UN nuke watchdog wins Peace Prize

MOHAMED ELBARADEI and the International Atomic Energy Agency that he heads won the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize yesterday for their efforts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons.

Mr ElBaradei, a 63-year-old lawyer from Egypt, has led the UN nuclear agency as it grappled with the crisis in Iraq and the ongoing efforts to prevent North Korea and Iran from acquiring nuclear arms.

The Nobel committee said Mr ElBaradei and the IAEA should be recognised for addressing one of the greatest dangers facing the world. “At a time when the threat of nuclear arms is again increasing, the Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to underline that this threat must be met through the broadest possible international cooperation. This principle finds its clearest expression today in the work of the IAEA and its director general.”