Britain apparently failed today in its efforts to persuade its European allies
今天,英国尝试说服其欧盟盟友跟它一起对叙利亚采取行动,
to take joint action against Syria for its alleged role in sponsoring international terrorism.
打击叙利亚支持国际恐怖主义的行为。但英国的这次尝试显然没能成功。
But the US government insisted it was continuing to assess the situation and considering further actions.
不过,美国政府坚持表示自己依然会评估当前形势,并考虑是否采取进一步行动。
NPR's Elizabeth Colton reports.
下面请听国家公共电台伊丽莎白·科尔顿发回的报道。
Here in Washington, State department spokesman Charles Redman emphasized that
现在这里是华盛顿,国务院发言人查尔斯·瑞德曼强调表示,
the American action of withdrawing its Ambassador from Damascus represented a strong signal
美国从大马士革撤回大使的行为是强烈的信号,
and was not at all a routine or normal procedure as the Syrian Foreign Minister described it yesterday.
而并非叙利亚外交部部长昨天描述的那样,美国此举根本不是惯例行为,也不是在正常程序。
To define what we did, withdrawing one's ambassador is, in diplomatic terms,
要说怎样定义我们的举动的话,从外交角度来讲,
an extremely serious measure, a sign of great displeasure with a country's policies.
撤回大使的行为是极度严重的举措,是对某国政策非常不满意的表征。
But Redman skirted the issue of why the US had not taken stronger action
但去年4月,美军对利比亚采取的行动更为强劲。
against Syria now as the American military did against Libya last April.
而雷德曼却回避了这个问题。
We've often said in the past that we're not on some sort of automatic pilot in the case of any of these questions.
以前,我们就总说,在这些问题上,我们并没有自动驾驶仪的角色。
And finally, that we're in the process of consulting with the British and our allies on what other steps may now be appropriate.
现在我们终于到了跟英国以及其他盟友协商下一步做什么合适的地步。
The State department has sent the head of its anti-terrorism office, Ambassador Paul Bremmer,
国务院已经将反恐办公室的负责人,即保罗·布雷默大使,
to London to coordinate any further Western action against Syria.
派往伦敦,以协调西方针对叙利亚的进一步行动。
I'm Elizabeth Colton in Washington.
以上是伊丽莎白·科尔顿从华盛顿发回的报道。
In Nicaragua today, former US Attorney General Griffin Bell proposed a prisoner swap to free Aferican Eugene Hasenfus.
今天,在尼加拉瓜,前美国司法部部长格里芬·贝尔提出进行俘虏交换,从而释放尤金·哈森富斯。
Hasenfus is on trial in a people's tribunal for allegedly shipping supplies to contra rebel forces.
哈森富斯正在人民法庭受审,因为有人控诉他向叛军势力运送供给品。
Bell suggested trading Hasenfus for nineteen Nicaraguans held in US jails.
贝尔表示要用19名关在美国监狱中的尼加拉瓜囚犯来换取哈森富斯。
All but one of the Nicaraguans is imprisoned on drug charges.
19名尼加拉瓜囚犯中有18人都犯了与毒品有关的罪行。
Bell says he isn't sure the US or Nicaragua will accept the proposed deal.
贝尔表示自己不太确定美国和尼加拉瓜是否会接受他的提议。
A former air force enlisted man has been arrested for allegedly trying to sell information to the Soviets.
一位前空军士兵已被逮捕,因为有人控诉他试图想将情报出售给苏联人。
The Justice Department said today that Allen John Davies was arrested in San Francisco
今日,司法部表示,这位名为约翰·艾伦·戴维斯的人在旧金山被捕,
while trying to deliver the plans of an air force reconnaissance project to men he thought were Soviets.
当时他正试图将空军的一项侦查项目披露给自己认为是苏联人的人。
Davies faces up to life in jail if convicted.
戴维斯一旦定罪,可能要面临终身监禁。