What Time Is It?

I think it's high time we did a little speculating, like every other two-bit blogger.

Somebody at the World Bank landed on YWA yesterday while Googling "ana palacio" "world bank" and "opus dei". What could be going on there?

When I first saw the World Bank address, I figured it would have something to do with Wolfowitz' woes in having gotten his lady friend a cushy, high-paying job. But then I saw the search keywords and was puzzled.

I never posted anything on Ana Palacio, nor on the World Bank in connection with Opus Dei. The old post (2004) that landed the WB on YWA had only a slight reference to Opus Dei, and none to Ana Palacio or the World Bank. (Who can figure Google?)

So, my curiosity is piqued.

I did a little Googling myself, and found that Ana Palacio is a recently appointed Senior Vice-President and General Counsel to the World Bank. Appointed by the old combsucker himself. So what could that mean? Somebody at the World Bank is trying to find other instances where Wolfie might have installed a lady friend? Trying to find evidence to support him or trash him? I'd guess trash if they're searching a connection with Opus Dei, which would imply trashing Ms. Palacio as well. But who knows? Maybe it's only about Ms. Palacio and has nothing to do with the combsucker, although the timing is a bit suspicious for that.

I guess we'll wait and watch and see if the name of Ana Palacio surfaces in any of the oncoming scandalization/investigation of the Wolfowitz saga.

....but hey, you do what you want....you will anyway.

Update: OOOps! I've been slacking! Ana Palacio is the investigator in charge of the Wolfowitz affair. But, of course, the plot thickens:

The bank’s 24 executive directors — representatives of the countries that own it — said last week they “have decided to acquire all the information related to this matter and will respond to the issues raised as soon as possible.” The executive directors asked World Bank General Counsel Ana Palacio, a Wolfowitz appointee and former Spanish foreign minister, to handle the inquiry.

  WSJ article

Now, why would someone at the Bank be Googling Ms. Palacio in connection with Opus Dei? Hm? That changes my guess to looking for support of Wolfowitz by trashing Palacio. Unless Wolfowitz is Opus Dei, and ....

This is why I don't deal much in speculation. I'm not too good at it.

Update 2 : Here's a little background on the rumblings that have been going on at the WB over Wolfowitz' (mis)management. It was written a year ago. Apparently he took the Bush Administration's operational manual with him when Bush set him up there. And why wouldn't he?

At the World Bank, they are sometimes referred to as "the entourage," "the palace guard," or "the circle of trust," because of their close relationship with bank President Paul D. Wolfowitz. They are Americans with ties to the Bush administration, and the immense clout they wield has sparked a furor in the ranks of the giant development leader.

And there's this from a couple of days ago:

The churn continues at the World Bank. General Counsel Ana Palacio, who's investigating how bank President Paul Wolfowitz's girlfriend, Shaha Riza, got whopping raises as she was being detailed to the State Department, took time out late Monday to announce that she is also launching a leak investigation.

[...]

"These disclosures of confidential internal communications violated Bank policy," Palacio said an e-mail posted on the bank's internal site. "The Bank is taking these violations very seriously."

  WaPo article

Very Bushian. Suspect acivity? Bring me the head of the person who leaked it.

So I'm back to speculating that the Googler is looking to trash Ms. Palacio and claim she can't possibly be impartial in her investigation of Wolfowitz' "practices". And would probably be right about that.

Update : Or, trying to see what's out there about Ms. Palacio and Opus Dei so it can be scrubbed. Ay-yi-yi. I give up.