Egypt Protests: Will the Real Mohammed ElBaradei Please Stand Up?

AP

Jan.27:FormerDirectorGeneraloftheInternationalAtomicEnergyAgency,IAEA,andNobelPeacePrizewinnerMohamedElBaradeitalkstomembersofthemediaashearrivesatCairo'sairportinEgypt,fromAustria.

Inthenameofdemocraticreform,MohammedElBaradeiisdoinghisbesttoappearastheannointedonetosucceedEgyptianPresidentHosniMubarek,shouldthegovernmentfall.Inreality,ElBaradeihasmoreincommonwithIraniandemagogueMahmoudAhmadinejadthananythingremotelyresemblingdemocracy.HeistheformerDirector-GeneraloftheInternationalAtomicEnergyAgency(IAEA),wherehisprimarylegacywasrunninginterferenceforIranandensuringthatIranisnowonthevergeofacquiringnuclearweapons.



Year-after-yearforadecade,ElBaradeiusedhispositionattheIAEAtostallfortimeonbehalfofIran.InSeptember2005ElBaradeihelpedpushtheissueofftheSecurityCounciltableandbragged:"IamencouragedthattheissuehasnotbeenreferredtotheSecurityCouncil,preciselytogivetimefordiplomacyandnegotiation."Typicalofhisfoot-draggingwashisFebruary2006report:"AlthoughtheAgencyhasnotseenanydiversionofnuclearmaterialtonuclearweaponsorothernuclearexplosivedevices,theAgencyisnotatthispointintimeinapositiontoconcludethattherearenoundeclarednuclearmaterialsoractivitiesinIran.Theprocessofdrawingsuchaconclusion...isatimeconsumingprocess."

InJanuary2007,inthemidstofgrowingcallsforsanctionsagainstIran,ElBaradeisuggesteda"time-out."InSeptember2007,withstiffersanctionsonthehorizon,ElBaradeiagaincalledfora"time-out."InJanuary2008theIAEAreported:"ElBaradeihasrepeatedlynotedthat...theIAEAhasnotseenanydiversionofmaterialtonuclearweaponsorothernuclearexplosivedevices."

AssoonasElBaradeiwasfinallyreplacedasIAEAheadearlylastyear,hissuccessorYukiyaAmanoattemptedtodistancehimselffromtheobviouscover-up.HeissuedareportinwhichtheIAEA,forthefirsttime,saidthingslike-onthebasisof"extensive"and"credible"informationtheIAEAnowhas"concernsaboutthepossibleexistenceinIranof...currentundisclosedactivitiesrelatedtothedevelopmentofanuclearpayloadforamissile,"and"concernsaboutpossiblemilitarydimensionstoIran'snuclearprogram.''



IfElBaradeiwereevertobecomePresidentofEgypt,notonlywouldhehavehelpedIranacquirenuclearweapons,hewouldundoubtedlyturnaroundandleadthechargeforanEgyptiannuclearweapon.NobelPrizenotwithstanding,hiscallingcardistocastnuclearproliferationassomekindofequalrightsgamebetweendevelopedanddevelopingcountries.

HereisthefrighteninginterviewhegavetotheFinancialTimesonFebruary19,2007thatindicatesthekindofIranianlook-alikewhichisinthemaking:“Iranseesenrichment...asastrategicgoalbecausetheyfeelthatthiswillbringthempower,prestigeandinfluence...[A]lotofthatistrue.Anuclearcapabilityisanucleardeterrentinmanyways...WhenyouseehereintheUKtheprogrammeformodernisingTrident,whichbasicallygetstheUKfarintothe21stcenturywithanucleardeterrent,itisdifficultthenforustoturnaroundandtelleverybodyelsethatnucleardeterrentsarereallynogoodforyou...”

ReportsoutofEgyptdirectlyconnectingElBaradei'spoliticalambitionswithTehransurfacedlastSeptemberviaapoliticalrival,AbdulMabboud.AstorytranslatedfromEgyptianNewspaperAlYoumAlSabehlastSeptembersaid:"inacommunicationtotheAttorneyGeneralofEgypt,Dr.YasserNajibAbdelMabboud,hasaccusedDr.MohamedElBaradei...ofreceivingfundsexceeding$7million(US)fromIran’sleadershipassupportfor‘politicalreforminEgypt’."Thestoryclaimedthat"thecheckintheamountof$7millionissaidtobemeanttocoverthefinancialcostsoftheelectioncampaignandtheactivitiesoftheFrontforChange."



Theshoesureseemstofit.ElBaradeitoldCNN'sFareedZakariaSundaythat:"TheMuslimBrotherhood...hasnothingtodowithextremism...[T]heyhavealotofcredibility...AndIhavebeenreachingouttothem."Actually,ElBaradei'scomrade-in-armsisaviciouslyantisemiticandanti-WesternorganizationthatwouldsendEgyptianwomenbacktothestoneagesandrupturepeaceagreementswithIsraelasawarm-upact.



IftheObamaadministrationthrowsMubarekoverboardintheimmediatefuturewithnothingbutanElBaradei-MuslimBrotherhoodfrontmaninthewings,Egyptianswillbefartherawayfromdemocracythantheyeverwereandtherestoftheworldwillbeafarmoredangerousplace

AnneBayefskyisaSeniorFellowattheHudsonInstituteanddirectoroftheTouroInstituteonHumanRightsandtheHolocaust.