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Mohamed ElBaradei

 
Biography: Mohamed ElBaradei
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Mohamed ElBaradei (born 1942), Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005. Later that year he was appointed to a third term as IAEA director.

A lifelong diplomat and one of just a few individuals from the Arab world active at the top levels of the world of international relations, ElBaradei was active in trying to resolve conflicts at several of the world's major flashpoints, all of them involving new nuclear threats. The IAEA, an intergovernmental organization affiliated with the United Nations (UN), conducts inspections and negotiates with governments in an attempt to stop the spread of nuclear weaponry and to insure that nuclear materials are used exclusively for peaceful purposes. ElBaradei's activities brought him into conflict with the United States in the twin trouble spots of Iraq and Iran, but the Nobel Prize and his subsequent reappointment signaled a strong vote of confidence from the international community.

Won Squash Tournament

ElBaradei (the name is generally spelled without a hyphen in Western lettering but appears as El-Baradei on the website of the Egypt State Information Service) was born into a professional family in Cairo, Egypt, on June 17, 1942. His father, Mostafa ElBaradei, was a lawyer who once became president of Egypt's national bar association. ElBaradei's mother, Aida Hegazi, recalled (according to America's Intelligence Wire) that her son was a standout from an early age. "I hope he has a bright future," his kindergarten teacher told Hegazi. "I can tell he is brilliant." As a boy he loved athletics, excelling at squash and winning a national tournament in that sport. But as time went on, he decided that he wanted to take after his father, and enrolled in law school at the University of Cairo.

ElBaradei received his law degree in 1962, and two years after that, at the age of 22, he joined the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "His early diplomatic training is apparent in everything he does - from the relaxed but careful way he talks to journalists, to his dealings with countries' nuclear programs," noted a BBC News profile. Twice he was sent abroad to Egypt's United Nations missions, once to Geneva, Switzerland, and once to New York City, New York. There he enrolled at New York University (NYU) and earned a doctoral degree in international law in 1974. As part of Egypt's UN delegation he had responsibility for political, legal, and arms control issues. He also became a lifelong fan of the New York Knickerbockers' professional basketball team.

Becoming a special assistant to Egypt's Foreign Minister, ElBaradei was part of the delegation that traveled to the U.S. presidential retreat of Camp David in 1978 and concluded a groundbreaking set of peace accords with Israel. A youthful star of the international diplomatic corps, he took a job in 1980 with the United Nations as a senior fellow, directing the program in international law at the UN Institute for Training and Research. This post took ElBaradei back to New York City, where he served from 1981 through 1987 as an adjunct professor of international law at NYU.

Familiar with a wide range of legal and diplomatic issues, ElBaradei joined the IAEA as a legal adviser in 1984. He held several policy posts within the organization, rising to assistant director-general for external relations in 1993. The IAEA is based in Vienna, Austria, and ElBaradei made his home there with his wife, Aida Elkachef, and the couple's son, Mostafa, and daughter, Laila. Mostafa became a television director, Laila a lawyer; both live in London. Aida Elkachef worked as an early childhood educator. "I find a lot in common in the way I manage things and the way Aida manages three-year-olds," ElBaradei observed to Jennifer Cunningham of the Glasgow, Scotland, Herald. "We humans are the same when we are three years old and when we are 50."

Named IAEA Director-General

In 1997 ElBaradei succeeded Hans Blix of the Netherlands as director-general of the IAEA. He was backed for the post neither by Blix nor by the Egyptian government, but it was due partly to the influence of the United States (ironically, in view of the conflicts that were to come) that ElBaradei won the support of a majority of the member governments on the IAEA board. At the time, his background seemed to have an ideal mix of Western education and familiarity with the Third World. "ElBaradei is exactly the kind of person you would want in the role - someone from a developing country who has a Western intellect but a Third World sensitivity," former U.S. IAEA ambassador John Ritch told Tom Hundley of the Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. The IAEA board appointed ElBaradei to a second term in 2001.

Up to this point, ElBaradei's name was little known except among those who followed arms control efforts, but the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, led to a period of international tension concerning the possibility that terrorists or rogue states might acquire nuclear weaponry. In his 2002 State of the Union address, U.S. President George W. Bush charged that Iraq, Iran, and North Korea constituted an "axis of evil" that sponsored terrorism at the state level, and that all three of those states had historically been involved in attempts to manufacture an atomic bomb. Lurking in the background was renegade Pakistani scientist A.Q. Khan, who gave technical assistance to a variety of nuclear aspirants. Suddenly ElBaradei's name was in the headlines, and his work was closely scrutinized.

