[ti:Biden to Keep Troops in Germany, End Support for Saudi War in Yemen]
[by:www.21voa.com]
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[00:00.04]U.S. President Joe Biden said Thursday
[00:04.24]that he would halt the withdrawal of American troops stationed in Germany
[00:10.12]and end support for Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen as top foreign policy goals.
[00:19.40]In his first visit to the State Department as president,
[00:23.84]Biden called for a return to the "grounding wire of our global power.”
[00:30.56]He sought to cheer the diplomatic workers with his speech.
[00:36.12]Many of them had expressed unhappiness over the last several years
[00:42.04]about the policies and actions of former President Donald Trump.
[00:48.84]“America is back. Diplomacy is back,”
[00:52.68]Biden said in brief comments to State Department workers.
[00:58.44]"You are the center of all that I intend to do.
[01:03.12]You are the heart of it. We’re going to rebuild our alliances.”
[01:09.36]Biden administration officials said the president
[01:13.24]was hoping to send an unmistakable signal
[01:16.96]that the U.S. is ready to return to its position as a world leader.
[01:24.16]Last year, Trump announced plans to redeploy
[01:28.68]about 9,500 of the estimated 34,500 U.S. troops stationed in Germany.
[01:38.52]The country is home to important American military bases,
[01:44.48]including the headquarters for U.S. European
[01:48.64]and U.S. Africa Command operations.
[01:53.44]Trump announced the withdrawal after repeatedly accusing Germany
[01:58.76]of not paying enough for its own defense.
[02:03.08]He described the longtime NATO ally as “delinquent"
[02:08.24]for failing to spend two percent of its total national product on defense.
[02:15.88]The provision is part of NATO membership terms.
[02:21.12]No reductions or changes have been made
[02:24.60]to U.S. troop levels since Trump's announcement.
[02:29.04]The new defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, suggested
[02:33.48]that he and the German foreign minister
[02:36.80]would discuss reconsideration of the withdrawal plan,
[02:41.00]Austin’s chief spokesman said.
[02:44.84]Biden also announced Thursday that the U.S. would end support
[02:50.00]for a five-year, Saudi-led military offensive in Yemen.
[02:55.60]The conflict has deepened suffering in the poor country.
[03:00.24]Biden called the decision part of restoring
[03:04.56]a U.S. emphasis on diplomacy, democracy and human rights.
[03:11.08]The ending of U.S. support for the offensive
[03:14.96]will not affect any U.S. operations against the Yemen-based group
[03:20.88]al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula group,
[03:24.04]said national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
[03:29.36]Biden called for a cease-fire,
[03:32.76]an effort to increase humanitarian aid to Yemen
[03:36.92]and a return to peace talks.
[03:39.88]He also announced the choice of Timothy Lenderking
[03:44.92]as special diplomat to Yemen.
[03:47.96]The career foreign service member has served in Saudi Arabia,
[03:53.04]Kuwait and other countries in the Middle East.
[03:58.24]I’m Caty Weaver. 更多听力请访问21VOA.COM