yinjing
25-04-2007, 10:30 AM
I thought I'd enlighten you with a copy of today's leader from www.eb.dk
DANMARK er rodet ind i den sex- og korruptionsskandale, der udvikler sig omkring Verdensbankens direktør, Paul Wolfowitz.
12 mio. skattekroner er strandet i en international fond med det løfterige navn Foundation for the Future, som har det hæderværdige formål at ’støtte uafhængige civilsamfunds- og demokratiseringsprojekter’ i Mellemøsten og Nordafrika.
Reelt er der tale om et spøgelseskontor, der ikke har udbetalt en krone siden oprettelsen i 2005, ikke har nogen telefon, ingen officiel adresse, og som kun har holdt fire møder.
FORETAGENDET styres af Paul Wolfowitz’ kæreste, den tunesisk-fødte Shaha Riza, der også er den eneste ansatte på kontoret.
Hun er en central skikkelse i hele oprøret mod Wolfowitz. Hun var ansat i Verdensbanken, indtil han blev direktør. Hun blev vurderet til at være for tæt på sin øverste chef og blev derfor overført til det amerikanske udenrigsministerium som ’ekstern konsulent’.
Verdensbanken betaler stadig hendes løn, og som kompensation for overførslen skaffede Wolfowitz hende en lønforhøjelse på 50 procent, så hun nu tjener 1,3 mio. kr. næsten skattefrit - væsentligt mere end USA’s udenrigsminister, Condoleezza Rice.
DENNE MANØVRE har bragt Wolfowitz i voldsomt stormvejr. 42 chefer i Verdensbanken har krævet hans afgang, og bestyrelsen undersøger lige nu, om han brød Verdensbankens regler ved at kræve så enorm en lønforhøjelse til sin kæreste.
Man kan ikke sige, Wolfowitz’ disposition er særlig heldig, når han netop har erklæret krig mod international korruption og nepotisme.
I forvejen var han ikke noget populært valg. Som USA’s viceforsvarsminister var han en af chef-arkitekterne bag Irak-krigen og derfor en hadeskikkelse i hele den arabiske verden.
TRODS SIN høje løn bliver Shaha Riza tilsyneladende ikke overbebyrdet med arbejde i det amerikanske udenrigsministerium.
Verdensbanken er berygtet for sin ineffektivitet og langsommelige sagsbehandling, egenskaber, som direktørens kæreste åbenbart har taget med sig i sit nye job.
MAN SKULLE tro, at udenrigsminister Per Stig Møller (K) ville slå i bordet og kræve svar på, hvordan spøgelseskontoret i Washington D.C. egentlig havde tænkt sig at bruge de 12 mio. kr., som han betalte til foretagendet under et udenrigs- og finansministermøde i Bahrain i 2005.
Men udenrigsministeren nægter at udtale sig, skønt Danmark er en af de større bidragydere.
Eneste melding fra den danske regering omkring hele Verdensbank-skandalen har været et spagfærdigt pip fra udviklingsminister Ulla Tørnæs (V) om, at hun forholder sig kritisk til Wolfowitz.
DET ER ganske enkelt for tyndt. Skatteyderne har krav på at vide, hvad deres 12 mio. kr. bliver brugt til. Det er dobbelt som meget, som Storbritannien giver.
Og den danske regering må i klar tale meddele omverdenen, hvad den mener om, at en korrupt mand leder Verdensbanken, som vi har et vidtstrakt samarbejde med.
In case you haven't got your dictionary at hand I have made a rushed attempt to translate it:
Denmark is mixed up in the evolving sex and corruption scandal that surrounds the world bank president Paul Wolfowitz
12 million (DKR) of tax payer's money has ended up in an international fund with the promising name Foundation for the Future that serves the honourable purpose of supporting "independent democracy-facilitating initiatives" in the Middle east and North Africa.
In reality it's a ghost office which hasn't paid a dime since it's creation in 2005, hasn't got a phone installed, hasn't got an official address, and which has only hosted 4 meetings. It is managed by Paul Wolfowitz’ girlfriend, tunisian Shaha Riza who happens to be the only employee.
She is a pivotal character in the revolt against Wolfowitz. She was employed in the world bank, till he became president. She was found to be too closely associated with her boss and was thus transfered to the Americian ministry of foreign affairs.
The world bank is still paying her salary and to compensate for her transfer she was granted a 50% raise by Wolfowitz.
This means she makes 1,3 million DKR almost tax-free which is more than Condoleezza Rice.
This move has caused Wolfowitz violent opposition. 42 of the world bank bosses have demanded his exit and it is currently being investigated if any rules were broken.
One can hardly say Wolfowitz is in a fortunate place as he has recently declared war on international corruption and nepotism.
From the start he was an unpopular choice as president due to his former position as vice secretary of defense and main architect of the Iraq war which has made him a much hated figure in the muslim world.
In spite of her high pay Shaha Riza is apparently not troubled by the work load in the ministry of foreign affairs.
The world bank is famous for its inefficiency and slow hearings, qualities, ms Riza apparently brought with her to the new job.
One would think that secretary of foreign affairs Per Stig Møller would be thumping the table and demanding answers to how the "ghost office" in Washington had planned to spend the 12 million DKR which he paid the office during a meeting in Bahrain in 2005.
But the secretary refuses to comment despite the fact that Denmark is one of the major contributors.
The only word from the Danish government in relation to the entire scandal comes from secretary of development [low ranking] Ulla Tørnæs who meekly chirps that she remains critical of Wolfowitz.
THIS IS way too little. The tax payers have the right to know what their money has been spent on. We've paid twice as much as the UK.
The DK government must state its opinion on the fact that a corrupt man is president of the world bank with which we have close relations.