The immediate area of concern was Iraq, where the Persian Gulf War (1991) had uncovered a clandestine nuclear program proceeding under the direction of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. That program, ElBaradei reported, had been largely dismantled after the war, but U.S. diplomats, led by Secretary of State Colin Powell, claimed that it had been restarted on several fronts. A team of United Nations inspectors, led by Blix and including ElBaradei, went to Iraq to search for banned weapons, but found none. The United States went ahead with its case for war, despite ElBaradei's March 7, 2003, announcement before the United Nations Security Council that a piece of evidence central to the U.S. argument, a letter pertaining to the alleged purchase of uranium by Iraq from the African country of Niger, had been shown to be a forgery.

A small coalition of countries led by the United States and Great Britain invaded Iraq on March 20, 2003, and U.S. officials were reportedly angered by ElBaradei's challenges to their claims about Iraq's nuclear program. Iraq, however, was not the only state on ElBaradei's nuclear proliferation agenda. North Korea expelled IAEA inspectors and remained, in ElBaradei's view, a serious threat. "My gut feeling is that they have a [nuclear] capability," he told Newsweek. "They probably have enough plutonium to make a few bombs. That makes [North Korea] the most dangerous proliferation situation … a country that is completely beleaguered, isolated, has nothing to lose and a weapons capability." Talks involving North Korea, South Korea, China, Russia, Japan, and the United States led to preliminary agreement by North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program in 2005, but North Korea remained a nuclear danger point.

Favored European Approach in Iran

In Iran, where a dissident group revealed the existence of a nuclear weapons program unknown to the IAEA, ElBaradei was pressed by the United States to take a hard line by referring the matter immediately to the U.N. Security Council. ElBaradei agreed (as quoted in Newsweek) that "Iran's policy of concealment over a number of years [has] created a confidence deficit," but he favored a European Union-backed strategy of negotiation. "You will never solve your problem until you sit around the dinner table and put your grievances on the table and find out how to move forward," he told the Chicago Tribune. "Some people equate that with being soft - that if you do not pound on the table and if you do not scream, then you are being soft. I think this is a total misconception." ElBaradei's approach contributed to an agreement by Iran in November of 2004 to temporarily halt its nuclear program, but the issue flared again in 2005.

In October of 2005 ElBaradei was named the winner of the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize. The award was seen by some as a rebuke to the United States for its largely unilateral approach to the Iraq situation, but Nobel committee chairman Ole Danbolt Mjoes said (according to the Tribune) that the selection was "not a kick in the legs to any country." ElBaradei agreed. "I don't see it as a critique of the U.S.," he was quoted as saying in the Seattle Times. "We had disagreement before the Iraq war, honest disagreement. We could have been wrong; they could have been right." ElBaradei said (as quoted in the Tribune) that the award "recognizes the role of multilateralism in resolving all the challenges we face today," and that it would "strengthen my resolve and that of my colleagues to speak truth to power." As an international black market in nuclear arms components grew, ElBaradei argued, multinational cooperation became more and more important, and he criticized existing nuclear powers, including the United States, for their lack of progress in arms control. ElBaradei was Egypt's fourth Nobel Prize winner, following president Anwar Sadat, novelist Naguib Mahfouz, and chemist Ahmed Zewail. The selection of ElBaradei followed a pattern: figures devoted to the control of nuclear arms had been chosen for Nobel awards on several anniversaries of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945.

The United States, led by hardline U.N. ambassador John Bolton and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, attempted to derail ElBaradei's bid for a third term as IAEA director-general, proposing Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer instead. But the American delegation got nowhere with other countries represented on the IAEA board, and had to retreat after evidence surfaced that U.S. intelligence services had tapped ElBaradei's office phone. ElBaradei was unanimously approved for a third term in October of 2005, and he said that he considered his disagreements with the United States to be closed questions. The Bush White House offered congratulations on his reappointment.

Even after receiving the Nobel Prize, ElBaradei continued to receive criticism from some observers on both ends of the political spectrum. Conservative National Review commentator Jay Nordlinger derided ElBaradei as "the classic international-organization man"; he quoted writer Joshua Muravchik's contention that "for 'rogue' regimes, the IAEA has presented few barriers." From a different perspective came critiques by several Arab commentators described in Egypt's Al-Ahram Weekly Online, who argued "that the IAEA chief would have never received the prize had it not been for his determined avoidance of any criticism of Israel's policy of nuclear ambiguity" - though Israel is generally believed to possess nuclear weapons, it has never officially confirmed them. As the Iranian situation heated up again at the end of 2005, with the country's Islamist president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's announcements that the country would move toward restarting its uranium enrichment program, ElBaradei's third term promised to be a busy one. He has often stated that his greatest fear is that nuclear weapons may fall into the hands of terrorists.

Periodicals

America's Intelligence Wire, October 7, 2005.

Chicago Tribune, October 7, 2005.

