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I'm Steve Ember with In the News, in VOA Special English.
President Bush this week nominated Paul Wolfwitz to become the president of the World Bank. The current head of the bank, Janes Wolfensohn, has held that position for ten years. His second-term ends May thirty-first. Mr. Wolfensohn announced in January that he would not seek a third-term as leader of the Development bank. It provides loans, policy advice and other assistance to help countries reduce poverty.
Paul Wolfwitz has served in both the States Department and the Defense Department. For the last four years, he has been deputy defense secretary under Donald Rumsfeld. Mr. Wolfwitz was a major planner of the invasion of Iraq two years ago. He is often called the architect of the war.
Some aid groups and others criticized the choice of an official so closely linked to the Iraq war to lead the World Bank. European reaction was mixed. Japan welcomed the nomination. Mr. Wolfwitz recently traveled to South Asia to see the damage from the earthquake and tsunami waves in December. He helped plan American military assistance to the area. His nomination must be approved by the 24 directors of the World Bank. They represent 184 member countries.
Traditionally, an American leads the World Bank while a European heads the International Monetary Fund. Paul Wolfwitz has taught at Yale and John Hopkins Universities. During the late 1990s, he served as an ambassador to Indonesia. He won praise as a diplomat. Later, Mr. Wolfwitz served asundersecretaryof defense for policy under the first president Bush. As such, he developed policy during the Persian Gulf War after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990. In 2001, he was a leading supporter of military strikes against Albania and Taleban in Afghanistan. That was after the September eleventh terrorists attacks on the United States. Each year, the World Bank provides thousands of millions of dollars to developing countries. Education and health programs often receive money. But critics of the World Bank say programs for the poor are often cut as a result of financial reforms required to get loans. They say rich countries get richer while poor countries struggle to repay. Mr. Bush described Paul Wolfwitz as approving leader and experienced diplomat who will guild the World Bank efficiently and honorably.
Also this week, the White House sent to the Senate the nomination of presidential adviser John Bowfin for his new job. Mr. Bush has chosen the State Department official as an ambassador to the United Nations. Mr. Bowfin has been a critic of the UN. He is to replace John Negrouponet who is nominated as the first director of National Intelligence.
In the news, in VOA Special English was written by Jerilyn Watson. I'm Steve Ember.
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