Who is Robert Zoellick?
Yesterday, Robert Zoellick was nominated by Bush, to become the President of the World Bank. It appears highly likely that the World Bank will accept Zoellick to replace the scandal-riddled, hair-lickin' Paul Wolfowitz. So who is this guy, Zoellick?
Well, yesterday, the BBC News website posted a profile of the 53-year-old, Robert Zoellick
Here are the highlights:
• Zoellick, a Harvard-trained lawyer, is described "as an enthusiastic advocate of free trade and an internationalist with a broad range of foreign contacts."
• He completed negotiations to bring China and Taiwan into the World Trade Organization.
• Zoellick served as Deputy Chief of Staff to President George H.W. Bush (1992-3).
• He campaigned "aggressively" for G.W. Bush in 2000, and was loyal to him during his six years inside the Bush administration.
• He was U.S. Deputy Secretary of State (number two to Condoleezza Rice) from February 2005–June 2006.
• He left the U.S. State Department in June 2006, to take an executive role at the investment bank Goldman Sachs.
• Condi Rice had described him as her "alter ego," praising his "tireless work ethic" and saying his efforts had made the US "stronger and safer."
However, keenly aware that The World Bank is responsible for promoting economic development, and reducing global poverty, here's what others had to say about Robert Zoellick....
The Executive Director of the Global AIDS Alliance, Paul Zeitz, said that Mr. Zoellick "has been a close friend to the brand-name pharmaceutical industry."
"The bilateral trade agreements he has negotiated effectively block access to generic medication for millions of people.
"He has no significant experience in economic development in poor countries and from a public health standpoint, Zoellick is a terrible choice for World Bank President."
And Greenpeace International, citing Mr. Zoellick's role in a US legal challenge to European restrictions on biotech crops and foods, said: "Once again Bush has put loyalty ahead of merit."
And one more tid-bit, "The Adding Machine" is Bush's nickname for Zoellick.
4 comments:
Typical Bush muppet!
But he do lika da panda:
Who's yo daddy?!
Anon-
Yes, he lika da China!
How do you always find these photos?!
More on Zoellick...
He was a fellow at The German Marshall Fund of the U.S., a think tank.
This is their link for free video, audio, and transcripts of Zoellick at the annual "Brussels Forum" event on April 28-29, 2007:
http://www.gmfus.org/press/article.cfm?id=114&parent_type=R
Zoellick had appeared as a panelist on two sessions: "What Role Will Foreign Policy Play in the 2008 Campaign?" (which discussed Iraq, Afghanistan, Russia, China, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Rudy Giuliani) and "Transatlantic Approaches to China: Political and Economic Challenges."
Here's a snippet:
Zoellick said, "If I think of any problem in the world today, whether it be Iran, North Korea, Sudan, energy and the environment, capital markets, and I ask myself is it going to be easier or harder if you're working effectively with China, it's clearly easier if you're working with China."
FYI on the GMFUS:
http://www.gmfus.org/about/index.cfm
"The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) is a nonpartisan American public policy and grantmaking institution dedicated to promoting greater cooperation and understanding between the United States and Europe."
"Founded in 1972 through a gift from Germany as a permanent memorial to Marshall Plan assistance."
The GMF headquarters are Washington, DC, and they have six offices in Europe: Berlin, Bratislava, Paris, Brussels, Belgrade, and Ankara.
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