Jim Geraghty at the NRO's Kerry Spot has put together some items for your perusal concerning the sequence of events that has moved Mohamed el-Baradei, the head of the IAEA, to play his hand. He knows that President Bush doesn't want his sorry ass around for a third term, so he is doing what he can to save his job. You need to read the whole of this post. Here's the money quote:
In late September the U.S. says no third term for ElBaradei, and Oct. 1 he writes to Iraq demanding answers about this old weapons depot!There is no way we can let this go, friends. Kerry is the choice of our enemies and so-called allies. They want him in because it will be a vindication of their corruption and inaction.
Then, in a memo that appears to be dated Oct. 10, the Iraqis respond that the explosives are missing... and it just happens to show up on the front page of the New York Times eight days before Election Day. An article that quotes a European diplomat as saying "Dr. ElBaradei is 'extremely concerned' about the potentially 'devastating consequences' of the vanished stockpile."
I'll bet he is! He's so concerned, he felt a need to make this issue that he's been quiet about since spring 2003 and press the Iraqi government for an immediate answer that he knows will make the Bush administration look bad!
One has to wonder - has John Kerry or a member of his staff indicated they would keep ElBaradei around for another term? We know ElBaradei wants a change in U.S. policy on his third term.
ElBaradei is doing everything he can to help Kerry. What's in it for ElBaradei?