| | Words in the News |
INTRO | | Further outbreaks of violence in the Middle East between Israel, Palestine and Syria are causing concern that a major war could happen in the region. Nick Childs reports. |
IN FULL | |  | Listen to the report in full |
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18th April 2001
Middle East tensions increase |
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NEWS 1 | | | Listen to the first part of the report |
| | | The latest Middle East violence is particularly unsettling because it appears to bring the dire predictions of a wider regional confrontation that bit closer to reality. The Government of the new Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, hopes through its tougher security response to re-establish the deterrent value of the Israeli military, and to quell the violence that way. But as yet it's not clear whether the tactics will do anything other than inflame tensions. Israelis and Palestinians continue to blame each other for the latest escalation. And now there's new tension on another front - across the Israeli-Lebanese border, involving Syria. |
| | | | Listen to the words |
WORDS | | unsettling :if something is unsettling, it causes concern to people
dire predictions : the worst expectations of what might happen tougher : stronger or more forceful deterrent value : (in this context) the ability to stop attacks quell :stop something by persuasion or force inflame : make a situation worse, or increase tensions escalation : increase in the intensity or seriousness of the situation |
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| NEWS 2 | | | Listen to the second part of the report |
| | | The previous Israeli Government of Ehud Barak warned that it would hold Damascus responsible for continued attacks by Hezbollah. Now the new government has acted, albeit with misgivings in the cabinet about the timing and implications of the strike. Uncertainty over how the untested new Syrian leader, Bashar al-Assad, will respond only adds to international concern about where this will lead. In truth, Damascus has few options. The Israeli Foreign Minister, Simon Peres, has played down fears of an all-out regional war. But the Israeli Defence Minister, Binyamin Ben Eliezer, has said there is a risk of further regional deterioration. In fact, the Israelis, the Palestinians and Hezbollah are already engaged in a guerrilla conflict, and each side is trying to come to termswith how to deal with that fact. Jordan, with Egyptian support, is proposing renewed political negotiations. Israel is cool about the idea. But the absence of real dialogue now may represent the greatest danger of all. |
| | | | Listen to the words |
| WORDS | | hold responsible : if you hold someone responsible for something, you blame them for it played down : tried to make something seem less serious or important
all-out : a very brutal and destructive war between the various countries engaged : (in this case) involved in an armed conflict guerrilla : a guerilla conflict is an unofficial conflict. [A guerilla is a person who fights as part of an unofficial army, usually against an official army]
come to terms with : accept the situation
cool : if you are cool about something, you are not enthusiastic about it |
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| | | Read more about the story in BBC News Online |
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