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’s brief is to encourage “atoms for peace” and discourage “atoms for war”. 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’s nuclear programme.
Now the peace prize has vindicated the IAEA’s diplomatic initiatives. “At a time when disarmament efforts appear deadlocked, when…