Herald (Glasgow, Scotland), October 8, 2005.

Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service, February 1, 2005.

National Review, November 7, 2005.

Newsweek, February 9, 2004; July 11, 2005.

New York Times, October 8, 2005.

Seattle Times, October 8, 2005.

U.S. News & World Report, October 17, 2005.

Online

"Atoms for peace," Al-Ahram Weekly Online, http://www.weekly.ahram.org/eg/2005/764/eg2.htm (January 6, 2006).

"Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei: Director General," International Atomic Energy Agency, http://www.iaea.org/Abotu/DGC/dgbio.html (January 6, 2006).

"Mohamed El-Baradei," Egypt State Information Service, http://www.sis.gov.eg (January 6, 2006).

"Profile: Mohamed ElBaradei," BBC News, http://www.news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2596447.stm (January 6, 2006).

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Columbia Encyclopedia: Mohamed ElBaradei
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ElBaradei, Mohamed (ĕlbärä'dā), 1952-, Egyptian lawyer and United Nations diplomat, b. Cairo, grad. Univ. of Cairo (1962), New York Univ. School of Law (1974). He worked (1964-80) in the Egyptian diplomatic service, becoming special assistant to the foreign minister (1974-78). After heading the international law program at the UN Institute for Training and Research (1980-84) and teaching at New York Univ. (1981-87), he joined the International Atomic Energy Agency, becoming its director general in 1997. He oversaw the IAEA's shift from promoting the peaceful development of nuclear energy to also monitoring nuclear weapons proliferation, and has pursued a careful and persistent but generally nonconfrontational approach to verifying nonproliferation treaty violations. He was criticized by the G. W. Bush administration when the IAEA would not, due to the lack of conclusive evidence, confirm the existence of alleged weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and, more recently, an alleged nuclear weapons program in Iran. He shared the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize with the IAEA for their efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.
Wikipedia: Mohamed ElBaradei
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Mohamed ElBaradei
محمد البرادعي

4th Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency
In office
December 1, 1997 – November 30, 2009
Preceded by Hans Blix
Succeeded by Yukiya Amano
Born June 17, 1942 (1942-06-17) (age 67)
Cairo, Egypt
Nationality Egyptian
Alma mater Cairo University
New York University School of Law
Religion Islam

[1] [2]


Dr. Mohamed Mostafa ElBaradei (Arabic: محمد البرادعي‎, transliteration: Muḥammad al-Barādaʿī) (born June 17, 1942, in Cairo, Egypt) was the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), an inter-governmental organization under the auspices of the United Nations from December 1997 to November 2009. An Egyptian,[3] ElBaradei prefers the Latin writing of his name to be spelled ElBaradei rather than hyphenated (El-Baradei). ElBaradei and the IAEA were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005.

Contents

Family

ElBaradei was born and raised in Cairo, Egypt. Mostafa ElBaradei, his attorney father who headed the Egyptian Bar Association, often found himself at odds with the regime of Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. ElBaradei's father was also a supporter of democratic rights in Egypt, supporting a free press and a legal system that was independent.[4] ElBaradei followed in his father's footsteps and earned his law degree at the University of Cairo in 1962.[5] ElBaradei was one of five children.

ElBaradei is married to Aida Elkachef, an early childhood teacher. They have two children. Their daughter, Laila is a lawyer and lives in London with her husband, Neil Pizey, an investment banker. Mostafa, their son, a studio director with a television network. He also lives and works in London.[6]

Early career

ElBaradei earned a Bachelor's degree in law from the University of Cairo in 1962, followed by a DEA degree in International Law at the Graduate Institute of International Studies HEI in Geneva and a PhD in International Law at the New York University School of Law in 1974. His diplomatic career began in 1964 in the Egyptian Ministry of External affairs, where he served in the Permanent Missions of Egypt to the United Nations in New York and in Geneva, in charge of political, legal, and arms control issues. From 1974 to 1978, he was a special assistant to the Egyptian Foreign Minister. In 1980, he 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 New York University School of Law.

In 1984, ElBaradei became a senior staff member of the IAEA Secretariat, serving as the Agency's legal adviser (1984 to 1993) and Assistant Director General for External Relations (1993 to 1997). ElBaradei is a member of the International Law Association and the American Society of International Law.

Public career as IAEA Director General

ElBaradei began serving as Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency on December 1, 1997, succeeding Hans Blix of Sweden.[7][8]. He was re-elected for two more four-year terms in 2001 and 2005. His third and last term ended in November 2009. Elbaradei's tenure has been marked by high profile non-proliferation issues including the inspections in Iraq preceding the March 2003 invasion and tensions over the nuclear program of Iran.

