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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
07 June 2006
U.S. lawmakers are expressing impatience1 their with Syria's continuing support for terrorist groups, as well as its close links with Iran. A hearing examined the effectiveness of unilateral U.S. sanctions imposed on the Syrian government two years ago and a recent crackdown on Syrian political activists2.
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Two years ago, Congress approved the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act, aimed at stepping up pressure on the Syrian government.
The law directed the Bush administration to impose economic sanctions and other punitive3 measures, and was designed to help force Syria to end its decades-long occupation of Lebanon.
Steps included prohibiting most U.S. exports to Syria, restricting diplomatic contacts and blocking Syrian aircraft from the United States. However, the administration held off on implementing5 more severe steps that would have affected6 existing U.S. oil investments, and Congress gave the president the power to waive7 [not enforce] parts of the law for national security reasons.
But although Syria withdrew its military from Lebanon amid international pressure, Syrian officials are suspected of having had a hand in the assassination8 of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, although Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has denied this.
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
As Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen sees it, the government in Damascus has done nothing to address principal complaints the regarding its support of terrorism and weapons programs.
"Syria harbors Islamist terrorists at home and sponsors them abroad," said Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. "Syria also continues to allow Iran to use Damascus as a trans-shipment point to re-supply Hezbollah in Lebanon. Regrettably the Syrian-Iran alliance extends into other problematic areas, such as proliferation."
Syrian authorities have recently cracked down on prominent writers, political opponents and human rights activists.
A Syrian Human Rights group reported Wednesday that a military court sentenced writer Mohammed Ghanem to one year in prison, reduced to six months, on charges including insulting Syrian president Bashar Assad, and inciting9 sectarian divisions.
Farid Ghadry, who heads the U.S.-based exile Reform Party of Syria, says internal opposition10 to President Assad remains11 stifled12, exile opposition divided, and U.S. policies inconsistent.
In addition to gathering13 international support, he advocates a stronger and highly visible stance by the Bush administration and Congress supporting democratic changes in Syria.
"To actually call for democracy and freedom for the Syrian people, to actually call [for] rescinding14 some of the laws, to lifting the emergency laws in Syria," said Farid Ghadry. "Then you would bring the Syrian people to your side. Once you do that, the pressure will be tremendously immense on the system."
Theodore Kattouf was U.S. Ambassador to Syria from 2001 to 2003.
"Many if not most Syrians would welcome a much more open and democratic society, and a leadership that while nationalistic, was far less oppressive," said Theodore Kattouf. "But my strong sense is that they also want change to be brought about through their own efforts and managed in a way that prevents sectarian bloodletting and even civil war."
As for the effectiveness of the Syria Accountability Act, lawmakers are concerned that the Bush administration has not moved with sufficient speed to implement4 the most punitive measures.
Eliot Engel
Congressman15 Eliot Engel says Syria continues to defy on other conditions in the law, such as ending support for terrorism, and stopping militants16 from entering Iraq. He says the Bush administration, which said it was waiting to gather support from other nations before implementing stronger measures, must act now.
"The delay I believe is no longer acceptable," said Eliot Engel. "The time has come to impose the full range of penalties envisioned in the act. And if we don't do it in conjunction with other countries, we should absolutely do it alone, right now."
However, David Schenker, a former Defense17 Department adviser18 and now Senior Fellow in Arab Politics at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, says efforts by Congress and the administration to turn up the heat [on Damascus] have been hampered19 by distractions20, such as Iraq, and would confront well-known Syrian resistance to outside pressure.
""Even if the administration had implemented21 the entire menu of sanctions available under the Syrian Accountability Act, it would likely not be sufficient to pressure the Syrians to change some of their key problematic policies," said David Schenker. "Can we expect modifications22 at the margins23? Possibly. Significant policy changes? Not likely."
Maurice Deeb, with the Johns Hopkins University School of Advance International Studies emphasizes the importance of working through the United Nations:
The U.N. is absolutely important, and of course the EU is part of it," said Maurice Deeb.
In one of the latest examples of the impact of the Syria Accountability Act, reports said the U.S. Marathon Oil Company will be selling off its existing oil and gas exploration investment in Syria because of fears the Bush administration will move to toughen sanctions under the legislation.
President Bush this week formally extended the export ban under the Syria Accountability Act, and continued a freeze on bank accounts of Syrians supporting terrorist organizations.
1 impatience | |
n.不耐烦,急躁 | |
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2 activists | |
n.(政治活动的)积极分子,活动家( activist的名词复数 ) | |
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3 punitive | |
adj.惩罚的,刑罚的 | |
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4 implement | |
n.(pl.)工具,器具;vt.实行,实施,执行 | |
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5 implementing | |
v.实现( implement的现在分词 );执行;贯彻;使生效 | |
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6 affected | |
adj.不自然的,假装的 | |
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7 waive | |
vt.放弃,不坚持(规定、要求、权力等) | |
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8 assassination | |
n.暗杀;暗杀事件 | |
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9 inciting | |
刺激的,煽动的 | |
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10 opposition | |
n.反对,敌对 | |
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11 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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12 stifled | |
(使)窒息, (使)窒闷( stifle的过去式和过去分词 ); 镇压,遏制; 堵 | |
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13 gathering | |
n.集会,聚会,聚集 | |
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14 rescinding | |
v.废除,取消( rescind的现在分词 ) | |
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15 Congressman | |
n.(美)国会议员 | |
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16 militants | |
激进分子,好斗分子( militant的名词复数 ) | |
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17 defense | |
n.防御,保卫;[pl.]防务工事;辩护,答辩 | |
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18 adviser | |
n.劝告者,顾问 | |
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19 hampered | |
妨碍,束缚,限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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20 distractions | |
n.使人分心的事[人]( distraction的名词复数 );娱乐,消遣;心烦意乱;精神错乱 | |
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21 implemented | |
v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 );执行;贯彻;使生效 | |
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22 modifications | |
n.缓和( modification的名词复数 );限制;更改;改变 | |
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23 margins | |
边( margin的名词复数 ); 利润; 页边空白; 差数 | |
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