2006年VOA标准英语-US Warns of Syrian, Iranian Effort to Topple Le

By David Gollust
State Department
01 November 2006

The United States Wednesday expressed concern Syria and Iran are working with Lebanese allies to try to topple the Beirut government. The White House said U.S. officials are warning all those concerned to keep hands off the elected government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.

-----

The unusual public statement from the White House said there is mounting evidence that the Syrian and Iranian governments, Hezbollah, and Lebanese allies are preparing plans to topple the Siniora government, in office since the middle of last year.

Bush administration officials declined to provide details of the evidence, citing the need to protect intelligence sources.

But the Shiite movement Hezbollah, which is backed by both Iran and Syria, has been threatening mass demonstrations¹ unless a so-called national unity² cabinet is created that would give Hezbollah and its allies veto power over key decisions.

 
Tony Snow, Oct. 16, 2006
  
The written statement in the name of White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said any attempt to destabilize Lebanon's elected government through manufactured demonstrations or threats to its leaders would be, at the very least, a clear violation³ of Lebanese sovereignty and various U.N. resolutions.

It said a motive⁴ for Syria may be to prevent the Siniora government from approving a statute⁵ creating an international tribunal on the February, 2005 assassination⁶ of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, in which Syrian figures have been implicated⁷.

The White House said any effort to sideline the tribunal will fail however, since the international community can proceed with it no matter what happens internally in Lebanon.

White House spokesman Snow told reporters later preserving a democratic Lebanon is key to regional stability, and that the United States is making clear to everyone in the region that, in his words, there ought to be hands-off the Siniora government.

Sean McCormack   
  
At a news briefing here, State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack said the threats of political upheaval⁸ from Hezbollah's leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah have to be taken seriously given the organization's recent record, including provoking a war with Israel:

He said, "Quite clearly, Hezbollah has its patron in Damascus and certainly in Tehran. This is an organization that has shown that it has very few boundaries concerning what it will do and what won't do. The most recent example is that it started a war in the region. This group started a war with a sovereign state. So it would seem the benefactors⁹ of this group will stop at nothing to achieve their ends."

The U.S. statement followed a Washington visit earlier this week by Lebanese Druze leader and parliament member Walid Jumblatt, who is a sharp critic of Syrian meddling¹⁰ in Lebanese affairs.

 
Walid Jumblatt 
  
Jumblatt, who met Vice¹¹ President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, said Tuesday the international tribunal on the Hariri case might be the only way to deter¹² further assassinations¹³ and change the behavior of the Syrian government.

In an interview released Tuesday with Lebanese television correspondent May Chidiac, who was maimed in a car-bomb attack more than a year ago, Secretary Rice said the United States has received information of possible efforts to, in her words, intimidate¹⁴ or assassinate¹⁵ again in Lebanon.

Rice said it is no secret that there are concerns about what Syria, which once occupied the country, might try to do through continuing contacts in Lebanon.

But she suggested U.S. concerns about interference in Lebanon go beyond just one country and said the world community believes there should be no foreign intimidation¹⁶ of the Lebanese people.

1 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。

2 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

3 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

4 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

5 statute   

n.成文法，法令，法规；章程，规则，条例

参考例句：

• Protection for the consumer is laid down by statute.保障消费者利益已在法令里作了规定。
• The next section will consider this environmental statute in detail.下一部分将详细论述环境法令的问题。

6 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。

7 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》

8 upheaval   

n.胀起，(地壳)的隆起；剧变，动乱

参考例句：

• It was faced with the greatest social upheaval since World War Ⅱ.它面临第二次世界大战以来最大的社会动乱。
• The country has been thrown into an upheaval.这个国家已经陷入动乱之中。

9 benefactors   

n.捐助者，施主( benefactor的名词复数 )；恩人

参考例句：

• I rate him among my benefactors. 我认为他是我的一个恩人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We showed high respect to benefactors. 我们对捐助者表达了崇高的敬意。 来自辞典例句

10 meddling   

v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He denounced all "meddling" attempts to promote a negotiation. 他斥责了一切“干预”促成谈判的企图。 来自辞典例句
• They liked this field because it was never visited by meddling strangers. 她们喜欢这块田野，因为好事的陌生人从来不到那里去。 来自辞典例句

11 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

12 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。

13 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

14 intimidate   

vt.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• You think you can intimidate people into doing what you want?你以为你可以威胁别人做任何事？
• The first strike capacity is intended mainly to intimidate adversary.第一次攻击的武力主要是用来吓阻敌方的。

15 assassinate   

vt.暗杀，行刺，中伤

参考例句：

• The police exposed a criminal plot to assassinate the president.警方侦破了一个行刺总统的阴谋。
• A plot to assassinate the banker has been uncovered by the police.暗杀银行家的密谋被警方侦破了。

16 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。