Ex-IWF-Chef: Wie Strauss-Kahn in New York geschnitten wird

ZEIT ONLINE: Ex-IWF-Chef Strauss-Kahn hat gegen Kaution die Gefängnisinsel Rikers Island verlassen. Als er in ein Penthouse in Manhattan einziehen wollte, rebellierten die Nachbarn.

Nur eine Woche hat das Leben des einst mächtigsten Bankers der Welt dramatisch verändert: Letzten Samstag standen Dominique Strauss-Kahn noch alle Türen offen, nach der Anklage wegen versuchter Vergewaltigung ist der gefallene IWF-Chef in New York zum Paria geworden. Die Bewohner eines Wolkenkratzers in der betuchten Upper East Side rebellierten, als sie hörten, dass Strauss-Kahn seine Zelle gegen ihr Penthouse eintauschen wollte.

Gegen eine Kaution von insgesamt sechs Millionen Dollar war der 62-jährige Franzose am Freitag von der berüchtigten Gefängnisinsel Rikers Island im New Yorker East River entlassen worden. Der Ex-Chef des Internationalen Währungsfonds steht unter Hausarrest, muss eine elektronische Fußfessel tragen und wird wegen Fluchtgefahr rund um die Uhr von bewaffneten Sicherheitsbeamten überwacht.


Nachdem ihm eine Wohnung im eleganten Bristol Plaza verweigert worden war, kam Strauss-Kahn vorübergehend in einem umgebauten Bürogebäude am New Yorker Broadway in der Nähe von Ground Zero unter. Dabei hatte seine Frau, Anne Sinclair, das Penthouse im Bristol mit Blick über Manhattan bereits für 14.000 Dollar (knapp 10.000 Euro) im Monat gemietet, berichtete die New York Times.

Das Bristol hätte einen Swimming Pool auf der Dachterrasse, täglich frische Handtücher und allerlei Service geboten. Womit Sinclair nicht gerechnet hatte, war die Reaktion der Nachbarn. "Es ist einfach nicht richtig, ihn hier absteigen und unsere Gastfreundschaft genießen zu lassen, nach dem, was er sich der Anklage nach hat zuschulden kommen lassen", wurde eine Frau aus dem Bristol von der Zeitung zitiert. Weiter lesen und einen Beitrag abgeben » | QUELLE dpa | Samstag, 21. Mai 2011

Zapatero unter Druck
Die Unzufriedenheit der Spanier ist groß. Bei den Kommunal- und Regionalwahlen könnte Ministerpräsident Zapatero sein Amt verlieren
Das Video hier abspielen

Libye: l'Otan vise la résidence de Kadhafi à Tripoli

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Dans la nuit de samedi à dimanche, les forces de l'Otan ont visé les alentours du complexe résidentiel de Mouammar Kadhafi à Tripoli.

L’Otan a mené une frappe aérienne dans la nuit de samedi à dimanche près du complexe résidentiel de Mouammar Kadhafi à Tripoli. Les forces libyennes ont bombardé, selon un site de l’opposition, des quartiers résidentiels de Misrata, dans l’ouest du pays.

Selon des responsables libyens, l’Alliance atlantique a effectué des frappes près du complexe de Bab al Aziziah et des images de Reuters Television ont montré une colonne de fumée s’élevant au dessus de la capitale. » | AFP | Samedi 22 Mai 2011

Eruption volcanique: fermeture de l’espace aérien islandais

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Le volcan Grimsvoetn est entré samedi en éruption sous le plus grand glacier d’Islande. Le principal aéroport international ferme ses portes.

L’espace aérien islandais a été temporairement fermé dimanche matin en raison de l’éruption du volcan le plus actif du pays, qui a déclenché un immense panache de fumée, ont annoncé les autorités aéroportuaires (Isavia).

"L’aéroport de Keflavik, notre principal aéroport international ferme. L’espace aérien ferme", a déclaré la porte-parole d’Isavia, Hjordis Gudmundsdottir, peu avant 11 heures suisses.

Cette fermeture devrait durer "au moins pour les prochaines heures", selon la porte-parole, indiquant qu’un nouveau point serait fait à 13 heures. » | AFP | Samedi 22 Mai 2011

Saudi Arabia Shuns Thought of Arab Spring

BBC: Saudi Arabia has not seen the large-scale protests of the kind sweeping many Arab countries - it is a place which, above all, values stability.

There were hundreds of them, migrant workers, from South and East Asia, coming to Saudi Arabia to work for meagre, but tax-free, wages.

And their arrival in Riyadh coincided with my flight, making for a teeming but fairly orderly passport hall.

The queues were not moving much, however, and so one tall, thin Indian man decided to sit on the floor.

Not for long though.

Out of nowhere, one of the guards shoved his way into the line - spraying people left and right - and hauled the man back on to his feet.

Moments later, the same guard kicked the arm of another migrant worker who could not figure out how to operate the biometric scanning machine.

All this had taken place within 20 minutes of me setting foot on Saudi soil.

It was my first impression of the country - and to the extent that the incidents highlight the authoritarian, uncompromising nature of Saudi society, not to mention the appalling manner in which some low-skilled migrant workers are treated, then it has proven fairly accurate.

I have travelled the breadth - if not the length - of this desert kingdom over the past week or so, and the lesson I have learned again and again is that there is a Saudi way of doing things which is quite unique.

'Un-Islamic'

A tribal, hierarchical society defined almost exclusively by its religion tends not to tolerate much dissent - and looks suspiciously at any new behaviours and ideas.

A suggestion last week, for instance, from the education minister that it was maybe time to consider sending boys and girls to mixed-sex primary schools led to one opponent claiming the idea would turn boys into transvestites.

Any notion that Saudis had that the uprising in other Middle Eastern countries might take root here was brushed aside a few weeks ago by an edict from the country's religious leaders that dissent and protest were un-Islamic, and that Saudis should obey their rulers.

We do not challenge our parents in the house, one man told me, and so what makes you think we are going to challenge our government in the streets?

Beside a big stick, a rather large carrot has also been dangled in front of Saudis. » | Michael Buchanan, BBC News, Riyadh | Saturday, May 21, 2011

US 'Would Repeat Bin Laden Raid'
BBC: The US President Barack Obama has spoken exclusively to the BBC's Andrew Marr ahead of his visit to the UK and Ireland.

The president spoke about the raid in Pakistan which led to the death of Osama Bin Laden, and Afghanistan's future.

Andrew Marr also asked Mr Obama what it was like meeting the Queen. (+video: Full Interview) » | Andrew Marr | Sunday, May 22, 2011

Here is the full transcript of the BBC's interview with President Barack Obama. »

Exclusive: New Details on Dominique Strauss-Kahn's Maid's Trauma
THE DAILY BEAST: The maid allegedly sexually assaulted by Dominique Strauss-Kahn was so distressed she had difficulty speaking and tried to vomit, sources tell John Solomon. Plus, new details on how her supervisors responded. Related: The timeline of Strass-Kahn’s weekend.

The luxury-hotel maid who alleges she was sexually assaulted by Dominique Strauss-Kahn was found by a supervisor in a hallway where she hid after escaping from the former International Monetary Fund director's room. Hotel workers described her as traumatized, having difficulty speaking, and immediately concerned about pressing charges and losing her job, according to sources familiar with the investigation.

The maid also repeatedly spit on the walls and floors of the suite in front of her hotel colleagues as she alleged that Strauss-Kahn locked her in his room and forced her into oral sex acts. That saliva is being tested for DNA markers and could become a crucial piece of evidence in the case, the sources said.

The sources, who spoke only on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation, provided The Daily Beast details of what happened inside New York City's Sofitel hotel in the hour between the alleged attack and when hotel security notified the police, a gap Strauss-Kahn's defense team is certain to question as the case proceeds in court. Strauss-Kahn's lawyers deny any wrongdoing on his part.

The sources said the fact that it only took an hour for the hotel to calm the woman, get her to overcome her difficulty describing what happened, do a thorough interview and get police on scene for forensic testing helped make the case and apprehend the suspect before he fled the country. » | John Solomon* | Saturday, May 21, 2011

*John Solomon is executive editor of the Center For Public Integrity.

Staking Out Strauss-Kahn

Barack Obama's State Visit to Britain Hit by Splits over Libya

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Tensions over the military campaign against Libya have cast a cloud over President Barack Obama’s state visit to Britain this week, The Sunday Telegraph has learned.

Military and diplomatic sources in both Britain and the US are privately critical over the other side’s role in the action which has hit a damaging “stalemate” and left Colonel Muammar Gadaffi clinging to power.

Britain wants the US to take more of a defined role in the campaign, with UK military chiefs protesting that the effectiveness of bombing raids is being lessened by the absence of American leadership.

US diplomatic sources, meanwhile, have criticised Britain as a “skittish” and unpredictable ally which frequently issues a “red card” -- effectively vetoing a target, causing confusion and greatly hampering proper planning.

