AS DIRECTOR of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei often styled himself as a political leader rather than an international civil servant, especially after he and his agency were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He launched broadsides against the Bush administration and tried to fashion his own solution for the Iranian nuclear program. We objected to Mr. ElBaradei's misuse of his position and are glad that his successor, Yukiya Amano, is embracing the nonpartisan professionalism that the IAEA role demands. Meanwhile, Mr. ElBaradei has found an outlet for his political ambitions that we find much more appropriate: tilting at the rotting autocracy of his native country, Egypt.
Mr. ElBaradei set off a frenzy in Cairo merely by hinting that he might be interested in running for president in a free and fair election. When he arrived for a visit last month, he was greeted at the airport by a crowd; a Facebook support group has enlisted more than 178,000 members. The enthusiasm, especially among young Egyptians, might seem strange, given that the former U.N. bureaucrat is 67 years old and has lived outside the country for decades. But it was a demonstration of the desperation for political change in a country that has been dominated for the past 28 years by Hosni Mubarak, an old-school Arab strongman who aims to install his son as his successor.
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