Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Anwar Ibrahim, Paul Wolfowitz & Shaha Ali Reza

Remember my post How sweet is it (1) where I remarked that Anwar Ibrahim’s good friend, Paul Wolfowitz - ultra neocon Zionist (though minus the steroids), architect of the Iraqi invasion - has fallen on his own sword of an anti-corruption drive in the World Bank. He has been forced into resigning because of his cosy sweetheart deal for his sweetheart – a shameful case of cakap ta’serupa bikin (double standards), as might be expected of a neocon Zionist.

And not only that, but his war-mongering notoriety has been so repulsive that Europeans have told him he, the president of the World Bank
would not be welcome at a World Bank forum (for Africa)!

I couldn’t help sticking it in further by saying what further insult could beat that, when the president of a World Bank has been snubbed and told not to appear at a forum for which his organisation has sponsored.

Then, perhaps out of compassion ;-) for Wolfowitz, now severely ostracized by most of the world, I suggested that perhaps Anwar Ibrahim could, if he becomes PM of Malaysia after the next general election (as he continues to aspire to), give his good friend a job, say, as an adviser on international finance.

Lo and behold, before I could complete spelling ‘ostracized’,
malaysiakini reported that Anwar Ibrahim is in damage control over allegations that he, as chairperson of the Foundation of the Future, was involved in the appointment Shaha Ali Reza, the girlfriend of Wolfowitz. Reza is the woman at the centre of the dodgy controversy that has cost Wolfowitz his World Bank job.

malaysiakini reported that Anwar was alleged to have written to Robin Cleveland, Wolfowitz’s counselor at the World Bank, requesting for Reza to be transferred from the US State Department to the Foundation.

The transfer raised Reza’s salary by 36%, from US$133,000 (RM452,000) to US$193,590 (RM659,000). Lots of lollies!

On the domestic scene, the world’s most famous SIL is now tearing into the world’s most famous political reformer – god, aren’t we Malaysians just lucky when we have so many ‘world most famous personalities’ to help fill up our Book of Records.

Yes, KJ has demanded that Anwar clarify his relationship with Wolfowitz, and explain his motive in helming* the foundation.
* any statistician out there who can help me determine how many times malaysiakini has used this word (helm) instead of ‘head’, ‘lead’, chair’, command’, or even nautical ones like ‘skipper’, ‘captain’, etc
But Anwar has threatened to take action against anyone who persists in suggesting he had been responsible of Reza’s transfer to the Foundation, because he claimed that Reza was first assigned by the World Bank through the US State Department to the foundation in late 2005 before he became chairperson in mid 2006.

However, he added that the executive committee of the foundation then decided in mid-2006 to regularise the appointment so that Reza advises directly from the World Bank and not the US State Department.


Then Anwar said:
“From the onset, the foundation obtained pledges of US$56 million, and thus far only received funds from Turkey, UK and Jordan, while the US has not disbursed any funds to the foundation.”
But according to the
Washington Post, the US State Department contributed almost two-thirds of the foundation's $56 million budget.

Well …….. Anwar said the US hasn't but the US State Department declared it has, with 2/3 of the budget. I am not sure who is right, but never mind!

