NEWS The Michigan Daily - Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 5A U.S. may try to oust U.N. leader Nuclear Agency head may be unseated VIENNA, Austria (AP) - The United States is lobbying allies in a bid to oust the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, perhaps as early as the end of the month, diplomats and officials told The Associated Press yesterday. Anticipating that present European diplomatic efforts on Iran will fail, the diplomats and officials also told AP that Washington plans to increase pressure on Tehran over its nuclear program when the International Atom- ic Energy Agency meets Feb. 28. In Tehran, Iranian President Moham- mad Khatami told foreign diplomats that no Iranian government would ever abandon the progress the country has made in developing peaceful nuclear technology. Washington, which accuses Iran of making nuclear weapons and wants it brought before the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions, considers IAEA head Mohammed ElBaradei too soft on the Tehran leadership. No U.S. comment was available on Washington's strategy for the upcoming IAEA board of governors meeting. But several diplomats and govern- ment officials from IAEA member countries dismissed recent reports that the United States had given up attempts to unseat ElBaradei because of lack of support from other countries. "They've been lobbying, and close friends have given them a good recep- tion," said one of the officials familiar with the issue, who, like the others, spoke on condition of anonymity. Another said Undersecretary of State John Bolton and other senior State Department officials "were still lobbying the capitals, telling them it's the way to go." "They've been lobbying, and close friends have given them a good reception." - International Atomic Energy Agency official who wished to remain anonymous. With Elbaradei's agency spearhead- ing international attempts to squelch nuclear proliferation, the head of the IAEA is a key position for Bush administration officials. They want someone who shares their views of which country represents a nuclear threat and what to do about it. ElBaradei has challenged those views - first over prewar Iraq and then Iran, both labeled part of an "axis of evil," along with North Korea, by President Bush. He first disputed U.S. assertions that Saddam Hussein had an active nuclear weapons program - claims that remain unproven. He then refused to endorse argu- ments by Washington that nuclear activities Iran claims are meant only to generate power are actually part of a clandestine weapons program. A direct U.S. move to oust ElBara- dei failed late last year - the Ameri- cans were unable to find anyone to challenge him for a third term by the Dec. 31 deadline, shortly after calling on him to step down with his second term completed. It remains unclear whether Wash- ington could muster the 12 votes needed among the 35-nation IAEA board for a vote of nonconfidence in ElBaradei. APFILE rrOT Mohammed ElBaradei, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, left, and Kamal Kharrazi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran, partici- pate in a panel session on nonproliferation of nuclear weapons. Bush asks for fund to reward U.S. WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush Admin is askirg Congress to set up a $400 mil- which otl lion fund to reward nations that have taken fund, par political and economic risks to join U.S.- coax them le&coalitions in Iraq and Afghanistan. in Iraq. S The White House announced the fund, Zealand, dubbed the "solidarity initiative," after and Hond Bush's meeting yesterday with Aleksander One ad Kwasniewski, the president of Poland, a was desig nation that is to receive one-fourth of the European money. ry, Roma The $400 million request is part of the $80 meeting billion supplemental war funding request Bush Traian Ba will send to Congress next week. which has "Poland has been a fantastic ally because "These the president and the people of Poland love an investn freedom," Bush said during his Oval Office will help meeting with Kwasniewski, a staunch ally united wi in the Iraq war. White Ho "I know the people of your country must lan said have been thrilled when the millions of will supp people went to the polls" in Iraq. troops in Poland has taken command of a mul- other par tinational security force in central Iraq the world that currently includes about 6,000 troops Kwasni - among them more than 2,400 Polish tion abou soldiers. Kwasniewski told reporters out- they had 1 side the White House that a reduction this help in th month will leave Poland with 1,700 troops "If Iraq in Iraq, but he said the 700 other troops ocratic sta would remain ready in Poland to be imme- expect," K diately deployed to Iraq if needed. White Hou allies istration officials declined to say her nations would benefit from the tly designed to reward allies and m to stay in the U.S.-led coalition pain, Singapore, Nicaragua, New Thailand, Philippines, Norway luras have left the coalition. ministration official said the fund gned to provide help to Eastern nations, such as Ukraine, Hunga- nia and the Baltic states. Bush is March 9 at the White House with asescu, the president of Romania, s an estimated 700 troops in Iraq. funds ... reflect the principle that :ment in a partner in freedom today ensure that America will stand th stronger partners in the future," Duse press secretary Scott McClel- in a statement. "This assistance port nations that have developed Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as tners promoting freedom around ." iewski declined to answer a ques- ut whether the Polish people felt been adequately rewarded for their e U.S.-led coalition in Iraq. finally will be an independent, dem- ote, that's the highest reward we can wasniewski told reporters outside the use.