时事经纬
19-05-09
美以峰会：同盟现分歧
奥巴马希望达到两个目的：以色列接受“两国方案”；告诫以色列政府不要因为受
到伊朗的核威胁而采取军事行动。内塔尼亚胡表示愿与巴勒斯坦人恢复和谈，但巴
方必须承认以色列作为国家永久存在的合法性--始终避而不谈巴勒斯坦建国问题。
奥巴马称：以美会谈"非常富有成果"
巴基斯坦总统誓言进攻塔利班老巢
美国欢迎斯结束战争 鼓励和解
美国官方呼吁斯里兰卡政府军胜利后进行政治和解，敦促建立一个包容的社会，让
其中包括所有的少数族裔泰米尔人
；帮助内战中流离失所的数万平民。美国曾将泰米尔-伊拉姆猛虎解放组织列为恐怖组织。然而，在战争的最后阶段，美国官方对双方都持批评态度。他们谴责泰米尔-伊拉姆猛虎解放组织在安全区域利用平民作人体盾牌，成为反叛军的最后堡垒。美国也谴责政府军不顾限制武器的承诺，在挤满难民的沿海地带显然使用了重型武器。上星期，奥巴马政府提出可能阻止国际货币基金组织向科伦坡发放将近20亿美元紧急贷款的计划。发言人凯利指出，美国仍然可能否决这一贷款，并说，美国在短期内会仔细观察当局如何对待流离失所的泰米尔人，以及如何开始进行和解。他表示，国务卿希拉里.克林顿将和美国的盟友咨询今后的步骤。克林顿国务卿最近几天已经和印度外交总理讨论过斯里兰卡的局势以及其他有关情况。
斯军司令：验明猛虎首领尸体
俄罗斯格鲁吉亚安全谈判重开
俄罗斯与格鲁吉亚之间的安全对话在日内瓦重新展开，在这之前一天，俄罗斯谈判
代表和格鲁吉亚亲俄罗斯的分离地区南奥塞梯的谈判代表在谈判中退场，理由是阿
布哈兹代表没有到场。俄罗斯和南奥塞梯的代表星期二重返谈判桌前。同时参加谈
判的还有阿布哈兹的代表。
世行：私营部门对中国创新重要
世界银行说，中国政府对私营部门的发展给予持续支持，对中国建设以企业为主体
的技术创新体系有益。经济学者指出，中国已经表露出帮助私营企业的意愿，但是
在政治和经济利益方面的担忧可能会约束这方面改革的步伐。
1995到2006年间的研发支出增长了5.5倍；工业企业取代了国家科研院所和高校的地位。不过，中国仍然是技术赶超方面的一名后来者，与国际技术前沿仍有很大差距，中国的国家创新体系仍然处于由传统的政府主导模式向企业主导市场化模式转变的过程中。私营部门能力薄弱、参与有限，鼓励创新的市场机制不健全，需求方激励措施未得到充分利用，国内本土风险投资行业的“生态系统”仍然未开发。
路透社说，中国私营部门占全国GDP的三分之二，提供75%的就业。但私企在当前政府投入的大型基础设施建设方面难分一杯羹。不过中国政府已要求所有中国的银行到5月份都要设立针对中小企业的贷款部门。银监会副主席蒋定之在上海说，该机构高度重视对中小企业、特别是科技创新型中小企业的金融支持。他承认中小企业融资很复杂，贷款风险较高，但承诺会从完善机制、增设机构等方面提供支持。
日本农业白皮书强调有效利用水田提高粮食自给率
日本政府在19日的内阁会议上批准了关于粮食、农业和农村动向的《2008年度农业
白皮书》。07年度日本的大米消费量出现了45年来的首次增长，以卡路里为基准的
粮食自给率也回升到了40%。自给率虽有所回升，但仅是1960年度的一半左右。白皮书称“有必要假设进口中断等紧急情况”。由于转为住宅用地或放弃耕作，08年的
耕地面积减少至463万公顷，是高峰期1961年的3/4。
中国发改委：今年GDP增速将肯定能达到8%
今年第一季度经济增速好于预期，而如果未来几个月经济出现大幅度下滑，政府可
能会在必要时推出更多刺激经济的措施--这些措施既可以通过加强现有经济刺激计
划的实施来实现，也可以将已经预备好的计划措施拿出来使用，或者增加新的刺激
计划。
穆迪仍对中国房地产市场持悲观看法
“房地产价格持续受到压力，待售住房存货仍然偏高，因此近期成交量的回升不一
定可以持续。”“发行人的资产负债表流动性及财务状况仍然较弱，特别是仍须要
在今年支付庞大土地金的开发商。”
新华社：西方媒体偏见引发金融危机
西方媒体隐瞒风险、包庇谎言、保护强权--信息传播的不对称，信息传播秩序的不
客观、不公正、不全面是造成金融危机的又一重要原因--采集权被垄断，传播权被
控制，风险被隐瞒，真相被掩盖，在金融市场传播的信息只代表了部分集团的利益，一个错误的信息流蒙蔽著投资者，把资金带向深渊。
中国下令军队高干不得奢侈浪费
中国军队问题专家、台湾智库中国高等政策研究会秘书长杨念祖说，中国领导人开展如此明确的反渎职行动，这表明存在严重的腐败问题。
美国计划提高汽车燃油能耗标准
按照新的规定，更为节能的汽车在寿命期内可以节省18亿桶石油、减少9亿□温室气体的排放，相当于减少1.77亿辆汽车或是关闭194家火电厂。到2016年前，如果新的规定如期生效，在美销售的新轿车必须满足每加仑39英里的平均标准，高于目前的每加仑27.5英里。轻型卡车则必须达到平均每加仑30英里，目前为每加仑23英里。在实施过程中，今后7年在美销售的汽车会有更多的油电混合动力车或是装配了低油耗引擎的微型汽车。每加仑平均能跑30英里的卡车很可能装配油电混合动力系统或是柴油引擎。
Obama Tells Netanyahu He Has an Iran Timetable
Obama said that he expected to know by the end of the year
whether Iran was making “a good-faith effort to resolve
differences” in talks aimed at ending its nuclear program,
signaling to Israel as well as Iran that his willingness to
engage in diplomacy over the issue has its limits. “We’re
not going to create a situation in which talks become an
excuse for inaction while Iran proceeds.” Mr. Obama added
that he intended to “gauge and do a reassessment by the end
of the year” on whether the diplomatic approach was
producing results.
Netanyahu: US to present new plan
The premier expressed confidence that Israel maintained the
right to defend itself from the threat of a nuclear Iran,
telling reporters that there were no green, red or yellow
lights from the US, but rather a shared sense that Iran must
not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapons capacity.
Obama rejected the notion of "artificial timelines" in
negotiations with Iran, which he indicated he expected would
begin in earnest after the Iranian election on June 12 and
