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Shaha Riza

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Shaha Riza
Bornearly 1950's
Tripoli, Libya
Other namesShaha Ali Riza
EmployerUS State Department
PartnerPaul Wolfowitz

Shaha Ali Riza (born early 50's) is a World Bank staffer who is currently on external assignment. She was forced to leave her position as acting manager of the Middle East and North Africa Office at the World Bank when Paul Wolfowitz was brought in as President. Riza had been romantically linked to Wolfowitz, when he was an undersecretary for defense in the Bush Administration.[1] An April 13, 2007 article in The New York Times indicates that Ms. Riza now serves on external assignment to the Foundation for the Future, for the World Bank.[2]

Background

She was born in Tripoli, Libya, to a Libyan father and Syrian-Saudi mother. She grew up in Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom. She is a British citizen. She moved to the United States after her marriage to Bulent Ali Riza in the late-1980s. Riza studied at the London School of Economics before taking a master's degree in International Relations from the University of Oxford, where she studied at St Antony's College. She speaks the Arabic, English, French, Italian and Turkish languages. She is divorced and has one son who lives with her.

She specializes in the Middle East and has carried out field research in a number of Arab countries. Immediately before joining the World Bank, she worked at the National Endowment for Democracy, where she set up and led the endowment’s Middle East programs. Since joining the World Bank in 1997, she has worked with the Middle East and North Africa Social and Economic Development Group as the Senior Gender Specialist and then Senior Communications Officer in the Middle East and North Africa Regional Office ( MENA ). In July 2002, she became the acting manager for external affairs and outreach for the World Bank’s MENA region and after serving for three years, according to the Government Accountability Project, she was not "short listed" for permanent promotion to fill that position.[3]

Wolfowitz Scandal

In 2005, Riza's neighbors began to talk to the press about her affair with Paul Wolfowitz, who was being pushed by the Bush administration for the job of World Bank President against the will of all other Bank members. Some commentators took note of the fact the Jewish "neo-con" who was one of the main proponents of the Bush Administrations aggresive Middle East policy was dating a Arab Muslim [1][4] British tabloids played up the story.[5]

Wolfowitz was confirmed and took over leadership of the World Bank in June 2005. He alleged he previously had informed the Board Ethics Committee that it had been reported that he had a "prior personal relationship" with "a longstanding professional staff member of the Bank" and attempted to recuse himself from "any personnel actions or decisions" in respect to Shaha Riza.[6]

This was deemed unacceptable, as Mr. Wolfowitz had been hired as President, the Ethics Committee supposedly determined that Shaha Riza must be reassigned from her job, and denied any other position within the bank, under any scenario meeting the ethical standards of the World Bank.[7] On July 22, the Ethics Committee outlined three possible options, by way of settlement: that she be given an external assignment with pay and "in-situ" promotion, and could not apply (while Wolfowitz remained) for any position within the bank which would have been previously available to her; that she be offered an "ad hoc" raise and an external assignment; or that she be offered termination with six months severance pay.[8]

The Ethics Committee directed Wolfowitz to have the Human Services VP work out a deal to reassign Riza. She agreed to take a paid external assignment with the State Department with a grade level promotion at a salary of 180,000 (above the midpoint for that grade level) with automatic annual raises equal to 8%. On October 24, the Chairman of the Ethics Committee concurred that the outcome was consistent with its findings and advice and considered the matter closed.[9]. Her role within the State Department was in the office of Elizabeth Cheney (daughter of Dick Cheney), who worked at the time for C. David Welch, the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. Apparently Mr. Wolfowitz basically dictated his girlfriends pay. [2]

E-mails were circulated in February 2006, demanding the Ethics committee review the Riza case. It determined that the allegations "did not pose ethical issues appropriate for further review" by the Committee. [10]

The issue arose again in 2007, with demands for Wolfowitz's resignation, attracting much news coverage.[11] The Washington Post reported that Riza's salary had increased from $132,660 to $193,590 per year, tax-exempt.[12] A new ad hoc investigation was set up at the World Bank. Shaha Riza wrote them that:

