美國參議院高票推翻奧巴馬對9/11法案否決
The US Senate voted overwhelmingly yesterday to override a presidential veto on a bill that would allow the families of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia.
美國參議院昨日以壓倒性多數(shù)投票推翻總統(tǒng)對一項法案的否決，該法案將允許9/11遇難者家屬起訴沙特阿拉伯。
The legislation is part of a potential sea change in the kingdom’s relationships with the west over its alleged connection to religious extremism and its conduct of the war in Yemen.
這項立法是沙特與西方關(guān)系潛在發(fā)生巨變的一部分，焦點是沙特與宗教極端主義據(jù)稱存在的聯(lián)系，以及該國在也門的戰(zhàn)爭行為。
Despite fierce last-minute lobbying by the Obama administration and the Saudi embassy in Washington, the Senate voted 97-1 to support the bill, which Barack Obama vetoed last week.
盡管奧巴馬政府和沙特駐華盛頓大使館進(jìn)行了最后時刻的大力游說，但參議院仍以97票對1票支持上周被奧巴馬否決的這項法案。
If the House of Representatives also passes the bill again this week by more than two-thirds, as it is expected to do, it will represent both the first override of a veto in this administration and a striking rebuke of the Saudis who once demanded strong loyalty in Washington. While Riyadh is still considered by the US and British governments as a critical partner in counter-terrorism operations and in the fight against Isis, the Saudis are having to adjust to a more openly critical political mood in many capitals.
如果眾議院像各方預(yù)期的那樣，本周也以超過三分之二的票數(shù)再次通過該法案，那將標(biāo)志著奧巴馬政府首次遭遇總統(tǒng)否決被推翻，此舉也將是對沙特極不客氣的斥責(zé);而沙特一度要求華盛頓鐵桿支持。盡管利雅得方面仍被美國和英國政府視為反恐行動和打擊“伊拉克和黎凡特伊斯蘭國”(ISIS)的關(guān)鍵伙伴，但沙特正不得不適應(yīng)許多國家首都更加公開批評的政治情緒。
“We have begged them to be better about targeting [in air strikes in Yemen]. We have told them the targets not to hit and they have not listened,” said Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat. “I would absolutely argue that we should be sending messages to the Saudis that our support for them is conditional.”
“我方曾經(jīng)懇求他們在空襲也門時把目標(biāo)搞搞清楚。我方告訴他們哪些目標(biāo)不該轟炸，他們卻什么都不聽，”民主黨參議員克里斯•墨菲(Chris Murphy)表示。“我絕對認(rèn)為，我們應(yīng)該向沙特方面發(fā)出一個信息，我方對他們的支持是有條件的。”
US analysts say rising Sunni militancy in Yemen, fuelled by Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the war, is feeding anti-Saudi sentiment in Washington.
美國分析人士表示，沙特參戰(zhàn)助燃的也門遜尼派武裝組織不斷壯大，正在推動華盛頓的反沙特情緒。
“Some in the Senate are looking at ways of linking problematic elements of the Saudi campaign in Yemen with 9/11 to create a larger narrative that Saudi is an ally that we need to look into,” said Andrew Bowen, a fellow at the Wilson Center’s Middle East programme.
“一些參議員正在設(shè)法把沙特在也門發(fā)起的戰(zhàn)役中一些有問題的地方與9/11掛鉤，以制造一個更大的口實，說明沙特是我們需要反思的一個盟友，”華盛頓智庫威爾遜中心(Wilson Center)的中東項目研究員安德魯•鮑恩(Andrew Bowen)表示。
Yesterday’s vote was an important test of the political climate facing the Saudis, with the Senate deciding to override a veto by President Barack Obama of the 9/11 bill that had passed both houses of Congress unanimously.
昨天的投票是對沙特面臨的政治氣候的重要考驗，結(jié)果是參議院決定推翻巴拉克•奧巴馬(Barack Obama)總統(tǒng)對國會兩院此前一致通過的9/11法案的否決。
The bill allows the courts to waive claims to foreign sovereign immunity in cases involving terrorist acts on US soil. It is rooted in the suspicion that Saudi government officials gave assistance to the 9/11 hijackers while they were in the US, a sentiment that remains strong in the US Congress.
該法案允許法院在涉及發(fā)生在美國本土的恐怖行為的案件中放棄外國主權(quán)豁免主張。它植根于這樣一種懷疑，即當(dāng)年沙特政府官員在9/11劫機者在美國期間曾給予他們協(xié)助;這種懷疑情緒在美國國會很有市場。
“There is a directly proportional relationship between the amount of Saudi and Wahhabi money that goes into parts of the globe and the success of terrorist recruiters,” said Mr Murphy.
“在沙特和瓦哈比派(伊斯蘭教遜尼宗的一脈，在教義上極端保守——譯者注)向世界某地輸送的資金數(shù)額與恐怖份子招募者在當(dāng)?shù)氐某晒χg，存在著直接的比例關(guān)系，”參議員墨菲表示。
