America Spent $35 million on Foundation for the Future Where Wolfowitz Lover Worked -- but State Department Does Not Know Where the Office is Located
Beyond the question of what Shaha Riza's compensation was and how she got it -- is what she has been doing and for whom. She was reportedly seconded to the multi-nationally supported "Foundation for the Future," which was really a part of America's public diplomacy game plan.
For those interested, this is a pdf of the "Chair's Summary" from the "Third Forum for the Future" held November 30-December 1, 2006 at Dead Sea, Jordan.
The roster of donors to the Foundation for the Future, launched with $56 million, included a seed grant from the U.S. for $35 million:
United States: $35 millionEuropean Commission: 1 million euros
Spain: $1 million
United Kingdom: $1 million
Switzerland: $1 million
Denmark :$2 million
Netherlands: $1 million
Greece: $1.5 million
Turkey: $500,000
Italy: TBD
Hungary: In kind
Jordan: $1 million
Qatar: $10 million
Bahrain: TBD
But strangely, few seem to know much about the Foundation for the Future at the State Department. To be fair, maybe some do -- but in this interesting exchange between a journalist and State Department Deputy Press Spokesman Tom Casey, it is clear that the Foundation for the Future is not a high priority at State.
Here is the interesting exchange highlighting that no one seems to know how to make a call to the Foundation for the Future -- (does Shaha Riza have an office or phone extension wherever this office may be?):
QUESTION: I wanted to ask you something kind of on the margins of the whole World Bank Shaha Riza matter, and that is that, as you remember, Secretary Rice announced the formation or at least the launch of this Foundation for the Future in, I think, November of 2005.And at least as far as -- well, it's very hard to find this foundation. You go to their website. They have a website but there's no phone numbers, there's no address. They appear to have not given out any grants.
They haven't set up office, that at least one can find. And considering it was launched with some fanfare at the time, I'm just curious if you could bring us up to speed a little bit as to what this foundation consists of and where you -- where it seems to be going. I don't even -- it's hard to see how much money it is that the U.S. has put into this, for one.
MR. CASEY: Neil, I actually haven't, unfortunately, briefed myself on the latest activities from the Foundation. Look, as you know, this was something that has emerged out of the Forum for the Future process.
t has an international board of directors representing -- with representatives from most of the participating regional countries there as well as an executive directorate. In terms of the amount of money involved at this point and some of the specific grant programs, I'll have to look into it for you. I just don't have that at my fingertips. Sorry.
QUESTION: Are you taking the question?
MR. CASEY: Yes, I'm taking the question.
QUESTION: But is Ms. Shaha a consultant or a fulltime employee of the board? What is her status?
MR. CASEY: My understanding is she is an individual seconded by the World Bank as an advisor to the board of directors of the Foundation for the Future.
QUESTION: But she's not on the board?
MR. CASEY: No.
QUESTION: So her official title is advisor or consultant?
MR. CASEY: My best understanding is advisor to the board, yeah.
QUESTION: So what does she do as the advisor? I mean, does she help advise on grants, or do you know what her job is?
MR. CASEY: I do not have a job description for her, no. Again, I think that's a question you could ask some of the board members.
QUESTION: Do you know where the office is?
MR. CASEY: No, but I don't know where the office is for a number of parts of the State Department offhand, Matt. So I will get you -- I will get you guys more information.
QUESTION: Isn't there an agreement for the office to be based in Beirut?
MR. CASEY: I'd have to check. I honestly don't know the details on the specifics of the foundation.
One question beyond the Wolfowitz-Riza Scandal is how many "consultants" does the Department of State (or other Departments like DoD, DoE, and others) have along these lines?
Remember the odd case of Matthew Freedman working under then Under Secretary of State John Bolton's office? Few knew what he did or what his responsibilities were justifying his six figure consultant's salary -- which he maintained while consulting private firms that had business with the government.
How much of this is happening throughout the government?
-- Steve Clemons
(Ed Note: Thanks to PGS for sending much of this material.)
Here is some material to help those following the Wolfowitz scandal.
First, here is a great article by Emad Mekay and Jim Lobe, "Top Wolfowitz Postings Went to Iraq War Backers."
Here is a fascinating piece on Paul Wolfowitz's family roots and early days at Cornell.
Here is a copy of the "Ad Hoc Group" report -- a rough equivalent to an Inspector General's report -- on the Wolfowitz-Riza scandal. It is interesting to note that the Ethics Committee essentially instructed Wolfowitz to resolve the conflict-of-interest matter himself.
