THE head of the UN nuclear watchdog has said international efforts to halt Iranian nuclear activity have been a failure.
"We haven't really moved one inch toward addressing the issues," said Mohamed ElBaradei, who heads the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in the Los Angeles Times. "I think so far the policy has been a failure."
| Oh, you really think so? Thanks for speaking up AFTER the American election, jerk. |
Iran has faced three sets of UN security council sanctions over its refusal to freeze uranium enrichment activities, but over the past five years Tehran has pressed on with its controversial nuclear work.
| Demonstrating, as Saddam did, that UN sanctions are toothless and aren't worth the effort. |
The IAEA said last month Iran had more than 5000 uranium enrichment centrifuges in operation.
Mr ElBaradei, 66, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and frequent critic of the administration of US president George W. Bush and its hardline approach to nuclear talks, said White House successor President-elect Barack Obama gave him "lots of hope".
"He is ready to talk to his adversaries, enemies, if you like, including Iran, also (North) Korea," he said of Mr Obama, who has advocated the abolishment of nuclear weapons and more dialogue with political foes. "To continue to pound the table and say 'I am not going to talk to you' and act in a sort of a very condescending way - that exaggerates problems," he told the newspaper.
| Because as we just demonstrated, talking will solve the most intractable problems ... |
Mr ElBaradei, who has headed the IAEA for 11 years, said sanctions may have led to "more hardening of the position of Iran", the report said. "Many Iranians who even dislike the regime (are) gathering around the regime because they feel that country is under siege."
| Then again, they may be losing hope since no one in the West will speak up for them ... |
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