VOA标准英语2009年-Signs Show Possible Thaw in US-Syrian Relations

The new Obama administration appears to be taking tentative steps towards resuming dialogue with Syria, while the key step of sending a new U.S. ambassador to Damascus for the first time in three years remains¹ up in the air. A visit by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry and a high-level American delegation² to Syria, this week, is renewing speculation³ of a rapprochement.
　
Senator John Kerry (2008 File)

The politics of rapprochement with Syria, after several years of frosty relations between Washington and Damascus, appear to be as complicated and tentative as Syria's famous national dance, the dabkeh. The footwork is intricate, there are steps forward and steps back and everyone is moving in different directions.

In an apparent step forward, Senator John Kerry - who heads the Senate Foreign Relations Committee - is visiting Damascus, this week, along with a high-ranking Congressional delegation, amid expectations on the Syrian side of resuming normal ties with Washington, three years after the Bush Administration withdrew its ambassador from Damascus.

The United States has authorized⁴ the sale of spare parts for two aging Syrian Boeing 747's, in addition to allowing the transfer of funds from the United States to a Syrian charity. Speculation has also been rife⁵ in the U.S. media of a new American ambassador being nominated for the Syria post in the coming weeks.

Marwan Kabalan, who teaches politics at the University of Damascus, thinks that relations between the new Obama Administration and Syria are improving, but that it is still unclear to what extent:

He says that he thinks Senator Kerry's visit to Damascus - his second in recent years - signifies a major improvement in relations with the United States, because Kerry belongs to the Democratic Party, which holds the White House and both houses of Congress.

Professor Joshua Landis of the University of Oklahoma, who runs the well-known Syria Comment website thinks that there is an attitude of optimism in Damascus which reveals a sea-change in relations in recent weeks:

"The Syrian attitude towards Obama's presidency⁶ is quite hopeful. They're hoping for the best and, of course, they're preparing for the worst, because Syria has had a lot of bad experiences with the United States and relations are always tough," said Landis.
　
A Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) photo of Pres. Bashar al-Assad heading a meeting in Damascus, 02 Feb 2009

In Syria, one key political and foreign policy goal of the government, as expressed by President Bashar al-Assad, is the return of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights plateau, whose summit is clearly visible in Damascus, only 40 miles away.

He says the Israeli prime minister has said, repeatedly, that he wants peace . But, Mr. Assad says the word "peace" is linked to the word "land," which he says means returning the entire Golan Heights.

However, Paul Salem, who heads the Beirut-based Carnegie Center for Peace in the Middle East, thinks that a new hardline Israeli government could be a set-back for both peace in the Middle East and Syrian relations with the United States.

"There has been a lot of stock put in Israeli-Syrian peace talks and, before the Israeli election, a lot of the talk was waiting for that to be the cornerstone of U.S. engagement with Syria and with Israel," said Salem. "I think that the Israeli elections have dampened that aspect of the relationship and I think the U.S. now will have to look for ways to move forward with Syria, even if Israel is not ready to take a land-for-peace deal over the Golan."

Salem has no doubt that the new Obama administration wants to improve relations with Syria and he believes that Damascus has been shifting its policies, in recent months, to match U.S. expectations of it:

"There is no doubt that the Obama administration wants to very much engage with Syria, wants Syria to further change its behavior, but very clear that the Obama Administration is interested in improving relations with Syria and wanting Syria to play a more positive role in the region," he said.

Joshua Landis concurs⁷ with Paul Salem that Syria has made major strides towards accommodating some long-standing U.S. demands of Syria, recently, but the professor believes that the United States is still looking for more changes in Syrian policies that irritate Washington.

"There are a number of important things that the U.S. wants from Syria. First of all, it wants Lebanese sovereignty and elections in Lebanon are coming up. So, Syria hasn't appointed its ambassador, yet. All this going on now is a bunch of confidence-building measures, because nobody trusts the other," he said.

An age-old saying among Middle East analysts⁸ is that Syria will make peace "if the price is right." Landis believes that the Syrian economy is badly in need of money, and removing American sanctions is part of Syria's many demands of the United States for improving relations, and ultimately achieving peace with Israel:

"Economically, they need to get out of a very difficult situation. Now, of course, they haven't been battered⁹ as much as many places. But, Syria has a very weak economy to begin with, so it doesn't take very much to put it in serious trouble," he said.

Landis argues that Washington has sent mixed signals to Damascus and that President Obama has been non-committal in lifting the many Bush-era economic sanctions imposed on Damascus since 2004.

He says Senator Kerry's visit and the sale of spare parts for two Syrian planes are being touted¹⁰ as exceptions, not the rule. Worst of all for Syria, he underlines, is the re-appointment of Treasury¹¹ Undersecretary Stuart Levey, who he says is responsible for applying economic sanctions on Syria and other so-called "rogue¹² states."

He says that is being viewed in Damascus as a clear "shot across Syria's bow."

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

3 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

4 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

5 rife   

adj.(指坏事情)充斥的，流行的，普遍的

参考例句：

• Disease is rife in the area.疾病在这一区很流行。
• Corruption was rife before the election.选举之前腐败盛行。

6 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

7 concurs   

同意（concur的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• Gilardi concurs that the newly compiled data is a powerful tool. 吉拉迪认同新汇集的数据是一个强有力的工具。
• Curtin concurs that it's been a blessing and a reward. 柯廷也同意这是一种祝福和奖励。

8 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

9 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。

10 touted   

v.兜售( tout的过去式和过去分词 )；招揽；侦查；探听赛马情报

参考例句：

• She's being touted as the next leader of the party. 她被吹捧为该党的下一任领导人。
• People said that he touted for his mother and sister. 据说，他给母亲和姐姐拉生意。 来自辞典例句

11 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

12 rogue   

n.流氓；v.游手好闲

参考例句：

• The little rogue had his grandpa's glasses on.这淘气鬼带上了他祖父的眼镜。
• They defined him as a rogue.他们确定他为骗子。