| Iran and Syria, both under fire for allegedly engaging in clandestine nuclear activity, are two possible candidates for a seat on the board of the United Nations atomic watchdog, much to the consternation of Western states, diplomatic sources said on Friday. A seat is set to become free this year with the expiry of Pakistan's one-year term and will be allocated to another country within the so-called Middle East and South Asia (MESA) group. Diplomats close to the IAEA told AFP that there are four possible candidates: Iran, Syria, Afghanistan and Kazakhstan. MESA has until the end of the general conference to decide on a single candidate and the choice is normally adopted by consensus. The nomination of either Iran or Syria will almost certainly run into resistance, diplomats said, and a vote would have to be called at this year's General Conference, unprecedented in the IAEA's history. Western states were hoping that MESA would choose a candidate that would allow the nomination to be adopted by consensus, "that is to say, neither Syria nor Iran", one diplomat said. |