Blogging from the Aspen Wye River Conference Center today.
As expected Mohamed ElBaradei won approval for an over-precendented third term as IAEA Director-General.
The US continues last week’s spin that the failure to oust ElBaradei is a victory, arguing the United States “decided to back ElBaradei in exchange for what it hopes will be a tougher stance on Iran” as one Western diplomat told Reuter’s Louis Charbonneau.
We’ll see. The first test is a report to the board today or tomorrow by IAEA Deputy DG Pierre Goldschmidt. Charbonneau quotes a European diplomat suggesting the report will be hard on Iran:
“It’s going to be a tough report,” a European diplomat familiar with Goldschmidt’s draft speech told Reuters. “The Iranians are furious about it.”
Associated Press’ George Jahn, however, found diplomats saying the opposite:
Speaking on the eve of the 35-nation IAEA board meeting, the diplomats described the report on Iran – likely to be delivered Tuesday or Wednesday by IAEA Deputy Director General Pierre Goldschmidt – as relatively mild compared with previous summaries since that nation’s nuclear program became a matter of international concern three years ago.
Charbonneau v. Jahn. FIGHT!
