Far Past Time to Go

It is hard to figure out what Paul Wolfowitz is telling himself as he wages an unseemly fight to hang on to his job as head of the World Bank.

Any hope he had of reforming the bank has evaporated in the face of allegations of conflicts of interest and undeniably poor judgment. Any hope of expiating his sins for the disastrous Iraq war have also disappeared as once again he stubbornly denies reality and the damage that denial is causing to his reputation and to the bank’s ability to do its work.

In the latest no-confidence clamor, some 40 members of the bank’s anticorruption team warned that their ability to do their work, Mr. Wolfowitz’s signature priority, “is eroding in the face of legitimate questions from our clients about the bank’s ability to practice what it preaches on governance.”

Odd, you apparently are unaware of the support that he gets from reform minded African leaders to the trumped up allegations of wrong doing.

http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110009995

The more telling story is the support for the bank president from reform-minded Africans. At a press conference during this month’s World Bank-IMF meetings in Washington, four of the more progressive African finance ministers were asked about the Wolfowitz flap. Here’s how Antoinette Sayeh, Liberia’s finance minister, responded:

“I would say that Wolfowitz’s performance over the last several years and his leadership on African issues should certainly feature prominently in the discussions . . . . In the Liberian case and the case of many forgotten post-conflict fragile countries, he has been a visionary. He has been absolutely supportive, responsive, there for us . . . . We think that he has done a lot to bring Africa in general . . . into the limelight and has certainly championed our cause over the last two years of his leadership, and we look forward to it continuing.”

Read this review of Wolfowitz’s honorable attempt to recuse himself which the organization’s board did not accept.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,266052,00.html

That basically shows that the World Bank was working with Wolfowitz on the issue, went through the legal hurdles, and found no impropriety in it through 2 separate reviews.

No, I’m not unaware of it at all. You seem to be. In case you had no idea, Africa’s a corrupt place, and they’re already getting cash from the WB. They know which side their bread’s buttered on. They also know he’ll owe them a favor if he survives and that suits them fine. Their endorsement is worthless.

As for the honorable attempt to recuse himself, that doesn’t hold water either. The only reason the ethics committee okd the deal is that they didn’t know about the huge salary increase or any of the other promises. Wolf gave the instructions to a midlevel bureaucrat instead of the top guy, telling no one but that guy. That’s where the confusion comes from. It strikes the board as a fast one, and it’s hard to argue with that point of view if it’s true.

—No, I’m not unaware of it at all. You seem to be.

I’m unaware of something I posted. Ah yes, the convoluted logic of a liberal.

—they’re already getting cash from the WB. They know which side their bread’s buttered on. They also know he’ll owe them a favor if he survives and that suits them fine. Their endorsement is worthless.

And the rich fat-cat Europeans are sainted and honorable? Has there never been accusations against the World Bank? Again the Wall St. Journal says :::::
If you’re surprised by that last fact, then you don’t appreciate that the World Bank has always been a sinecure for developed-world politicians. They get handsome salaries, tax free, and their performance is measured not by how much poverty they cure but by how much money they disperse.

Mr. Wolfowitz has upset this sweetheart status quo by focusing more on results, and especially on the corruption that undermines development and squanders foreign aid.

—The only reason the ethics committee okd the deal is that they didn’t know about the huge salary increase or any of the other promises.

Again, total convolution. If I ask to recuse myself and you give me permission to do so, then any conflict is avoided. Why did the board refuse to allow him to recuse himself? Obviously they were planning the bureaucratic ambush.

Also, according to the WSJ the ethics committee directed the salary increase and instructed Mr. Wolfowitz to enact it:::::

And in an August 8 letter, Mr. Melkert advised that the president get this done pronto: “The EC [ethics committee] cannot interact directly with staff member situations, hence Xavier [Coll, the human resources vice president] should act upon your instruction.” Only then did Mr. Wolfowitz instruct Mr. Coll on the details of Ms. Riza’s new job and pay raise.

Are you so rabid about this scandal because you work at the World Bank?

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.