could subsequently expand to include direct talks between
Washington and the Islamic republic. He stressed that "we're
not going to have talk forever" and allow Teheran to develop
a nuclear weapon while negotiations go on, offering that
"we'll probably be able to gauge and do a reassessment by
the end of the year." "we are not foreclosing a range of
steps, including much stronger international sanctions, in
assuring that Iran understands that we are serious." Israel
has been pushing for a timeline on the United States's
diplomatic efforts out of concern that Iran could use the
talks to run out the clock.
The policy differences were clear, with Obama emphasizing
the importance of a "two-state solution" and an end to
settlement growth even as Netanyahu made no reference to an
independent Palestinian country. Instead, the prime minister
spoke of the possibility of a "two peoples to live side by
side in security and peace" if the Palestinians recognized
Israel as a Jewish state and agreed to an end of conflict.
Netanyahu declared a desire to restart negotiations with the
Palestinians immediately, saying, "We don't want to govern
the Palestinians. We want to live in peace with them. We
want them to govern themselves, absent a handful of powers
that could endanger the State of Israel." He also noted that
"there'll have to be compromises by Israelis and
Palestinians alike. We're ready to do our share."
Asked about reports in the media that Israel felt progress
on Iran needed to be linked to progress with the
Palestinians, Obama explicitly rejected the formulation,
saying, "If there is a linkage between Iran and the
Israeli-Palestinian peace process, I personally believe it
actually runs the other way: To the extent that we can make
peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis, then I
actually think it strengthens our hand in the international
community in dealing with the potential Iranian
threat."--both issues needed to be addressed independently
on their own merits.
In his remarks to the press, Obama said "there is a
recognition that the Palestinians are going to have to do a
better job providing the kinds of security assurances that
Israelis would need to achieve a two-state solution, [and]
gain additional legitimacy and credibility with their own
people, and delivering services." "The other Arab
states have to be more supportive and be bolder in seeking
potential normalization with Israel." He cautioned
Israel that it would have to make difficult steps, too,
including improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and
stressed that "there is a clear understanding that we have
to make progress on settlements; that settlements have to be
stopped in order for us to move forward."
Ex-U.S. Envoy May Take Key Role in Afghan Government
Mr. Khalilzad, an American citizen who was born in
Afghanistan, had considered challenging Mr. Karzai for the
presidency in elections scheduled for this summer. But Mr.
Khalilzad missed the May 8 filing deadline, and the American
and Afghan officials say that he has been talking with Mr.
Karzai for several weeks about taking on a job that the two
have described as the chief executive officer of
Afghanistan.
