ALFRED NOBEL invented dynamite and created the Nobel peace prize. The irony inherent in this was highlighted when the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and its director, Mohamed ElBaradei, were jointly awarded the Nobel prize for peace on 7 October.
The IAEA鈥檚 brief is to encourage 鈥渁toms for peace鈥� and discourage 鈥渁toms for war鈥�. It has not always been easy. In recent months, for instance, the Bush administration tried to get ElBaradei sacked for not being tougher on Iran鈥檚 nuclear programme.
Now the peace prize has vindicated the IAEA鈥檚 diplomatic initiatives. 鈥淎t a time when disarmament efforts appear deadlocked, when there is a danger that nuclear arms will spread both to states and to terrorist groups, and when nuclear power again appears to be playing an increasingly significant role, the IAEA鈥檚 work is of incalculable importance,鈥� the Norwegian Nobel committee said.
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The committee made 鈥渁n excellent choice鈥�, says nuclear expert Morten Bremer Maerli, of Oslo鈥檚 Norwegian Institute of International Affairs. 鈥淭he challenge now is to establish a firebreak between civil and military nuclear technology.鈥�
