Paul Wolfowitz
Paul Dundes Wolfowitz (born December 22, 1943) is an American political scientist and diplomat who served as the 10th President of the World Bank, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia, and dean of Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University. He is currently a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.[1]
Paul Wolfowitz
Having proposed a plan to invade Iraq in 2001, Wolfowitz was an early advocate of the Iraq War and has widely been described as an architect of the war.[2][3][4][5][6] In the aftermath of the insurgency and civil war that followed the invasion, Wolfowitz denied influencing policy on Iraq and disclaimed responsibility.[3][7] He is a leading neoconservative.[8][9]
In 2005, he left the Pentagon to serve as president of the World Bank only to resign after two years over a scandal involving allegations he used his position to help World Bank staffer Shaha Riza to whom he was romantically linked.[10] A Reuters report described his tenure there as "a protracted battle over his stewardship, prompted by his involvement in a high-paying promotion for his companion".[11][12] Wolfowitz is the only World Bank president to have resigned over a scandal.[13]
Recent activities[edit]
As a visiting scholar of the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, Wolfowitz has blogged for the group[90] and appeared in group events.[91][92] In 2011, he wrote columns that appeared in publications such as The Independent, The Sunday Times, and Newsweek.[93]
Wolfowitz is a former steering committee member of the Bilderberg group.[94]
In February 2013, Wolfowitz publicly supported legal recognition for same-sex marriage in an amicus brief submitted to the US Supreme Court.[95]
In February 2015, Wolfowitz advised presidential candidate Jeb Bush.[96]
In August 2016, Wolfowitz announced his intention to vote for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 United States presidential election, despite having "serious reservations about her."[97] However, in a December interview on Fox Business, Wolfowitz claimed that he did not in fact vote for Clinton.[98]
In January 2017, Wolfowitz wrote an op-ed in The New York Times commenting on a "dissent cable" that had been signed by 1,000 Foreign Service Officers criticizing President Trump's executive action on immigration.[99]
In February 2023, Wolfowitz was awarded Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon by President of the Republic of China Tsai Ing-wen.[100][101]