I did not wish to leave the bank. Particularly as the position I had held for three years (acting manager for MENA) was finally open to a competitive process, a request I had made to two consecutive MENA VPs. ...my continued service in the Bank did not break rule 3.04 ("supervisory relationships") ...in eight years of my Bank service I did not directly or indirectly report to Mr. Wolfensohn. (1) ... Mr Wolfowitz had agreed to recuse himself... Nevertheless the Board's Ethics Committee, in its wisdom, without explanation... resolved to ask me without even talking to me, to go on an external assignment contrary to my wishes. I have now been victimized for agreeing to an arrangement I have objected to and...was not in my best interest. My efforts to accommodate the Board's Ethics Committee... has only resulted in the most vicious public attacks on me. As the Committee deliberates... I hope it will take into consideration the personal pain and stress my son and I have been subjected to...I hope that the committee will ... bring an end to the unwarranted and malicious public and private attacks which would not have happened had the Bank not failed to honour the agreement signed with me. I also hope the Committee will hold all those responsible for this breach of agreement and for violating staff rule 2.01 "Confidentiality of Personal Information" accountable. [13]

  1. prior World Bank President

Contrary to the above account however, the Washington Post reported that "neither the Board nor the Ethics Committee was aware of the terms" of Wolfowitz's final agreement regarding Riza:

Bank insiders confirmed reports from the bank's staff association that Wolfowitz directed personnel officials to give Shaha Riza, his longtime companion, an automatic "outstanding" rating and the highest possible pay raises during an indefinite posting at the State Department, as well as a promotion upon her return to the bank. The Financial Times reported portions of the agreement yesterday.

When he took over as bank president in June 2005, Wolfowitz insisted not only that Riza -- then a senior communications officer at the bank -- retain her job but also that he maintain "ongoing professional contact" with her, according to a knowledgeable source who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the legal issues involved.

But the bank ethics committee, citing conflict of interest regulations, ruled that she had to leave the institution. It agreed to give her a pre-departure promotion to compensate for the career disruption. Until yesterday, Wolfowitz and his aides had insisted that "all arrangements concerning Shaha Riza were made at the direction of the bank's board of directors." Bank sources said, however, that neither the board nor the ethics committee was aware of the terms of the final agreement [3]

On April 12, 2007, Wolfowitz apologized for what he called a "mistake", but would not comment about resigning as the World Bank's board of governors met to discuss the row: "I'm not going to preempt their deliberations. I will accept any remedies they propose."[14]

References

  1. ^ "World Bank meets over Wolfowitz". BBC NEWS. April 13, 2007.
  2. ^ Steven R. Weisman (April 13, 2007). "Turmoil Grows for World Bank Chief". The New York Times.
  3. ^ "GAP Points Out Report Error". Government Accountability Project. Retrieved April 14, 2007.
  4. ^ Here’s a bit of news that had Washingtonians choking on their coffee this morning: President Bush’s neoconservative hawk Paul Wolfowitz, the Pentagon’s architect of the US invasion of Iraq, is having an affair with a Muslim!Ferguson, Barbara (23 March 2005). "Wolfowitz Dating Muslim Woman Causes Stir". Arab News. Retrieved 2007-04-14. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  5. ^ One of his opponents at the bank said: "Unless Riza gives up her job, this will be an impossible conflict of interest." CHURCHER, SHARON (20th March 2005). "Will a British divorcee cost 'Wolfie' his job?". Daily Mail. Retrieved 2007-04-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ "Ethics Committee Case No 2 and President Papers" (pdf). World Bank Release: page 73. April 12, 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-14. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  7. ^ "Ethics Committee Case No 2 and President Papers" (pdf). World Bank Release: pages 21. April 12, 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-14. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  8. ^ "Ethics Committee Case No 2 and President Papers" (pdf). World Bank Release: pages 25-28. April 12, 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-14. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  9. ^ "Ethics Committee Case No 2 and President Papers" (pdf). World Bank Release: pages 91. April 12, 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-14. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  10. ^ "Ethics Committee Case No 2 and President Papers" (pdf). World Bank Release: pages 83. April 12, 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-14. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  11. ^ Krishna Guha (April 5, 2007). "Wolfowitz partner's pay rise sparks protest". Financial Times.
  12. ^ Al Kamen (March 28, 2007). "Where the Money Is". The Washington Post.
  13. ^ "Ethics Committee Case No 2 and President Papers". World Bank Release: pages 78. April 12, 2007. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |format= requires |url= (help); |pages= has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  14. ^ "Wolfowitz sorry for 'mistake'". Finance24. April 12, 2007.


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