The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog is likely to seek a new term in office despite Washington's anger at his publication of information that could damage the re-election campaign of President George W Bush, according to key diplomat.
A senior US official said yesterday that the Bush administration would try to remove International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Mr Mohamed ElBaradei if returned in Tuesday's elections
He accused ElBaradei of interfering in the campaign after the IAEA reported that 377 tonnes of explosives had gone missing from an Iraqi site which the US military had not secured after it led the invasion of Iraq.
But the diplomat close to the IAEA said Mr ElBaradei "enjoys huge support from the majority of member countries".
"As far as I know, he would not be swayed by any new opposition to his candidature coming from Washington," the diplomat, who insisted on anonymity said. An IAEA spokeswoman declined to comment.
Mr ElBaradei requires a simple majority of votes from the agency's 35 board-member countries and from the agency's annual general conference next September to be confirmed for a third term.
The Bush administration last month indicated it would oppose him but following this week's revelation their position has hardened.
If Mr Bush wins re-election, the plan is "to move from urging him to [leave] to active opposition" the senior US official told Reuters.
Mr ElBaradei, earlier told reporters at the United Nations in New York, that he "absolutely categorically" denied publication of the report was politically motivated.
The story has dominated headlines and given Democratic candidate Mr John Kerry a fillip in his attacks on Mr Bush in the final days of the closely-fought election campaign.
Mr Kerry has accused the administration of a major blunder in failing to safeguard the explosives at the al Qaqaa complex south of Baghdad, which could be used to detonate a nuclear weapon and are capable of destroying large buildings.