United States fails to rally allies over Wolfowitz

[deminks]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday failed to rally support among key allies for a strategy aimed at saving Paul Wolfowitz's job as World Bank president, which has been jeopardized by a pay and promotion controversy involving his companion.

The U.S. administration found support only from Japan in a conference call of officials from Group of Seven industrial countries for a plan to separate consideration of Wolfowitz's ethics violations in the deal for his companion from whether he could continue credibly as head of the bank.

"The United States wanted to test the waters," a European board official told Reuters. "Japan was aligned with the United States, but others, including Canada, were against," the source added.

A G7 source said it was clear that most participants in the call wanted a quick resolution to what has been a protracted and messy battle over whether Wolfowitz should stay on, step down or be fired over the high-paying promotion for his companion, Shaha Riza, a long-time bank Middle East expert.

Read more: http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2007-05-15T215409Z_01_N24441992_RTRUKOC_0_US-WORLDBANK-WOLFOWITZ.xml

[sam sarrha]

1. no one likes a neoCon any more.. not even their own..

[central scrutinizer]

2. Gee, who could have predicted that?

After the ham fisted "foreign policy" of the Repiggies, this should be a surprise? Gee, did they think that stunts like "freedom fries" went unnoticed?

[tabasco]

10. The revenge of "Old Europe" as Rummy the Dummy called it.

I guess Poland and the rest of New Europe don't have enough ass with the WB to bail out Ol' Wolfoshits.

[acmavm]

3. What was it that Wolfie said about Shock and Awe and there being no

WMDs?

<snip>The US deputy defence secretary, Paul Wolfowitz - who has already undermined Tony Blair's position over weapons of mass destruction (WMD) by describing them as a "bureaucratic" excuse for war - has now gone further by claiming the real motive was that Iraq is "swimming" in oil.

The latest comments were made by Mr Wolfowitz in an address to delegates at an Asian security summit in Singapore at the weekend, and reported today by German newspapers Der Tagesspiegel and Die Welt.

Asked why a nuclear power such as North Korea was being treated differently from Iraq, where hardly any weapons of mass destruction had been found, the deputy defence minister said: "Let's look at it simply. The most important difference between North Korea and Iraq is that economically, we just had no choice in Iraq. The country swims on a sea of oil."

Mr Wolfowitz went on to tell journalists at the conference that the US was set on a path of negotiation to help defuse tensions between North Korea and its neighbours - in contrast to the more belligerent attitude the Bush administration displayed in its dealings with Iraq.

His latest comments follow his widely reported statement from an interview in Vanity Fair last month, in which he said that "for reasons that have a lot to do with the US government bureaucracy, we settled on the one issue that everyone could agree on: weapons of mass destruction."

http://www.truthout.org/docs_03/060503A.shtml

-MORE-

Oh yeah, he was bragging about the lies they told. That was it.

I don't think that anyone would trust a bastard like this. He was forced on the World Bank.

[aquart]

11. Just like Bush was forced on us.

[Spazito]

4. Wow, our own bush ass-kissing government didn't bow down

to harper's idol's wishes? Now THAT'S news!

[CHIMO]

12. Bank of Canada governor won't seek second term

Bank of Canada governor won't seek second term
Updated Wed. Apr. 25 2007 7:15 PM ET

OTTAWA -- Bank of Canada governor David Dodge has announced he will be leaving the top job at the central bank when his term expires in eight months.

The bank announced late Wednesday that Dodge will not seek a second term when his seven-year appointment runs out on Jan. 31, 2008.

Although the bank's announcement gave no reasons for Dodge's decision, there were no indications of any philosophical disagreements or personal issues between the governor and current Conservative Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070425/david_dodge_070425?s_name=&no_ads=

[Spazito]

24. Very interesting, thanks for this!

Who is chosen to replace him will be very telling, imo. If he is a flack who's loyalty is to harper and the faux cons, ala Alan Greenspan in the US, Canadians need to be very concerned, imo.

[Purveyor]

5. The United States worldly reputation has been so tattered by the neocons, it couldn't rally a pack

of jackals over the discovery of a rabbit nest let alone other countries.

[MidwestTransplant]

6. Gone by the end of the week is my bet.

[maddezmom]

26. we should have had a DU pool

:kick:

[disndat]

7. The WH is discovering

that in world political stage, there is no cheer leading Big Media to support their criminal misdeeds.

[Amonester]

27. Most of the "educated" world has seen how criminally appalling were

the governments of Nicolae Ceausescu and Slobodan Milosevic so it's a lot easier for them to spot who's government has been hijacked by the likes of (or by "an awful lot" worst than) them these days...

Send all PNAC'ers to The Hague (is what the honest world wants).

[Massachusetts]

8. Excellent Smithers Exxxxcellent!

[rodeodance]

9. well, this is good news!

[Maine-i-acs]

13. I hate the reporting. It should say "The US Government fails to rally ..."

"The US" is not trying to keep that buttwipe in the World Bank. Shrub and the NeoCons are.

"The US" wants good jobs, health care and a future for our children.

[lynnertic]

14. Hmm.. she's not a mistress anymore but a companion...

[bemildred]

15. Sort of an au pair I think, a nanny.

Sometimes they have these cute little uniforms ...

[Eugene]

16. Guardian: Europeans step up pressure on Wolfowitz

Source: The Guardian

2am update
Europeans step up pressure on Wolfowitz

Richard Adams in Washington
Wednesday May 16, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

European governments are preparing to take a hard line against Paul
Wolfowitz remaining as head of the World Bank, pushing ahead with a
possible vote of no confidence and brushing off US proposals to
delay judging the embattled president over his ethical violations.

-snip-

Sources close to the board last night suggested the most likely
outcome, within the next few days, was a statement of "no
confidence" in Mr Wolfowitz's presidency and a call for his resignation,
followed by a period to allow Mr Wolfowitz to voluntarily step down.

If Mr Wolfowitz refused to do so, he could then be fired by the board
- although there is some confusion within the bank whether the board's
vote would be conducted by simple majority of its 24 members or
weighted by shares.

The failed US attempt came after the White House signalled it was
prepared to throw in the towel over Mr Wolfowitz's tenure, in an
abrupt U-turn from its earlier position.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,2080241,00.html

---

Wolfowitz is finished. His authority is gone.
If he does not resign, the Bank will fire him.

[ShockediSay]

20. Who said Bushies' culture of corruption was dead nt

[struggle4progress]

17. Well, dayyam! Wadda buncha ingrates! After all them years of careful diplomacy ...

... we gits treated like we had some super-anti-biotic resistant clap! Why come ain't nobody thankin us fer shippin Karen Hughes round the world or fer sharin John Bolton with the UN or at least fer givin Merkel a backrub? Frickin furners can't even learn to speak English ...

[tom_paine]

18. What allies? Like the Mafia, the BFEE only has marks, suckers, and those they use

like old condoms.

Allies, my ass! Bush-Occupied America is more hated than the Old Soviet Uniuon and with very valid reasons.

It's up to us to restore the Constitution and Free America.

[Dark]

19. We still have allies? n/t

[sutz12]

25. My sentiments exactly....nt

[IndianaGreen]

21. I think Wolfie and his high priced kept woman should go to Iraq, and stay there.

They both share the blame for the Iraq debacle, so why shouldn't they share the risk that our valiant troops have to endure due to the WMD deception.

[maddezmom]

22. I thought for sure when I woke up this am

this idiot would be gone...how much longer can this drag out?

[opihimoimoi]

23. Will Bush get to pick the nx crony for the World Bank Job? Cronies R US have a sale going on.