Casual Words #3: Gaza

U.S. thwarts cease-fire endorsement
While Arab, European and United Nations leaders have put their weight behind calls for a cease-fire in Gaza, the U.S. has blocked a Security Council statement to that effect.
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)/Reuters (1/3), The Toronto Star/The Associated Press (1/3)

美國使停火受挫
當阿拉伯世界、歐洲及聯合國領袖致力於呼籲加薩停火時，美國則阻擋了一份陳述此意的安理會聲明。

UN meets for rush diplomacy section
Foreign ministers from key UN nations met in New York for an emergency session to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis conflict between Israel and Gaza, now into its 11th day. The group seems to be coalescing behind Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who have authored plans for a truce. BBC (1/7)

聯合國召開緊急外交會議
主要的聯合國會員外長於紐約召開緊急會議，以找出以色列與加薩間進入第十一天危機衝突的外交解決手段。這個團體似乎是在曾提出停火計畫的埃及總統Hosni Mubarak和法國總統Nicolas Sarkozy之下結合而成。


Our say:
Blocking the Security Council statement appears to be among the farewell performances of the Bush administration (along with a recent ocean conservation plan). As the Obama crew comes in place, the balance in US foreign policy between the liberal approach of a democrat government (perhaps a change from the previous “unilateralism”) and the general “anti terrorism” position of recent years, is of observation worth.
阻擋安理會的聲明看來是Bush政府的的告別演出之一（也包括錢陣子提出的大型海洋保育計畫）。在Obama的團隊逐漸接手之際，美國對外政策當中，民主黨政府（有別於之前單邊主義）的自由主義取向與近年來反恐怖主義的一般立場如何相互平衡，值得觀察。
And there’s the eager Frenchman. France has kept a tradition of foreign policies which “stands out” from its fellow European countries, be it the constant contravention against US positions during the Cold War, or the hardheaded nuclear test in 1997. Since President Sarkozy came to office, we have seen the Frenchman’s active participation in international politics, as observed in the European summit in response to the current financial crisis, the EU conference on carbon emission, and of course the call for a cease fire on the present Gaza conflict. Again we may suggest that the tradition is being kept, in a rather dramatic manner.
而眼下有個急切的法國人。法國與其他歐洲國家相比，一直保持著「特異」的外交政策傳統，不論是冷戰中經常駁斥美國的立場，或者是1997年在國際反對聲浪下的核子試爆。自Sarkozy上台以後，我們就可以看到這位法國總統在國際上的積極參與，由歐洲金融高峰會、歐盟氣候變遷會議及新聞中提到呼籲加薩停火可見一般。
As to economic influences, the strength of the current global recession and the impact of the Middle East conflict can be regarded as two factors working against each other. Which of these factors has the greater effect on oil prices, and hence the world economy, might prove an interesting episode in midst of the credit crunch.
至於經濟方面的影響，或可將當前全球通貨緊縮的強度，與中東衝突的衝擊視為作用相反的兩個因素。究竟哪一個對於油價（與世界經濟）有較大的影響，或許是金融危機中有趣的插曲。