Can Wolfowitz last?

It is hard to see how, especially after the World Bank's own Independent Evaluation Group has sharply criticized him.  It is in fact remarkable that the IEG's normally mild-mannered director, Vinod Thomas, has come out so strongly against Wolfowitz.  Meanwhile, Wolfowitz seems to be digging in his heels, and is reported to have hired the lawyer who defended Clinton against sexual-harassment claims. There is a silver lining in all this, I think.  The longer it takes for Wolfowitz to resign or be removed, the more likely it is that an enraged world will prevail on the U.S. to accept a more sensible method of selecting the next World Bank president.  I will be rooting for Kemal Dervis when that happens.  Or am I too much of an optimist?

Comments

[mohammadreza]

hello
u are in developed countreis and this problems are solved for you. but in poor and developing countreis this event can destruct destruct prestige of world bank and experts.these are hopeing to perform the world bank but this problems can reduce confidence them to it.

[JohnF]

Your link is a one-sided news account that omits any description of the fact that he tried to distance himself from the decision that others in the bank, including its internal ethics personnel, forced him to make.

[edh]

"It is in fact remarkable that the IEG's normally mild-mannered director, Vinod Thomas, has come out so strongly against Wolfowitz."

Indeed. As a casual observer, I find two things remarkable about what I see as a contrived "ethics scandal" being used to fight a proxy war over World Bank governance.

First, as JohnF (above) notes, how in every screed against Wolfowitz the Ethics Committeee history and facts behind the conflict charges are omitted, and quickly turn to other criticisms of Wolfowitz on policy.

Second, is my amazement to see the tentacles of the World Bank establishment actually raised above the surface in defense of the old order.

[Barry]

"Your link is a one-sided news account that omits any description of the fact that he tried to distance himself from the decision that others in the bank, including its internal ethics personnel, forced him to make."

Posted by: JohnF

I think that you're one or two spin cycles behind; Wolfies admitted that he was responsible for this.