Two U.S. officials tell Dafna Linzer at the Washington Post the Bush Administration will drop efforts to deny Mohamed ElBaradei a third term as IAEA Director-General:

“We’re willing to lift our objections under certain conditions,” one of the officials said.

“Namely, get tougher on Iran.”

Similary, a European official told Louis Charbonneau of Reuters:

“The U.S. will support ElBaradei but it wants some things in return,” a European diplomat told Reuters, adding these issues involved Iran and the general fight against nuclear arms proliferation.

ElBaradei will meet with Condoleeza Rice to discuss a “number of important non-proliferation matters that will come up at next week’s (IAEA) board of governors meeting,” IAEA spokesperson Mark Gwozdecky told Charbonneau. As for a third-term, State Department spokesman Kurtis Cooper said he “wouldn’t be surprised if the issue came up.”

Rice, according to Linzer, invited ElBaradei to Washington after European diplomats argued the divisive debate was strengthening Iran:

At talks last week in London, European officials implored their U.S. counterparts to resolve the issue and back ElBaradei, arguing that the continued stance against him was causing unnecessary friction at a time when unity was needed in dealing with Iran, according to the U.S. officials and a senior European diplomat.

Two comments about the conditions:

1. The so-called conditions will be impossible to implement. What does it mean to be “tough” on Iran? That’s an attitude, not a policy. Moreover, ElBaradei hasn’t been soft on Iran.

2. Moreover, the U.S. has no leverage to insist on the so-called conditions. One U.S. official told Linzer Washington was taking lemons and making lemonade:

“He is going to win either way, and if we went in opposing him, it would be ugly for us and for him … So it’s in everyone’s interest to use the opportunity to work better together.”

The conditions appear to be spin, spun by the Bush Administration to reduce the appearance of being no-talent ass-clowns.