Die hard.
http://www.iht.com/bin/print.php?id=5728540
Bush has given up support for Wolfowitz. From now on it is only a question of time until he is history. Then the network of neocons he has installed needs to be taken care of. If that would be acchieved - and there is justified doubt that it even will be tried - the bank still will have to deal with it's reputation of being a manipulative tool to bring third world economies and markets into shape with interests of the first world (and to the disadvanatge of the third world), but at least the breathtaking shamelessness and frankness by which American neocons have been installed to take control of the bank and closing it to any outsiders not agreeing with neocon policies, would end. Wolfowitz has tried to run the world bank in the same arrogant, egocentric and corrupt manner he was running his corner of American policies. I wonder where it is where he has caused the greater damage, the first or the latter. History will tell.
Quote:
A factor that kept emotions high was the disclosure on Tuesday of documents that seemed to buttress the bank committee's conclusion that Wolfowitz tried to keep the pay and promotion arrangement for Riza a secret.
According to one document, Wolfowitz had a bitter showdown with the bank's personnel director, Xavier Coll, in March 2006 over Wolfowitz's concern that word of the salary was leaking out to the press.
Coll recounted that Wolfowitz became "increasingly agitated" and said he was "tired of people" who were "attacking him."
"You should tell your friends to stop it," Wolfowitz added, using expletives and threatening retaliation, according to the memo.
Aside from the coarse language, the document seemed to demonstrate that Wolfowitz was aware six months after he arranged for Riza's compensation that few people at the bank knew about it. This appeared to contradict his contention that it was well known at the bank and deemed appropriate.
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As the Spiegel essay does not reveal, but summarizes the often-reported personell-policies of Wolfowitz, one must conclude from all that that the Riza-affair is by far the lesser evil in his many failures. Wolfowitz must go, if not because of the Riza-affair, than for the other corrupt attacks at the bank's integrity which weigh much heavier. The US since the beginning has looked at the bank as something like the appendage of American economy policies and thus made sure that by the regulations it always, without exception, was possessing the chief's seat of the organisation. I can only wonder about the European's willingness to accept that habit forever, and to avoid an open conflict even in the face of the crisis around Wolfowitz. This whole thing - should have been decided long ago by a failed vote of confidence, and firing the man.
Krakenpolitik.