very hard. I have lost my only two sons," said al-Alusi. "I know how painful the situation is. Yes, I would give amnesty also for the people who have killed my sons, under the conditions, a new start for everybody."

But as the conference got under way, it became apparent that dialogue would not be easy. One of the main Sunni Arab parties, the Iraqi National Accord, which is led by former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, pulled out of the conference.

A spokesman for the group told reporters that the conference should have included all factions¹⁰ outside the political process, except for al-Qaida and terrorist groups like it. But they believed many good nationalist groups had been excluded and that, without them, the results of the conference would be a failure.

Shi'ite politician Ahmed Chalabi told reporters that the departure of Allawi's group would not hurt the conference.

"It is alright. We cannot achieve unanimity¹¹ at this stage. It is not a very important thing to focus on one group pulling out," he said.

The talks are scheduled to continue through Sunday. Haidar Ibadi, Mr. Maliki's ally in the Dawa party, told VOA that this dialogue is very important. He said there is no other alternative, except to fight in the streets, and Iraqis do not want to do that.

1 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

2 communal   

adj.公有的，公共的，公社的，公社制的

参考例句：

• There was a communal toilet on the landing for the four flats.在楼梯平台上有一处公共卫生间供4套公寓使用。
• The toilets and other communal facilities were in a shocking state.厕所及其他公共设施的状况极其糟糕。

3 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

4 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

5 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

6 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

7 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

8 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

9 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

10 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

11 unanimity   

n.全体一致，一致同意

参考例句：

• These discussions have led to a remarkable unanimity.这些讨论导致引人注目的一致意见。
• There is no unanimity of opinion as to the best one.没有一个公认的最好意见。