Now, this is another part that doesn’t jell with Anwar’s clarification, namely the date of appointment. The Washington Post (WP) has this to say:
“Riza moved to the foundation in December 2006 to become senior adviser to its executive committee and board of directors, according to documents released yesterday by the World Bank."
So, according to the WP, Reza moved to the Foundation in December 2006 but Anwar said it was late 2005. The WP quoted documents released by the World Bank. But hey, the World Bank's documents could be, must be wrong!
"A letter dated Oct. 1, 2006, from Anwar Ibrahim, the foundation's chairman, to Robin Cleveland, Wolfowitz's counselor, said that if Riza moved from State to the foundation, she would recruit staff, supervise the hiring and training of senior management in the Middle East, identify programs to receive grants and supervise the implementation of policies on programs, finances and administration. The Bank concurs with this proposal," Cleveland handwrote on Dec. 14, 2006."
Again, according to the WP, it was Anwar who wrote the letter requesting for Reza’s transfer to the Foundation on 01 Oct 2006, more than 2 months before Reza moved to the Foundation. Of course KTemoc prefers to believe our own Malaysian rather than foreigners (huh ... WHAT!!!).
Yahoo News quoting The Nation also supported the WP news, but it stated more than just the date of Reza’s appointment to the Foundation. It went on to describe the chummy relationship between neocon Zionist Wolfowitz and Anwar Ibrahim, as follows:
"Over a year later, on October 1, 2006, Anwar Ibrahim, chairman of the Foundation for the Future, wrote Robin Cleveland, a senior Wolfowitz aide at the Bank, and requested the transfer of Riza from the State Department to the Foundation for the Future. Two months later, after Cleveland instructed the Bank's vice president of human resources to approve the transfer, the Bank okayed the switch."
"The Anwar letter and other Bank documents related to this transfer did not mention that Anwar is a longtime friend of Wolfowitz. One of Asia's most prominent Muslim politicians, Anwar was a former deputy prime minister of Malaysia. He and Wolfowitz met and developed a friendship in the mid-1980s, when Wolfowitz was U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, according to Aasil Ahmad, an adviser to Anwar."

"In 1998, after addressing a rally protesting the government, Anwar was arrested and subsequently jailed on corruption and sodomy charges. During his years in jail, Wolfowitz was an outspoken champion of Anwar. Shortly after the 9/11 attacks, Anwar, while still imprisoned, wrote an essay condemning the attacks and calling on the Muslim worked to address the suffering inflicted on the Muslim masses in Iraq by its dictator."
"... to address the suffering inflicted on the Muslim masses in Iraq by its dictator."


Hmmm, doesn't this smell a bit like 'regime change', an excuse that the Bush Administration, with its chief architect Wolfowitz, had cooked up as its casus belli for war against Iraq after the WMD scare (or lie) turned out to be a dud.

We know that since then hundreds of thousands of Iraqis had perished, and millions have been dislocated. The country is in an utter shamble, with civil war virtually now in place.
Now this is the confusing bit:
"While helping to establish the Foundation for the Future at the State Department, Riza had recruited Anwar to serve as its initial adviser, according to Ahmad. The two then went about selecting a board of directors and drawing up the mandate for the group, which calls on the foundation to "advance and strengthen freedom and democratic trends and practices" in Middle Eastern and North African nations by supporting reform, media, human rights, and women's groups in those countries."
So, according to The Nation, Reza recruited Anwar Ibrahim to serve as its adviser [I wonder where Wolfowitz was then], and subsequently Anwar …… you work it out.

My head is spinning at those western media reports. There are far too complicated for poor KTemoc.


14 comments:

  1. You are spending a lot of time and energy attacking two fellas who are supposed to be politically irrelevant by now.

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  2. I agree with the bolded part:

    "who are supposed to be politically irrelevant by now."

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  3. aiyah kittykat, this is blogging ma, just a hobby, so how coluld you say i am spending a lot of time - just one mere post and you accused me of that

    and every thing I blog here is reported in news media all over teh world, so I am merely recycling stuff, with of course my own editorial style

    If I didn't know you as a regular, I would be worried of Big Brother warning me to cease and desist. Hey buddy, this is reported info for healthy civil debate la

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  4. jus wondering girlfren wor....pretty kah she. hmmm sound good and cooked.

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  5. A TALE OF 2 LADIES
    At least Anwar did not have Shaha Riza blown up with C4. Poor Altantuya should had hooked up with Paul Wolfie and NOT with the Malay you-know-who bummie who not only cheated her of her commission but also her life

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  6. Like someone above, also wondering is this riza a hot looking babe. Anyone seen pic of her?

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  7. It seems that the W. Post did not research properly or they have resorted to spin to get their point across.

    Try Fox News - they see it differently.

    http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,266052,00.html

    As for the funding for the Foundation :

    W.P. = "The United States contributed almost two-thirds of the foundation's $56 million budget, according to the State Department...."