Mr Obama emphasised the differences between the two allies yesterday, describing the action against Libya as “limited” in a letter to US lawmakers.

Mr Cameron is expected to pass on the frustration over the lack of leadership from the US when he holds talks with Mr Obama at 10 Downing Street on Wednesday, although Downing Street sources last night denied there were tensions.

Both London and Washington are keen to proclaim a new era for the “special relationship” between the two nations on the eve of the trip, which will see the president and his wife, Michelle, spend two nights in Britain, with the programme including a state banquet at Buckingham Palace and a speech by Mr Obama to both houses of parliament.

It will also feature a barbecue in No 10’s rose garden on Wednesday, hosted jointly by Samantha Cameron and Mrs Obama, which both leaders are expected to take time out of their schedules to attend. » | Patrick Hennessy, Philip Sherwell and Andrew Gilligan | Saturday, May 21, 2011

My comment:

Has it come to this? That the UK can't wage an effective war against a country like Libya without 'Big Daddy' helping in the background? Only seventy years ago, we could put up a damn good fight against the military might of the Third Reich – alone. Now, we can't take on even Qadhafi alone!

But for Cameron's vanity, we wouldn't have started a war against Libya anyway. We have no business being there. It is wrong to interfere in an internal revolution. That's what revolutions are all about: upheaval in the internal affairs of a nation. And as for all the crap about protecting civilians – sheer nonsense! Nato, the UK, and France have inflicted more pain and suffering on civilians than Qadhafi ever did.

Qadhafi is an evil man. Of that there is no doubt. But should we really have gone in there to 'sort them out' when we turn a blind eye to equally unpalatable atrocities in Bahrain and Syria, to name but two examples? Indeed, it was only yesterday that Cameron gave us a photo shoot of himself with the Crown Prince of Bahrain, the man some are calling the "torturer-in-chief". And boy, didn't Cameron look weak! And such hypocrisy! One thing is for sure: This is not the UK's "finest hour".

Lastly, whilst I have every respect for the US, and even though I frequently visit that fine country, I find it rather unacceptable, rather nauseating, that we have to look for US approval for everything. We have to follow their lead all the time, and follow their trends. Isn't it about time that the UK grew a backbone? – © Mark

This comment also appears here

Pro-Israeli Lobby Urged 'Not to Boo['] Barack Obama after Middle East Peace Address

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: President Barack Obama and Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, are squaring up for another clash on Sunday as relations between the two countries plunge to their worst level since the founding of the Jewish state.

The two men will both address the leading pro-Israel lobbying group, the American-Israel Political Affairs Committee (AIPAC), two days after Mr Netanyahu publicly rebuked Mr Obama's peace plans for the Middle East from inside the Oval Office.

Such is the controversy aroused by Mr Obama's stance that AIPAC's leader, Lee Rosenberg, has been forced to write to members begging them not to boo the president when he addresses them.

Mr Obama's clash with Mr Netanyahu, who accused his host of wanting a "peace based on illusions", has sent a sharp divide down American, Israeli and international opinion.

Mr Netanyahu objected to Mr Obama's demand in a speech on Thursday for a Palestinian state based on borders from before the 1967 Six Day War, with revisions to take into consideration security concerns and some of Israel's settlements.

Mr Obama was immediately backed by the Middle East "Quartet", the mediation body comprising the United States, the United Nations, Russia and the European Union. It issued a statement expressing its "strong support". » | Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent | Saturday, May 21, 2011

Stevie Wonder: I Just Called to Say I Love You

Dutch PM and Wilders Clash on Greece
RADIO NETHERLANDS WORLDWIDE: Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and populist Freedom Party (PVV) leader Geert Wilders clashed in parliament today over more financial aid for Greece. Mr Wilders is against a further bailout, saying that Greece should quit the euro.

The minority coalition of the conservative VVD and Christian Democrats (CDA) relies on support from the PVV on a majority of issues. However, the Greek euro crisis has caused a major divide between the PVV and the coalition parties.

The PVV and the opposition Socialist Party are against more financial aid for Greece. However, the government’s position of not ruling out more aid has the support of Labour, the D66 democrats and Green Left - all opposition parties. » | mw/hs | Thursday, May 19, 2011

Tobacco Giants Threaten to Slash Cigarette Price over Australia's Plain Packaging Plans
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: One of Australia's major tobacco companies has warned that the price of cigarettes could halve if a plan to bring in plain packets is carried out.

