White House congratulates IAEA, ElBaradei on Nobel Peace Prize win

The United States on welcomed the Nobel Peace Prize win for the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and its director, Mohamed ElBaradei.

"We congratulate Doctor ElBaradei and the International Atomic Energy Agency for winning the Nobel Peace Prize," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.

"We also welcome the committee recognition of the importance of stopping the proliferation of nuclear weapons as the largest financial contributor to the International Atomic Energy Agency. We strongly support those efforts," McClellan said.

McClellan noted that the United States had worked to strengthen the IAEA and "greatly expand their tools to detect clandestine nuclear activities."

He said the United States hopes to continue "to work with Doctor ElBaradei to meet the dangers posed by proliferation, including the threats posed by North Korea and Iran nuclear programs."

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