First term as director general

After being appointed by the General Conference in 1997, Elbaradei said in his speech that: “for international organizations to enjoy the confidence and support of their members, they have to be responsive to their needs; show concrete achievements; conduct their activities in a cost-effective manner; and respect a process of equitable representation, transparency, and open dialogue.”[9]

Just a couple of months before Dr. Elbaradei took office, the Model Additional Protocol was adopted, creating a new environment for IAEA verification by giving it greater authority to look for undeclared nuclear activities. When in office, Elbaradei launched a programme to establish “integrated safeguards” combining the IAEA’s comprehensive safeguards agreements with the newly adopted Additional Protocol. In his statement to the General Conference in 1998, he called upon all states to conclude the Additional Protocol saying: “One of the main purposes of the strengthened safeguards system can be better achieved with global adherence. I would therefore urge all States with outstanding safeguards agreements to conclude them and I would also urge all States to accelerate their consideration of the Model Additional Protocol and enter into consultations with the Agency at the earliest possible opportunity. We should work together to ensure that by the year 2000 all States have concluded outstanding safeguards agreements and also the Additional Protocol”. Elbaradei repeated this call through his years as the Director General of the IAEA. In November 2009, 93 countries had Additional Protocols in force.[10]

Elbaradei’s first term ended in November 2001, just two months after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. These attacks made clear that more needed to be done to protect nuclear material and installations against theft or a terrorist attack. As a consequence, ElBaradei established a nuclear security programme to combat the risk of nuclear terrorism by assisting States in strengthening the physical protection of their nuclear and radioactive material and installations. The Nuclear Security Fund.[11]

Second term as director general

One of the major issues during ElBaradei’s second term as the Director General of the IAEA was the Agency’s inspections in Iraq. ElBaradei disputed the US rationale for the 2003 invasion of Iraq from the time of the 2002 Iraq disarmament crisis, when he, along with Hans Blix, led a team of UN weapons inspectors in Iraq. ElBaradei told the UN Security Council in March 2003 that documents purporting to show that Iraq had tried to acquire uranium from Niger were not authentic.

ElBaradei described the U.S. invasion of Iraq as "a glaring example of how, in many cases, the use of force exacerbates the problem rather than solving it."[12] ElBaradei further said "we learned from Iraq that an inspection takes time, that we should be patient, that an inspection can, in fact, work,"[13] and that he had "been validated" in concluding that Saddam Hussein had not revived his nuclear weapons program.[14]

In a 2004 op-ed piece on the dangers of nuclear proliferation, in the New York Times (February 12, 2004), ElBaradei stated "We must abandon the unworkable notion that it is morally reprehensible for some countries to pursue weapons of mass destruction, yet morally acceptable for others to rely on them for security - and indeed to continue to refine their capacities and postulate plans for their use."[15] He went on to say "If the world does not change course, we risk self-destruction."

Third and final term as director general

The United States initially voiced opposition to his election to a third four-year term in 2005.[16] In a May 2005 interview with the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Lawrence Wilkerson, the chief of staff to former Secretary of State Colin Powell, charged former Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security John Bolton with an underhanded campaign to unseat ElBaradei.[17] “Mr. Bolton overstepped his bounds in his moves and gyrations to try to keep [ElBaradei] from being reappointed as [IAEA] head,” Wilkerson said. The Washington Post reported in December 2004 that the Bush administration had intercepted dozens of ElBaradei’s phone calls with Iranian diplomats and was scrutinizing them for evidence they could use to force him out.[17] IAEA spokesman Mark Gwozdecky said the agency worked on "the assumption that one or more entities may be listening to our conversations". "It's not how we would prefer to work, but it is the reality. At the end of the day, we have nothing to hide," he said. Iran responded to the Washington Post reports by accusing the United States of violating international law in intercepting the communications.[18]

The United States was the only country to oppose ElBaradei's reappointment and eventually failed to win enough support from other countries to oust ElBaradei. On 9 June 2005, after a meeting between US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and ElBaradei, the United States dropped its objections. Among countries that supported Elbaradei was China, Russia, Germany and France. China praised his leadership and objectivity.[16] and supported him for doing "substantial fruitful work, which has maintained the agency's role and credit in international non-proliferation and promoted the development of peaceful use of nuclear energy. His work has been universally recognized in the international community. China appreciates Mr. El Baradei's work and supports his reelection as the agency's director-general."[19] France, Germany, and some developing countries, have made clear their support for ElBaeadei as well.[17] Russia issued a strong statement in favor of re-electing him as soon as possible.

ElBaradei was unanimously re-appointed by the IAEA Board on 13 June 2005.[20]

Comments on no fourth term

In 2008, ElBaradei said he would not be seeking a fourth term as director general.[21] ElBaradei said he was "not available for a further term" in office in an IAEA document.[22] In its first five rounds of voting, the IAEA Board of Governors split on a decision of who should next fill the role of Director General. ElBaradei said, "I just hope that the agency has a candidate acceptable to all...north, south, east, west because that is what is needed."[23] After several rounds of voting, on 3rd of July 2009, Mr. Yukiya Amano, Japanese Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, was elected as the next IAEA Director General.

