Well, the inevitable has finally happened. Paul Wolfowitz, the embattled head of the World Bank, agreed to resign yesterday amid allegations of impropriety and conflict of interest. But in true Loyal Bushie fashion, he didn't do so without a fight. You see, he negotiated the terms of his departure. One of these terms included the Bank's Board stating"He assured us that he acted ethically and in good faith in what he believed were the best interests of the institution and we accept that". If such a laughably hollow pat on the head helps Wolfie sleep at night, so be it.
The final outcome of this spectacle was never really in question after Wolfowitz' girlfriend, Shaha Riza, became the lucky beneficiary of a $60,000 a year pay raise and a new job at the State Department after Wolfowitz was appointed President of the Bank. By last week, things had become so bad for Wolfowitz, his only remaining supporters were the White House, Canada (yes, Canada), and a few Asian and African nations. When you look around a room and find that your only allies are George W Bush and Jim Flaherty, you know it's time to get outta Dodge.
And so he resigned. The Bank's board noted yesterday that "the bank's systems did not prove robust to the strain under which they were placed". And by "strain", I can only assume they meant the shameless self-interest of a neoconservative git like Paul Wolfowitz.
Good riddance.
1 comment:
Now rumour has it that Tony Blair may be the next president of the World Bank. Perhaps that's why he visited the White House this week standing up with Dubya defending their decision to go to Iraq - schmoozing I guess.
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