VOA(美国之音)文本2010年1月27News.doc

January 27, 2010012710.01Survivors of Haitis Earthquake in Urgent Need of Tents, FoodLisa Schlein, GenevaThe United Nations says it urgently needs 200,000 family tents toshelter one million people displaced by the earthquake before the rainyseason begins in April. It says only a fraction of the required tents arein the country.In the same order of importance isthe need for food. The World FoodProgram says it has delivered threemillion rations, the equivalent ofnearly 10 million meals, to 450,000people.US Marines prepare to deliver MREs(Meals, Read-to-Eat) to earthquakevictims in Haiti, 25 Jan 2010But WFP spokeswoman EmiliaCasella says that is not enough. Shesays her agency urgently needs tensof millions of ready-to-eat meals to feed two million people for 15 days.Our Executive Director has appealed to all governments, all militaryaround the world to give to us as many ready-to-eat meals as theyhave on hand, that they can provide to us for Haiti, she said. Theneed is extremely urgent and we need them as soon as possible.Casella says the World Food Program is feeding about 100,000 peoplea day. Given the enormous needs, she says her agency is making plansto expand its humanitarian operations beyond the six months for whichit is budgeted.She says the agency is in the process of re-evaluating the needs 1re-evaluating the increased amounts of money it will need to financethe operation.The United Nations issued a Flash Appeal for $575 million less than twoweeks ago. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairssays the United Nations has received 48 percent of that amount.OCHA notes the United Nations also has received contributions andpledges inside and outside of the Flash Appeal for a combined total ofmore than $740 million.In addition, it says it has received more than $1 billion in uncommittedpledges. The United Nations is urging donors to convert all pledges intomuch needed cash in the near future.012710.02Ballot Counting Underway in Sri Lanka Presidential ElectionSteve Herman, ColomboPresident Mahinda Rajapaksa cast his vote in his hometown, Tangelle,in the southern part of the island nation.The president says his victory will beremarkable and evident, thanks to theparticipation of voters across thecountry.Mr. Fonseka says he was not able to casthis ballot because his name was not onthe voter registration list. While ballotingPoliceman giving instruction to was still going on, former general Sarathvoters at polling station inColombo, 26 Jan 2010glitch he is still fully qualified to serve aspresident despite reports to the contrary.The government is on a campaign to again misinform the Sri Lankansand mislead all citizens about my vote, he said.2VOA NewsFonseka told reporters that despite theIt is estimated that more than 65 percent of eligible voters went to thepolls nationwide. But fears of violence and intimidation and lack oftransportation are partly blamed for keeping turnout low in theTamil-dominated North and East.With the Sinhalese vote believed to have been split between thepresident and his top challenger, Tamil voters found their ballots takingon a significance beyond their 15 percent share of the population.As Tamils, we need a good situation. So, in that basis, I chose myleader, said a voter.Many other Tamil voters, interviewed by VOA in the capital, spoke ofprotecting and expanding their rights as a minority, suppressed fordecades by the majority Sinhalese.This man says he expects Mr. Fonseka to bring change.During the campaign, the presidents supporters portrayed the general,who led the military campaign against the rebels, as betrayingSinhalese nationalism by cutting a deal with the Tamil National Alliance,the political wing of the defeated Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.That struck a chord with some voters.A Sinhalese woman says President Rajapaksa saved the country so shevoted for him, expecting he will take Sri Lanka to a more prosperouslevel.Before voting began, the two main political camps traded accusationsof election laws violations and of preparing to use force, should theresults not turn out to their opponents satisfaction.Sri Lanka has 14 million eligible voters. Government officials say theyexpect final vote tallies to be released by mid-day, Wednesday, whichhas been declared a national 3012710.03New Audits Cite Lax Oversight of US Contracts in IraqGary Thomas, WashingtonIn two reports, auditors cited weak and ineffective State Departmentoversight of a $2.5 billion contract for police training and a grant of$250 million for programs to build democratic institutions.The first report found that laxoversight of the police trainingcontract with DynCorp Internationalhas