A group of senior former World Bank employees has urged beleaguered head Paul Wolfowitz to resign, saying he can no longer be an effective leader.
Mr Wolfowitz is battling to remain in his job after admitting helping his partner win a promotion and pay rise.
More than 40 World Bank officials, including 18 former vice-presidents, published their call in an open letter to the Financial Times newspaper.
They said Mr Wolfowitz had "lost the trust and respect of bank staff".
"He has [...] damaged his own credibility on good governance - his flagship issue," the letter reads.
The letter was signed by, among others, the former number two in the organisation during the first year of Mr Wolfowitz's time at the Bank, Shengman Zhang.
The former senior officials warn that if Mr Wolfowitz remains in office, he will "preside over a rudderless hulk".
Speaking of "rudderless hulks", President Bush's surge strategy was dealt another blow over the weekend:
Violence has continued with three suicide bombers killing at least 27 people and wounding nearly 60 in various parts of Iraq, including one close to where [new US ambassador to Iraq] Mr.[Ryan] Crocker was speaking. "The road is going to be a tough one," Crocker said. "I don't begin my tour here with any illusions. It is going to be very, very difficult, but I certainly believe that success is possible. Otherwise, I wouldn't be standing here." Crocker said the months ahead will be "critical."Speaking of "critical", Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov on Monday criticized a U.S. plan to deploy a missile defense system in central Europe, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.
"We consider that the U.S. strategic missile defense system is a destabilizing factor that may considerably affect regional and global security," Serdyukov said after talks with his U.S. counterpart Robert Gates, who arrived here earlier on Monday for a visit.
The United States plans to deploy a missile defense radar in the Czech Republic and 10 interceptor missiles in Poland. The 3.5-billion-U.S. dollar project is set to start operating by 2011.
Russia has rejected the plan, alleging its real target will not be Iran as Washington has claimed, but Moscow.
The United States is offering Russia a new package of incentives to drop its strong opposition to American missile defense sites in Poland and the Czech Republic, including an invitation to begin linking some American and Russian antimissile systems, the New York Times reported on Saturday.
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