The Wire

Members of the World Bank were shocked to hear that U.S. President George W.Bush yesterday nominated Paul Wolfowitz, a driving force behind the Iraq war, to lead the World Bank. Wolfowitz once told Vanity Fair Magazine that the American Government said its motive for going to war with Iraq was weapons of mass destruction, because it was the only thing they could all agree on. Some members of the World Bank are suspicious of his military background and are worried about how he will uphold their charter. Wolfowitz’s nomination coincides with the appointment of John Bolton to be U.S. Ambassador for the United Nations. Bolton has openly criticised the worth of the organisation in the past. Dr David Palmer, a senior lecturer in American Studies at Flinders University, says the two events demonstrate America’s primary economic motives, and believes Wolfowitz will be a dangerous leader if he is appointed.