Wolfie dumped
[not sure if Wayne Madsen is the most reliable source…]
New York Post [Page Six] - May 23, 2007
Wolfowitz And Gal Pal Split Up
PAUL Wolfowitz has really had a bad couple of weeks. He not only lost =
his job, he lost his girlfriend, too.
Wolfowitz, one of the architects of the Iraq war, was pushed out as =
president of the World Bank over a controversial pay and promotion =
package he arranged for his brunette girlfriend, Shaha Ali Riza. Sources say Riza, a brilliant feminist with a promising diplomatic =
career, was upset by all the publicity and the implication that she =
was getting ahead with the help of a powerful man. “She was furious =
about the embarrassment,” said one source.
Last week, Wolfowitz bowed to mounting pressure over the cronyism =
scandal, agreeing to step down June 30. The announcement came nine =
months after Page Six first revealed how he’d ruffled the feathers of =
World Bank employees by dating, and then promoting, the Tunisian =
divorc=E9e, who managed the bank’s External Relations and Outreach for =
the Middle East and North Africa Region.
After Wolfowitz joined the World Bank, Ali Riza was first transferred =
to a joint World Bank/U.S. Agency for International Development =
multinational investment project, and then to work on the bank’s =
South American interests.
“Apparently she never asked for a promotion and liked her old job,” =
our source said.
Investigative reporter Wayne Madsen, who broke some of the first =
stories on the Wolfowitz scandal on waynemadsenreport.com, said =
reliable sources confirmed to him “that Wolfie and Shaha are history.”
Madsen adds that last week, he spotted Ali Riza by herself, walking =
up 19th Street in Washington from World Bank offices after Wolfowitz =
appeared in a closed-door meeting before the bank’s executive board. =
“I thought to myself . . . it’s strange she’d be alone right now,” =
Madsen said.
Both the World Bank and Wolfowitz’s personal assistant declined to =
comment on the breakup, the latter referring us to his lawyer, Bob =
Bennett. A detailed message left with Bennett’s assistant was not =
returned. The World Bank said it had no contact information for Ali =
Riza.
Meanwhile, a World Bank source told us Ali Riza may be returning to =
the bank’s main Washington offices after Wolfowitz officially steps =
down. Wolfowitz remains legally separated from Clare Selgin, an =
expert on Indonesian anthropology.