Today WaPo reported the finally ending saga of Paul Wolfowitz. Here's the short version:
"...a committee report found that he broke ethics rules in awarding a substantial raise to his girlfriend." But Wolfowitz raised a stink: he would not resign, forcing the rest of the world in a vote against America in a World Bank high noon showdown. Unless...they said nice things about him. Everyone else: eh, okay:
In a statement released last night, the board conceded that "a number of mistakes were made by a number of individuals in handling the matter under consideration," and the bank would need to improve its ethical procedures. The board declared that Wolfowitz "assured us that he acted ethically and in good faith in what he believed were the best interests of the institution, and we accept that."That's the job I want: screw the World Bank, go all kinds of unethical, just to get my girlfriend a raise, and then get a raving review after they proved it just to see you go. Holy damn.
The statement added: "We are grateful to Mr. Wolfowitz for his service at the bank. Much has been achieved in the last two years."
Don't know how many of you have seen Shaha Riza:
This is apparently the only picture ever taken of her.
So to recap a story that has already been told in so many ways: America gets what it wants, looks like douchebag; Rest of the world shrugs, looks weak.