left the contracts fundsvulnerable to fraud and abuse.Special Inspector General for IraqReconstruction Stuart Bowen saysUS Special Inspector General forIraq Reconstruction Stuart Bowenthe issue of oversight has longplagued the DynCorp contract.This is not a new issue. Its one we pointed out previously in reviews ofthe police training oversight there. But its a troubling issue becausenot enough progress has been made in addressing the problems wehave uncovered in our prior reports, he said.Bowen points to questionable invoices from DynCorp, such as an orderfor electric power generators it already had and payments for realestate that far exceeded local market value.Bowen say the State Department does not have enough personnel tomonitor the costs associated with the police training contract.What this audit is really about, though, is weaknesses in controls overthe review of DynCorps invoices. These are enormous invoices withthousands of line items charging millions of dollars, and you have oneperson essentially actively reviewing them. And thats insufficient, hesaid.4VOA NewsState Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Monday that thedepartment acknowledges the need for more auditors in Iraq. But hetook issue with the reports assertions regarding vulnerability to fraudand waste.I dont think that we agree with the characterization in that report. Butwe will continue to work with the I.G. i.e., Inspector General on it, hesaid.In a written statement, DynCorp says its performance of the contracthas been exemplary and that the firm welcomes thorough scrutiny ofits billing and invoices.In the second report, auditors questioned the effectiveness of grantstotaling some $248 million to the National Democratic Institute and theInternational Republican Institute for democracy promotion.Bowen says both groups engage in a variety of programs to help buildcivil institutions in post-Saddam Iraq.Its called democracy-building - specifically, training for elections,training for political parties, training for all aspects of the electoralprocess. Iraq is a fledgling democracy. It has no foundation from whichto work in this regard. And there have been five elections in the past sixyears in Iraq, and that has required essentially a system to be builtfrom scratch coming out of the tyranny that preceded it, he said.Although these grants are small compared to the police trainingcontract, Bowen says the problems are the same.They are a much smaller effort, but similar nevertheless in thatthere is not sufficient oversight being carried out in-country - both inreview of expenditures and in provision of outcomes. The grantsthemselves require pretty detailed reporting on achievements. And wefound that that is just not being done. Very cursory reporting is beingprovided regarding these grants, he said.Without detailed reporting, Bowen says, the effectiveness of the 5programs cannot be accurately gauged. A National DemocraticInstitute official, who asked not to be named, says his organizationsreporting on its activities has been detailed and far in excess of StateDepartment requirements.Auditors also noted that the National Democratic Institute, or NDI,spent almost one-third of grant funds for security, and that theInternational Republican Institute used more than half of its funds forthe same purpose. The NDI official said the organizations securitycosts were moderate and reasonable in light of the situation in Iraq. Ina written statement, the International Republican Institute denies thatits security costs were excessive. A previous Inspector General reportfound that security costs for contractors and grantees in Iraq rangedbetween 24 and 53 percent of the contract or grant.012710.04Grammy Preview: Rock, Pop, and Rhythm & BluesRay McDonald, WashingtonTaylor Swift could do no wrong in 2009. Not only did the youngPennsylvania native have the years best-selling album with Fearless,she also earned Artist Of The Year plaudits from Billboard magazine.Her public standing was further bolstered in September, when rapperKanye West upstaged her during an acceptance speech at the MTVVideo Music Awards.On December 2, Taylor Swift receivedeight Grammy Award nominations,including Album Of The Year for Fearless,and Record and Song Of The Year, for YouBelong With Me. Taylors previous brushwith Grammy fame came in 2008, whenshe unsuccessfully competed for Best NewArtist.She is not, however, the most-nominatedact of the year. That honor goes to6VOA NewsBeyonce Knowles, who collected 10. The former Destinys Child singeris no stranger to the Grammy Awards, having previously won seven.This year, Beyonce goes head-to-head with Taylor Swift in the Album OfThe Year category with I AmSasha