IAEA Director Presses for Dialogue With North Korea, Iran

The Director General of the International Atomicyou have lots of these technologies on a CD
Energy Agency says dialogue with North KoreaRom. Export control is really not sufficient. We
and Iran is the only way to resolve disputesreally need to go to ask ourselves a question,
about their nuclear ambitions.why these countries are tempted to develop
Mohamed ElBaradei says the internationalnuclear weapons, or chemical or biological?"
community must discard the idea that dialogue isAs for Iran, which the United States says wants
appeasement or a reward for bad behavior.to join North Korea in becoming a nuclear power,
"Dialogue is an essential tool to change behavior.El Baradei says it is not yet clear if the Iranian
Whether it is North Korea, whether it is Iran,government has embarked on that same path.
whether it is a Palestinian issue," said ElBaradei. "In"I say that the jury is still out. I say that Iran has
diplomacy, I feel that without a dialogue, youthe knowledge to enrich uranium, there is no
cannot move. You end up stereotyping. The otherquestion about it," he noted. "We have not seen
issue, of course, is that it has to be incremental,Iran developing the industrial capacity which
any solution. You know, these are so [such]enables them to have the required material to
complex issues that you have to go step by stepdevelop a weapon."
by step and sequencing is a key."But ElBaradei says Iran is clearly in violation of
Mr. ElBaradei calls the recent nuclear test by Northinternational nuclear safeguards. He says Iran has
Korea "inexcusable." But he says sanctions agreednot thoroughly reported its nuclear activities to
upon by the U.N. Security Council are only one toolthe IAEA as required under the Nuclear
to deter countries with nuclear ambitions.Non-proliferation Treaty, which it signed.
"Once you start applying penalties, it brings theIranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said
hardliners in the driver's seat. I think sanctions, werepeatedly he wants nuclear technology for
need to understand that we need to usepeaceful purposes only.
sanctions in a measured way to induce change ofThe United States and its allies have demanded
behavior," he added. "That means, in addition tothat Iran suspend uranium enrichment, a key step
sanctions, we need to also look for constructivein developing nuclear arms, before negotiations
engagement."can take place. Iran says there should be no
ElBaradei says without dialogue the risks grow.preconditions for talks.
"It becomes a more dangerous world becauseDespite the impasse, IAEA Director ElBaradei
the technology has developed.says, Iran would not be able to make a bomb
In the past, we used to rely on export control,"until 2010 or 2015 which leaves plenty of time for
continued ElBaradei. "Well, that is a good tool but itnegotiations on the nuclear issue.
is not sufficient any longer. We know now that