Condi Flames ElBaradei
SHANNON, Ireland — Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Tuesday US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has attacked the head of the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA.
“It is not up to anybody to diminish or to begin to cut back on the obligations that the Iranians have been ordered to take” by the U.N. Security Council, Rice said.
The US has criticised a deal that Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), made with Iran to answer long-standing questions about Tehran’s nuclear activities.
The Aug. 21 deal commits Iran to answer five-year-old IAEA questions about its nuclear programme over a timeline of a few months, while effectively allowing Tehran to continue to enrich uranium — a process that can be used to produce nuclear bombs.
The Bush administration and its European allies argue that the IAEA has been soft on Iran by allowing Tehran to continue its uranium enrichment and are preparing further sanctions against the country.
Ms Rice, who in June accused Mr ElBaradei of “muddying the message” to Iran, again rebuked the IAEA.
In blunt language unusual among diplomats, Rice suggested that the IAEA’s board and director are freelancing where they do not belong.
“The IAEA is not in the business of diplomacy,” she said. “The IAEA is a technical agency that has a board of governors of which the United States is a member,” Ms Rice told reporters travelling with her to Israel and the Palestinian territories.
“There are a lot of elements that the IAEA needs to be concerned with, and the one that they need to be concerned with Iran is … whether and when and if they are living up to the agreements that they have signed,” Rice told reporters traveling with her to the Mideast.
ElBaradei said Iran’s harshest critics should learn from the Iraq invasion and refrain from “hype” about a possible military attack.
Rice said the United States and its partners will move forward with a request for a third round of Security Council sanctions. She said she will discuss sanctions this month with other members of the six-nation international bloc that has offered Iran economic incentives if it gives up uranium enrichment and other activities that worry the West.
The Security Council is not expected to take up the issue before October. Iran has ignored the previous U.N. demands and associated mild sanctions. It is not clear whether the United States can win a third round.
“We believe the diplomatic track can work, but it has to work both with a set of incentives and a set of teeth,” Rice said.
The Bush administration has pursued a cautious outreach to Iran despite internal divisions over how best to contain or counter Iran’s growing regional ambitions and alleged nuclear weapons program.
Rice declined comment on remarks over the weekend from her French counterpart warning of possible war with Iran.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Sunday said “we must prepare ourselves for the worst” if Iran obtains nuclear weapons, and he specified that could mean a war.
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Darn. When I saw “flames El Baradei” I was hopeful of more.
“We believe the diplomatic track can work, but it has to work both with a set of incentives and a set of teeth,” Rice said.
I actually respect Condi but here’s where we part cuz I do not believe diplomacy is ever gonna work with theocratic nihilists.
September 19th, 2007 at 1:49 pm…Darn. When I saw “flames El Baradei” I was hopeful of more…
I was hoping for “with napalm”.
September 19th, 2007 at 2:41 pmWhere’s Boutros Boutros Ghali when ya need him.
September 19th, 2007 at 2:50 pmWhat the U.N. has done for you lately:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1189411432622&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter
September 19th, 2007 at 4:03 pmShit El Baredei sounds more and more like Baghdad Bob every time he opens his mouth.
Condi got one thing right: “It is not up to anybody to diminish or to begin to cut back on the obligations that the Iranians have been ordered to take” by the U.N. Security Council, Rice said.
That’s a nice way of saying “Fuck You” El Baredei.
September 19th, 2007 at 4:19 pmDan, LOL @ the baghdad bob comment..In a strange way i kinda miss that douchebag, he was hilarious to listen to
September 19th, 2007 at 10:36 pm