    State Dept. = "The U.S. pledge is $35 million...."

    So who is telling the TRUTH ?

    This as you said "is reported in news media all over teh world" but please recycle with care.

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  8. Ktemoc is reporting some facts and ignoring others in what can be described as a case of a blogger-masquerading-as-journalist, minus the requisite standards of integrity or transparency. A more complete account of the events should be presented to set the record straight. Like Ktemoc's post, the complete story is out in the public domain. However, why it is not mentioned in the original post is not clear to me. Ktemoc himself says - "and every thing I blog here is reported in news media all over the world, so I am merely recycling stuff with of course my own editorial style" I've seen similar "editorial style" in places like Fox News.

    1. malaysiakini reported that Anwar was alleged to have written to Robin Cleveland, Wolfowitz’s counselor at the World Bank, requesting for Reza to be transferred from the US State Department to the Foundation. The transfer raised Reza’s salary by 36%, from US$133,000 (RM452,000) to US$193,590 (RM659,000). Lots of lollies!

    Documents released by the World Bank Ethics Committee, and accessible in the public domain to anyone with an internet connection illustrate the following:

    1. An attempt was made by the Bank, PW, and SR to follow due process in resolving the conflict of interest at the Bank. Whether they succeeded in that attempt is the crux of the matter and is addressed in the more recent statement by the Bank and PW.

    2. That Riza's raise and external assignment to the State Department were the result of deliberations that took place within the World Bank during the Summer of 2005 and that were finalized in September 2005. Neither Anwar Ibrahim personally nor the Foundation for the Future as an organization (which did not even exist at that point) had anything to do with either her raise or external assignment to the State Department.

    3. That the Foundation for the Future did nothing inappropriate. The Foundation did not exist in September 2005. It was an idea that existed on paper and could not have been party to any negotiations of any sort. Once the Foundation was a real institution it was in a position to hire staff and to formally assign Riza to the Foundation and dissolve her association with the State Department which was clearly no longer necessary. Anwar Ibrahim's October 2006 letter as Chairman of the Foundation to the Bank reaffirms SR's mandate to work to build and develop the Foundation (which was the focus of her assignment to the State Department as described in a september 2005 letter between the State Dept. and the World Bank). The letter makes no mention of SR's salary other than to refer to the existing arrangement that had already been made with the State Department.

    2. Then Anwar said: “From the onset, the foundation obtained pledges of US$56 million, and thus far only received funds from Turkey, UK and Jordan, while the US has not disbursed any funds to the foundation.” But according to the Washington Post, the US State Department contributed almost two-thirds of the foundation's $56 million budget. Well …….. Anwar said the US hasn't but the US State Department declared it has, with 2/3 of the budget. I am not sure who is right, but never mind!

    Like all multilateral initiatives we have to differentiate between pledges, commitments, and the actual transfer of funds. It is quite common for nations to pledge hundreds of millions in assistance for natural disasters, reconstruction, poverty assistance, etc. But the actual transfer of those funds often never happens, long after people have forgotten about the initial commitments.

    On November 12 2005 the State Department issued a release announcing the Foundation for the Future and indicating "[t]o date, initial contributing Governments have committed over $50 million dollars to this initiative. Political supporters and financial contributors include Bahrain, Denmark, the European Commission, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Morocco, Jordan, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Qatar, Yemen, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Forum will continue to seek political and financial support from governments, private foundations, and individuals for the Foundation."

    Anwar Ibrahim's statement that the US has not disbursed any funds to the Foundation can be taken at face value. The US may have pledged a large sum but there is no reason to believe that all of the nations listed above have met all or any of their commitments. The Chairman of an organization is in as good a position as any to indicate the truth of the matter of funding. The Washington Post article that Ktemoc cites does not name a source within the State Department to substantiate the claim that the US has actually disbursed funds to the Foundation in any amount. If indeed that has been done then one can expect the State Department to be forthcoming in clarifying that point to the public. The Washington Post also could have verified facts with the Foundation.

