WEYMOUTH: What conclusion do you draw from the fact that Iraq does not seem to have had a sophisticated nuclear program?
ELBARADEI: The sanctions worked, and, more importantly, the inspections worked.
Do you feel vindicated on Iraq?
I feel relieved.
Would you like to send inspectors back to Iraq?
Absolutely. Eventually we’ll have to go back, as we are the ones who, frankly, have the credibility to say they do or do not have [a nuclear program]. I am worried because they still have a lot of people with the know-how and the technology. So I’d like to do monitoring and verification in Iraq for a few years before we say this chapter is closed.
North Korea says it has a program to process plutonium.
My gut feeling is that they have a [nuclear] capability. They probably have enough plutonium to make a few bombs. That makes [North Korea] the most dangerous proliferation situation… a country that is completely beleaguered, isolated, has nothing to lose and a weapons capability.
What should be done?
We need to provide security and humanitarian assistance, and in return make sure that we dismantle their program. The more we offer, the more we [will] get.
There have been reports of differences between your agency and the Bush administration.
I’m not sure I want to characterize them as differences. In Libya, for example, I believe that we obviously have the mandate under [the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty] to do the verification and to do it independently. There was some discussion over the division of labor, but I think that has been accepted now. There might be some differences in perception with regard to Iran. We have said we haven’t seen concrete evidence that Iran’s program is linked to a weapons program. Some in the administration say the Iranian program could only be explained in terms of a weapons program.
Why does energy-rich Iran need nuclear energy?
They say it’s more economical for them to export oil and gas and rely on nuclear energy. They would like to diversify their source of supply. And Iran has made the enrichment program a jewel in the crown in terms of national pride.
How big was Libya’s nuclear program?
There was a serious program in the making. They were at an early stage, but it was [only] a question of time.
Do you think multilateral sanctions had an effect on Libya?
I frankly don’t know why Libya switched. I don’t know if it was regime preservation or they realized that there was no point to continue confrontation with the West. Maybe they feared that what happened to Iraq might happen to them.
Where did the Libyans and the Iranians acquire nuclear technology?
They were both getting it from the black market–it’s a network of suppliers. I’m not sure we can say it’s state-sponsored. I think it’s a lot of private-sector individuals.
