IAEA Chief Warns Against Striking Iran
Published: 9/17/07, 12:25 PM EDT
By GEORGE JAHN
VIENNA, Austria (AP) - Invoking the war in Iraq, the chief U.N. nuclear inspector criticized talk of attacking Iran as "hype" on Monday, saying the use of force should only be considered as a last resort and only if authorized by the U.N. Security Council.

"I would not talk about any use of force," said Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, in an indirect response to French warnings that the world had to be prepared for the possibility of war in the event that Iran obtains atomic weapons.

Saying only the U.N. Security Council could authorize the use of force, ElBaradei urged the world to remember Iraq before considering any similar action against Iran.

"There are rules on how to use force, and I would hope that everybody would have gotten the lesson after the Iraq situation, where 700,000 innocent civilians have lost their lives on the suspicion that a country has nuclear weapons," he told reporters.

He was alluding to a key U.S. argument for invading Iraq in 2003 without Security Council approval_ that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear arms. Four years later, no such arsenals have been found.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=3611469

But we surely all knew how not to do it before??????

I notice two things for the non believers to ignore!

1) Weapons of mass destruction in Iraq; Four years later, no such arsenals have been found.

2) The UN did not authorize the US to invade Iraq; Saying only the U.N. Security Council could authorize the use of force, ElBaradei urged the world to remember Iraq before considering any similar action against Iran.

Come on Bushies show us how tight the blinders fit!!

Bush defied the UN,
and attacked Saddam Hussein,
for defying the UN

That sounds like something the left would say!!!

So I'm left, right???????

Wrong or right your left!

Where are the Bushies? Are they ignoring the truth???

AGAIN!!!!!

Did you really expect different???????

They will wait until you are gone, and then they will have a go at it.

Well I need to go to the store, maybe they'll come out in a bit!

Now do I take a left or is that a right!

If I dont come back in 30 minutes send Bush to find me!!!!

With a name like Mohamed, ElBaradei can't be all bad. Right? So Mohamed ElBaradei says that only the UN can decide of there should be war? Self serving determination on his part isn't it? Why shouldn't he just parade around and beat his chest and say he is the king of everything.

The United States with UN approval and a coalition went into Iran in 1991. As a condition of cease fire Iraq agreed to certain terms. They had not met those terms. Without some finality the conditions would have continued without end. There was no proof of destruction of WMD by Iraq, nor was there proof that they remained.

So long as they did not meet the terms of the cease fire there was justification for further action.

There was proof that Hussein was flaunting his cease fire agreement in many ways.

It is unfortunate for Bush that the WMD were not found, but I expect some were slipped out of the country or buried where they would not be found. Its a pretty big country.

It is unfortunate that we have come to this point, that Iraq has no peace and people from all over the region insist that they have no peace, but that is where we are. Hopefully some resolution can be found.

It seems to me now that we have some responsibility to help clean things up, but also that Iraq should look into its own heart and find some compromise with their brothers of another sect.

Iran is a different kettle of fish and it smells a hell of a lot worse.

Philioshopher-

You wrote: "With a name like Mohamed, ElBaradei can't be all bad. Right?"

This comment seems beneath you, the implication being that you are you mocking what you perceive to be his ethnicity?

In any case, Mohamed was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005 (along with the IAEA).

Mohamed ElBaradei is an Egyptian diplomat and the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of the United Nations.

But I am glad to see that you seem to feel a war with Iran would *not* be justified...?

anoasis,

I hate to have to point this out, but I think you give 'philosopher' credit where none is due.

When 'philosopher' says:

"... Iran is a different kettle of fish and it smells a hell of a lot worse."

I don't think he means following Mr. ElBaradei's wise advice of avoiding repeating the same mistake of entering into an illegitimate war with Iran, as happened with Iraq.

On the contrary, I sense that 'philsopher' thinks he knows better than Mr. ElBaradei et all.
It might be that when 'philosopher' is with friends, they call him 'you Nobel Prize you!', and 'philosopher' takes their comment for the gospel truth.

Yes Anoasis, you must also remember that it was he who headed the team of International Inspectors in the days, years leading up to the invasion!

Surely the Bushies know better than he if authorization was given on behalf of the UN to invade Iraq!

Mr. ElBaradei's wise advice was thrown to the dogs of war then, just as was the wise advice of so many American Generals who recommended not to invade. Warning of just the mess we see in Iraq today!

Oh Mr Bush was such a wise and knowing man, why he knew better than any of them. It must have been all that Foreign Policy experience he got as the Governor of Texas!! Or was it the years he spent avoiding service in Vietnam?

I agree with philosopher except for the first paragraph.
I could have hidden a football field loaded with WMD's in 4 years carrying each piece out on my back and throwing them in a hole dug in that big sand box. That's a no brainer and just something for the Dumocrats to point a finger at. Whoopee!!
They all seemed to have missed the interview with the Saddam's
one nuclear scientist that gave a televised confession that there WAS a nuclear program AND that the components were distributed and hidden in various locations when the inspections were about to start. DUH. Bush made lots of mistakes BUT he was relying on his people to give him correct information. This "BAD" information from his subordinates got him in a pickle which the Dumocrats just fed off of like a bunch of carp at a popcorn festival! Everybody knows that the dumocrats are in competition with the republicans. I just giggle at some of the crap they all come up with.
The biggest problem in Iraq is the help that the bad guys, insurgents and Alquida are getting from Iran. DUH. If it were not for all the interference from Iran and the insurgents and terrorist groups from the other countries... the job would have been done a long time ago and the troops would have been able to withdraw to a small security force.I think that the abilities of the Iraq people were over-estimated also. They are very hard to train and they are still not strong enough to defend themselves. I think Sadaam has them sooo scared that they are afraid to fight. They go with the flow so they don't get their heads cut off.
Iran does not want us out so quickly because they are secretly reducing our forces by giving Iraq IED's and all the other weapons they can slide across the border to blow up Americans. This will only help Iran in the future to knock out US soldiers and equipment now.
I also hope that our backing off a bit now over there will help resolve some issues but I know one thing. If we back out now...Those US loving people over there will all be murdered. Even if they THINK that a person helped with the US...they will be killed. Then we will have a BIGGER problem than when Sadaam was there. The Alquida will have a nice big oil-rich sand box to play in and proliferate like a big ole rat's nest. Them what??

we found womd fanta. Its just no one wants to BELIEVE the TRUTH.

To be honest I've never really understood what the big deal is about "weapons of mass destruction" anyway...

We're the only one who's ever used one.

Is that why we get to say who else can have them?

Or is it because we have the most?

~~~~~~~~~~

Fanta and Voil- I can't help it, I'm an optimist... I *try* to assume the best and wait to be disproven... unfortunately I often am.... but I'm also a teeny, tiny, eansy, minute little bit....
sarcastic.

Shhhhh..... don't tell anyone!

I find it almost ironic that now talks are being done about LEAVING the middle east and Iraq NOW Iran has their panties in a wad???? whats wrong with this picture fanta?

Fanta said,

Surely the Bushies know better than he if authorization was given on behalf of the UN to invade Iraq!

And,

Come on Bushies show us how tight the blinders fit!!



Man, did Fanta call that, or not?

Is ElBaradei a Democrat? I could have sworn I heard someone say he was!!

Barbie, ElBaradei is the UN head of the IAEA!!! If we found the weapons of mass destruction someone forgot to inform Mr. ElBaradei!

Don't ya think???

you would think someone would have mentioned it to him....