    3. Now, this is another part that doesn’t jell with Anwar’s clarification, namely the date of appointment. The Washington Post (WP) has this to say: “Riza moved to the foundation in December 2006 to become senior adviser to its executive committee and board of directors, according to documents released yesterday by the World Bank."

    This point has been addressed above. Anwar Ibrahim wrote a letter to the World Bank in October 2006 requesting Riza be assigned directly to the Foundation instead of being assigned to the Foundation via the State Department. The letter was acted upon by the World Bank in December 2006. Even though it took two months for the Bank to follow up, the formality of adjusting the particulars of Riza's external assignment do not change the fact that she was already doing the work of the Foundation since September 2005 when she was sent to the State Department and given an assignment to set up the Foundation (which as stated above did not even exist at that point).

    4. So, according to The Nation, Reza recruited Anwar Ibrahim to serve as its adviser [I wonder where Wolfowitz was then], and subsequently Anwar …… you work it out.

    It should be stated that Ibrahim served with other respected individuals from the Middle East to assemble the Board of Directors of the Foundation. This press release is available in the public domain. It is also worth mentioning the list of other Board Members serving the Foundation, representing a distinguished group of people from around the world, which can be viewed on the website of the Foundation for the Future.


    As for the broader conspiracy theories trumpeted by Ktemoc - this is nothing new nor is it creative. Ibrahim's detractor's have for over a decade tried to pin him with elaborate conspiracy theories linking him to neo-conservatives and zionists. It should be stated that Ibrahim has clearly stated his opposition to the Iraq war and clearly indicated his support for greater freedom and justice in the Muslim world in numerous speeches, articles, press releases, etc. Ibrahim has clearly stated that military intervention is not the solution and supporting indigenous democratic forces is essential - referring to places like Indonesia as vanguards in the Muslim world for the creation of more just societies. The fact that the mainstream media in Malaysia is advancing spurious allegations about Anwar Ibrahim as if they were fact is an indication that Malaysia ought to consider its future and what direction it is headed as well.

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  9. thanks adam solimon, for your info - it would be nice if you had left some links on your points - though I know WaPo is not as reliable as your comments

    OH, wasn't it Anwar himself who said Reza was assigned to Foundation in late 2005 - but you said the Foundation didn't exist then

    are you by any chance the GREAT MAN himself - if you are, I am humbled

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  10. I did not leave the links precisely because it would be nice for people to take some initiative of their own a do proper research.

    Riza was assigned to the "Foundation" in the sense that it was her assignment to establish it (ref. State Department and World Bank correspondence). If your job at work was to establish a new organization that one year later was formally spun off into an independent entity then you could also say you were assigned to that entity before it was formally spun off and if people asked you to clarify you would say that it was in the process of being established.

    Not sure why you think I'm other than Adam. I wouldn't flatter myself if I were you - people just need to be given truthful information and not propaganda and innuendo.

    -Adam

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  11. hmmm, adam, not very helpful lah yet very instructive, but thanks anyway ;-)

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  12. Mr Soliman,
    you got any blog or not? Want to visit...

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  13. Anon, doubt it.
    Just someone who had decided to grace my blog with his wisdom in support of the Greatest Man ever. In the meantime, we'll just have to do with the mere Washington Post, whose journalists have won numerous Pulitzer Prizes year after year.

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  14. Great work, KTemok. I feel isolated when I keep telling ppl to be wary of AI. Now I feel I am not alone. Just to let ppl know that "Foundation of The Future" wholeheartedly supports "Freedom From Religion Foundation" (I have seen the webbsite)and encourages such atheistic and agnostic workshops etc. A "Muslim (by name)" chairs the Foundation (to confuse ppl?), and advocates regime change and 'democratic' reforms in Muslim nations...I leave you to conclude about him and his long-haul agenda, and I assure you, it's NOT to save Islam and all of humanity. Do read "High Priests of War' by Michael Collins Piper. Excellent book.

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