IAEA chief in Iran attack warning

BBC ^ | Thursday, 14 June 2007, 15:07 GMT 16:07 UK | BBC Staff

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

IAEA chief in Iran attack warning

Mr ElBaradei called for a "time out" with Iran

The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog has warned that resorting to military action against Iran over its nuclear programme would be "an act of madness".

Mohammed ElBaradei also said Iran was close to reaching large-scale levels of uranium enrichment without providing assurances its programme was peaceful.

Enriched uranium can be used to fuel nuclear reactors but can also be made into nuclear weapons material.

The West has accused Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, a charge Iran denies.

Mr ElBaradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) , said the stalemate between Iran and the UN Security Council was leading to confrontation.

He said any use of force to shut down Iran's nuclear programme "would be catastrophic, it would be an act of madness, and it would not solve the issue".

'Freeze for peace'

The United States and Israel have not ruled out the possibility of using military force against Iran if it does not scrap its uranium-enrichment programme.

But the US favours a diplomatic track, with what Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has called "disincentives for Iran to continue its activities".

Mr ElBaradei called on Iran to freeze the expansion of its programme, saying the country was close to running 3,000 uranium-enrichment centrifuges.

IAEA officials say 3,000 centrifuges is the point of no return in an industrial programme.

The uranium enrichment facility at Natanz

Iran has said it hopes to install tens of thousands of centrifuges for industrial-scale enrichment at its Natanz site.

"On the one hand Iran is building the capacity and knowledge with regards to sensitive technology," Mr ElBaradei said.

"On the other hand the agency is unable to provide the assurance that this is a peaceful programme.

"It would be good if Iran today would stop building additional centrifuges and installing [them] in Natanz."

That could allow a "time-out or freeze for peace", he said.

Mr ElBaradei was speaking at a meeting of the agency's 35-nation board.

The Iranian envoy to the meeting repeated Tehran's position that it would not suspend uranium enrichment.

The UN Security Council has twice imposed rounds of sanctions on Iran for not suspending enrichment.

Mr ElBaradei said his inspectors had been unable to verify whether the centrifuges at Natanz were running at 100% efficiency or whether some might have crashed, as has happened before.

He repeated his estimate that Iran was three to eight years away from building a nuclear weapon, if that is what it was trying to do.

[iopscusa]

I think the die was cast on GWB Admin’s ability to fight the WOT when this idiot Mohammed ElBaradei managed to keep this UN job, even after the failure of the UN in IrAQ.
Everything since then has been a retreat...IRAN has won it’s quest for the ultimate weapon and a strangle hold on the western economies is next...

[Moonman62]

ElBaradei is incompetent to do the job he is supposed to do, so now he’s going to tell us how to do ours.

[alloysteel]

“So, why does the UN have a muslim at the head of their nuclear team?”

What ever made you think “affirmative action” was an exclusively American liberal idea?

[EGPWS]

So, why does the UN have a muslim at the head of their nuclear team?

Ah, to more effectively insist that Iran stop their nuclear endeavors with a Persian/Muslim bond?

[EGPWS]

ElBaradei is incompetent to do the job he is supposed to do, so now he’s going to tell us how to do ours.

Step 3 is the Nobel Peace Prize if history repeats itself.

[rod1]

Continued Mullah shilling from this nuke-enabler.

[EGPWS]

time to call for this arab apologists resignation.

That won't happen for John Bolton is no longer our representative since he did the best damn job as UN Ambassador since Jean Kirkpatrick.

[EGPWS]

I think the die was cast on GWB Admin’s ability to fight the WOT when this idiot Mohammed ElBaradei managed to keep this UN job, even after the failure of the UN in IrAQ.

The die was cast long before Dubya' became POTUS.

[Enchante]

Unfortunately, this useless UN bloatocrat was already awarded the Nobel Peace Prize:

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2005/

[EGPWS]

Unfortunately, this useless UN bloatocrat was already awarded the Nobel Peace Prize:

My lack of amazement with this revelation has been born from past Nobel recipients.

The relevancy of that award is up there with the relevancy of the UN.

[Enchante]

Then consider that this worthless UN bloatocrat does not even have any scientific or military background whatsoever that qualifies him for the world’s highest post in (supposedly) controlling nuclear technologies and weaponry. He is a frickin’ LAWYER with background as an Egyptian diplomat and UN bloatocrat:

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2005/elbaradei-bio.html

From 1984, Dr. ElBaradei was a senior staff member of the IAEA Secretariat, holding a number of high-level policy positions, including Agency’s Legal Adviser and subsequently Assistant Director General for External Relations.

Dr. ElBaradei was born in Cairo, Egypt, in 1942, son of the late Mostafa ElBaradei, a lawyer and former President of the Egyptian Bar Association. He gained a Bachelor’s degree in Law in 1962 at the University of Cairo, and a Doctorate in International Law at the New York University School of Law in 1974.

He began his career in the Egyptian Diplomatic Service in 1964, serving on two occasions in the Permanent Missions of Egypt to the United Nations in New York and Geneva, in charge of political, legal and arms control issues. From 1974 to 1978 he was a special assistant to the Foreign Minister of Egypt. In 1980 he left the Diplomatic Service to join the United Nations and became a senior fellow in charge of the International Law Program at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research. From 1981 to 1987 he was also an Adjunct Professor of International Law at the New York University School of Law.

[Myrddin]

When the RATS grabbed the majority, that screwed Bolton's position at the U.N. At least he had a backbone. The RATS couldn't tolerate that. The socialist debater's society a.k.a the U.N. hates the U.S. The replacement approved by the RATS won't be nearly as effective.

[little jeremiah]

To me the bottom line is this:

It’s criminal that the US is still in the UN, and that the UN is still in the US.

And how much of taxpayer money gets thrown in the pit.

[iopscusa]

I had forgotten this cretin, EL Baradei’s background...it is even worse...

[river rat]

What is INSANE is that this Arab is still in his job...

Much of the Lunatic world gained Nuclear weapons on his watch, and he says attacking and preventing this is “madness”...

I have a far different definition of madness...

[familyop]

Commander’s veto sank Gulf buildup (Admiral Fallon opposes military move against Iran?)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1834992/posts

Top US War Boss: We Can’t Ignore Iran [No other way but “arrangement” with Iran.]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1840806/posts

Military action in Iran not in anyones interest, says Gates
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1843874/posts

Gates declines to say who is winning war on terror
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1844996/posts

[familyop]

"The die was cast long before Dubya' became POTUS."

Yes. All of our leaders, since 1963 at the latest, have been playing Lawrence of Arabia with Islamo-fascists against potentially better allies. ...'63 is as far back as my study on that has gone so far.