← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · Bardamu
Thread ID: 17040 | Posts: 5 | Started: 2005-03-01
2005-03-01 13:42 | User Profile
[url]http://news.ft.com/cms/s/6be27ed0-89da-11d9-aa18-00000e2511c8.html[/url]
Wolfowitz on shortlist for World Bank top post By Andrew Balls and Edward Alden in Washington Published: March 1 2005 00:43 | Last updated: March 1 2005 00:43
Paul WolfowitzPaul Wolfowitz, US deputy secretary of defence, has emerged as a leading candidate to replace James Wolfensohn as the president of the World Bank.
Mr Wolfowitz is one of a small number of people being considered for the US nomination, administration insiders said.
The nomination of Mr Wolfowitz, one of the chief architects of the Iraq war and a former US ambassador to Indonesia, would likely be highly controversial, and could raise new questions about the process by which the World Bank chief is selected. One administration official said his nomination ââ¬Åwould have enormous repercussions within the development communityââ¬Â.
Others on the US shortlist include Randall Tobias, former head of Eli Lilly and the administration's co-ordinator on Aids.
Leadership of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund is decided by all the shareholders in the institutions. But the US and Europe in effect divide up the top jobs, with an American heading the bank and a European running the fund.
The effort to pick the US candidate has been led by the White House National Security Council and the Council of Economic Advisers. The Treasury is leading consultations with other World Bank shareholders. Asked about Mr Wolfowitz's possible nomination, Rob Nichols, Treasury spokesman, said: ââ¬ÅWe don't speculate on personnel appointments before they are made.ââ¬Â
Other names on the US list are John Taylor, the top Treasury official for international affairs, and Peter McPherson, president of Michigan State University. But they are not seen by the administration as leading candidates.
European officials point to the dispute over Caio Koch-Weser a candidate for the IMF post favoured by Europe but blocked by the US as setting a precedent that could see them veto the US nominee. Developing countries have also demanded a greater say in the selection.
2005-03-01 14:14 | User Profile
I don't think Wolfowitz could do anymore damage over there than he has at DOD.
2005-03-01 14:21 | User Profile
At first glance a person wouldn't think a guy qualified to lead the DoD would also be qualified to lead the WB. Anyone have any notion why Wolfowitz is so powerful? What is his special quality?
2005-03-01 16:58 | User Profile
He's probably like Perle. Perle knows a lot about money.
2005-03-01 21:19 | User Profile
This is a case of history repeating itself.
Robert Strange MacNamara, one of the architects of the Vietnam war, was rewarded for his brilliant leadership in that fiasco with the presidency of The World Bank.