Orders to Play Down ‘Climate Change’ Came From Wolfowitz’ Office
The following was posted on The Government Accountability Project (GAP) website today www.whistleblower.org.
April 27, 2007
Washington, D.C. – The Government Accountability Project (GAP) has acquired an internal World Bank document that summarizes a February 2006 meeting of World Bank officials regarding climate change and clean energy. The document indicates that orders to tone down references to "climate change" in an environmental strategy paper originated in the office of Bank president Paul Wolfowitz.
For more information please contact: Bea Edwards, GAP International Director, beae@whistleblower.org, tel.: 202-408-0034 ext 155 or Dylan Blaylock, GAP Communications Director, dylanb@whistleblower.org, tel.: 202-408-0034 ext 137, 202-236-3733 (cell)
See Comments for full story
24 comments:
Geeze... is the order to 'cool it' kind of like the letter he wrote the EDs asking for a hearing with his lawyer?
This must be Kellems's hand.
"At his insistence, an upcoming report on climate change is to be given the limp title Clean Energy and Development."
http://www.newstatesman.com/200605150014
Don't overlook Whistleblower's OTHER revelation from earlier today, entitled "Wolfowitz and Cleveland Misrepresent Riza Assignment to World Bank Board"
http://whistleblower.org/template/page.cfm?page_id=182
Another editorial calling for PW's resignation:
http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news_s.php?articleid=1143967894
Kenyan newspaper calls for PW to go
http://allafrica.com/stories/200704270842.html
Kenyan newspaper calls for PW to go
http://allafrica.com/stories/200704270842.html
Both PW and Riza will appear before the Board on Monday morning:
http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnN26414436.html
Editorial in Gulf Times calling for PW to go:
http://www.gulfnews.com/opinion/columns/world/10121299.html
Jamestown New York wants the guy out:
http://post-journal.com/articles.asp?articleID=14969
WashPost columnist Colbert King thinks Wolf is a disgrace:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/27/AR2007042701781.html
This story is full of inaccuracies (if the World Bank is "full" of people living on six-figure salaries, then where is mine? And where is my five star hotel? And where are my "best invites"?):
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig6/williamson2.html
New York Times repeats it all again: Just go:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/28/opinion/28sat2.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
He's not popular in Hampton Springs, either:
http://www.dailypress.com/news/opinion/dp-15139sy0apr28,0,5545181.story?coll=dp-opinion-editorials
This article has one of the most apt headlines that I've seen in all the media coverage of this case thus far: "Inside the Glass House":
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/070429/Columns/inside.html
This article says the Bank spends $5 million a year just for the security to protect PW:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/04/29/wolfie29.xml
Another matter that has not yet been adequately investigated is if Shaha Riza is receiving financial compensation from the Foundation for the Future in addition to her WB salary.
Satire. One columnist's speculation on what would happen if we traded around politicans, political appointees, and radio show hosts the way they traded around sports players in the major leagues. Amusing. Includes a line on Wolfowitz.
http://www.pe.com/columns/danbernstein/stories/PE_News_Local_H_dan29.d58317.html
Agreed with Anon at 7:13 am above. Shaha's entire assignment to the Foundation of the Future, I think, has not been adequately investigated (unless it's in the works somewhere but not enough information has been put together to produce a coherent news story on it). In addition to the particular question raised above, I would add: What DOES that foundation do? (apparently not much) Are there any reporters trying to track this down? What are Riza's responsibilities there? What has she accomplished in her time there? If this is a legitimate organization then surely it shouldn't be too difficult to get responses to these. Of course, if it's not so legit, then these kinds of questions become more problematic.
Latest update on PW's planned appearance before the committee tomorrow: he is apparently expected to argue that the Ethics committee knew about the deal all along:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18384370/
and at:
http://www.townhall.com/News/NewsArticle.aspx?contentGUID=ed672b82-26d8-49e4-8530-0e3bc9fe3002
An editorial in a Sri Lankan publication that calls upon international organizations to practice the good governance that they preach to Sri Lanka (with reference to Wolfowitz):
http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/04/30/fea02.asp
PW, Board, seeking for a way to avoid confrontation -- this might mean something among the lines of PW's resignation with a reprimand but also an acknowledgement that he acted in good faith and with the knowledge of the ethics committee:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/04/29/news/wolf.php
Andrew Young, a man who works against poverty in Anacostia Wash DC and Africa, writes in defense of PW:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/29/AR2007042901323.html
I thought Andrew Young worked on the problem of his own poverty.... The fact that he happens to be in Washington is incidental.
Is he waiting on a Bank loan to finance his African business?
The following was posted on The Government Accountability Project (GAP) website today www.whistleblower.org.
April 27, 2007
Washington, D.C. – The Government Accountability Project (GAP) has acquired an internal World Bank document that summarizes a February 2006 meeting of World Bank officials regarding climate change and clean energy. The document indicates that orders to tone down references to "climate change" in an environmental strategy paper originated in the office of Bank president Paul Wolfowitz.
This development comes on the heels of news reports identifying Juan Jose Daboub, the Bank's Managing Director, as the Bank official who tried to "water down references to climate change." Daboub was also exposed by GAP earlier this month as the Bank Managing Director responsible for removing references to "family planning" in both a Madagascar-assistance strategy paper and a new health strategy draft.
The summary specifies Wolfowitz' office's involvement after the meeting. The final paragraph of the summary reads:
Feedback from the President's office subsequent to the meeting asked the team to refocus the paper shifting from a climate lens mainly to a clean energy lens.
You can view the summary by clicking here.
"This revision is yet another example of Mr. Wolfowitz' attempt to align Bank policy with the ideological positions of the Bush administration," said GAP International Program Director Bea Edwards.
The climate change controversy comes during a firestorm of criticism of Wolfowitz in the wake of GAP's release of documents detailing Shaha Riza's pay raise, her questionable work for defense contractor SAIC, and Daboub's removal of "family planning," among other issues.
For more information please contact: Bea Edwards, GAP International Director, beae@whistleblower.org, tel.: 202-408-0034 ext 155 or Dylan Blaylock, GAP Communications Director, dylanb@whistleblower.org, tel.: 202-408-0034 ext 137, 202-236-3733 (cell)
Government Accountability Project
The Government Accountability Project is the nation's leading whistleblower protection organization. Through litigating whistleblower cases, publicizing concerns and developing legal reforms, GAP's mission is to protect the public interest by promoting government and corporate accountability. Founded in 1977, GAP is a non-profit, non-partisan advocacy organization with offices in Washington, D.C. and Seattle, WA.
Post a Comment