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01 Jul 2011 16:08

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U.S.: Remember: The Dominique Strauss-Kahn case still isn’t closed

  • Our concern is that the Manhattan district attorney is too afraid to try this case. We believe he’s afraid he’s going to lose this high-profile case.
  • Lawyer Kenneth Thompson, who represents Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s accuser • Describing the issues currently clouding the Dominique Strauss-Kahn rape trial. If you read the document, it notes a few things which could damage the victim’s credibility in a court of law — meaning that, even if the French politician actually did assault her (Thompson claims that the physical evidence still supports her case), there are inconsistencies which could damage her case in the eyes of a jury. These inconsistencies show up both in her backstory and her story of the moments before and after the alleged assault, and have been documented in this letter the New York Times posted earlier. All of this is to say that this may be an issue of perception — an assault may still have taken place. But purely circumstantial reasons could hurt the prosecutor’s ability to get a conviction. source
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06 Jun 2011 11:24

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U.S.: Dominique Strauss-Kahn pleads not guilty; France captivated

His case bewilders the French, who love American crime shows but can’t believe how callous we are towards suspects, especially prominent ones like DSK. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 May 2011 11:19

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World: Poll: Many French people think Dominique Strauss-Kahn was set up

  • 57% of French voters think Dominique Strauss-Kahn was set up in the IMF leader’s sexual assault case
  • 70% of French voters in the Socialist Party (the politician’s own party) think the same thing source
  • » Another conspiracy theory flourishes: French society is one where conspiracy theories like this can flourish — in part due to mistrust of business and political elites. But the fall of a man expected to run for president has many in absolute disbelief. “It highlights France’s denial . . . People do not want to believe it and it is interesting from the collective psychology point of view,” said Jérome Sainte-Marie of the polling group CSA. If it makes you feel better, French people, the U.S. loves its conspiracy theories too.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 May 2011 11:29

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World: Dominique Strauss-Kahn case creates trouble for French TV stations

  • The principle of freedom of expression and right to information shouldn’t ignore the fact that such images can harm a person’s dignity.
  • A statement from the French broadcasting authority • Reminding television networks in the country that they should be careful in showing images of IMF leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn wearing handcuffs. While it’s illegal to shoot photos or video inside French courtrooms (and photographers can’t shoot people in handcuffs unless the person has been convicted), it’s not in American courtrooms, creating a complicated situation — and a rare sight on French television. It’s not clear that the French government could fine television stations that show the images, but officials are looking into it. But either way, it appears that the stations may be violating the spirit of the 2000 law (designed to encourage a presumption of innocence), if not the letter of it. source
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15 May 2011 22:36

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World: Three signs Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s case is a media circus

  • one The Business Insider wrote a piece noting that DNA evidence was found in the hotel room, while hinting at something else. Well, of course there was! He stayed in the hotel overnight!
  • two Today, when presented a lineup, the maid at the center of the sexual assault charged picked the French political figure. Paparazzi surrounded her as she left the police station.
  • three The IMF leader’s lawyer has a long list of high-profile clients, including P. Diddy, NFL star Plaxico Burress (who shot himself in the leg) and blingmaster “Jacob the Jeweler.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 May 2011 11:01

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World: French politicians react to Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s arrest

  • He’s definitely discredited. The case and the charges mark the end of his campaign for the presidency, and will likely prompt the IMF to ask him to leave his post.
  • French National Front party leader Marine Le Pen • Sticking the dagger into Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the International Monetary Fund leader charged with the attempted sexual assault of a maid in a NYC hotel. Le Pen is not an unbiased party: Strauss-Kahn, a member of France’s Socialist party, was a likely favorite in the 2012 elections in France, and his arrest puts Le Pen’s own party at a major advantage. But that said, other politicians in the country are reacting with shock about the whole thing. For example, Bernard Debré, a member of Nicolas Sarkozy’s UMD party, calls the charges “a humiliation and an affront to the honor of France. Everyone will now say, ‘Look at what the French do.'” Strauss-Kahn’s own Socialist party is keeping mum for now. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

15 May 2011 02:30

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World: Three ways Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s arrest complicates things

  • His powerful influence makes the sexual assault case all the more complicated. The man has a wide array of influence on global politics due largely to his current position, which leads a group that oversees the global financial system. And with a significant piece of evidence — Strauss-Kahn’s cell phone — reportedly left at the scene, there is said to be enough evidence to charge him. (EDIT: They have — with charges including attempted rape.) He reportedly plans to plead not guilty. This isn’t just a tabloid fodder-type story, though the New York Post, shown above, is certainly having fun with it. A few broader implications of Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s arrest:
  • one With the global financial and debt crises still major problems, the International Monetary Fund plays a huge role in global politics — especially in countries like Greece. And Strauss-Kahn leads the IMF.
  • two While he hasn’t officially announced his plans to run for president of France, he has been polling the best against the unpopular Nicolas Sarkozy. He could leave the Socialist party in a bit of a bind.
  • threeStrauss-Kahn’s charges could force the IMF to pick a new leader on the fly — which could have a ripple effect on the debt crisis. He’s considered conservative; his successor may take a harsher stance. source
  • » To put it another way: The decisions the IMF makes have strong direct and indirect effects on world economies. Last year, for example, the IMF and the EU twisted Greece’s arm so the country would put in place strong austerity measures in exchange for a massive long-term loan. And here is this guy, in charge of a group that indirectly caused rioting in the streets of a major city, accused of a crime that’d make Bill Clinton’s whole impeachment fiasco seem like nothing. It makes you grit your teeth thinking of what that means for global economies.
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14 May 2011 19:47

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U.S.: IMF leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn accused of sexual assault

  • A French presidential candidate. A leader of a powerful financial organization. A suspect in the sexual assault of a maid. Dominique Strauss-Kahn has a lot to lose with the just-breaking scandal, which involved his arrest at the airport before making a trip to France. According to reports, Strauss-Kahn attempted to assault the maid in a hotel room, she ran away, and he immediately booked it to the airport. Ironically, the Socialist party in France just accused Nicolas Sarkozy’s party of a smear campaign against the International Monetary Fund’s managing director, whom the New York Daily News refers to as “the great seducer.” Now they have bigger problems. (photo via the World Economic Forum’s Flickr page) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Jan 2010 11:55

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World: Blackwater bull*#^@: Iraqis stunned by U.S. court decision

  • What are we — not human? Why do they have the right to kill people? Is our blood so cheap? For America, the land of justice and law, what does it mean to let criminals go? They were chasing me and shooting at me. They were determined to kill me.
  • Blackwater victim Abdul Wahab Adul Khader • On his anger with a decision by a U.S. federal court to dismiss criminal charges against the company, which shot him in the hand in an attack on Sept. 16, 2007. The attack left 17 dead and 27 wounded. Many Iraqis interviewed were in disbelief by the decision, which some referred to as the continuation of a cover-up. source
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