Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook

Uproar After NC State Agent 'Fixes' Girl's Lunch Preschooler has to eat chicken nuggets instead of mom's meal »

Wolfowitz Appointment Draws Fire

Rice taps Iraq mastermind to chair influential panel

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Jan 25, 2008 11:45 AM CST

(Newser) – Paul Wolfowitz is returning to the Bush administration as a security adviser, and even before it was official, the appointment was drawing boos, the New York Times reports. The controversial figure will take Fred Thompson’s seat as chairman of the Secretary of State’s International Security Advisory Board, an influential group studying arms control and military issues.

Wolfowitz ended his tenure as World Bank chief mired in scandal, but for critics his role as an architect of the Iraq war is more damning. “The advice given by Paul Wolfowitz over the past six years ranks among the worst provided by any defense official in history,” said one policy researcher. “I have no idea why anyone would want more.”

[Images (3)]

[Videos (1)]

Former Deputy Defense Secretary, and former World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, center, attends the farewell ceremony for outgoing Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Peter Paceat Fort Myer, in Arlington, Va.,... (Associated Press)

Then-World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz departs his home in Chevy Chase, Md. in this May 18, 2007 file photo. On January 24th, it was announced that he will be returned to the Bush administration in... (Associated Press)

World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz departs his home in Chevy Chase, Md., in this May 18, 2007 file photo. On January 24th, it was announced that he will be returned to the Bush administration in an... (Associated Press)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

Charlie Rose - WOLFOWITZ / HOLMES (CharlieRose (YouTube))

View larger videos >>

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next »

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

US Will Halve Vast Iraq Embassy

Officials cite Iraqi obstructionism, mutual suspicion for thwarting mission

(NEWSER) - The United States' hulking $750 million Baghdad embassy is home to 16,000 staff and carries a $6 billion price tag annually—and it's about to get slashed in half in the wake of US troops' departure, reports the New York Times . It's quite the about-face for the State Department, which recently spent a year planning a buildup that has given it a diplomatic presence larger than any in the world. But it apparently neglected to clear its plan with Iraq: Embassy officials now blame Iraqi obstructionism for everything from delayed food supplies to hefty waits for American visas, and say that security concerns have left them largely cloistered within their four walls. More»

No Jail Time for Marine in Iraqi Civilian Killings

Judge recommends Frank Wuterich rank be reduced to private

(NEWSER) - The only Marine convicted in the killing of two dozen unarmed civilians in Iraq in 2005 will not serve any jail time, reports the AP . Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich had faced up to three months in jail for dereliction of duty, a charge he pleaded guilty to this week as part of a deal that sharply reduced nine counts of manslaughter. But when the military judge opened the envelop containing the plea deal, he announced there would be no jail time. "That's very good for you, obviously," said the judge, who recommended Wuterich's rank be reduced to private and his pay docked. More»

Marine's Plea Deal Ends Haditha Trial

Frank Wuterich pleads guilty over assault in Iraq

(NEWSER) - A US Marine pleaded guilty in a court martial today for his role in the infamous 2005 Haditha killings, the AP reports. Admitting to dereliction of duty, Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich faces up to 3 months confinement, loss of pay, and demotion to private. Nine counts of manslaughter were dropped in his plea agreement. "No one denies that the events ... were tragic, most of all Frank Wuterich," his defense attorney said at Camp Pendleton. "But the fact of the matter is that he has now been totally exonerated of the homicide charges." More»

Bush's CIA Chief: We Ruled Out Iran Strike

Michael Hayden says it would have backfired then, and would now, too

(NEWSER) - George W. Bush's administration pondered an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities and ultimately rejected it, says former CIA and NSA chief Gen. Michael Hayden. He and others concluded that an attack on Iran's nuke factories "would guarantee that which we are trying to prevent—an Iran that will spare nothing to build a nuclear weapon and that would build it in secret," Hayden said, according to Foreign Policy . The same rationale holds true today, he warned: Go with diplomacy and back channels or risk pushing Tehran into speeding things up. More»

Iraq Seeks Return of Saddam's Bronze Butt

British soldier's cheeky keepsake is 'cultural property,' Iraq says

(NEWSER) - Iraq is fighting for the return of Saddam Hussein's giant bronze buttock. The 2-foot cheek was brought back to Britain by former special-forces solder Nigel Ely, who, with the help of US Marines, pried it off a toppled statue soon after the fall of Baghdad in 2003. Iraq's government says the buttock counts as "illegally removed Iraqi cultural property." More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Wolfowitz Appointment Draws Fire