UN nuclear watchdog gets new chief, amid growing Iran crisis
Yukiya Amano of Japan, pledges to do his best to deal with the challenges facing the IAEA.
By The Associated Press Tags: IAEA Israel news Iran nuclearThe new director general of the International Atomic Energy said Tuesday he would do his best to deal with the challenges facing his organization, as the West's standoff with Iran and North Korea continues to grow.
Yukiya Amano of Japan, officially took office on Tuesday at the end of a 12-year stint by his predecessor Mohamed ElBaradei.
Amano said he would focus on being an impartial, reliable, and professional director general.
"We have a lot of difficult challenges, but I will do my best," Amano told reporters
Under ElBaradei, Iran developed a nuclear program that could be used to make weapons.
As well, there are suspicions that Syria tried to do the same before the Israel Air Force reportedly destroyed what was apparently a nearly built reactor.
And since quitting the agency seven years ago, North Korea has exploded two nuclear bombs.
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The new director general of the International Atomic Energy, Yukiya Amano, is Japanese. As Japan is importing huge volumes of Iranian oil and would like to build up a nuclear weapons defence herself in the future, the impartiality of Yukiya Amano most probabely is a bit tilted regarding the Iranian program (but not the north corean program).
If they could, they would. Have no doubt about that. For what other reason are those folks ducking and diving, fighting off the West with threats and in many cases taunts, nuclear energy reactors for the Iranian National Grid is fine. So why all the hidden agendas and now we have a crises that will surely end with some form of isolation. Every effort has been made by the UN watchdog in order to coordinate with Iran on its so called peaceful use of nuclear energy, only to be foiled time and again. Lets all hope that some new energy, positive and bold will come about with the new director. G·day from snowy Alps.
....be used to make weapons.
Amano has good credentials and has served as Chairman of the IAEA Board of Directors in 2005-6. He has been the Japanese Ambassador to the IAEA for 4 years. I don't expect any big changes.