VOA标准英语2009年-Clinton: Kyrgyzstan Decision to End US Access t

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says an announced decision by Kyrgyzstan to end U.S. access to an airbase serving NATO troops in Afghanistan is regrettable, but not a major setback¹ for the Obama administration. Clinton discussed the Afghan conflict Thursday with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.
　
France's Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner (l) and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the State Department, 05 Feb 2009

The Manas airbase in Kyrgyzstan is a key stopover for U.S. cargo² planes re-supplying troops in Afghanistan. The decision announced in Moscow earlier this week by Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev to end American access to the base comes at an inopportune time for the new administration, which is considering a big increase in the U.S. Afghan troop presence.

But at a joint³ news conference with French Foreign Minister Kouchner dominated by the Afghan issue, Secretary Clinton said there are alternatives to using the Manas base, and its closure would not affect administration decision-making.

"With respect to the base, the Defense⁴ Department is conducting an examination as to how else we would proceed but it will not effect whatever decisions we make. It's regrettable that this is under consideration by the government of Kyrgyzstan, and we hope to have further discussions with them," she said. "But we will proceed in a very effective manner no matter what the outcome of the Kyrgyzstan government's deliberations might be."
　
US soldiers open gates of military base located within Manas civilian⁵ airport, near Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek, 04 Feb 2009

Despite the Moscow announcement by President Bakiyev, officials here say no base-closing decision has been officially conveyed to the United States and that discussions on the issue continue, with Secretary Clinton very engaged personally.

Kyrgyzstan also threatened to end U.S. access to the base in 2005 but a new agreement, providing for an increased payment to the Central Asian state, was concluded a year later.

A senior State Department official noted⁶ that Mr. Bakiyev spoke⁷ after a stated commitment by Russia to provide his government with two billion dollars in aid and loans, but he said administration officials doubt Moscow can actually deliver on aid of that magnitude.

Administration officials have otherwise avoided criticizing or blaming Moscow for the base issue. Secretary Clinton said Thursday the Obama administration intends to forge a more constructive⁸ relationship with Moscow and wants Russia as a cooperative partner.

A Pentagon spokesman said it makes no sense for Russia or any other country to try to undermine efforts to bring stability to Central Asia.

News reports quote U.S. officials as saying the administration is considering renewing military cooperation with Kyrgystan's politically-hardline neighbor Uzbekistan if access to the Manas base is denied, but Secretary Clinton declined comment on the matter.

For his part, Foreign Minister Kouchner said France, which has about 3,000 troops in Afghanistan,is determined⁹ to continue its role there. But, he said the ultimate solution to the conflict is to empower a democratic government in Kabul that can control the entire country.

"The key word on Afghanistan is what I call 'Afghanization.' That means we must give the people in Afghanistan control of their own destiny," he said. "We need to make it known to the Afghan people that they are in control of their own progress and their own future."

The French foreign minister , a doctor and co-founder of the aid group Doctors Without Borders who worked on medical projects in Afghanistan, is due to meet in Germany late Friday with the new U.S. special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke.

The U.S. envoy¹⁰ is attending an international security conference in Munich and is to begin his first trip to the region early next week with stops in Islamabad, Kabul and New Delhi.

1 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。

2 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

3 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

4 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

5 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

8 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。

9 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。

10 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。