TIMESONLINE: The board of directors of the World Bank found today that Paul Wolfowitz, the President of the bank, had moved his girlfriend, Shaha Riza, to a new government post at a salary of nearly $200,000 without review by its ethics committee.
The revelation appears to contradict earlier statements from Mr Wolfowitz's office.
The World Bank said that the ethics committee had "informally" advised Mr Wolfowitz to relocate Ms Riza but that it had not approved her new salary and terms and conditions, which were ordered by Mr Wolfowitz.
Her new salary at the US State Department is thought to exceed even that of Condoleezza Rice, who, as Secretary of State, is the highest-ranking official in the department. Wolfowitz ‘acted without approval’ says bank (Cont'd) by Robert Lindsay
BBC: Pressure grows on World Bank boss
BBC VIDEO: Bank meets over Wolfowitz
LE MONDE: Le départ de Wolfowitz
THE SUNDAY TIMES: I’m a wronged woman, says girlfriend in Wolfowitz scandal
Mark Alexander
8 comments:
Any what consequences with Wolfowitz face?
I read in today's WaPo that Wolfowitz said it was all "a mistake."
Is another feeding frenzy over an apology coming? We're still inundated with news of Imus's apology.
John:
Wolfowitz was one of the neocon clowns,
Yes, and clowns is the right word for them, too! They are nothing but CLOWNS!
clueless about Islam,
Yes, they are. And who is more clueless about Islam than the president? None of them should ever have been allowed to get into office.
[The neocon clowns] got the US into Iraq.
Yes, and what a HUGE mistake that has been. It has damaged the US's standing in the world so, so much. And look what it has done to the national debt and the dollar. The dollar has slid, and is continuing to slide all because of Bush's politics and 'Bushonomics'. Bush is one BIG joke! And the world knows it.
My big fear now is that the American electorate will go from the frying pan into the fire and elect Barrack Obama! Another empty suit, just like Bush. Bush has climbed the slippery pole with 'big daddy's' influence. He would never have got to the White House on his own merit. I'm pretty sure of that.
He [Wolfowitz] said it would cost less than $10 billion and Iraq's oil revenue would pay for the reconstruction. $700 billion later....
Yes, and can America really afford that?
His mistress is a Muslim ala Grove Norquist. Traitors.
Yes, I guessed that from her name. You'll be telling me next that Wolfowitz himself has converted to the death cult that is Islam.
Look, John, there are so many scumbags at the top in politics these days. Shameless scumbags! Where have all the honourable people gone? They're all out for what they can get out of it. And who has profited more than Bush himself? And that deputy of his, Cheney? They disgust me! There's not enough money to be had for them. They're all greedy bastards.
But this salary increase for Wolfowitz's 'girlfriend' is utterly shameless! Where was the man's judgement? A fool would have known that he couldn't have got away with something like that. It's elementary. Yet that idiot didn't know it, or chose to ignore it, which, in a way, would make it worse. One way or the other, he doesn't deserve to head up the World Bank. Kick the bugger out!
Hang him up by his petards.
Yes, and I'll come and watch.
By the way, how many people have lost their lives because of the "neocon clowns"?
Always, as to the consequences Wolfowitz will face, we'll just have to wait and see. I hope he is forced to resign for his wrongdoing. Though I feel sure that Bush must be frantically trying to pull strings behind the scenes.
I can see I'm in good company here.
Just look at the leadership the Western World's got: Bush, Blair, Chirac, Merkel ...
Could do with a few more Howards. Well, maybe.
I think the whole Western world needs a big cleanout: everyone - everyone without exception because the good ones only provide camouflage for the rest - from the level of MP up, and equivalent in other countries, should be replaced by new people who have no connection to the old.
The problem is that they all (I'll give them that credit) enter high politics with the right intentions. However, in every country at every election, there are only a few new people and very shortly they are making all the compromises needed to "fit in" - so the old political culture just goes rolling on, same old same old. Clear the lot out in one go, replace them with new people and start a new way of thinking; bring about a culture-change at the top and it will filter down.
No previous experience should be a qualification, not a disqualification.
That's a simplification, but readers of this blog are sharp enough to see fully what I'm saying.
Sir Henry:
You and I are nearer in our thinking than we might at first have thought.
I very much agree with your sentiments here. The whole system is corrupt; and the ones who might not be when entering politics, soon become corrupt. As you say: They all make the compromises necessary to "fit in". It's quite sickening really.
In a few words, the politics of the Western world are broken. And when something is broken, it needs fixing.
John:
Here's an interesting, if somewhat old, article for you about Wolfowitz: Will a British divorcee cost 'Wolfie' his job?
And another:
What Will the Neighbors Say? Wolfowitz Romance Stirs Gossip
The guy is plug-ugly and spends most of his time with his pants around his ankles, allegedly.
She is supposed to be an "arab feminist!" Thats like saying someone aspires to be a chaste hooker. Talk about a mis convergence of terms.
If she was let loose without a chaperone in the mid-east, she would have learned what arabs think of her kind, and she wouldn't feel like riding a camel for weeks.
She went to the LSE and that probably puts her near the Marxist encampment and would explain how she saw this old prof as fair game.
He gets his oats and she gets the promotion.
She gets to witter on about her obsessions at all the right parties, over a half dozen "Ferrero Rocher" chocolates, and lo and behold she gets her wish of Saddam's head on a plate and up the greasy pole she slides. (I don't mean Wolfie is of Polish origin!)
She has as much chance of Democratizing the middle east as I have of dating Madonna.
Less, I should think.
I reckon she's a plant, a fly in the ointment, bit of a Christine Keeler if you know what I mean.
Avantepelotin:
The guy is plug-ugly and spends most of his time with his pants around his ankles, allegedly.
Well, he's no George Clooney, that's for sure! :-) There is much in what you say. Did you know that the man is married? (Though some say that he has since been legally separated from his wife.)
She is supposed to be an "arab feminist!" Thats like saying someone aspires to be a chaste hooker. Talk about a mis convergence of terms. If she was let loose without a chaperone in the mid-east, she would have learned what arabs think of her kind, and she wouldn't feel like riding a camel for weeks.
Well that's plain talk if ever I heard it! :-)
She went to the LSE and that probably puts her near the Marxist encampment and would explain how she saw this old prof as fair game.
Enough said! The LSE, as you know, was a hot-bed for lefties.
He gets his oats and she gets the promotion.
Quite a comfortable arrangement, really, wouldn't you say? :-)
She gets to witter on about her obsessions at all the right parties, over a half dozen "Ferrero Rocher" chocolates, and lo and behold she gets her wish of Saddam's head on a plate and up the greasy pole she slides. (I don't mean Wolfie is of Polish origin!)
Yes, funny that! It seems to me that this woman has been wielding a hell of a lot more power and influence in high circles in Washington than meets the eye. I'd like someone to get to the bottom of just how much power and influence she has been wielding with Bush. We might be surprised. Was she the 'brains' behind Bush's plans to democratize the Middle East, for instance? Is that where he got the hare-brained idea from? The truth will out in the end.
She has as much chance of Democratizing the middle east as I have of dating Madonna. Less, I should think.
I'm sure you'd have more! :-)
As for democratizing the Middle East, that's a joke! Anyone who even thinks that such a thing is possible is living in cloud cuckoo land! And further, they don't deserve to be elected into office!
I reckon she's a plant, a fly in the ointment, bit of a Christine Keeler if you know what I mean.
What a good analogy.
Post a Comment