Ex-UN nuclear chief: change in Egypt is inevitable

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Ex-UN nuclear chief: change in Egypt is inevitable
By SARAH EL DEEB (AP) – 13 hours ago

CAIRO — The former head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency who has emerged as an opposition leader in Egypt appealed to the government Saturday to heed calls for change before frustration over a stale political system ruled by one man for nearly 30 years spirals out of control.

Mohamed ElBaradei, a Nobel laureate who has seen a wave of support from youths and reformists who see him as a potential challenger to President Hosni Mubarak, told The Associated Press that getting the general public on board with a peaceful movement is his biggest challenge.

The 67-year-old career diplomat — who gained international respect while leading the International Atomic Energy Agency — remained mum about any presidential aspirations, saying a mass reform movement must first take hold.

"You have seen how much support I got even before I set foot in Egypt," ElBaradei said during an interview in the garden of his house on the outskirts of Cairo. "It shows that people are ready, I would say even hungry for change. But this is still something that has to take roots and has to spread to different parts of the country."

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