Paul Wolfowitz is the neo-conservative visionary who – as US Deputy Secretary of Defense – was the principal architect of the “domino” plan to democratize the Middle East that misled American soldiers into the current mess in Iraq. Clearly, for this monumental blunder, he should have been thrown into the dustbin of history, if not in jail. Instead, President George W. Bush rewarded Wolfowitz by appointing him president of the World Bank.
(NOTE: It’s an indication of the level of anti-Americanism (and antipathy towards Bush in particular) at the World Bank that talk of forfeiting this plenary power US presidents have to effectively appoint the bank’s president is gaining currency amongst many foreign heads of state….)
I felt certain, however, that their accusation that Wolfowitz committed an unethical breach by negotiating an egregiously-lucrative contract for his girlfriend (a bank employee who the bank’s directors insisted had to be seconded to another institution to avoid personal conflicts) was nothing more than a pretext to execute a political vendetta.
After all, almost as much as his former boss Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz personified the unilateral exercise of American superpower that internationalists at the bank resent so viscerally. Therefore, appointing him to head it was tantamount to appointing a wolf to guard a chicken coop. (And clearly it would behoove the chickens to do everything to thwart that wolf’s appointment.)
And so it was that – notwithstanding my informed doubts about their prospects for success – bank staffers fought to oust Wolfowitz as if their lives depended on it. Never mind that, by all objective criteria, he was overseeing the critical job of reforming the bank’s bloated bureaucracy and apprehending its corrupt lending practices commendably. In fact, even I applauded him because his reforms were redounding to the sustainable benefit of chronically-poor countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. But after suffering a thousand professional cuts since his appointment in 2005, Wolfowitz was forced to end the hemorrhaging by announcing his resignation a couple weeks ago.
We need to put yesterday’s discord behind us and focus on the future together. [Robert Zoellick accepting his nomination on Wednesday to head of the World Bank]
Recall, however, that – as Wolfowitz was withering away in his office chair – Bush insisted repeatedly that “he should not resign because he did nothing wrong”. Therefore, it must be noted as yet another reflection of his lame-duck status that Bush wasted little time nominating Robert Zoellick, former deputy secretary of state, to replace him.
At any rate, Zoellick carries none of Wolfowitz’s political baggage and is expected to be welcomed at the bank with open arms – even if more out of relief than genuine appreciation. In fact, here’s how French Foreign Minister Bernard Koucher expressed his country’s congenitally-anti-American regard for his nomination:
Is he the right man for the job?…certainly….In between the partners and the World Bank, it is mainly a question of confidence, and I hope that Mr. Zoellick will re-establish or establish confidence in between all of them.
But I suspect many of these partners are in for a rude awakening. Because Zoellick may prove an even more uncompromising reformer than Wolfowitz was. Indeed, to help you appreciate his leadership style, here’s how he dressed down and then prevailed upon Sudanese rebel leader Mini Minnawi to sign a peace agreement just over a year ago:
I’m disappointed in you. I expect people to keep their word….I can be a very good friend, but I am a fearsome enemy!
Therefore, the good news is that even though the putative chickens at the bank managed to fight off this wolf, where the US’s reform agenda is concerned, Zoellick may turn out to be a (more predatory) wolf in sheep’s clothing….
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