vowing that 'America will live by its values' built upon human rights while taking to task the abuses and failures of allies and foes alike.
重点翻译后半句，这里taking to task是什么意思？

vowing that 'America will live by its values' built upon human rights while taking to task the abuses and failures of allies and foes alike.
重点翻译后半句，这里taking to task是什么意思？
1）take to task
vt. 责备(批评)censure severely or angrily
2） President Barack Obama, speaking to the United Nations General Assembly for the first time, sought to distance his country from the era of his White House predecessor, 【vowing that 'America will live by its values' built upon human rights while taking to task the abuses and failures of allies and foes alike.】
　　美国总统奥巴马首次向联合国大会发表讲话，他在讲话中试图让美国与布什当政时期拉开距离，并【誓言美国将以其建立在人权基础上的价值观立国，一视同仁地对待盟友和敌人的弊端及疏失。】
while taking to task the abuses and failures of allies and foes alike.
该句的译法有问题。是否如此更好呢：无论是敌是友，只要胡作非为、拒不履行义务，将一视同仁，予以谴责。
abuses：滥用（权利）；failures 不履行（义务）

3）我的第一个被动学习阶段已经完成（目标1万分）；第二个阶段是，两条腿同时走，问帖和答帖齐头并进。我会向楼主指明道姓发问。请做好心理准备。呵呵！