Today, President Bush named former Deputy Secretary of State and former U.S. trade representative Robert Zoellick as World Bank's new president (Washington Post). The appointment requires approval from World Bank's 24-member board.
Responding to the news, a World Bank official said Zoellick is "from the same people who brought you the Iraq war, the same people who brought you Paul Wolfowitz and Donald Rumsfeld" (Washington Post).
Bush's last appointee distinguished himself by becoming the only World Bank president forced to resign in disgrace (ABC News). Appointed in 2005, Wolfowitz resigned in May 2007 amid a somewhat-sexually tainted ethics scandal. The appointment of Wolfowitz was controversial, because 1) Wolfowitz was an architect of the Iraq war, and 2) Bush appointed him without consulting other WB shareholders (Financial Times).
Highlights from Zoellick's résumé include:
- Paid advisor to Enron.
- Member of "The Vulcans," (Bush's 2000 campaign advisory group that included Paul Wolfowitz and Condoleeza Rice).
- Various positions under former Sec. of State James Baker.
- Deputy Chief of Staff and Assistant to Bush's father.
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