Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), warned in Vienna yesterday that "up to 30 countries could develop the technology for nuclear weapons in a very short time."

Speaking at a conference on ways to improve controls to prevent proliferation, Mohamed ElBaradei said that more countries than ever are "hedging their bets" on nuclear proliferation as they seek to develop the technology that will allow them to develop such weapons on short notice.

ElBaradei said countries that have started uranium enrichment programs or have the technology to do so quickly had created "virtual new weapons states."

The IAEA chief did not single out any country as being among the "almost virtual new weapons states."

"The knowledge is out of the tube ... both for peaceful purpose and unfortunately also for not peaceful purposes," ElBaradei said.

"It's becoming fashionable for countries to try to look into possibilities of shielding themselves ... through the possibility of nuclear weapons," he said.

ElBaradei said more money and international commitment were needed for his agency's verification efforts to keep pace with the new era of suspicions prompting some countries to contemplate developing weapons programs..."

"It's important that the system continues to be ahead of the game," he said.

"We cannot continue to do business as usual," he added.