ElBaradei Speaks Up on Iran - Is Anybody Listening?

It must be extremely frustrating to be Mohammed ElBaradei, the head of the IAEA. In the run up to the Iraq war, he tried to warn the world that his organization needed more time to complete its work to determine the real threat in Iraq. But, in rode Bush on his white horse to save the day. Bombing the hell out of Baghdad was the way to go. Flowers. Candy. Freedom. Who needs that information stuff?

We all know how that's turned out.

Now, ElBaradei is once again charged with telling Bush to hold his horses. Does anyone think he might be listening? No. I didn't think so.

ElBaradei said very clearly on Tuesday that Iran poses no 'immediate nuclear threat'. Is the country on the nuclear weapons track? Maybe. But, anyone who believes people like Israel's Olmert who has said that Iran is 'months' or 'a year' away from having those capabilities had better be prepared to prove it - conclusively.

There's no doubt that Iran's president is a blowhard who instigates a fight almost every time he opens his mouth. So did Muammar Ghadafi, who is now one of Bush's new best friends. So, what's the rush with Ahmadinejad? He hasn't even done anything to US citizens or anyone in his neighbourhood. Bush just prefers to be the loudest bullying mouthpiece in the world. All rivals must be dealt with.

But not so fast, warns ElBaradei. "You look around in the Middle East right now and it's a total mess," he said. "You can not add oil to that fire."

Bush can. And he just might.

Then what?

"There is no way to peace. Peace is the way."
- Mahatma Gandhi

Update (via the New York Times):

WASHINGTON, May 30 — The Bush administration, seeking to enlist Russian support for a United Nations Security Council resolution on Iran, has agreed to language ruling out the immediate threat of military force, American and European officials said Tuesday.

The American agreement has improved the chances that the Russians will go along with the resolution, European diplomats said.

The resolution is to call on Iran to suspend various nuclear activities that are viewed in the West as part of a clandestine weapons program, but that Iran maintains are peaceful in nature.

Of course, that doesn't mean that Bush couldn't pre-emptively attack Iran on a whim anyway. It just means that he wouldn't have UN approval.