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3 Wolfowitz
postings went to war backers By Emad Mekay and Jim Lobe
speech writer for Bush, wrote in
the National Review Online, a neo-conservative
outlet, asking for understanding.
Frum
suggested that Wolfowitz's self-styled and much
questioned campaign against corruption was too
important to end with his possible resignation
over this scandal.
"Under the
circumstances, it was Wolfowitz's duty to set the
most
stringent example. But even if he erred, let's not
lose sight of the larger issues - and the grosser
scandal," Frum wrote, suggesting that the bank's
global corruption fight was more noteworthy.
Another shot in the arm for Wolfowitz came
from Fox News, another unerring cheerleader in the
US media of the Iraq War that in the past gave
much play to Wolfowitz arguments about the weapons
of mass destruction that Saddam allegedly had.
"Documents give Wolfowitz a new lifeline
in World Bank scandal of girlfriend's job,"
screamed the headline on the Fox News web site.
The story went on to raise questions as to whether
the controversy over the benefits in question that
were awarded to Wolfowitz's girlfriend may have
been the work of those unhappy with Wolfowitz's
controversial anti-corruption campaign at the
bank.
"Many of those most irked at
Wolfowitz's tough stance were sitting on the board
that is now judging his actions," Fox News said.
It implied Wolfowitz's innocence, saying that he
may have indeed taken "steps to try and determine
if what he was doing was right - seemingly trying
to navigate his way through an arcane bureaucracy
with a maze of unusual rules and procedures".
Backing also came from another quarter
with similar credentials: editors of The Wall
Street Journal editorial page, known for their
right-wing leanings. The newspaper suggested the
scandal had no merit and was sheer power play.
"The dispute is so trivial that it betrays
that this fracas has little to do with Mr
Wolfowitz's ethics. The real fight here is over
his attempt to make the bank and its borrowers
more accountable for results, especially by
exposing and punishing corruption," said the
editorial.
Some support also came from the
inside the bank. In a departure from their often
reserved line, the World Bank's external affairs
unit, now headed by a close Iraq War ally,
Muasher, headlined a news story reporting on a
press conference by the more often ignored African
finance ministers on the bank's web site as such:
"African ministers praise Paul Wolfowitz's support
for the sub-continent."
The short piece on
Saturday failed to report how African finance
ministers in their conference have said they would
respect the decision by the bank's board, which is
looking into Wolfowitz's job at the helm of the
Washington-based lender.
But despite this
sudden rallying of support as the Wolfowitz camp
regroups, the original questions remain
unanswered: why Riza took a pay hike that is far
more than the World Bank protocols state, and why
the attempted coverup.
If World Bank staff
rules had been respected, Riza was not to receive
percentage increases greater than 12% and 3.7%,
respectively as part of the settlement.
Yet payroll data obtained from the World
Bank show that Riza, a communications officer,
received a $47,300 and another 7.5% raise bringing
her salary to $193,590, about $7,000 more than
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice earns. The
board did not recommend that Wolfowitz award a
salary increase of such dimensions to Riza.
And when asked about Riza's raises, a
spokesman for Wolfowitz, Kevin Kellmes, told the
Washington Post that that action was taken by the
World Bank board of directors. The board still
denies involvement and, to date, no evidence has
surfaced to prove otherwise.
But most
telling of all perhaps is that Wolfowitz himself
admitted it. In his own words, Wolfowitz on
Thursday told a room full of reporters in
Washington: "I made a mistake, for which I am
sorry." (Inter Press Service)
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