Downfall of an arrogant man

At one time, in Britain, there was a joke poll to suggest the best epitaph on Margaret Thatcher's gravestone when the time eventually came, and one wag suggested 'Licensed for Dancing'. That's exactly how I feel, politically speaking, about the demise of Paul Wolfowitz, who, it has been announced, will step down from his job as president of the World Bank on June 30th.



Donald Rumsfeld's former second-in-command, arch neo-con and one of the prime architects of the Iraq War stepped into the prestigious job two years ago, a job that has always been held by an American.

He had shown his arrogant dismissal of critics and detractors during his destructive years in government but in this august role the man excelled himself. Wolfowitz did notify the Bank of his relationship with a Bank employee, Shaha Riza, and proposed that, to avoid a 'conflict of interest' Ms. Riza be moved to the State Department which he had the power to organise. The Bank agreed with the proposed solution but Wolfowitz went further, ensuring that his girlfriend was paid way above the rate for the role she was to undertake and in fact at a salary which exceeded that of Condoleeza Rice the US Secretary of State.

When confronted with this, Wolfowitz conceded 'mistakes had been made' - but that it was simply a technical issue and not a resigning matter.

Wolfowitz has caused embarrassment for the Bank by hanging on like a limpet and refusing to quit. He sought, and initially obtained, support from the Bush Administration despite a growing clamour from Bank officials all around the globe that he should go. This arrogant man, when interviewed by a Bank committee last week, even suggested that the position of the World Bank vis a vis its relationship with the American government could be jeopardised if he was forced to quit. The sheer nerve of the man!

Before yesterday's announcement was made I guessed the writing was on the wall for Paul Wolfowitz when a question was asked of President Bush during his press conference with Tony Blair. The questioner asked if Wolfowitz continued to have Bush's support and, a rarity, Bush paused, weighed his words carefully and said 'Paul Wolfowitz has done a fine job and I'm sorry it has come to this'. Those few words spelled out the fact that the White House was no longer prepared to invest any time in him.

And so this man, who thought his track record in government made him bullet-proof and who was determined to hang on regardless of ongoing damage to the institution over which he presided has finally had the mat pulled from under his feet. May it be a long, long drop!