VOA常速英语2008年-Bush Administration Counsels Carter Not to Meet

By David Gollust
State Department
10 April 2008

The Bush administration says it has counseled former President Jimmy Carter against having a meeting with the head of the militant¹ Palestinian group Hamas.  Mr. Carter reportedly intends to meet Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal next week in the Syrian capital Damascus.  VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

The State Department routinely helps facilitate meetings former U.S. presidents have with foreign leaders and other important figures.

But it has served notice that it will not provide any logistical help for Mr. Carter if he meets the Hamas chief, saying it would be against the interests of peace and undercut efforts to isolate² Hamas, which the State Department lists as a terrorist organization.

Mr. Carter, a Democrat³ who held the White House from 1977 to 1981, reportedly plans to meet with Hamas leader Meshaal late next week in Damascus

In a talk with reporters, State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack said the former president was advised against the Hamas meeting last week when he discussed his travel plans by telephone with Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs David Welch.

McCormack said as a private citizen the former president can meet with anyone he wishes.  But he said meeting Hamas runs against the efforts of the Bush administration and its partners in the international Middle East Quartet to isolate Hamas because of its refusal accept Israel's right to exist.

"The choice the international community has laid out for them [Hamas] is pretty simple," he said. "You can engage in conversations and negotiations⁴ with Israel with the support of rest of the international community, abjure⁵ terrorism, turn away from violence  recognize Israel's right to exist - which the Palestinian Authority has done through President [Mahmoud] Abbas and his previous statements - or you can take a separate pathway, and that is the pathway represented by Hamas and other Palestinian rejectionist groups."

Former President Carter, now 83 years old, has been active in international crisis mediation⁶ through his Atlanta-based Carter Center and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

His views on the Middle East attracted controversy⁷ last year with a book he wrote comparing Israeli policies in occupied Palestinian areas with those of apartheid-era South Africa.

The campaign of presumptive Republican presidential nominee⁸ John McCain has sharply criticized the reported meeting plans, while spokesmen for Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama have used milder language, saying they do not agree with Mr. Carter's plans.

Last November, a panel of foreign policy experts from past administrations including Republican Brent Scowcroft and Democrat Zbigniew Brzezinski said in a policy report before the Annapolis Middle East peace conference that genuine dialogue with Hamas is preferable to its isolation⁹. 

1 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。

2 isolate   

vt.使孤立，隔离

参考例句：

• Do not isolate yourself from others.不要把自己孤立起来。
• We should never isolate ourselves from the masses.我们永远不能脱离群众。

3 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

4 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

5 abjure   

v.发誓放弃

参考例句：

• The conqueror tried to make the natives abjure their religion.征服者试著让当地人宣誓放弃他们的宗教。
• Some of the Roman Emperors tried to make Christians abjure their religion.有些罗马皇帝试著使基督教徒宣誓放弃他们的宗教。

6 mediation   

n.调解

参考例句：

• The dispute was settled by mediation of the third country. 这场争端通过第三国的斡旋而得以解决。
• The dispute was settled by mediation. 经调解使争端得以解决。

7 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

8 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

9 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。