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What Wolfowitz did wrong
The Times [UK] ^ | 15 May 2007 | Sam Knight

Posted on 05/15/2007 6:03:50 AM PDT by Kitten Festival

What actually happened in the summer of 2005 has now been mostly obscured under the lobbying and partisanship that has buffetted Paul Wolfowitz and his presidency of the World Bank in recent weeks. But yesterday's report by a panel of seven World Bank executives, the so-called "Ad Hoc Group", claimed to present a version of events that was based on "a strong and largely undisputed documentary record". Its conclusions were as follows:

He violated the code of conduct

The code of conduct for board officials at the World Bank requires members to "avoid any conflict of interest, real or apparent". At the time of his appointment to the World Bank in May 2005, Mr Wolfowitz informed the board that he had a pre-existing relationship with Shaha Ali Riza, one of the bank's Middle East experts.

He suggested "recusing myself from any influence over personnel decisions involving Ms Riza" but was told that his proposal did not go far enough. By later ordering Xavier Coll, the bank's Vice President of Human Resources, to accept Ms Riza's demands for a transfer to the US State Department, two promotions and a pay rise, the panel found that Mr Wolfowitz "engaged in de facto conflict of interest".

He broke the staff rules

Ms Riza's new contract, whose contents was directed by Mr Wolfowitz and not vetted by World Bank lawyers, broke staff rule 6.01 with its pay increases and guarantees of promotion.

He automatically ordered her promotion to staff level H, a move which Ms Riza claimed that she had been denied because she was Muslim and a woman, and raised her pay from $132,660 to $180,000. Under the rules, Ms Riza was eligible for a pay increase

(Excerpt) Read more at business.timesonline.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS: corruption; scandal; wolfowitz; worldbank
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Something to clear the smog.
1 posted on 05/15/2007 6:03:54 AM PDT by Kitten Festival
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To: Kitten Festival

I guess that Wolfowitz could defend himself by claiming he was not as corrupt as he could have been. Maybe his replacement will show how corruption really works.


2 posted on 05/15/2007 6:08:52 AM PDT by FreePaul
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To: Kitten Festival

It is my view that he did almost everything right. According to other sources, he did not have anything to do with his girlfriend’s transfer or pay raise. The World Bank had concluded that she was due a pay raise before she was transferred. The only thing I can think that he did wrong was get involved with a Muslim in the first place.


3 posted on 05/15/2007 6:10:32 AM PDT by MondoQueen
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To: Kitten Festival

Moral of the story?

Banging an employee never turns out well.


4 posted on 05/15/2007 6:12:03 AM PDT by Badeye (You know its a kook site when they ban the word 'kook')
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To: Kitten Festival

There is one other thing. There is some kind of “coup” attempt going on. Some people believe that the World Bank should be run by Europeans, not Americans. That along would put me on Wolfowitz’s side.


5 posted on 05/15/2007 6:12:35 AM PDT by MondoQueen
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To: Kitten Festival

I am not understanding this “controversy”. He eliminated a “conflict of interest” by moving Ms Riza away from the World Bank. Isn’t this a good thing? So he gave her a pay raise and a promotion. Happens all the time in the business world. It’s called NEGOTIATION (in my best Joe Biden impression), one of the libs’ favorite words.


6 posted on 05/15/2007 6:13:05 AM PDT by Eagle of Liberty (The United States of America is the only country strong enough to go it alone.)
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To: Kitten Festival

“along” should be “alone” Sorry!


7 posted on 05/15/2007 6:13:22 AM PDT by MondoQueen
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To: Badeye
Banging an employee never turns out well.
He was already involved with her before he worked there, and he told them that. They picked him anyway.

-Eric

8 posted on 05/15/2007 6:13:56 AM PDT by E Rocc (Myspace "Freepers" group moderator)
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To: MondoQueen
Believe it or not, I agree with you on your very last point. This portrayal of her, pieced together from World Bank staffers on their dissident site, really shows that she was an incompetent but manipulative and controlling sort of Arab woman, and does not make me think highly of her at all. Why Paul got involved with this sort of person is pretty sad.
9 posted on 05/15/2007 6:14:27 AM PDT by Kitten Festival
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To: E Rocc
He only got interested in the WB post at all because of her - see here
10 posted on 05/15/2007 6:15:19 AM PDT by Kitten Festival
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To: E Rocc

“He was already involved with her before he worked there, and he told them that. They picked him anyway. ‘

Uh huh, and tell me, how did it ‘turn out’?

Again, banging an employee never turns out well.


11 posted on 05/15/2007 6:16:07 AM PDT by Badeye (You know its a kook site when they ban the word 'kook')
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To: MondoQueen

That’s a pretty small typo, I’ve made much worse!


12 posted on 05/15/2007 6:16:15 AM PDT by Kitten Festival
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To: MondoQueen

I agree with you that it should be run by an American. But I think that there is no way it won’t be. There are two options to ensure it - one is that the US can yank its money if there is no american running it all - and that would be practically all of it. Two, it can demand that the IMF be run by an american and the europeans can see how they like that - there is a perfect quid pro quo going on with this europe stuff.

But I think wolfowitz is the wrong man for the job, I think he should be back in academia, writing papers, not doing executive work which he has no aptitude for. One thing I would like to point out about wolf’s management style is that the imf is run by a flamingly rightwing european, rodrigo rato of spain, who was aznar’s righthand man. He’s had no trouble from the staff because he does know how to manage and avoid even the appearance of corruption. I think wolf has made some mistakes as described by this article, and ought to exit to something better, imho. Bush should appoint him to the UN and the euros can then see how they like that.


13 posted on 05/15/2007 6:21:13 AM PDT by Kitten Festival
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To: Kitten Festival

This is more smog.

Wolfowitz followed the directions of the Ethics committee.
Now the same committee is trying to hang him for following their own directions.


14 posted on 05/15/2007 6:22:44 AM PDT by kidd
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To: Kitten Festival

It may be a very small typo, but I’m the one who is always correcting everyone on their grammer, so at least I could be correct in what I am writing. (Beating myself up)(Ouch!)


15 posted on 05/15/2007 6:23:57 AM PDT by MondoQueen
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To: kidd

If he’s the leader, he needs to show leadership, not take orders. Why did he apologize if he was so in the right?


16 posted on 05/15/2007 6:24:33 AM PDT by Kitten Festival
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To: All

Wolfowitz’s attackers are just Europeans. It’s not a real affair - it’s just an European revenge because Wolfowitz is targetting corruption.

It’s a vendetta.


17 posted on 05/15/2007 6:24:35 AM PDT by drzz
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To: Kitten Festival

Yeah, listen to what the dissidents say.

IF anyone bothered to read Wolfowitz’s version of events, it would make things a LOT clearer.

The World Bank insiders never wanted him. Wolfowitz tried to be upfront on everything to begin with. Wolfowitz make the mistake of doing what the Ethics Panel told him to do at the beginning of this fiasco.

This is a pure political hatchet job.


18 posted on 05/15/2007 6:29:16 AM PDT by Bryan24 (When in doubt, move to the right..........)
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To: Kitten Festival

What apology?


19 posted on 05/15/2007 6:31:20 AM PDT by kidd
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To: Badeye

true, how true


20 posted on 05/15/2007 6:35:22 AM PDT by beebuster2000 (choice is not not peace or war, but small war now, or big war later masquerading as peace now.)
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