There has been a cool response to President Bush's nomination of Paul Wolfowitz to be the next head of the World Bank, a key development agency.
Mr Wolfowitz, 61, currently US Deputy Defence Secretary, has a reputation as a "neo-conservative" hawk and was a key architect of the Iraq war.
News of his candidacy brought criticism from aid agencies and faint praise from several European government ministers.
Mr Bush described Mr Wolfowitz as a "compassionate, decent man".
French and German ministers were guarded in their reaction, while Sweden's foreign minister said she was sceptical about the nomination.
"I really believe in the mission of the bank, which is reducing poverty. It is a noble mission and a matter of enlightened self-interest"
French President Jacques Chirac "took note" of the nomination, a spokesman said.
But UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw backed Mr Wolfowitz, calling him "very distinguished and experienced internationally".
Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi also stood by the nomination, his spokesman said.
Global consultations
In an apparent sign that President Bush was alert to the sensitivity of the nomination, White House officials revealed that he personally telephoned a string of world leaders to discuss Mr Wolfowitz's candidacy.
In addition to Mr Chirac and Mr Koizumi, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and South African President Thabo Mbeki all received calls, the Associated Press reports.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
The organisation, which has 184 members and is traditionally headed by an American, is responsible for leading global efforts to promote economic development and reduce poverty.
Aid agencies and development experts lined up to criticise the nomination.
A British-based campaign group, the World Development Movement, described the nomination as a "truly terrifying appointment".
Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Prize winner and a former World Bank chief economist, said: "Choosing the right general in the war against poverty will not assure victory, but choosing the wrong one surely increases the chances of failure."
Greenpeace, ActionAid, and Oxfam were among other critics.
But World Bank critic Allan Meltzer, who chaired a US congressional committee on the bank in 2000, said Mr Wolfowitz was well qualified for the job.
"We don't need a development person, there are plenty of people at the bank who do that," Mr Meltzer told the BBC News website.
"What the bank needs is focus: how many children are inoculated against measles every year? What have we done to bring water to the villages?"
Second hardliner
Current World Bank president James Wolfensohn will leave in June after 10 years, despite seeking re-appointment.
HAVE YOUR SAY
It is the second time within weeks that Mr Bush has appointed a hardliner to a key international post.
Earlier in March, he nominated Under-Secretary of State John Bolton to be US ambassador to the United Nations - a body Mr Bolton has repeatedly derided.
Mr Wolfowitz must be formally approved by the World Bank's executive board.
US appointments to the World Bank presidency are usually unchallenged, as are European nominations to lead the International Monetary Fund.
The view in Washington is that the White House would not have announced the president's choice unless sufficient support had already been garnered behind the scenes, our correspondent says.
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