AUSTRIA: MOHAMED EL BARAADEI LOOKS SET FOR THIRD TERM AS UNITED NATIONS IAEA CHIEF

Record ID: 338283

  • Title: AUSTRIA: MOHAMED EL BARAADEI LOOKS SET FOR THIRD TERM AS UNITED NATIONS IAEA CHIEF
  • Date: 13th June 2005
  • Summary: (W3) VIENNA, AUSTRIA (JUNE 12, 2005)(REUTERS) 1. WIDE/PAN OF EXTERIOR OF UNITED NATIONS BUILDING WITH FLAGS 0.09 2. SLV PEOPLE IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING 0.13 3. SLV FLAGS 0.19 4. PAN OF SATELLITE TRUCKS IN FRONT OF BUILDING 0.27 5. WIDE OF IAEA DELEGATES GATHERING INSIDE CONFERENCE ROOM 0.33 6. VARIOUS OF DELEGATES INSIDE CONFERENCE ROOM 0.48 7. SLV SIRUS NASSERI, HEAD OF IRANIAN DELEGATION WALKING INSIDE ROOM 0.56 8. VARIOUS OF DELEGATIONS/ IRELAND/CUBA, SEATED 1.14 9. VARIOUS OF DELEGATES STANDING 1.31 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 28th June 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: VIENNA, AUSTRIA
  • Country: Austria
  • Reuters ID: LVA75368T55246Y75G51LD5HJC3N
  • Story Text: Mohamed ElBaradei looks set for a third term as U.N.

    nuclear watchdog chief.




    The governing board of the U.N. nuclear watchdog is
    expected to formally approve Mohamed ElBaradei's third term
    as the agency's chief after Washington gave up its efforts
    to oust him, U.N. diplomats said on Monday (June 13, 2005).

    While the United States lost the battle to depose
    ElBaradei, it has not given up its fight against Iran's
    nuclear programme, which Washington says is a front to
    develop nuclear weapons.

    Iran denies this, insisting its atomic ambitions are
    limited to the peaceful generation of electricity.

    Diplomats said they hoped to approve ElBaradei's
    appointment shortly after the board reconvenes at 1300 GMT.

    But they said it was possible the vote could be delayed
    until later in the week.

    Washington had said it opposed the 62-year-old
    Egyptian, who has run the International Atomic Energy
    Agency (IAEA) since 1997, because it believes U.N. agency
    heads should have only two terms. But U.N. diplomats say
    the real reason is the U.S. belief he was soft on Iraq and
    Iran.

    Diplomats at the Vienna-based IAEA denied ElBaradei had
    cut a deal with the Americans to win their support when the
    35 nations on the IAEA board vote on his reappointment.

    The vote on ElBaradei is technically the last item on
    the agenda of the week-long meeting, but Egypt and other
    developing countries on the board had hoped to get the vote
    out of the way the moment the session began, diplomats
    said.

    Last month in New York, Egypt helped block the adoption
    of an agenda for the first two and a half weeks at a
    month-long conference taking stock of the 1970 nuclear
    Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), diplomats who attended the
    conference said.

    Many delegates blamed the United States and Iran as
    well for the failure of the NPT conference to take steps to
    strengthen the benchmark arms control pact.

    At some point during the week-long meeting, ElBaradei's
    deputy, Pierre Goldschmidt, will inform the board about
    progress in the IAEA's two-year probe of Iran.

    The EU's three big powers, France, Britain and
    Germany, share U.S. suspicions that Iran wants nuclear
    weapons and are determined to prevent Tehran mastering the
    science of uranium enrichment, a process of purifying
    uranium for use as fuel in nuclear power plants or in
    weapons.

    Iran has frozen its enrichment programme temporarily,
    but has rejected the EU trio's offer of U.S.-backed
    incentives if it terminates and dismantles all its
    enrichment-related facilities.

    Tehran has said it would only maintain the suspension
    until the end of July, when the Europeans have promised to
    deliver a detailed offer of incentives for the Islamic
    republic.


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