Role in addressing the nuclear program of Iran

Main article: Nuclear program of Iran

In his last speech to the IAEA Board of Governors in June 2009, Elbaradei stated that “the Agency has been able to continue to verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material in Iran." He regreted, however, that "Iran has not implemented any of the measures called for by the Security Council and by the Agency's Board of Governors”. Elbaradei also said he was encouraged “by the new initiative of the United States to engage the Islamic Republic of Iran in direct dialogue, without preconditions and on the basis of mutual respect” and expressed hope “that Iran will respond to the US initiative with an equal gesture of goodwill and trust-building.” This gesture “could include implementing again the Agency's design information requirements and applying the provisions of the additional protocol.”

The International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors and UN Security Council have commended the ElBaradei for "professional and impartial efforts" to resolve all outstanding issues with Iran.[24][25] The Non-Aligned Movement has also reiterated "its full confidence in the impartiality and professionalism of the Secretariat of the IAEA."[26][27]

Statements to the media

In an interview with CNN in May 2007, Dr ElBaradei gave one of his sternest warnings against using military action against Iran, a state signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Referring to "the extreme people who have extreme views" he said, "you do not want to give additional argument to some of the 'new crazies' who want to say let us go and bomb Iran."[28]

New York Times columnist Roger Cohen interviewed ElBaradei in April 2009. ElBaradei is quoted as saying, “Israel would be utterly crazy to attack Iran." He considers an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities would "turn the region into a ball of fire and put Iran on a crash course for nuclear weapons with the support of the whole Muslim world.”[29] ElBaradei believes the nuclear non-proliferation regime has "lost its legitimacy in the eyes of Arab public opinion because of the perceived double-standard" in relation to Israel's suspected-nuclear weapons program.[30]

In an interview with French newspaper Le Monde, ElBaradei said "I want to get people away from the idea that Iran will be a threat from tomorrow, and that we are faced right now with the issue of whether Iran should be bombed or allowed to have the bomb. We are not at all in that situation. Iraq is a glaring example of how, in many cases, the use of force exacerbates the problem rather than solving it."[12]

On October 4, 2009, the Xinhua News Agency reported that "At a joint press conference with Iran's Atomic Energy Organization chief Ali Akbar Salehi in Tehran, ElBaradei brought Israel under spotlight and said that the Tel Aviv regime has refused to allow inspections into its nuclear installations for 30 years, the report said.

  • 'Israel is the number one threat to the Middle East given the nuclear arms it possesses,' ElBaradei was quoted as saying."[31]

Reactions to Elbaradei's role in addressing the nuclear program of Iran

Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has indirectly criticized ElBaradei for, in her perception, "muddying the message" to Iran and has also said "the IAEA is not in the business of diplomacy. The IAEA is a technical agency that has a board of governors of which the United States is a member." In response to Rice's comments, a senior official from the agency said "the IAEA is only doing now what the U.N. Security Council asked us to do."[32] ElBaradei notes that Rice said "from the U.S. perspective, I served with distinction",[33] and Rice has further said she appreciated his "stewardship of the nonproliferation regime".[34]

Former Prime Minister and current President of Israel Shimon Peres has said, "there are holes in the (IAEA) apparatus for deterring a culture of nuclear weapons, as in the case with Iran, but the agency certainly has done much in the prevention of nuclear weapons from reaching dangerous hands."[35] In a different reaction, former Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz has called for ElBaradei to be impeached.[36]

In September 2007, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, has warned the potential dangers of a nuclear Iran. He stated: "We have to prepare for the worst, and the worst is war."[37] In response to Kouchner, Elbaredei characterized talk of attacking Iran as "hype", and dismissed the notion of a possible attack on Iran. He referred to the war in Iraq, where "70,000 innocent civilians have lost their lives on the suspicion that a country has nuclear weapons."[38] He further added "I do not believe at this stage that we are facing a clear and present danger that requires we go beyond diplomacy."[39]

Iran points out that ElBaradei has highlighted the lack of evidence to prove Iran is after a nuclear bomb[40][41] and that ElBaradei says Iran is meeting its obligations to allow inspectors into its nuclear sites. Iran further says that the IAEA chief has consistently verified non-diversion in Iran's nuclear program and has said that his investigations show no military aspect in Iran's program.[42][43] According to the Tehran Times political desk, ElBaradei has reaffirmed in December 2008 that Iran's nuclear activities are "legal".[44][45]

