"Paul Wolfowitz has a serious credibility problem," said William Hartung, senior research director with the World Policy Institute, a New York defense-oriented think tank.

In the run-up to the war, Wolfowitz helped make the case that Iraq possessed chemical and biological weapons, which were not found, and he claimed that reconstruction costs would be borne largely by Iraqi oil revenues, which have barely made a dent in an effort that has cost U.S. taxpayers more than $200 billion. It was also on his watch that U.S. troops abused Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib, an incident that touched off a firestorm of anti-American resentment across much of the Arab and Muslim worlds.

Critics noted the Wolfowitz announcement follows the nomination of Bolton to serve at the United Nations. Bolton has been an outspoken critic of the United Nations, speaking dismissively of the world body. Bolton's confirmation hearings before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee are expected the first week of April.

"This is now another mystifying choice by the Bush adminIstration for an important role in the community of nations," said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass.

Wolfowitz, deputy to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, would be the second controversial military figure to lead the bank. Robert S. McNamara, the chief architect of the Vietnam war as defense secretary under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, was president of the bank from 1968 to 1981.

While Wolfowitz has little experience in global economics and international development, he has served in a number of senior diplomatic posts — including ambassador to Indonesia — and was for seven(years the dean of the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University, positions that have prepared him, one development expert said, to run the World Bank.

"I'm curious as to which Paul Wolfowitz we're going to see at the bank," said former Harvard University development professor Peter Timmer, now a senior fellow with the Center for Global Development, a Washington research and advocacy group. "We have to see whether the development Wolfowitz emerges or whether we get the hawk."

One former World Bank official said it would be unusual for the board to reject a U.S. president's choice for the job, particularly one with Wolfowitz's credentials.

"They may not like his politics, but they can't say he's unqualified," the former World Bank official said.

European leaders who dislike his nomination have a precedent should they want to contest it, however: President Bill Clinton blocked the appointment of Caio Koch Weser, the German candidate to head the IMF.

Wolfowitz took his post in Indonesia under President Reagan after serving as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

Under President George H.W. Bush, Wolfowitz oversaw policy at the Pentagon, reporting to then-Defense Secretary Dick Cheney, the current vice president.