This Wolfowitz story gets stranger and stranger

[Robbien]

over at thinkprogress

In 2005, World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz appointed former-Spanish government official Ana Palacio as Bank General Counsel, one of the top positions in the organization. Wolfowitz claimed that he had appointed Palacio for her “legal skill and diplomacy” and for her “exceptional leadership and management capabilities, which he assured “she will bring to this position.”

In reality, she was appointed largely because of her strong support for the Iraq war, and “diplomacy” does not appear to be one of her traits. Highly unpopular within the Bank, an anonymous bank employee speaks up today at the site worldbankpresident.org:

She is known to be overbearing and yell on a regular basis. … She is known to intimidate people by mentioning her proximity to the President. Her conduct can only be characterized as unprofessional. Since the time she has been holding the position, two members of her immediate staff have left after very short periods on the basis of “untenable working conditions”. …. Throughout the Bank, staff find her absent, incoherent, rude and simply not fitted for the job.

Considered a “personal friend” of Shaha Riza’s by bank employees, Palacio has gone to great lengths to deflect the ongoing investigations. As the bank’s top legal counsel, she was supposed to help investigate the pay raise controversy, but she instead tried to stonewall the investigation from even occurring. According to an internal Bank bulletin, a bank employee wrote:

As last week’s Board meeting on Riza-gate was about to commence, Mr. Wolfowitz and Mmes. Cleveland and Palacio barged into the Board room and demanded to participate in the closed-door Board session. An argument ensued between the Board and the executive triumvirate. … Ms. Palacio demanded to stay because she claimed she had a right to remain as counsel to the board. … A needless debate that lasted close to an hour followed and MS. PALACIO REFUSED TO LEAVE THE BOARD ROOM! The board was then forced to adjourn the meeting.

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/16/wolfowitz-palacio/

So much of this GOP arrogance stuff going on all over the place. Looks like the guys over at the World Bank were waiting for the power switch this last November in order to do something about their GOP problem.

[soothsayer]

1. there has to be more to this than the gf raise.

I wonder what else he's done.

[H2O Man]

5. Right.

The public is seeing the surface. There is surely more going on.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

7. There are a lot of Repug/GOP/Neocon icebergs

adrift in the ocean of corruption. I am hoping the environment continues to expose their underbellies.

[Spazito]

12. There is much more to be sure, imo

Wolfowitz was put there for a reason and it was not to serve the World Bank's interests, odious as they have become, it was to serve a different purpose. I believe Wolfowitz is one of the names listed and who's signatures was affixed to the PNAC 'manifesto'. PNAC's goals are not the WB's goals, both are rapacious, imo, but in a different context, the PNAC group's goals are totally US centric.

I suspect the PNAC 'powers-that-be" are not pleased with Wolfy right now, he has screwed up royally and jeopardized the US control of the WB, a key part of their ultimate goal.

[Lint Head]

2. These pricks will not leave. They must be removed.

Wolofowitz and Gonzales may have to be removed forcibly by the authorities. I don't believe there is a congressman, democrat or republican, that has the gonads to do this. They must think they will get there $600.00 suits messed up.:dem:

[LonelyLRLiberal]

3. The sheer arrogance of this gang is astounding.

I don't know how this country is going to endure the remainder of the Bush Regime.

[Swamp Rat]

4. Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction.

:D

[tanyev]

6. Time to take out the trash at the World Bank.

It's starting to smell.

[seemslikeadream]

8. Why am I makin' Wolfie World Bank Chief?

[Fridays Child]

9. A face, to go with the name...

[Robbien]

11. Geeze, you would think that with that face screaming at them 24/7

they would have complained before now

I could see her plopping herself down uninvited in a board meeting.

[rurallib]

14. Sounds like a female John Bolton.

sounds like a lot of repukes got their way as a kid by screaming and kicking and crying.

[Lasher]

10. Palacio reminds me of Lynne Cheney

Bless her heart.

[wordpix]

13. you get top dollar to carry BushCo's water

[bonito]

15. She's more than just a girlfriend - wikipedia- WOW

Ana Palacio Vallelersundi (born August 22, 1948)<1> was the Minister for Foreign Affairs in the People's Party (PP) government of José María Aznar from July 2002-March 2004. Before this she was a lawyer in Madrid and then a Member of the European Parliament from 1994 to 2002.

In December 2000 she was diagnosed with cancer. She refused to wear a wig or a hat when the chemotherapy made her hair fall out. She currently serves as a member of the international advisory board of the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

Her sister, Loyola de Palacio, was a minister in the Spanish government from 1996 to 1998, and a member of the European Commission from 1999 to 2004.

World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz announced on June 19, 2006 her appointment as Senior Vice-President and General Counsel of the World Bank effective August 28, 2006<2>.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ana_Palacio

[Robbien]

17. Hmmm. Aznar's political legal muscle being reused by Wolfowitz

Very interesting.

[peacetalksforall]

16. There is no problem with eruption dysfunction with these people.