Dr. Kaveh L Afrasiabi, author of After Khomeini: New Directions in Iran's Foreign Policy, said ElBaradei has been downplaying Iran's cooperation for some time, raising the ire of Tehran. Afrasiabi further says ElBaradei has given himself "the license to speculate on the timeline when Iran could convert its peaceful nuclear work into weaponization" which is irresponsible and inconsistent with his statements on other states.[46]

The Non-Aligned Movement has also reiterated "its full confidence in the impartiality and professionalism of the Secretariat of the IAEA." "NAM recognizes the IAEA as the sole competent authority for verification and expresses its full confidence in the professionalism and impartiality of the IAEA. In this regard, NAM strongly believes that all issues on safeguards and verification, including those of Iran, should be resolved only by the agency, within its framework, and be based on technical and legal grounds," the Non-Alignment movement said in another statement.[26][47]

Multinational control of the nuclear fuel cycle

In an op-ed he wrote for The Economist in 2003, Mohamed Elbaradei outlined his idea for the future of the nuclear fuel cycle. His suggestion was to “limit the processing of weapon-usable material in civilian nuclear programmes, as well as the production of new material by agreeing to restrict these operations exclusively to facilities under multinational control.” Also, “nuclear-energy systems should be deployed that, by design, avoid the use of materials that may be applied directly to making nuclear weapons”. He concluded by saying that “considerable advantages would be gained from international co-operation in these stages of the nuclear fuel cycle. These initiatives would not simply add more non-proliferation controls, to limit access to weapon-usable nuclear material; they would also provide access to the benefits of nuclear technology for more people in more countries.”[48]

Non-nuclear weapon states have been reluctant to embrace these proposals because of a perception that the commercial or strategic interests of nuclear weapon states motivated the proposals, a perception that the proposals produce a dependency on a limited number of nuclear fuel suppliers, and a concern that the proposal restricts their unalienable right to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.[49]

Technical Cooperation and cancer control

Mohamed Elbaradei’s work does not only concentrate on nuclear verification. Another very important aspect is development through nuclear technology. In 2004, ElBaradei initiated a comprehensive global initiative to fight cancer known as the Programme of Action for Cancer Therapy (PACT). In one of his statements Elbaradei said: “A silent crisis in cancer treatment persists in developing countries and is intensifying every year. At least 50 to 60 per cent of cancer victims can benefit from radiotherapy, but most developing countries do not have enough radiotherapy machines or sufficient numbers of specialized doctors and other health professionals.” In the first year of operation, PACT undertook to build cancer treatment capacity in seven member states, using the IAEA's share of the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize award.[50]

In his speech to the 2008 General Conference, ElBaradei said that “development activities remain central to our work. Our resources have long been insufficient to keep pace with requests for support, and we have increasingly made use of partnerships with other organizations, regional collaborations and country to country support. I again emphasise that technical cooperation is not a bargaining chip, part of a political 'balance' between the development and safeguards activities of the Agency.”[51]

Awards

During his tenure as director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Dr. ElBaradei has been recognized with many awards for his efforts to ensure that nuclear energy is used for peaceful purposes.

2005 Nobel Peace Prize

On October 7, 2005, ElBaradei and the IAEA itself were announced as joint recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize for their "efforts to prevent nuclear energy from being used for military purposes and to ensure that nuclear energy, for peaceful purposes, is used in the safest possible way". ElBaradei donated all his winnings to building orphanages in his home city of Cairo. The IAEA's winnings are being spent on training scientists from developing countries to use nuclear techniques in combating cancer and malnutrition. ElBaradei is the fourth ethnic Egyptian to receive the Nobel Prize, following Ahmed Zewail (1999 in Chemistry), Anwar Sadat (1978 in Peace) and Naguib Mahfouz (1988 in Literature).

In his Nobel Speech, ElBaradei said that the changing landscape of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmanent may be defined by the emergence of an extensive black market in nuclear material and equipment, the proliferation of nuclear weapons and sensitive nuclear technology, and the stagnation in nuclear disarmament. To combat proliferation, ElBaradei has suggested keeping nuclear and radiological material out of the hands of extremist groups, tightening control over the operations for producing the nuclear material that could be used in weapons, and accelerating disarmanent efforts.[52] Dr. ElBaradei also stated that only 1% of the money spent on developing new weapons would be enough to feed the entire world and that, if we hope to escape self-destruction, then nuclear weapons should have no place in our collective conscience, and no role in our security. Nobel Lecture.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said he was delighted that the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize had been awarded to the UN nuclear watchdog and its head ElBaradei. "The secretary-general congratulates him and the entire staff of the agency, past and present, on their contributions to global peace," a spokesman for Annan said.[53]

