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ElBaradei Reappointed as IAEA Chief
Mohamed ElBaradei was officially appointed today to his third term as head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, June 13). Diplomats agreed unanimously to the appointment at the agency’s annual general conference in Vienna. The United States had opposed ElBaradei’s appointment, but lacked support for its position from other IAEA member nations, AP reported (George Jahn, Associated Press I/Yahoo!News, Sept. 26). Much of the general conference’s agenda is noncontroversial, but divisive issues, including Israel’s nuclear weapons program, are likely to arise, according to an AP report. Arab nations are expected to renew their push for a resolution on “Israel’s nuclear capabilities and threat” but are likely to accept a compromise statement, according to AP. Oman has formally asked the conference to consider censuring Israel. “Israel's possession of nuclear weapons is likely to lead to a destructive nuclear arms race in the region, especially if Israel's nuclear installations remain outside any international control,” Oman said in a letter to the agency. The agenda item “Implementation of IAEA (nuclear) safeguards in the Middle East” also is expected to be contentious. It is expected to be resolved through a president’s statement calling on all Middle East countries to declare their nuclear weapons capabilities. Diplomats also expect a resolution praising North Korea’s announcement that it would scrap its weapon program. This resolution is likely to include language calling on Pyongyang to honor Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty commitments, they said (George Jahn, Associated Press II/Miami Herald, Sept. 25).
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