Hillary Clinton: New U.S. administration to forge Mideast peace

　　被当选总统奥巴马提名为下任美国国务卿的纽约州参议员希拉里·克林顿13日出席参议院外交委员会举行的听证会，阐述其美国新政府的外交思维和各项方针。希拉里称上任后将为美国外交注入新的生命力，并大谈新政府将依靠“智慧力量”积极处理国际事务。

　　希拉里承认，上任后首先要面对的就是正在加剧的加沙冲突。她重复了自己原先的立场，即除非哈马斯放弃使用暴力并且承认以色列，美国不会直接和该组织对话。希拉里还说自己“从内心深处”支持以色列保卫本国人民免受哈马斯火箭弹袭击的权利。

　　U.S. Secretary of State Designate Hillary Clinton told lawmakers here on Tuesday that the Obama administration would spare no effort to promote to forge Israeli-Palestinian peace.

　　"The president-elect and I understand and are deeply sympathetic to Israel's desire to defend itself under the current conditions, and to be free of shelling by Hamas rockets," Clinton said in prepared written testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations committee.

　　"However, we have also been reminded of the tragic humanitarian costs of conflict in the Middle East and pained by the suffering of Palestinian and Israeli civilians. We will exert every effort to support the work of Israelis and Palestinians who seek that result."

　　"We cannot give up on peace," the wife of former President Bill Clinton said at her confirmation hearing for top U.S. diplomat, noting that the future U.S. government will try "to seek a just and lasting peace agreement that brings real security to Israel; normal and positive relations with its neighbors; and independence, economic progress, and security to the Palestinians in their own state."

　　On Iran, Clinton said that the incoming Obama administration will pursue "a new, perhaps a different approach" toward the Islamic Republic. But the wife of former president Bill Clinton insisted that the United states must effectively challenge Iran to stop its nuclear weapons program.

　　"It is going to be United States policy to pursue diplomacy, with all of its (tools), to do everything we can to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear weapon state. As I also said, no option is off the table."