Other awards and recognition

Msc 2009-Friday, 16.00 - 19.00 Uhr-Dett 006 ElBaradei.jpg

ElBaradei has received many awards for his work as director of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Some of these awards include:

ElBaradei has also received honorary doctoral degrees from: New York University; the University of Maryland; the American University in Cairo; the Free Mediterranean University (LUM) in Bari, Italy; Soka University of Japan; Tsinghua University of Beijing; the Polytechnic University of Bucharest; the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid; Konkuk University in Seoul; the University of Florence; the University of Buenos Aires; the National University of Cuyo in Argentina; Amherst College and Cairo University.[69]

Possible Presidential Candidacy

ElBaradei's name has been circulated by opposition groups as a possible candidate to succeed President Hosny Mubarak to Egypt's highest executive position. [70][71][72] ElBaradei did not make any clear statements regarding his intentions to run for the office, however he has demanded that certain conditions have to be met to ensure fair elections accompanied by changes to the constitution that will allow more freedom for independent candidates before he would actually consider running for presidency. Several opposition groups and parties have endorsed him as the most neutral figure as a transitional President towards true Democracy after Mubarak's despotic regime.

References

  1. ^ "Outgoing IAEA Chief Leaves Complex Legacy". The New York Times. 2009-12-01. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/11/30/world/AP-EU-UN-ElBaradeis-Legacy.html. Retrieved 2009-12-01. 

    ElBaradei, who describes himself as having a Muslim background, sometimes cites his favorite Christian prayer when speaking of his role on the world stage.

