VOA标准英语2010年-Study Urges US to Push Mideast Allies

Report finds US often puts security interests ahead of Mideast democracy

Mohamed Elshinnawi | Washington, DC 19 May 2010
 A soldier and citizen at a security checkpoint in Yemen, one of the countries the study's authors believe should be urged to institute more democratic reforms.

A new study by a federally-funded peace organization urges the United States to step up pressure on its Middle East allies to move their societies toward meaningful democracy. The U.S Institute of Peace argues that democracy-building would benefit U.S. security interests while strengthening those nations' standing¹ with their people.

The peace institute's report says that the United States has often put its security interests ahead of its desire to see democracy spread throughout the Middle East.

The report's author, Daniel Brumberg, acting² director of the institute's Muslim World Initiative, says supporting democracy is actually crucial to U.S. security.

"The problem in the Middle East and in the Arab world in particular is that regimes that cooperate closely with the U.S. are also regimes that are seen increasingly by their own populace as either illegitimate or repressive or disconnected from the societies they claim to represent," says Brumberg. "We think that, in the long run, more legitimacy³ is good for that cooperation rather than less, and that more representation and more good governance and more democracy will give regimes the legitimacy they need to pursue a strategic relationship with the U.S."

Daniel Brumberg, acting director of the US Institute of Peace's Muslim World Initiative, says supporting democracy is crucial to US security.

Leaving things as they are in the Arab world, the Institute for Peace study says, will result in cosmetic⁴ changes only, allowing autocratic rulers to fend⁵ off real democratic change.

The study suggests that the Obama administration work with Middle Eastern allies to repeal⁶ laws that restrict citizen freedoms, hinder political activities or suppress freedom of expression and assembly.

Brumberg argues that continuing to ignore abuses harms U.S. interests in the region. "This process is best exemplified by the case of Yemen - a regime whose leaders have been in power for 31 years - that has alienated⁷ sectors⁸ of the society itself. And as a consequence of its own autocracy⁹, the battle against terrorism and the efforts to confront the local affiliates¹⁰ of al Qaeda have been undermined by a regime that is seen as remote and repressive," he says. "Our security needs would be greatly enhanced by a clear alternative to the kind of autocracy we have in Yemen and other parts of the Arab world."

The Institute for Peace study argues that by keeping a tight rein¹¹ on their people while supporting U.S. security interests in their regions, nations such as Yemen, Egypt, Jordan and Pakistan fan anti-American sentiments.

Brumberg says this paints the United States into a corner. "These regimes then turn to the U.S. and say, 'Well, the only alternative to us is the Islamists, so you must support us.' But that kind of dynamic in which the choice is just between regimes and [their] oppositions¹² is a consequence of policies that have to be changed. And so we need to speak up more forcefully about these politics."

Brumberg argues that U.S. support for democracy in the Middle East will advance President Obama's vision of an improved relationship between the United States and Muslim-majority states. He says the promotion¹³ of democracy should go hand in hand with efforts to end regional conflicts - in particular, between the Arab world and Israel.

But Brumberg urges the Obama administration not to allow Arab regimes to use disputes with Israel as an excuse for evading¹⁴ their own political reforms.

Larry Diamond co-chaired the peace institute's study. He directs the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law at Stanford University. Diamond argues that the United States must use more than vague encouragement if it wants to see real democracy in the Middle East.

"I think many of these Arab leaders are deeply, hopelessly corrupt¹⁵ and incapable¹⁶ of being moved by rational persuasive¹⁷ arguments. It does not mean we should not make them, it does not mean that there are not younger and more reformist elements or pragmatic elements in most of these regimes that we can engage," says Diamond. "But I think this is heavily about power and that we have tools of power that we have not utilized¹⁸ adequately in a more strategic way."

Diamond says he is not calling for cuts in aid or reduced security cooperation. He urges the Obama administration to promote democracy more loudly and clearly.

Johns Hopkins political economist¹⁹ Francis Fukuyama says President Obama should encourage democratic change without threatening regime change.

Johns Hopkins political economist Francis Fukuyama, who also co-chaired the study, agrees. But he points out that President Obama must walk a fine line: encouraging democratic change without threatening regime change.

