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Israel Rafalovich: News Analysis;
The Wolfowitz Controversy, a Wake-Up Call for Europe
Washington
The pressure intensifies on World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz to resign, as the World Bank board wrangles with the subject of his approval of A high paying position for his partner, Ms Shaha Riza.
The staff of the World Bank and development organisations are calling for his resignation, as anger increased after last Thursday’s apology that he erred in the handling of the promotion of his girlfriend, a former senior communications officer in the World Bank's Middle East Department.
The board of the bank failed to reach a final decision on the issue after an overnight session, as it focused on the question of whether Paul Wolfowitz gave preferential treatment to Ms. Shaha Riza.
The board directors are buying time while they clarify bank rules in an in an unprecedented situation.
In a statement, the bank's board said that the "ethics committee, including its chairman, had not been involved in the discussions with concerned staff members. Neither did it find that the terms and conditions of the agreement had been commented on, reviewed or approved by the ethics committee, its chairman or the board."
The statement leaves Mr. Wolfowitz vulnerable to disciplinary action, especially if he is found to have lied about his handling of the affair.
The World Bank president has been weakened by his recent tangles with the board, and faces a fight for his political life.
Although he is hanging on and his position weakened, the White House is the only player that is coming out in his support for keeping his job.
Brazilian Finance minister Mr. Guido Mantega said that " we will have to see if Wolfowitz will be able to retain the moral authority necessary to fulfil his duties."
There were only few endorsements of his leadership beyond those offered by the Bush administration.
The bank's Spring meeting agenda is being overshadowed by the affair. It caused embarrassment to the World Bank president that has since his appointment in 2005, campaigned against corruption and for sound governance.
Furthermore, the current trend shows also the declining American influence at the Bank, as Europe and Asia gain economic strength.
Wolfowitz is also under fire for his management style, following clashes with the board and hostility towards his appointment of US Republican Party allies to jobs in his inner circle, Robin Cleveland and Kevin Kellemes, both of whom worked with him in the Defence Department.
The World Bank's staff association, said that Wolfowitz had destroyed the trust of employees and should quit.
Mr. Wolfowitz’ nomination two years ago, by the Bush administration, was seen as controversial, given his position as a main architect of the Iraq war.
It is also about the Bush administrations tumultuous relationship with the rest of the world, especially the World Bank, the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency that saw themselves, at times, “at war” with the American administration and its agenda.
Wolfowitz sometimes created the impression, at key moments, that he is putting American interests first, especially when he suspended a program in Uzbekistan, after the country has denied landing rights to American military aircraft, and when the American administration's counterterrorism agenda comes to the fore.
In Europe, they still fume over President's Bush’s decision to send John Bolton to be United States ambassador to the United Nations.
Others still remember how the American Administration tried to fire the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mr. Mohamed El-Baradei, after he declared that there is no evidence Iraq has a nuclear weapons program. Afterwards, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
In 2005, when Mr. Wolfowitz was appointed the World Bank president, there was a short time when the Europeans showed a brief sense of mutiny.
Europeans are holding a substantial number of the World Bank purse strings, but they waved through his appointment without even blinking, as they were more concerned with protecting the agreement that allows Europe to pick the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) while the United States gets the World Bank.
Time has come for the Europeans to stop fuming.
Now is the ideal time to put an end to this agreement and not shy away from a fight with the United States, as they have to face the consequences of this appointment.
The Europeans have to pull themselves together and have the courage to get rid of Mr. Wolfowitz.
They have the opportunity to make the necessary changes and must push for more say in choosing Mr. Wolfowitz’ successor.
Otherwise, they face the risk of being responsible for the World Bank becoming irrelevant.
Israel Rafalovich
U.N. OBSERVER & International Report
Please also see:
Top Wolfowitz Postings Went to Iraq War Backers
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=37350
Wolfowitz pay scandal laid bare
http://www.fin24.co.za/articles/companies/display_article.aspx?Nav=ns&lvl2=comp&ArticleID=1518-1783_2098236
Paul Wolfowitz
http://neweconomist.blogs.com/new_economist/2007/04/paul_wolfowitz.html
Paul Dundes Wolfowitz
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Paul_Wolfowitz
The Wolfowitz Chronology
http://www.ips-dc.org/wolfowitz/tl_01-05.htm
Trigger Man In Paul Wolfowitz, messianic vision meets faith in the efficacy of force.
http://www.amconmag.com/2005_06_06/article1.html
The Next Crusade
Paul Wolfowitz at the World Bank
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/04/09/070409fa_fact_cassidy
Iraq War Accountability: Paul Wolfowitz Also Needs to Resign!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-seery/iraq-war-accountability-_b_33665.html
Paul Wolfowitz(photo source)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Wolfowitz
UPDATES
EUROPEAN LEADERS TURN SCREWS ON WOLFOWITZ
By Krishna Guha in Washington
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/ebf27b56-eafa-11db-85cf-000b5df10621,_i_email=y.html
Israel Rafalovich: News Analysis;
The Wolfowitz Controversy, a Wake-Up Call for Europe
Washington
The pressure intensifies on World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz to resign, as the World Bank board wrangles with the subject of his approval of A high paying position for his partner, Ms Shaha Riza.