  2. ^ "MPAC Honors Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, Director General of IAEA, for Bolstering Human Security". Muslim Public Affairs Council. 2006-10-31. http://www.mpac.org/article.php?id=430. Retrieved 2009-12-01. 
  3. ^ Encyclopedia Britannica
  4. ^ Notable Biographies: Mohamed ElBaradei
  5. ^ Academy of Achievement: Mohamed ElBaradei (Biography)
  6. ^ Mohamed ElBaradei The Nobel Peace Prize 2005 (Biography)
  7. ^ IAEA Board Reappoints Director General Mohamed ElBaradei
  8. ^ IAEA: IAEA Board Meeting on Director General Appointment
  9. ^ ElBaradei, Mohamed (1997-09-29). "Strengthened Safeguards System: Status of Additional Protocols". IAEA. http://www.iaea.org/About/Policy/GC/GC41/Statements/gcelbard.html. Retrieved 2009-12-01. 
  10. ^ "Strengthened Safeguards System: Status of Additional Protocols". IAEA. 2009-11-26. http://www.iaea.org/OurWork/SV/Safeguards/sg_protocol.html. Retrieved 2009-12-01. 
  11. ^ ElBaradei, Mohamed (2005-09-23). "Nuclear Security - Measures to Protect Against Nuclear Terrorism". IAEA. http://www.iaea.org/About/Policy/GC/GC49/Documents/gc49-17.pdf. Retrieved 2009-12-01. 
  12. ^ a b Boyle, Jon (October 22, 2007). "Iran seen to need 3-8 yrs to produce bomb". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL2214711120071022. Retrieved 2008-06-21. 
  13. ^ CNN: Iraq war wasn't justified, U.N. weapons experts say
  14. ^ Washington Post: U.N. Nuclear Agency Chief Urges Iran to Suspend Activities
  15. ^ ElBaradei, Mohamed (2004-12-02). "Saving Ourselves from Self Destruction". IAEA. http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/Statements/2004/ebNYT20040212.html. Retrieved 2008-06-21. 
  16. ^ a b Voice of America: IAEA Postpones Decision on ElBaradei's Third Term
  17. ^ a b c Arms Control Today: ElBaradei Set to Win Third Term
  18. ^ BBC: ElBaradei 'has nothing to hide'
  19. ^ Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Liu Jianchao's Press Conference on 16 December 2004
  20. ^ "US agrees to back UN nuclear head". BBC News. 9 June 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4075496.stm. Retrieved 2008-06-21. 
  21. ^ International Herald Tribune: IAEA chief ElBaradei will not seek fourth term
  22. ^ Voice of America: IAEA Chief ElBaradei Will Not Seek Another Term
  23. ^ Reuters: 5-Vote impasse reopens race to head UN atom watchdog
  24. ^ International Atomic Energy Agency: Implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement in the Islamic Republic of Iran (2006-14)
  25. ^ International Atomic Energy Agency: UN Security Council: Resolution 1747 (2007)
  26. ^ a b XinhuaNet: Non-aligned nations voice support deal between IAEA, Iran
  27. ^ Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Report Of The IAEA Director-General to the Board of Governors GOV/2008/15
  28. ^ "Transcript of Interview with IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei". CNN Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer. 28 October 2007. http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/Transcripts/2007/cnn281007.html. Retrieved 2008-06-21. 
  29. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/opinion/13iht-edcohen.html?ref=opinion Realpolitik for Iran
  30. ^ Reuters: Israel seen undermining disarmament ElBaradei
  31. ^ http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-10/04/content_12181647.htm
  32. ^ Rice: ElBaradei "muddying the message" and Agency "not in the business of diplomacy"
  33. ^ Arms Control Association: "Tackling the Nuclear Dilemma: An Interview With IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei"
  34. ^ U.S. State Department: Remarks With International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Mohamed ElBaradei After Meeting
  35. ^ Jerusalem Post: IAEA, ElBaradei share Nobel Peace Prize
  36. ^ "Israel minister: Sack ElBaradei". BBC News. 8 November 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7085213.stm. Retrieved 2008-06-21. 
  37. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6997935.stm France warning of war with Iran
  38. ^ IAEA boss warns against Iran attack UK Press Google, accessed September 22, 2007.
  39. ^ ElBaradei concerned over Iran row, BBC News, Sep. 17, 2007
  40. ^ PressTV: ElBaradei: Iran not after bomb
  41. ^ Atlantic Free Press: Threats of War Against Iran Continue to Escalate
  42. ^ PressTV: Soltaniyeh: Nothing new in ElBaradei's report
  43. ^ France24: ElBaradei: 'No evidence Iran is making nuclear weapons'
  44. ^ Tehran Times: ElBaradei says Iran’s nuclear program is legal: report
  45. ^ Mehr News: ElBaradei says Iran’s nuclear program is legal: report
  46. ^ Asia Times: IAEA 'mismanagement' raises Tehran's ire
  47. ^ South African Government: Notes following briefing by Deputy Minister Aziz Pahad on current international issues, Union Building, Pretoria - Iran
  48. ^ ElBaradei, Mohamed (2003-10-16). "Towards a Safer World". The Economist. http://www.nuclearfiles.org/menu/key-issues/nuclear-weapons/issues/proliferation/fuel-cycle/elbaradei-economist.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-01. 
  49. ^ American Society of International Law: The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons: Taking Stock after the May 2008 Preparatory Committee Meeting
  50. ^ "IAEA Nobel Peace Prize Cancer and Nutrition Fund". IAEA. May 2006. http://www.iaea.org/Publications/Booklets/Nobel/nobelfund0506.pdf. Retrieved 2009-12-01. 
  51. ^ ElBaradei, Mohamed (2008-09-29). "IAEA At a Crossroads (Abridged Version)". IAEA. http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/Statements/2008/ebsp2008n008a.html. Retrieved 2009-12-01. 
  52. ^ The Nobel Foundation: Mohamed ElBaradei, The Nobel Peace Prize 2005
  53. ^ Peoples Daily: Int'l community hails IAEA, ElBaradei's winning of Nobel Peace Prize
  54. ^ Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Award Laureates since 1982
  55. ^ a b Yale University: ElBaradei Will Speak at Yale
  56. ^ Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: ElBaradei Remarks at Georgetown University
  57. ^ MPAC: Dr. Mohamed Elbaradei to be Presented with MPAC's Human Security Award
  58. ^ Arrivée de Graça Machel au Comité d’attribution du Prix Mo Ibrahim
  59. ^ American Nuclear Society: 2008 American Nuclear Society National Student Conference
  60. ^ a b Amherst: Amherst College To Honor Atomic Agency Head, Princeton President and Five Others at Commencement May 25
  61. ^ University Philosophical Society: Honorary Patrons
  62. ^ World Nuclear University: Inaugural Ceremony of the World Nuclear University - Part Two
  63. ^ Center za mir: "Centar za mir - Mostar"
  64. ^ ZERO NUCLEAR'S FOUR STATESMEN, ELBARADEI TO BE HONORED
  65. ^ Richard Erdman and the EastWest Institute: Statesman of the Year Award
  66. ^ Entrega del IV Premio Sevilla-Nodo
  67. ^ Indian Express: ElBaradei chosen for Indira Gandhi Peace Prize
  68. ^ University of Georgia: 2009 Delta Prize Recipient
  69. ^ IAEA: Biography of Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei
  70. ^ http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=204908
  71. ^ http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009%5C10%5C07%5Cstory_7-10-2009_pg4_7
  72. ^ http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/291035,arab-league-chief-refuses-to-rule-out-egypt-presidential-bid.html

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Political offices
Preceded by
Hans Blix		 Director General of the IAEA
December 1, 1997 - November 30, 2009		 Succeeded by
Yukiya Amano
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Wangari Muta Maathai		 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
with International Atomic Energy Agency
2005		 Succeeded by
Grameen Bank
and
Muhammad Yunus
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Laureates of the Nobel Peace Prize
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