MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Hardliner nominated as World Bank president

US president George Bush has nominated US Deputy Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz as president of the World Bank.

The current president is James Wolfensohn, Australian born American citizen who leaves the post after ten years next June. He was nominated by former President Bill Clinton and is believed he wanted to continue but had no White House support.

Paul Wolfowitz, 61, is considered a hawk and a strong advocate of the Iraq war, and his choice to run the world's main development agency is likely to be controversial.

President Bush described his candidate as a "man of experience" and skilled diplomat who has "helped to manage a large organization" during his time in the Pentagon.

Mr. Wolfowitz is a very controversial figure in US politics because he is associated to the so called "neo conservative" senior figures in Mr. Bush's administration who believe United States needs to be very active in promoting US values around the world.

However IMF Managing Director Rodrigo de Rato and Britain's Foreign Secretary Jack Straw praised Mr. Wolfowitz experience.

This is the second "hardliner" appointment in recent weeks by the Bush administration. Earlier in March he nominated Under Secretary of State John Bolton as US ambassador to the United Nations, an organization he has repeatedly criticized.

Traditionally since the creation of IMF and the World Bank, US appoint the bank's president and Europe IMF's Managing Director.