At the launch of a multi-million dollar campaign against the government's proposals, British and American Tobacco Australia (BATA) said more people would end up smoking if plain packaging was introduced.

BATA warned that uniform packets would make illegal imported cigarettes made in China and Indonesia and known as "chop chop" easier to disguise and would eventually force prices down sharply as tobacco companies tried to compete.

Last month, Australia unveiled the world's toughest laws on tobacco promotion that would see cigarettes sold in ugly olive-green packets plastered with graphic health warnings. Under the plan, due to take effect next year, all logos would be removed and replaced with the brand name in a small, specific font.

But BATA has vowed to fight the move, warning that it will backfire and spark a boom in black market tobacco.

"When all cigarette packs look the same and lose their trademarks and distinguishing features, counterfeiters will have a field day mass producing packets to smuggle into Australia," David Crow, BATA's chief executive said. Continue reading and comment » | Bonnie Malkin, In Sydney | Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Le film de la semaine où tout a basculé pour DSK
De son arrestation à sa remise en liberté sous caution, revivez en images les moments forts de la semaine de descente aux enfers de Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

Dépressif, Moubarak va faire appel à un psychologue
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: EGYPTE | Hospitalisé à Charm el-Cheikh, l'ancien président Hosni Moubarak, actuellement en détention préventive, serait dépressif et aurait besoin d'un suivi psychiatrique.

Le président égyptien déchu Hosni Moubarak, en détention préventive dans un hôpital, est dépressif et a besoin d’être suivi par un psychologue, a indiqué samedi une source médicale citée par l’agence officielle Mena.

L’ancien président, âgé de 83 ans, est hospitalisé à Charm el-Cheikh, sur la mer Rouge, depuis le mois dernier à la suite d’un accident cardiaque survenu durant un interrogatoire.

M. Moubarak fait l’objet d’une enquête sur l’origine de sa fortune ainsi que sur la répression du soulèvement populaire contre son régime en janvier et février, qui a fait plus de 800 morts.

Son transfert en prison dans l’attente d’un éventuel procès est conditionné à l’évolution de son état de santé. » | AFP | Samedi 21 Mai 2011

Syrie: trois morts et des dizaines de blessés à Homs
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: GUERRE CIVILE | Les forces de sécurité syriennes ont ouvert le feu sur la foule, qui sortait du cimetière de la ville de Homs. Trois personnes ont été tuées et des dizaines d'autres blessées.

Trois personnes ont été tuées et des dizaines blessées samedi par les forces de sécurité syriennes. » | ATS / AFP | Samedi 21 Mai 2011

Hansjörg Schultz: Wo war Gott in Auschwitz?
Sehen Sie hier sein erstes Gespräch mit dem Theologen Norbert Reck zum Thema «Wo war Gott in Auschwitz?»

Knife Mob Attacks Journalists in Libya

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A BUS containing foreign journalists was attacked by a knife-wielding mob in Libya on Saturday, in the first significant manifestation of public hostility to Westerners.

The vehicle was stuck in a traffic queue in the town of Zuara, sixty miles west of Tripoli, when it was stormed by a crowd of about 50 civilians apparently angered about growing petrol shortages.

Only the intervention of Libyan security forces saved the journalists from being injured or killed.

Guy Desmond, a reporter for the Reuters news agency who was on board, said: "We were stopped opposite a petrol queue and the people in the queue were obviously tired and agitated. One guy came and kicked in the door of the bus, saying we'd been filming. Then a crowd of about fifty people tried to get on board. They wanted to drag us out. A soldier with an AK47 from a nearby checkpoint jumped in through the driver's door and tried to hold them back."

About six of the angry crowd, some armed with knives, managed to get past the soldier and on to the vehicle. "A guy with a knife came towards me and was stopped by the soldier. The government minder with us tried quite courageously to put himself between us and the crowd. He was punched and slapped," said Mr Desmond. » | Andrew Gilligan in Tripoli | Saturday, May 21, 2011

Italy: First 'Halal' Firm to Supply Restaurants and Canteens

ADN KRONOS INTERNATIONAL (AKI): Bologna - Italy's first-ever 'halal' supplier has opened for business in Italy's northern city of Bologna, selling meals prepared according to Islamic principles to restaurants and canteens in Italy and abroad.

"Integration is also being able to eat as one should and to be at peace with God," Hamza Piccardo, told Adnkronos International (AKI).

Piccardo, an Italian convert to Islam, is the director of the 'Tre Alfieri Halal', which is based in Bologna, a renowned gastronomic centre.

