Paul Wolfowitz

Paul Dundes Wolfowitz (born December 22, 1943) is an American academic and political figure. Wolfowitz is a polarizing and controversial figure both within the United States and abroad. He is often seen as a leading proponent of the 2003 Iraq War and architect of the ambitious foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration known as the Bush Doctrine. His views are often characterized as representing a modern American philosophy of neoconservatism. He is currently President of the World Bank.

U.S. State Department Director of Policy Planning

In 1981, following the election of U.S. President Ronald Reagan, the newly appointed U.S. National Security Advisor Richard V. Allen was put in charge of putting together the administrations foreign policy advisory team. Allen initially rejected Wolfowitz?s appointment; ?He had worked for Carter. I thought he was a Carter guy,? Allen later recalled; ?He was goner, as far as I was concerned,? but following discussions, instigated by former colleague John Lehman, Allen offered him the position of Director of Policy Planning at the U.S. State Department. In this position Wolfowitz and his newly selected staff, that included Lewis Libby, Francis Fukuyama, Dennis Ross, Alan Keyes, Zalmay Khalizad, Stephen Sestanovich and James Roche, would be responsible for defining the administrations long-term foreign goals.

Related Topics:
U.S. President - Ronald Reagan - U.S. National Security Advisor - Richard V. Allen - John Lehman - Director of Policy Planning - U.S. State Department - Lewis Libby - Francis Fukuyama - Dennis Ross - Alan Keyes - Zalmay Khalizad - Stephen Sestanovich - James Roche

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Reagan?s foreign policy had been heavily influenced by a 1979 article in Commentary by Jeanne Kirkpatrick titled Dictatorships and Double Standards. In the article, written in the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution, Kirkpatrick had argued that; ?We seem to accept the status quo in Communist nations (in the name of ?diversity? and national autonomy) but not in nations ruled by ?right-wing? dictators or white oligarchies,? pointing out that the regimes that the Carter administration had pushed for democratic reforms ?turn out to be those in which non-Communist autocracies are under pressure from revolutionary guerillas,? such as key Cold War allies Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran and Anastasio Somoza Debayle, dictator of Nicaragua. ?Although most governments in the world are, as they always have been, autocracies of one kind or another, no idea hold greater sway in the mind of educated Americans than the belief that it is possible to democratize governments, anytime, anywhere, under any circumstances,? a belief which Kirkpatrick disagreed with as; ?Decades, if not centuries, are normally required for people to acquire the necessary disciplines and habits.? This is known as the Kirkpatrick Doctrine

Related Topics:
1979 - Commentary - Jeanne Kirkpatrick - Iranian Revolution - Cold War - Mohammad Reza Pahlavi - Shah - Iran - Anastasio Somoza Debayle - Nicaragua - Kirkpatrick Doctrine

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Wolfowitz famously broke from this official line by denouncing Saddam Hussein of Iraq at a time when Donald Rumsfeld, acting as Reagan's official envoy, was offering the dictator support in his conflict with Iran. As James Mann points out "quite a few neo-conservatives, like Wolfowitz, believed strongly in democratic ideals; they had taken from the philosopher Leo Strauss the notion that there is a moral duty to oppose a leader who is a 'tyrant.'" Other areas where Wolfowitz disagreed with the administration was in his opposition to attempts to open up dialogue with the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and to the sale of Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft to Saudi Arabia. "In both instances," according to Mann "Wolfowitz demonstrated himself to be one of the strongest supporters of Israel in the Reagan administration."

Related Topics:
Saddam Hussein - Iraq - Donald Rumsfeld - Leo Strauss - Palestinian Liberation Organization - Airborne Warning and Control System - Saudi Arabia - Israel

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According to Mann however; "It was on China that Wolfowitz launched his boldest challenge to the established order." Ever since Nixon and Kissinger had gone to China in the early 70s it had been U.S. policy to make concessions to China as an essential Cold War ally. The Chinese were now pushing for the U.S. to end arms sales to Taiwan and Wolfowitz used this as an opportunity to undermine the Kissingerian policy. Wolfowitz advocated a unilateralist policy claiming that the U.S. didn?t need China?s assistance, and in fact that Chinese needed the U.S. to protect them against the far more likely prospect of a Soviet invasion of China. Wolfowitz soon came into conflict with U.S. Secretary of State Alexander Haig, who had been Kissinger?s assistant at the time of the visits to China. ?Paul D. Wolfowitz, the director of policy planning... will be replaced,? reported the March 30th 1982 issue of the New York Times as ?Mr. Haig found Mr. Wolfowitz too theoretical.? This report proved to be untrue and on June 25th George Schultz replaced Haig as U.S. Secretary of State and Wolfowitz was promoted.

Related Topics:
China - Cold War - Taiwan - U.S. Secretary of State - Alexander Haig - March 30th - 1982 - New York Times - June 25th - George Schultz

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