Whaddaya know... An about-face on ElBaradei

v-e-d-d-d-y int-e-r-r-r-r-res-tink... (omg... now i'm channeling laugh-in's artie johnson... age is definitely creeping up...)

after waging what looked to be an uncompromising campaign to get rid of one of the two most-qualified nay-sayers over bushco's claim of wmd in iraq, condi's now offering support for mohamed elbaradei's candidacy for a third term as director-general of the vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)...

hans blix made it easy... he resigned... but elbaradei is a tough nut and has ridden out the negativity bordering on character assassination that is bushco's hallmark, secure, no doubt, in his own high standards, professionalism, and the verification of his work in iraq... but, as with condi's "support" for OAS Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza, there are strings attached...

"The U.S. will support ElBaradei but it wants some things in return," a European diplomat told Reuters, adding these issues involved Iran and the general fight against nuclear arms proliferation. The diplomat did not elaborate.

IAEA spokesman Mark Gwozdecky confirmed that ElBaradei had been invited to Washington but declined to give details.

"He's been invited by Rice to discuss a number of important non-proliferation matters that will come up at next week's (IAEA) board of governors meeting," Gwozdecky said.

hold on to your wallet, mohamed... these guys are slick...

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