"The Iraq war contaminated democracy promotion, so that when you talk about democracy promotion in the region, people think invasion," says Fukuyama. "Therefore you need a new start, where the same ideas that are valid²⁰ become part of the American foreign policy but somehow delinked (from) that whole invasion and occupation, so the new administration has the opportunity to do that in a way that democracy is incorporated into U.S. Middle East policy."

The U.S. Institute of Peace study notes that the United States has little choice but to cooperate with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Pakistan in diplomatic, military, and security matters. But it urges Washington to become far more aggressive in its support of democracy in the Middle East.

 

1 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

2 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

3 legitimacy   

n.合法，正当

参考例句：

• The newspaper was directly challenging the government's legitimacy.报纸直接质疑政府的合法性。
• Managing from the top down,we operate with full legitimacy.我们进行由上而下的管理有充分的合法性。

4 cosmetic   

n.化妆品；adj.化妆用的；装门面的；装饰性的

参考例句：

• These changes are purely cosmetic.这些改变纯粹是装饰门面。
• Laughter is the best cosmetic,so grin and wear it!微笑是最好的化妆品，所以请尽情微笑吧！

5 fend   

v.照料（自己），（自己）谋生，挡开，避开

参考例句：

• I've had to fend for myself since I was 14.我从十四岁时起就不得不照料自己。
• He raised his arm up to fend branches from his eyes.他举手将树枝从他眼前挡开。

6 repeal   

n.废止，撤消；v.废止，撤消

参考例句：

• He plans to repeal a number of current policies.他计划废除一些当前的政策。
• He has made out a strong case for the repeal of the law.他提出强有力的理由，赞成废除该法令。

7 alienated   

adj.感到孤独的，不合群的v.使疏远( alienate的过去式和过去分词 )；使不友好；转让；让渡（财产等）

参考例句：

• His comments have alienated a lot of young voters. 他的言论使许多年轻选民离他而去。
• The Prime Minister's policy alienated many of her followers. 首相的政策使很多拥护她的人疏远了她。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 autocracy   

n.独裁政治，独裁政府

参考例句：

• The revolution caused the overthrow of the autocracy.这场革命导致了独裁政体的结束。
• Many poor countries are abandoning autocracy.很多贫穷国家都在放弃独裁统治。

10 affiliates   

附属企业( affiliate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She affiliates with an academic society. 她是某学术团体的成员。
• For example, these security affiliates participated in the floating of 19,000,000,000 of issues in 1927. 例如，这些证券发行机构在1927年的流通证券中，就提供了一百九十亿美元的证券。

11 rein   

n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治

参考例句：

• The horse answered to the slightest pull on the rein.只要缰绳轻轻一拉,马就作出反应。
• He never drew rein for a moment till he reached the river.他一刻不停地一直跑到河边。

12 oppositions   

（强烈的）反对( opposition的名词复数 )； 反对党； （事业、竞赛、游戏等的）对手； 对比

参考例句：

• That's fine because all perihelic oppositions of Mars are spectacular. 但它和最近的几次区别不大，因为火星所有的近日对冲都很壮观。
• He tried his best to bear down all of his oppositions. 他尽全力击败一切反对意见。

13 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

14 evading   

逃避( evade的现在分词 )； 避开； 回避； 想不出

参考例句：

• Segmentation of a project is one means of evading NEPA. 把某一工程进行分割，是回避《国家环境政策法》的一种手段。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• Too many companies, she says, are evading the issue. 她说太多公司都在回避这个问题。

15 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

16 incapable   

adj.无能力的，不能做某事的

参考例句：

• He would be incapable of committing such a cruel deed.他不会做出这么残忍的事。
• Computers are incapable of creative thought.计算机不会创造性地思维。

17 persuasive   

adj.有说服力的，能说得使人相信的

参考例句：

• His arguments in favour of a new school are very persuasive.他赞成办一座新学校的理由很有说服力。
• The evidence was not really persuasive enough.证据并不是太有说服力。

18 utilized   

v.利用，使用( utilize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• In the19th century waterpower was widely utilized to generate electricity. 在19世纪人们大规模使用水力来发电。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The empty building can be utilized for city storage. 可以利用那栋空建筑物作城市的仓库。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

20 valid   

adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的

参考例句：

• His claim to own the house is valid.他主张对此屋的所有权有效。
• Do you have valid reasons for your absence?你的缺席有正当理由吗？