Synopses & Reviews
For the first time, the Nobel Prize laureate and "man in the middle" of the planet's most explosive confrontations speaks out—on his dealings with America, negotiations with Iran, reform and democracy in the Middle East, and the prospects for a future free of nuclear weapons.For the past two decades, Mohamed ElBaradei has played a key role in the most high-stakes conflicts of our time. Unique in maintaining credibility in the Arab world and the West alike, ElBaradei has emerged as a singularly independent, uncompromised voice. As the director of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency, he has contended with the Bush administration's assault on Iraq, the nuclear aspirations of North Korea, and the West's standoff with Iran. For their efforts to control nuclear proliferation, ElBaradei and his agency received the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize.
Now, in a vivid and thoughtful account, ElBaradei takes us inside the international fray. Inspector, adviser, and mediator, ElBaradei moves from Baghdad, where Iraqi officials bleakly predict the coming war, to behind-the-scenes exchanges with Condoleezza Rice, to the streets of Pyongyang and the trail of Pakistani nuclear smugglers. He dissects the possibility of rapprochement with Iran while rejecting hard-line ideologies of every kind, decrying an us-versus-them approach and insisting on the necessity of relentless diplomacy. Above all, he illustrates that the security of nations is tied to the security of individuals, dependent not only on disarmament but on a universal commitment to human dignity, democratic values, and the freedom from want.
Probing and eloquent, The Age of Deception is an unparalleled account of society's struggle to come to grips with the uncertainties of our age.
Review
“ElBaradei has interesting stories to tell, and he tells them with verve... Anyone wishing to glimpse some of the central tensions in 21st-century international diplomacy should read The Age of Deception.” —Washington Post “ElBaradei passionately advocates making diplomacy the main recourse in counterproliferation—and hes right to do so.... The Age of Deception provides the grist for serious debate even as it helpfully chronicles the International Atomic Energy Agencys journey from a relatively obscure group of technicians to an organization with growing international clout.”—The New York Times Book Review “In this spirited memoir ElBaradei recounts ferreting out the nuclear secrets of the worlds most paranoid regimes, nerve-wracking adventures full of intrigue, car chases, and Pyongyangs grim hotel accommodations. ElBaradeis accounts of diplomacy are fascinating and rife with acerbic portraits of George W. Bush, Tony Blair, and other world leaders... The result is a lively, acerbic take on recent geo-political confrontations that makes an impassioned case for using persuasion rather than punishment to resolve the direst threats.”—Publishers Weekly
Review
"Judging solely by results, it is hard to characterize Mohamed ElBaradei's tenure as director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, from 1997 to 2009, as a success. The IAEA's chief purpose is to ensure that non-nuclear-weapons states stay that way. Its tamper-proof seals secure nuclear material, its surveillance cameras monitor sensitive nuclear equipment, and its inspectors spot-check nuclear sites. But over the twelve years when ElBaradei ran the UN agency, the IAEA's investigations were met with outright defiance, and its central mission with repeated failure." Stuart A. Reid, The New Republic (Read the entire New Republic review)
Synopsis
For the first time, the Nobel Prize laureate and "man in the middle" of the planet's most explosive confrontations speaks out—on his dealings with America, negotiations with Iran, reform and democracy in the Middle East, and the prospects for a future free of nuclear weapons.
For the past two decades, Mohamed ElBaradei has played a key role in the most high-stakes conflicts of our time. Unique in maintaining credibility in the Arab world and the West alike, ElBaradei has emerged as a singularly independent, uncompromised voice. As the director of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency, he has contended with the Bush administration's assault on Iraq, the nuclear aspirations of North Korea, and the West's standoff with Iran. For their efforts to control nuclear proliferation, ElBaradei and his agency received the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize.
Now, in a vivid and thoughtful account, ElBaradei takes us inside the international fray. Inspector, adviser, and mediator, ElBaradei moves from Baghdad, where Iraqi officials bleakly predict the coming war, to behind-the-scenes exchanges with Condoleezza Rice, to the streets of Pyongyang and the trail of Pakistani nuclear smugglers. He dissects the possibility of rapprochement with Iran while rejecting hard-line ideologies of every kind, decrying an us-versus-them approach and insisting on the necessity of relentless diplomacy. Above all, he illustrates that the security of nations is tied to the security of individuals, dependent not only on disarmament but on a universal commitment to human dignity, democratic values, and the freedom from want.
Probing and eloquent, The Age of Deception is an unparalleled account of society's struggle to come to grips with the uncertainties of our age.
Synopsis
"Mohammed ElBaradei is one of the genuinely great leaders of his generation."—Graham T. Allison, Douglas Dillon Professor of Government and Director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard UniversityAs the director of the UNs International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei played a key role in the most high-stakes conflicts of our time. Contending with the Bush administrations assault on Iraq, the nuclear aspirations of North Korea, and the Wests standoff with Iran, he emerged as a lone independent voice, uniquely credible in the Arab world and the West alike. As questions over Irans nuclear capacity continue to fill the media, ElBaradeis account is both enlightening and fascinating.
ElBaradei takes us inside the nuclear fray, from behind-the-scenes exchanges in Washington and Baghdad to the streets of Pyongyang and the trail of Pakistani nuclear smugglers. He decries an us-versus-them approach and insists on the necessity of relentless diplomacy. “We have no other choice,” ElBaradei says. “The other option is unthinkable.”
About the Author
Mohamed ElBaradei served as Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency from 1997 to 2009. He was awarded the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize, together with the IAEA, and has also been honored with the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development; the Nile Collar; and the Roosevelt Institute's Four Freedoms Award. Founder of the Egyptian opposition movement The National Association for Change, ElBaradei lives in Cairo.
Table of Contents
Introduction 1
1. Iraq, 1991-1998: Unmasking a Hidden Program 9
2. North Korea, 1992-2002: The Case of the Missing Plutonium 37
3. Iraq, 2002 and After: A Needless War 48
4. North Korea, 2003 and After: The Nuclear Weapons Club Adds a Member 89
5. Iran, 2003-2005: The Riddle of Taqqiya 112
6. Libya: Discovery and Dismantlement 148
7. The Nuclear Bazaar of A. Q. Khan 164
8. From Vienna to Oslo 180
9. Iran, 2006: "Not One Centrifuge" 191
10. Double Standards 214
11. Iran, 2007-2008: Squandered Opportunities 241
12. Iran, 2009: In Pursuit of a Breakthrough 286
Conclusion: The Quest for Human Security 314
Acknowledgments 323
Index 327