Atomic watchdog wins Nobel prize

ElBaradei, an Egyptian lawyer, has headed the U.N. nuclear agency as it grappled with crises in Iraq and ongoing efforts to prevent North Korea and Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

"Everyone who has contributed to the IAEA has a part in this important prize," Nobel committee chairman Geir Lundestad said as he announced the prize.

Making nuclear power safe

The Nobel Committee was recognizing "their efforts to prevent nuclear energy from being used for military purposes and to ensure that nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is used in the safest possible way."

ElBaradei and the agency had been among the favorites to win the prize in the days leading up to the announcement, as speculation mounted that the Nobel committee would seek to honor the victims of nuclear weapons and those who try to contain their use.

A record 199 nominations were received for the prize, which includes 10 million kronor (USD 1.3 million), a gold medal and a diploma. ElBaradei and the IAEA will share the award when they receive it on Dec. 10 in the Norwegian capital.

Group spokeswoman: proudest moment

In Vienna, where the agency is based, IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said: "This is the most proud moment of my career at the IAEA. I never thought we'd see this day. This is the proudest day for the IAEA. We are proud, astonished, elated. For an organization like us there is no prouder award."

The Nobel Committee said ElBaradei and the agency should be recognized 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.

""At 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, IAEA's work is of incalculable importance," said the committee.

Blix: 'very happy'

Former chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix told the Associated Press in Stockholm that as a friend and colleague of ElBaradei, he was "very happy on his behalf."

Blix also said the IAEA is best equipped to deal with nuclear situations such as those in Iran and North Korea.

"It is trying to look at this calmly and find diplomatic solutions," he said. "But it must be based on factual and professional observation and verification, and that's what the IAEA has been able to do. So I congratulate them."

Strong leader, warm reaction

At the helm of the IAEA, ElBaradei has accused North Korea, for example, of "nuclear brinkmanship" in December 2002 after it expelled two inspectors monitoring a mothballed nuclear complex.

Pyongyang said the plant needed to go back on line because of an electricity shortage.

Norway's outgoing Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik said it was "gratifying" that IAEA and ElBaradei won the peace prize.

"This is a homage to their crucial efforts to stop nuclear proliferation, in order to prevent the use of such weapons in conflicts between states or in terrorist attacks," he said.

"Mohammad ElBaradei is an outstanding leader with great integrity. He has always sought to achieve results by negotiations. We saw this clearly during the period before the Iraq war, when he all the way to the end requested that the international weapons inspectors continued their work."