Fierce. Shes in the running forSong Of The Year for Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It), while Halocompetes for Record Of The Year.Sharing third place with six nominations apiece are the Black Eyed Peas,R&B singer Maxwell, and Taylor Swifts nemesis Kanye West. The32-year-old rapper, who swiftly dropped from sight after his MTVincident in September, is a 12-time Grammy Award winner. Among hisnominations this year are two entries in the Best Rap Performance By ADuo or Group category, and three entries in Best Rap/SungCollaboration.The Best New Artist race always provides its share of surprises andcontroversy. Although many so-called new artists are veteranperformers, the rules stipulate they may be considered if they achieveda significant breakthrough during the current eligibility period.While Lady Gaga was among the top breakout stars of 2009, she failedto make the list of nominees, having unsuccessfully competed in lastyears Best Dance Recording category. This year, the flamboyant singerreceived five nominations, including Record, Song, and Album Of TheYear.Competing for Best New Artist are country act The Zac Brown Band;R&B singer/songwriter Keri Hilson; alternative pop duo MGMT;alternative rock act Silversun Pickups; and British pop duo The TingTings.Artists have long prized the Grammy Awards as recognition by theirpeers. Members of the Recording Academy, which encompassesprofessionals from the entire musical community, vote through a seriesof ballots, the last of which were tabulated on January 8. Results will bekept secret until the night of the award ceremony: January 31 at theStaples Center in Los Angeles, C7This years race draws entrants from 29 musical fields.012710.05Bringing the Great American Frontier to LifeSusan Koster, WashingtonHollywood has shaped our perception of the American West. Images ofcowboys in saloons, American Indians in feather headdresses, andoutlaws robbing trains at gunpoint come to mind. But visitors to theFaces of the Frontier exhibition organized by the National PortraitGallery here in Washington can learn more about the real personalitieswho helped shape the West.Some faces and names are familiar,like Sitting Bull, the Dakota Indianchief whose warriors defeated andmassacred George ArmstrongCusters troops at the Battle of LittleBig Horn. Custers portrait is also inthe exhibit, taken 16 years before hisdeath, when he was a cadet at WestThe Wild Bunch (1900). NationalPortrait Gallery, SmithsonianInstitution; gift of Pinkertons, Inc.Point.Faces of the FrontierOther faces and names are not as well remembered. Curator FrankGoodyear included them among the portraits of 115 men and womenhe chose for the exhibit. If you look beyond the myth, you come tounderstand that people from many different places, differentbackgrounds, different fields of endeavor and ambitions converge torecreate the American West, says Goodyear.012710.06Britain to Host International Conference on AfghanistanLondon8VOA NewsIt has been eight years since a U.S.-led force toppled the Talibanregime in Afghanistan, ushering in hope for stability, greater freedomand development.But, that has been hard to come by. InLondon, Ahmad Farid Mall has beenwatching closely as events unfolded inhis homeland and he frequently talkswith relatives back in Kunduz innortheastern Afghanistan.I had information from my relatives inA ceremonial soldier stands guard Kunduz that they are thinking to leavenear Londons Lancaster House,sire of the forthcoming Afghan the country. They are not feeling safe.conference, 21 Jan 2010Every day there are one or twoincidents in the city when people are killed, when people are shot, hesaid.Mall fled Afghanistan in 1998 and finally settled with his family inLondon. There has not been much good news from back home -continued fighting and insurgent attacks.Lack of security is a major issue and the key is training the Afghanforces, says security analyst Christopher Langton at the InternationalInstitute for Strategic Studies in London.Our combat troops - what they are doing is sort of holding the line sothat the Afghan security forces can be built and their capacity can bedeveloped, he said.Langton says there has been progress, but to make it sustainable willtake time.Another key element is to try and bring in Taliban insurgents willing tojoin the government side, says Britains Foreign Secretary DavidMilliband.We know it is vital that there is full support for the reintegration 9insurgents who are willing to live by the Afghan constitution, defendcommunities rather than attacking them, said miliband.But security is not the only issue, a just released U.N. report saysAfghans see corruption as an even bigger problem.Speaking in Lond