The best solution would be the exit of Wolfowitz even though this might not be popular among his White House buddies.
DANMARK er rodet ind i den sex- og korruptionsskandale, der udvikler sig omkring Verdensbankens direktør, Paul Wolfowitz.
12 mio. skattekroner er strandet i en international fond med det løfterige navn Foundation for the Future, som har det hæderværdige formål at ’støtte uafhængige civilsamfunds- og demokratiseringsprojekter’ i Mellemøsten og Nordafrika.
Reelt er der tale om et spøgelseskontor, der ikke har udbetalt en krone siden oprettelsen i 2005, ikke har nogen telefon, ingen officiel adresse, og som kun har holdt fire møder.
FORETAGENDET styres af Paul Wolfowitz’ kæreste, den tunesisk-fødte Shaha Riza, der også er den eneste ansatte på kontoret.
Hun er en central skikkelse i hele oprøret mod Wolfowitz. Hun var ansat i Verdensbanken, indtil han blev direktør. Hun blev vurderet til at være for tæt på sin øverste chef og blev derfor overført til det amerikanske udenrigsministerium som ’ekstern konsulent’.
Verdensbanken betaler stadig hendes løn, og som kompensation for overførslen skaffede Wolfowitz hende en lønforhøjelse på 50 procent, så hun nu tjener 1,3 mio. kr. næsten skattefrit - væsentligt mere end USA’s udenrigsminister, Condoleezza Rice.
DENNE MANØVRE har bragt Wolfowitz i voldsomt stormvejr. 42 chefer i Verdensbanken har krævet hans afgang, og bestyrelsen undersøger lige nu, om han brød Verdensbankens regler ved at kræve så enorm en lønforhøjelse til sin kæreste.
Man kan ikke sige, Wolfowitz’ disposition er særlig heldig, når han netop har erklæret krig mod international korruption og nepotisme.
I forvejen var han ikke noget populært valg. Som USA’s viceforsvarsminister var han en af chef-arkitekterne bag Irak-krigen og derfor en hadeskikkelse i hele den arabiske verden.
TRODS SIN høje løn bliver Shaha Riza tilsyneladende ikke overbebyrdet med arbejde i det amerikanske udenrigsministerium.
Verdensbanken er berygtet for sin ineffektivitet og langsommelige sagsbehandling, egenskaber, som direktørens kæreste åbenbart har taget med sig i sit nye job.
MAN SKULLE tro, at udenrigsminister Per Stig Møller (K) ville slå i bordet og kræve svar på, hvordan spøgelseskontoret i Washington D.C. egentlig havde tænkt sig at bruge de 12 mio. kr., som han betalte til foretagendet under et udenrigs- og finansministermøde i Bahrain i 2005.
Men udenrigsministeren nægter at udtale sig, skønt Danmark er en af de større bidragydere.
Eneste melding fra den danske regering omkring hele Verdensbank-skandalen har været et spagfærdigt pip fra udviklingsminister Ulla Tørnæs (V) om, at hun forholder sig kritisk til Wolfowitz.
DET ER ganske enkelt for tyndt. Skatteyderne har krav på at vide, hvad deres 12 mio. kr. bliver brugt til. Det er dobbelt som meget, som Storbritannien giver.
Og den danske regering må i klar tale meddele omverdenen, hvad den mener om, at en korrupt mand leder Verdensbanken, som vi har et vidtstrakt samarbejde med.
In case you haven't got your dictionary at hand I have made a rushed attempt to translate it:
Denmark is mixed up in the evolving sex and corruption scandal that surrounds the world bank president Paul Wolfowitz
12 million (DKR) of tax payer's money has ended up in an international fund with the promising name Foundation for the Future that serves the honourable purpose of supporting "independent democracy-facilitating initiatives" in the Middle east and North Africa.
In reality it's a ghost office which hasn't paid a dime since it's creation in 2005, hasn't got a phone installed, hasn't got an official address, and which has only hosted 4 meetings. It is managed by Paul Wolfowitz’ girlfriend, tunisian Shaha Riza who happens to be the only employee.
She is a pivotal character in the revolt against Wolfowitz. She was employed in the world bank, till he became president. She was found to be too closely associated with her boss and was thus transfered to the Americian ministry of foreign affairs.
The world bank is still paying her salary and to compensate for her transfer she was granted a 50% raise by Wolfowitz.
This means she makes 1,3 million DKR almost tax-free which is more than Condoleezza Rice.
This move has caused Wolfowitz violent opposition. 42 of the world bank bosses have demanded his exit and it is currently being investigated if any rules were broken.
One can hardly say Wolfowitz is in a fortunate place as he has recently declared war on international corruption and nepotism.
From the start he was an unpopular choice as president due to his former position as vice secretary of defense and main architect of the Iraq war which has made him a much hated figure in the muslim world.
In spite of her high pay Shaha Riza is apparently not troubled by the work load in the ministry of foreign affairs.
The world bank is famous for its inefficiency and slow hearings, qualities, ms Riza apparently brought with her to the new job.
One would think that secretary of foreign affairs Per Stig Møller would be thumping the table and demanding answers to how the "ghost office" in Washington had planned to spend the 12 million DKR which he paid the office during a meeting in Bahrain in 2005.
But the secretary refuses to comment despite the fact that Denmark is one of the major contributors.
The only word from the Danish government in relation to the entire scandal comes from secretary of development [low ranking] Ulla Tørnæs who meekly chirps that she remains critical of Wolfowitz.
THIS IS way too little. The tax payers have the right to know what their money has been spent on. We've paid twice as much as the UK.
The DK government must state its opinion on the fact that a corrupt man is president of the world bank with which we have close relations.
The best solution would be the exit of Wolfowitz even though this might not be popular among his White House buddies.