| "Feh! An empty vessel, the contents depleted, to be discarded at any time!" |
 Iran's chief nuclear negotiator said on Wednesday that Tehran doesn't care whether Mohammad ElBaradei remains head of the UN atomic watchdog. Asked whether ElBaradei's re-election would affect Tehran's nuclear file, Hassan Rohani, said, "We are not cooperating with the people of the IAEA but rather we are cooperating with an international agency. It does not matter to us who the secretary-general is." Rohani's statement followed a Washington Post report that the Bush administration has tapped phone calls between ElBaradei and Iranian officials, seeking evidence to remove the IAEA chief. The Post quoted three unidentified U.S. officials as saying; "The intercepted calls have not produced any evidence of nefarious conduct by El Baradei." ElBaradei said that he was planning to stand for re-election next year for a third term as secretary-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is currently investigating Iran's nuclear activities. The Bush administration opposes his winning a third term. |