The staff of the World Bank and development organisations are calling for his resignation, as anger increased after last Thursday’s apology that he erred in the handling of the promotion of his girlfriend, a former senior communications officer in the World Bank's Middle East Department.
The board of the bank failed to reach a final decision on the issue after an overnight session, as it focused on the question of whether Paul Wolfowitz gave preferential treatment to Ms. Shaha Riza.
The board directors are buying time while they clarify bank rules in an in an unprecedented situation.
In a statement, the bank's board said that the "ethics committee, including its chairman, had not been involved in the discussions with concerned staff members. Neither did it find that the terms and conditions of the agreement had been commented on, reviewed or approved by the ethics committee, its chairman or the board."
The statement leaves Mr. Wolfowitz vulnerable to disciplinary action, especially if he is found to have lied about his handling of the affair.
The World Bank president has been weakened by his recent tangles with the board, and faces a fight for his political life.
Although he is hanging on and his position weakened, the White House is the only player that is coming out in his support for keeping his job.
Brazilian Finance minister Mr. Guido Mantega said that " we will have to see if Wolfowitz will be able to retain the moral authority necessary to fulfil his duties."
There were only few endorsements of his leadership beyond those offered by the Bush administration.
The bank's Spring meeting agenda is being overshadowed by the affair. It caused embarrassment to the World Bank president that has since his appointment in 2005, campaigned against corruption and for sound governance.
Furthermore, the current trend shows also the declining American influence at the Bank, as Europe and Asia gain economic strength.
Wolfowitz is also under fire for his management style, following clashes with the board and hostility towards his appointment of US Republican Party allies to jobs in his inner circle, Robin Cleveland and Kevin Kellemes, both of whom worked with him in the Defence Department.
The World Bank's staff association, said that Wolfowitz had destroyed the trust of employees and should quit.
Mr. Wolfowitz’ nomination two years ago, by the Bush administration, was seen as controversial, given his position as a main architect of the Iraq war.
It is also about the Bush administrations tumultuous relationship with the rest of the world, especially the World Bank, the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency that saw themselves, at times, “at war” with the American administration and its agenda.
Wolfowitz sometimes created the impression, at key moments, that he is putting American interests first, especially when he suspended a program in Uzbekistan, after the country has denied landing rights to American military aircraft, and when the American administration's counterterrorism agenda comes to the fore.
In Europe, they still fume over President's Bush’s decision to send John Bolton to be United States ambassador to the United Nations.
Others still remember how the American Administration tried to fire the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mr. Mohamed El-Baradei, after he declared that there is no evidence Iraq has a nuclear weapons program. Afterwards, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
In 2005, when Mr. Wolfowitz was appointed the World Bank president, there was a short time when the Europeans showed a brief sense of mutiny.
Europeans are holding a substantial number of the World Bank purse strings, but they waved through his appointment without even blinking, as they were more concerned with protecting the agreement that allows Europe to pick the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) while the United States gets the World Bank.
Time has come for the Europeans to stop fuming.
Now is the ideal time to put an end to this agreement and not shy away from a fight with the United States, as they have to face the consequences of this appointment.
The Europeans have to pull themselves together and have the courage to get rid of Mr. Wolfowitz.
They have the opportunity to make the necessary changes and must push for more say in choosing Mr. Wolfowitz’ successor.
Otherwise, they face the risk of being responsible for the World Bank becoming irrelevant.
Israel Rafalovich
U.N. OBSERVER & International Report
Please also see:
Top Wolfowitz Postings Went to Iraq War Backers
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=37350
Wolfowitz pay scandal laid bare
http://www.fin24.co.za/articles/companies/display_article.aspx?Nav=ns&lvl2=comp&ArticleID=1518-1783_2098236
Paul Wolfowitz
http://neweconomist.blogs.com/new_economist/2007/04/paul_wolfowitz.html
Paul Dundes Wolfowitz
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Paul_Wolfowitz
The Wolfowitz Chronology
http://www.ips-dc.org/wolfowitz/tl_01-05.htm
Trigger Man In Paul Wolfowitz, messianic vision meets faith in the efficacy of force.
http://www.amconmag.com/2005_06_06/article1.html
The Next Crusade
Paul Wolfowitz at the World Bank
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/04/09/070409fa_fact_cassidy
Iraq War Accountability: Paul Wolfowitz Also Needs to Resign!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-seery/iraq-war-accountability-_b_33665.html
Paul Wolfowitz(photo source)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Wolfowitz
UPDATES
EUROPEAN LEADERS TURN SCREWS ON WOLFOWITZ
By Krishna Guha in Washington
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/ebf27b56-eafa-11db-85cf-000b5df10621,_i_email=y.html