Bush WB Nominee Draws Mixed Reactions

The choice of the hawkish Pentagon official also drew cool responses from close US allies and even American senators, describing Wolfowitz’s nomination as casting more doubts on the US policies to mend fences with the European allies.

“Paul Wolfowitz is the most controversial choice Bush could have made,” said Njoki Njoroge Njehu, director of the 50 Years Is Enough Network.

“As the most prominent advocate of imposing the United States’ will on the world — the architect of the disastrous invasion and occupation of Iraq — this appointment signals to developing countries that the US is just as serious about imposing its will on borrowers from the World Bank as on the countries of the Middle East,” she added.

US President George W. Bush said Wednesday, March 16, that he nominated Wolfowitz to become the new World Bank chief, replacing his current chair James Wolfensohn.

“I appreciate the world leaders taking my phone calls as I explained to them why I think Paul will be a strong president of the World Bank,” Bush told a press conference Wednesday.

Wolfowitz is the main architect of the US-led invasion-turned-occupation of Iraq, which was bitterly opposed not only by traditional US allies such as France and Germany, but also by the majority of the world community.

He is also the mastermind of many of the post-invasion policies in the oil-rich country, including privatization, deregulation and commodification of social services and public goods, along with plans to end subsidies that sustain millions of Iraqi citizens.

Confrontation

The nomination also drew shocking reactions from many independent development groups, watchdogs and civil society analysts, who predicted a new phase of confrontation between the global social justice movement and the World Bank.

“In his career, Wolfowitz has so far not shown any interest in poverty reduction, environmental protection and human rights,” said Peter Bosshard, the policy director of the International Rivers Network (IRN).

“His election as World Bank president would most likely exacerbate the current backlash against social and environmental concerns at the World Bank, and would initiate a new era of conflict between the Bank and civil society.”

The California-based non-governmental organization also stressed that the choice of Wolfowitz reflects a disdain for international law.

“The deputy defense secretary’s strong support for the Iraq war reflects a disdain for international law and a multilateral approach to conflict resolution that disqualifies Wolfowitz from leading a multilateral institution,” IRN said in a statement.