Petition to Oust Wolfowitz
Ben Wikler - Avaaz.org/CeasefireCampaign.org
On Friday, Paul Wolfowitz -- President Bush's key architect of the
Iraq war, now president of the World Bank and self-styled fighter
of corruption -- was caught red-handed in a corruption scandal of
his own. He pushed a huge pay raise for his girlfriend, and hid the
facts from his organization and the world.
He's got to go.
The World Bank's board, made up of our governments from around the
world, is now deciding whether Wolfowitz should keep his job. An
immediate, massive, and global outcry could make the difference.
Our petition is three words long: "Sack Paul Wolfowitz." Sign it
here:
www.avaaz.org/en/sack_wolfowitz/?cl=7327592
When Paul Wolfowitz was a top official in President Bush's Department
of Defense, he was one of the Iraq war's biggest backers. When the
war became a fiasco, instead of firing Wolfowitz, Bush gave him a
promotion--to president of the World Bank. At the Bank, he vowed
to make corruption his top issue--but alienated the world by delaying
aid packages to India, Kenya, and other countries without consulting
the bank's Executive Board.
Now we've learned that he didn't practice what he preached.
Wolfowitz's girlfriend was a senior World Bank employee. When he
became president, the Bank's ethics rules would not allow him to
keep her on staff under his supervision. So he transferred her to
the US State Department--but kept her on the Bank's payroll, and
gave her a US$60,000 pay raise. Her salary rose to US$193,590,
higher than Condi Rice's. What's more, it appears that Wolfowitz
hid the evidence of what he'd done.
Fighting corruption is a key to ending poverty. But there can't be
one standard for the rich and powerful and a different one for
everybody else.
The 24-member board of the World Bank, which uncovered Wolfowitz's
corruption through a special investigation, is now deciding his
fate. Bush is likely pulling strings to help Wolfowitz keep his
job. It's time for global public opinion to weigh in--which means
it's all up to you.
Click here now to sign the petition, and then send this email to
ten friends:
www.avaaz.org/en/sack_wolfowitz/?cl=7327592
Wolfowitz claimed the Iraq war would spread democracy, but it sparked
a civil war. He promised to fight corruption, but engaged in it
himself.
He talks a lot about accountability. It's time to bring some
accountability to Paul Wolfowitz.
With hope,
Ben, Ricken, Hannah, Galit, Lee-Sean, Tom, and the rest of the Avaaz
team.