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toward nuclear disarmament. It will be many moons and unerringly effective inspections before leaders in Washington and Moscow contemplate such a course. Surely ElBaradei knows this. Nonetheless, “The Age of Deception” provides the grist for serious debate even as it helpfully chronicles the International Atomic Energy Agency’s journey and tribulations as it evolved from a relatively obscure group of technicians into an organization with growing international clout. But if those following in ElBaradei’s path think they can combat proliferation without the major powers — particularly the United States — assuming a central role, they are wrong. Checking proliferation will require more innovative and tighter cooperation between the agency ElBaradei loves and the United States, of which he no longer seems especially fond.
Leslie H. Gelb is president emeritus of the Council on Foreign
Relations, a former senior official in the State and Defense Departments, and a former New York Times columnist.
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