After helping lead the United States to war in Afghanistan and Iraq, Paul Wolfowitz is fighting a different kind of fight - to secure approval as the next World Bank president by portraying himself as a consensus builder. From his spacious but cluttered office, the Pentagon's No 2 official this week waged a campaign to ease fears in Europe and elsewhere that he would change policies at the bank to reflect the conservative Bush administration's foreign and social priorities.
Wolfowitz telephoned U2 rock star-turned-debt relief advocate Bono, a potentially key ally; cheerfully endured interviews by major media, especially those with European audiences; and courted key finance and political officials from around the world.
His message was clear as he sought to win the hearts and minds of a new, more global constituency:
He is more multidimensional than his hard-line, conservative image as deputy defence secretary suggests. He will aim to be a consensus builder as he seeks to improve the institution. He cares passionately about the poor and is committed to reducing poverty, especially in Africa. Moreover, he is convinced he can turn his critics around once they get to know him.
"You do the job you have in front of you," he told Reuters in an interview late on Friday. He was explaining how he would segue to his new role from his Bush administration duties of combating terrorism, remaking the military and asserting American power to promote democracy, especially in the Middle East. "I am not going to impose the US agenda on the bank," he said. "I am ready to listen."
Although his candidacy is controversial, Wolfowitz's approval by the bank's board, which operates by consensus, is likely a foregone conclusion. The United States has the largest voting share on the 24-member board, which represents the 184 member states, and traditionally nominates the bank president.
Moreover, January elections in Iraq, in which thousands risked their lives to vote, have improved chances for stability there and helped defuse the arguments of war critics.
Wolfowitz, who has spent 24 years in government under six US presidents, had hoped for a promotion in President George W. Bush's second term. But one by one, top jobs like secretary of state, national security adviser and CIA director went to others.
Congressional sources predicted that because of Iraq, Wolfowitz might find it impossible to win Senate approval for jobs requiring confirmation, like secretary of state.
Critics blame him for pushing America into war with Iraq on the basis of inaccurate intelligence about weapons of mass
destruction and sending troops into battle without sufficient plans for what would happen once the shooting stopped. He has admitted some mistakes but otherwise has strongly defended the US-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein.
If approved as bank president, he said he wants to re-examine lessons of the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis "to see whether people have fully absorbed them or whether there is more to do because it probably won't be the last such crisis."