Disturbing report in Sunday's Washington Post claiming that the Bush Administration has been bugging the telephones of IAEA director-general Mohammed El Baradei ("IAEA Leader's Phone Tapped"). It's all about looking for dirt to use to block El Baradei's reappointment for a third term.

But there's something even more disturbing tucked away towards the end of the article. It seems the US State Department have approached Global Village Idiot Alexander Downer to run against El Baradei. Downer, to his credit, is understood not to be interested.

And the US government still can't understand why they are so out of step with the rest of the world.