Re-appoint Baradei
Dec 15, 2004
THE United States has been tapping the phone of Mohammed el-Baradei, the Egyptian head of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
THE United States has been tapping the phone of Mohammed el-Baradei, the Egyptian head of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The CIA listened into his phone calls with Iranian officials discussing their controversial uranium enrichment programme.
The Washington Post alleged that the Bush administration is looking for dirt to get rid of el-Baradei. The White House denies this but says it does not believe that any UN head should serve more than two terms in office. Baradei’s term expires next year.
American frustration with el-Baradei dates back to before the invasion of Iraq when the IAEA remained sceptical that Iraq possessed a nuclear bomb. They were right. After the invasion, el-Baradei further infuriated the United States by criticising lax security by coalition forces when looters stole hazardous radioactive material.
The United States should gracefully accept that el-Baradei was right and they were wrong. They should not try to get rid of him because they believe he is ‘soft’ on rogue states.
The Bush administration has double standards. It was happy to negotiate with North Korea which openly admits it has an illegal nuclear weapons programme. But it wants UN sanctions against Iran which denies any such programme and for which no hard evidence exists.
It also tapped the phones of weapons inspector Hans Blix and UN head Kofi Annan in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq.
The United States no longer trusts any international agency. The Bush administration is coming close to subverting the world order that it was instrumental in establishing through the League of Nations and Bretton Woods.
The rest of the world should now signal that enough is enough and ensure the re-appointment of the competent and respected el-Baradei for a third term at the IAEA. That would clearly signal to the United States that prejudice cannot be allowed to take precedence over factual analysis in foreign policy.
The Washington Post alleged that the Bush administration is looking for dirt to get rid of el-Baradei. The White House denies this but says it does not believe that any UN head should serve more than two terms in office. Baradei’s term expires next year.
American frustration with el-Baradei dates back to before the invasion of Iraq when the IAEA remained sceptical that Iraq possessed a nuclear bomb. They were right. After the invasion, el-Baradei further infuriated the United States by criticising lax security by coalition forces when looters stole hazardous radioactive material.
The United States should gracefully accept that el-Baradei was right and they were wrong. They should not try to get rid of him because they believe he is ‘soft’ on rogue states.
The Bush administration has double standards. It was happy to negotiate with North Korea which openly admits it has an illegal nuclear weapons programme. But it wants UN sanctions against Iran which denies any such programme and for which no hard evidence exists.
It also tapped the phones of weapons inspector Hans Blix and UN head Kofi Annan in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq.
The United States no longer trusts any international agency. The Bush administration is coming close to subverting the world order that it was instrumental in establishing through the League of Nations and Bretton Woods.
The rest of the world should now signal that enough is enough and ensure the re-appointment of the competent and respected el-Baradei for a third term at the IAEA. That would clearly signal to the United States that prejudice cannot be allowed to take precedence over factual analysis in foreign policy.