Obama kicks off Mideast trip

 　　WASHINGTON, March 19 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama left on Tuesday night for a three-day visit to the Middle East, with focus on Iran's nuclear program, the Syrian conflict and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

　　The trip to Israel, the Palestinian territories and Jordan is the president's first overseas travel after starting his second four-year term in January, and came right after Secretary of State John Kerry toured five nations in the region earlier this month.

　　However, Obama and his administration officials have played down expectations of what they have called "a listening tour," saying no new peace initiative would be unveiled.

　　As to Iran's controversial nuclear project, Obama recently repeated his preference of a diplomatic resolution, calling for the Islamic republic to take "immediate¹ and meaningful steps" to reduce tensions over its continued and expanded uranium enrichment activities, which the West suspects are part of the efforts to make a nuclear weapon.

　　While the West suspects that Iran's uranium enrichment may be meant for moving closer to the ability to make nuclear weapons, Iran insists that its nuclear program is only for peaceful use.

　　Obama is not expected to share any new ideas about how to end the two-year-old conflict in Syria as his press secretary Jay Carney on Tuesday ruled out once again arming the rebels for now.

　　Syria's state media accused the rebels of firing a rocket stuffed with chemical materials on Tuesday in northern Aleppo province, killing² at least 25 people and injuring 130 others, a claim echoed by the Russian Foreign Ministry³.

　　Carney said Washington has "no evidence to substantiate⁴ the charge that the opposition⁵ has used chemical weapons," urging instead the Syrian government to refrain from using the weapons of mass destruction and secure them from radical⁶ Islamists or face "consequences."

　　Israel has threatened military strikes should Syria's chemical weapons fall into the hands of Hezbollah, a Shiite militant⁷ group in Lebanon allied⁸ with Iran and Syria.

　　During his trip to Israel, Obama is expected to try to smooth over his relations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strained over the years by their disagreements over settlement building on the occupied land and how best to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb.

　　Kerry arrived in Israel on Tuesday in preparation for Obama's visit.

1 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

2 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

3 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

4 substantiate   

v.证实；证明...有根据

参考例句：

• There is little scientific evidence to substantiate the claims.这些主张几乎找不到科学依据来证实。
• These theories are used to substantiate the relationship between the phenomenons of the universe.这些学说是用来证实宇宙现象之间的关系。

5 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。

6 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。

7 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

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。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

8 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。