Shaha Riza's comments that she was an unwilling "victim" in the decision to second her out of the World Bank to the U.S. Department of State's operations. (I suppose that in that context, some might understand why her compensation surged and was actually higher than Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's. . .well, maybe not.)
Financial Times lead editorial (13 April 2007), "Why Bush Should Let a Damaged Wolfowitz Go"
More soon.
-- Steve Clemons
A TWN reader has done a nice job of assembling key email addresses for World Bank officials who may have some influence on whether the corrupt actions of Bank President Paul Wolfowitz on behalf of his girlfriend and others justifies his resignation/firing.
For those of you who need a quick primer on Wolfowitz's self-inflicted problems and moral lapses, see Sebastian Mallaby's superb piece today, "The World Bank, Stuck in the Mud." I also wrote on the Kevin Kellems and Robin Cleveland parts of this story long ago here -- and had a reprise yesterday.
I just sent this note of my own to the following addresses -- and you should feel free to as well:
Dear World Bank Official:I am a writer and public policy practitioner in Washington, DC and blog at www.TPMCafe.com www.HuffingtonPost.com and www.TheWashingtonNote.com.
I have blogged about Paul Wolfowitz's situation here:
http://www.thewashingtonnote.com/archives/002058.phphttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-clemons/paul-wolfowitzs-hours-_b_45726.html
I want to express my dismay and regret that he has not had the personal strength to recognize that his nepotism has undermined whatever trust he held from those both within the bank and those outside who care about the Bank's role and function in the developing world.
Wolfowitz's campaign of anti-corruption measures within the bank is now a farce. For him to keep his job sends a signal to those inside the bank and to clients that pushing a deal for a brother, a friend, someone who scratches my back while he scratches theirs is something OK, worth doing at least until getting caught. And even then, no consequences.
Wolfowitz is a smart man. While I don't agree with his foreign policy views, I do know that he has the ability to see that there is no alternative to this situation but resignation. His trying to wrestle against that reality may be evidence of a further corruption -- real and in spirit -- of Wolfowitz's tenure at the World Bank.
You should play a role in calling for him to resign now.
Sincerely,
Steven Clemons
www.TheWashingtonNote.com
Here are the World Bank email addresses:
feedback@worldbank.org; dtheis@worldbank.org; cmuller@worldbank.org; hbridi@worldbank.org; osiemens@ifc.org; Jingram@worldbank.org; Yyoshimura1@worldbank.org; nmohammed@worldbank.org; Yduvivier@worldbank.org; Dvarela@worldbank.org; Acraig@worldbank.org; Schitale@worldbank.org; Rreinikka@worldbank.org; Jowen@worldbank.org; Achuecamora@worldbank.org; Avantrotsenburg@worldbank.org; Rrobinson@worldbank.org; Xzhu1@worldbank.org; Fbelhaj@worldbank.org; Cwallich@worldbank.org; Kgeorgieva@worldbank.org; Fkaps@worldbank.org; Dgaye@worldbank.org; Cluff@worldbank.org; Lgiovine@worldbank.org; Dreinermann@worldbank.org; Cbruce@worldbank.org; Jbriscoe@worldbank.org; Vturbat@worldbank.org; Nagrawal@worldbank.org; Orazzaz@worldbank.org; mrepnik@worldbank.org; DDollar@worldbank.org; mlopez@worldbank.org; Jhappi@worldbank.org; Mibrahima@worlbank.org; Mdia@worldbank.org; Aseth1@worldbank.org; Mkarlsson@worldbank.org; Embi@worldbank.org; Aalmansi@worldbank.org; Mgbetibouo@worldbank.org; Zbadr@worldbank.org; Idiwan@worldbank.org; Afaiz@worldbank.org
But the single most important address you can write to is Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Robert Kimmitt -- a very good guy in my view -- but he holds many of the cards on whether Wolfowitz goes or stays:
Robert.Kimmitt@do.treas.gov
Be respectful. Kimmitt is first class and won't be thrilled with the calls for action from the public -- but he needs to hear from people about this.
While Bob Kimmitt is a moderate Republican and his brother, Mark Kimmitt, an accomplished General, his father -- J. Stanley Kimmitt was a powerful Democrat in the country and was Secretary of the Senate. Bill Clinton in his youth met Stan Kimmitt and encouraged Clinton's aspirations and career.
Years later, Stan Kimmitt did the same for me in a several hours long chat at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles when I had helped organize a meeting with former Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield.
Members of the Kimmitt clan are deeply embedded with a code of dedicated public service -- and my hunch is that Wolfowitz's conduct violates every fiber of what "a Kimmitt" believes a public servant should represent.
-- Steve Clemons
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