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U.S. to Allow Third Term for ElBaradei
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice publicly confirmed yesterday that the United States would not oppose a third term for International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, June 8). Rice and ElBaradei held short talks in Washington yesterday, and the agency’s Board of Governors is expected to approve the third term at its meeting in Vienna next week. “We do have a long-held view that in general it is better that there be two terms for these positions,” Rice said. “Nonetheless, we have worked well with Dr. ElBaradei in the past.” A State Department official said ElBaradei was the only choice for the post, making resistance to a third term pointless. “You work with what you’ve got,” the official said, adding that the United States would continue to push for a harder line on Iran. Also in Washington yesterday was German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, who threw in his support for ElBaradei. “Our experiences in cooperation with the IAEA, especially in the Iran issue, was excellent. So I have no reasons to complain,” Fischer said (Agence France-Presse I, Daily Star, June 9). IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said the United States has not asked for anything from ElBaradei in return for support for a third term, Agence France-Presse reported yesterday (see GSN, June 9). Fleming said the issue of a third term did not come up in talks between Rice and ElBaradei this week. Instead, Rice and Elbaradei discussed “wide-ranging issues related to shoring up the nuclear nonproliferation system, including limiting access to the nuclear fuel cycle, where things stand with Iran and other matters that are on the agenda of the IAEA board meeting next week,” Fleming said. ElBaradei has indicated that he would report on Iraq when the board meets. Some diplomats have said the report is a result of strong arming by the United States. “The sheer fact that there will be a report is interesting,” a diplomat said, adding that ElBaradei is delivering the report “under U.S. pressure.” IAEA officials deny that the report is a result of pressure from the United States (Agence France-Presse II, June 9).
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