Wolfowitz to head World Bank

March 17, 2005


President George W Bush yesterday named Paul Wolfowitz, the number two at the Pentagon and the intellectual architect of the Iraq war, as his choice to be the next head of the World Bank, the key international development agency.

This is Mr Bush's second highly-charged appointment to an international post, following last week's nomination of John Bolton, an outspoken hawk, as America's ambassador to the United Nations.

Traditionally the presidency of the World Bank is in the gift of the White House and Mr Wolfowitz, 61, is expected to take over on June 1. But the nomination may test as never before the tradition that candidates are not seriously opposed by the other nations whose representatives sit on the bank's board.

Mr Bush hailed Mr Wolfowitz - Washington's most powerful neo-conservative - as "a compassionate, decent man who will do a fine job at the World Bank."

Democrats gave warning that the appointment sent out all the wrong signals to the world. Nancy Pelosi, the party's leader in the House of Representatives, said the choice was "hard to understand" and that she did not see "a match of commitment to the vision of the World Bank".

The current World Bank president, James Wolfensohn, who was appointed by Bill Clinton, is stepping down after a second five-year term. He has clashed regularly with the Treasury Department.

Mr Wolfowitz's departure completes a virtual clear-out of neo-conservatives from the Pentagon, following the retirement of Doug Feith, another leading civilian hawk, as number three.

Pentagon sources suggested that the way was now clear for Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to step down, possibly within the year. Mr Wolfowitz was never seen as a likely candidate for the top post but it was believed that Mr Bush was not keen to pass him over by appointing someone else.

SOURCE: Telegraph