Just about a month after Bush traveled to Europe in an attempt to improve relations between the EU and the US, he seems to be actively sabotaging any goodwill created by the trip. By naming Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz as his choice to head the World Bank, Bush is asking for a public, international fight between his administration and other World Bank members.
Bush's reasons for for the selection are unclear, as Wolfowitz's extensive history with the Department of Defense doesn't seem to make him a fit for the World Bank. Then again, this is the same administration that gave the nation's highest civilian honor to former CIA Director George "Slam-dunk" Tenet, whose intelligence failures before 9/11 and running up to the Iraq War are anything but laudable.
The World Bank has enough critics in the world without one of the Bush administration's most hard-nosed hawks running the show. The Bank's past failures to consider the social and environmental factors of its actions in developing countries will certainly be noted while members consider Wolfowitz — a man who rarely listens to alternate opinions or admits his own mistakes.
Article comments
1 - Dave Nalle
Maybe putting someone with a different perspective in charge is what the world bank needs. Right now it's so universally hated that pointing it in any other direction could only be a good thing.
Dave
2 - Tristan
Gerry Adams would be the optimum choice to lead the World Bank~~~
with Bono as his assistant ......
Now if BUSH had his way---
he'd have chosen that Vatican banker that "committed suicide" (got murdered)--
Calvi ...????
3 - Queenie
Gerry Adams running the World Bank... there's a thought. Of course he'd nationalise it.... Or kidnap himself and then order himself to clean it out.
Seriously, but, if the US wants to promote its world vision, as propogated by the neo-cons, of which Wolfie is a stalwart, then surely putting a key idealogue in charge of a key global institution is a good move.
It will just make the WB even more redundant though. After the absolute mess the WB made of the Hungarian economy following democratisation, most of the former Soviet countries said thanks, but no thanks, and now many of its other potential clients are doing the same.
It'll be poor Africa that suffers. As per bloody usual.
4 - RJ
Mr. P. Wolfowitz has little experience in international economic matters. And Ms. K. Hughes has little experience in diplomatic matters...
Bush is promoting those who are loyal to him. That's the deal.
5 - Scott
That's been the deal all along.