The position would allow Mr. Khalilzad to serve as “a prime
minister, except not prime minister because he wouldn’t be
responsible to a parliamentary system,” a senior Obama
administration official said. Taking the unelected position
would also allow Mr. Khalilzad to keep his American
citizenship. Administration officials insisted that the
United States was not behind the idea of enlisting Mr.
Khalilzad to serve in the Afghan government, and they gave
no further details on what his duties might be. They said
that Mr. Karzai had sought out Mr. Khalilzad, but that the
idea of enlisting a chief executive had also been raised by
Gordon Brown, the British prime minister.
American and British officials expressed concern that any
belief that the West was behind the plan would harm its
chances inside Afghanistan. They spoke on the condition of
anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the
matter publicly. “This has the makings of a really bad
movie,” said Teresita C. Schaffer, a South Asia expert at
the Center for Strategic and International Studies in
Washington. “The idea of having an American as a major
senior official of Afghanistan is a very risky one both for
the Afghan government and the person in question.” But she
added: “Whoever is going to run Afghanistan will have to
have both feet on the ground there, and I know Zal has
intimate knowledge of the country and was involved to a
degree that was virtually unheard of for an ambassador.”
A plan that puts Mr. Khalilzad near the top of a Karzai
government would provide the Obama administration with a
strong conduit to push American interests in Afghanistan,
particularly in cracking down on corruption and the drug
trade, which American officials say has helped to fuel the
resurgence of the Taliban.
Karzai kid brother escapes assassination attempt
A brother of Afghan President Hamed Karzai has survived
another assassination attempt near the capital Kabul,
reports say. Ahmad Wali Karzai, the younger brother of
the Afghan President, escaped unharmed after unknown gunmen
opened fire on his convoy on a highway near Kabul on Monday.
One of his bodyguards was killed in the attack, a Press TV
correspondent reported.
Ahmad Wali said the attackers opened fire with rockets and
heavy machine-guns on his motorcade while he was on his way
back to the capital from the eastern city of Jalalabad after
holding talks with tribal elders from Kandahar. No group has
claimed responsibility for the attack but the president's
brother has pointed the finger of blame at the Taliban.
Ahmad Wali Karzai has survived similar attacks in the past.
Some Western media outlets have accused him of being
involved in the Afghanistan drug trade, he, however, has
denied the allegations, saying the US fabricates allegations
to harm the president.
Iran questions Russian sincerity on nuclear help
Iran questions Russia's commitment to the joint construction
project of the 1,000-megawatt Bushehr power plant in the
south of the country.
"If Russia seeks to remain an active economic partner of
Iran, it should complete the construction of the Bushehr
plant," the Head of the Majlis Energy Commission, Hamid-Reza
Katouzian, said on Monday.
"The Islamic Republic has fulfilled its commitment and
demands the inauguration of the plant as soon as possible,"
he added.
Under a contract signed in 1995, Russia has been helping
Iran with the construction of the Bushehr nuclear facility.
The plant will also run on Russian fuel, which is delivered
to Iran in containers sealed and inspected by the UN nuclear
watchdog.
All activities at the Bushehr plant are carried out under
the 24-hour surveillance of the Russian fuel suppliers and
inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The construction of the Bushehr nuclear power plant began in
1975 by German companies. However, German firms abandoned
the endeavor after the imposition of a US embargo on high
technology supplies to Iran.
The launch of the plant has been delayed several times due
to what Russia described as "sanctions imposed by Western
powers" against Iran.
Tehran says the only aim of its nuclear program is the
civilian applications of the technology. The US, Israel and
their European allies -- Britain, France and Germany --
accuse the country of pursuing military purposes.
The UN nuclear watchdog by virtue of 21 unannounced
inspections at Iranian nuclear sites has found that the
country has only enriched uranium-235 to a level "less than
5 percent," suitable for use in power generation.
"The delay shows that Russia is not resolute in fulfilling
its commitment, perhaps due to political motivation.
Clearly, it has no economic reasons," suggested the
prominent Iranian lawmaker.
Zardari to increase offensive across NWFP
Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari says that the military
will extend its offensive beyond the Swat valley to flush
out the militants from the whole of northwestern region
Zardari said in an interview with the Sunday Times that
government forces would extend their operations in Swat
toward the districts along the Pakistan-Afghanistan shared
border where militants have long thrived. "We're going
to go into Waziristan, all these regions, with army
operations," ... "Swat is just the start. There is a larger
war to fight."
Housing Starts Hurt by Steep Drop in Apartment Building
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/20/business/economy/20econ.html?_r=1&hp
New home construction fell to its lowest pace on record in
April. Building permits fell to record lows and construction
on new multi-family units plunged. Housing permits fell less
severely than housing starts, slipping 3.3 percent in April
to an annual rate of 494,000.
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