Japan's Amano selected to replace ElBaradei at IAEA

By Ed Waage

Japan's Yukiya Amano was chosen today to replace Mohamed ElBaradei as head of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The 35 member IAEA Board of Governors selected Amano over South Africa's Abdul Samad Minty by a vote of 23 to 11 with one abstention, just barely meeting the required two-third's majority needed.

The choice is good news for the United States and the European countries since Minty would probably have governed in a manner similar to ElBaradei in dealings with Iran. Amano is a technocrat who will likely be more aggressive in carrying out the inspection requirements of the Non-Proliferation Treaty on nuclear weapons.

The Bush administration was dissatisfied with ElBaradei because of his failure to take a stronger stance against Iran as it pursued its uranium enrichment program.When ElBaradei sought re-election in 2005, the United States initially opposed ElBaradei, but there was no other viable candidate and ElBaradei was re-elected.

The IAEA is supposed to be a technical agency which provides reports to the UN Security Council at its request, yet ElBaradei often engaged in diplomatic maneuvers with Iran which have ultimately failed to have any impact on slowing the Iranian efforts to develop a nuclear weapons capability.

Amano had the support of the developed nations while Minty was supported by the developing nations. The member states of the IAEA still have to ratify the selection later in the year, but that vote is normally just a rubber stamp. ElBaradei's term ends on November 30, 2009.

For additional information, see the earlier AT article here.

Ed Waage worked at the IAEA during 2005.