VOA常速英语听力2012年10月合辑（文本）：OBAMA-ROMNEY-LARGELY-AGREE-ON-MIDDLE-EAST-POLICY.doc

1、高考资源网（） 您身边的高考专家Jeffrey YoungOctober 27, 2012One of the discussion areas between the two major party U.S. presidential candidates has been North Africa and the Middle East.While President Barack Obama, the Democratic Partys White House candidate, and his Republican Party challenger Mitt Romney may h

2、ave strong differences on a number of domestic policy issues, their views on the Middle East dont have many sharp contrasts.Arab SpringBoth presidential candidates voice support for the Arab Spring, the popular uprising in Arab nations that has toppled autocratic governments in Tunisia, Libya, and E

3、gypt.President Obama demonstrated his support in his U.N. address on September 25. “The world has been captivated by the transformation thats taken place. And the United - the United States has supported the forces of change,” he said.Former Governor Romney, in a speech on October 8, pledged his eff

4、ort to continue U.S. support for democracy advocates in Arab nations should he be elected.“I will begin organizing all of our diplomatic and assistance efforts in the greater Middle East under one official, with the authority and accountability necessary to train all of our soft power resources on e

5、nsuring that the Arab Spring does not fade into a long winter,” he said.LibyaOn September 11, 2012, an attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three others.Mitt Romney harshly criticized the president in their second debate for what he says is a

6、 lack of candor about the origins of the Benghazi attack.There were many days that passed before we knew whether this was a spontaneous demonstration, or, actually, whether it was a terrorist attack, he said.President Obama gave a strong response to Romney regarding Benghazi.“The day after the attac

7、k, Governor, I stood in the Rose Garden and I told the American people and the world that we are going to find out exactly what happened, that this was an act of terror, he said.SyriaBoth candidates say they support those trying to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and agree that the U.S. milit

8、ary should not get directly involved.But President Obama says his support for the opposition does not extend to providing weapons.We have to do so making absolutely certain that we know who we are helping, that were not putting arms in the hands of folks who eventually could turn them against us or

9、our allies in the region,” he said.Former Governor Romney took a very different stance on weapons in the final debate.“I want to make sure they get armed, and they have the arms necessary to defend themselves, but also, to remove Assad. But I do not want to see a military involvement on the part of

10、our troops,” he said.Iran, Israel, PalestiniansBoth President Obama and former Governor Romney are emphatic in their support for Israel, especially in the face of Iranian threats against the Jewish State, as they both stated during the final debate.“Israel is a true friend. It is our greatest ally i

11、n the region. And, if Israel is attacked, America will stand with Israel. Ive made that clear throughout my presidency,” said the president.If Im President of the United States - when Im President of the United States - we will stand with Israel. And, if Israel is attacked, we have their back, not j

12、ust diplomatically, not just culturally, but militarily, said the Republican challenger.What hasnt been discussed much by either candidate is U.S. efforts for resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.IraqOne Middle East Analyst, Khaled Elgindy at Brookings Institution, says the ethnic and sect

13、arian conflict seen in Iraq after the 2003 war should caution both presidential candidates that Washington ultimately cannot control the Arab Spring.The United States - cannot determine outcomes. Of elections, of uprisings, of a political process. We cannot pick winners and losers on the ground and expect to come out victorious, said Elgindy.Elgindy says that in these countries, their disparate elements need to find ways of reconciling their political and other differences in order to develop inclusive, representative governments. 版权所有高考资源网