"Our new company wants to be a triumph of integration: to combine Italy's great cuisine and Islam's rules without losing the flavours of the former and the spiritual rigour of the latter," he said. » | AKI | Friday, May 20, 2011

Egyptian Novelist Hails Revolution as a 'Great Human Achievement'

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The country's most celebrated writer, Alaa al-Aswany, was inspired by the Tahrir protesters, but fears a counter-revolution

On 28 January a young Egyptian man was urging the novelist Alaa al-Aswany to write a book about the revolution that was gathering momentum in Cairo's Tahrir Square. Just minutes after their brief conversation the protester was shot dead by a government sniper from a nearby roof.

Aswany never learned his interlocutor's name, but that and other killings, along with the sheer bravery of revolutionaries motivated by "an untameable anger and a profound sense of injustice", are seared into the memory of Egypt's most celebrated living writer as he articulates his feelings about the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak and what it means.

"The revolution was a great human achievement," Aswany says in a booming voice that amplifies his evident emotion. "It means people are willing to die for freedom and justice. When you participate in a real revolution you become a much better person. You are ready to defend human values."

Now though, like other Egyptian democrats, he fears a counter-revolution led by old regime loyalists fomenting violence and sectarian attacks, precisely in line with the finger-wagging warning by Mubarak of the "chaos" that would follow if he were forced from the presidency.

Uncertainties abound, Aswany admits, smoking furiously between appointments in his dental surgery in Cairo's Garden City district, its leafy streets a haven from one of the noisiest urban spaces on the planet, and whose fading charms and human vibrancy he captured in his best-selling novel The Yacoubian Building [I].

"The revolution succeeded in Egypt but there is someone else taking the decisions," he muses. "The army is seen very positively ... but we have to keep up pressure [on it] to take the decisions of the revolution. It needs a lot of effort ... and then, at some point, they respond." » | Ian Black in Cairo | Friday, May 20, 2011

Bahrain: David Cameron Under Fire for No 10 Crown Prince Photocall

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: David Cameron risked criticism after he was pictured shaking hands with the Crown Prince of Bahrain on the steps of Downing Street.

The Prime Minister met Sheikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa for talks at No 10 amid concern of the Gulf state’s human rights record.

The pair met in private for discussions on the uprisings across the Middle East and north Africa, including a bloody crackdown by Bahraini authorities on demonstrators.

But critics said officials should not be “rolling out the red carpet for Bahrain's torturer-in-chief”, insisting the meeting sent out the wrong signal.

It came as President Barack Obama gave a major speech last night throwing American weight behind the Arab Spring protests, which have been shaking the autocracies of the Middle East.

Mr Cameron was said to have urged Bahrain to embrace ''reform rather than repression'' in response to pro-democracy protests in the Gulf state.

Hundreds of anti-government protesters have been arrested and put on trial in special courts[.]

The Crown Prince’s London visit also follows a row about his invitation to last month’s Royal Wedding of the Duke of Duchess of Cambridge.

He later declined the invitation amid fears his presence might act as a distraction and attract widespread demonstrations. » | Andrew Hough | Friday, May 20, 2011

Bahrain Visit: Cameron Embraces Tyranny

THE INDEPENDENT: In Bahrain, it was another day of violence and repression as the Saudi-backed Al-Khalifa dynasty continued to clamp down on protesters demanding a better life for the repressed Shia majority.

But in Downing Street, David Cameron exchanged a warm handshake with Bahrain's Crown Prince, Sheikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa. While other Arab tyrants feel the full force of British disapproval, Sheikh Salman is here on a mission to repair the damaged reputation of his dynasty. His visit prompted an outcry from politicians and civil rights campaigners. It came on the day when President Obama delivered his first major speech on the Arab Spring, which he said would open a "new chapter in American diplomacy". "It will be the policy of the US to promote reform, and to support transitions to democracy," he promised.

The Labour MP Denis MacShane, a former Foreign Office minister, said: "It's unbelievable, at a time when Bahrain is becoming the torture chamber of the Gulf, with terrible reports of killings and beatings, that David Cameron has even allowed the torturer-in-chief into Britain, let alone into Downing Street." Amnesty International UK's director, Kate Allen, said: "The Prime Minister ought to make it clear to Sheikh Salman that Bahrain's relations with the UK will suffer if the Bahraini authorities refuse to allow peaceful protests or conduct proper investigations into numerous allegations that detained protesters have been tortured." Continue reading and comment » | Andy McSmith | Friday, May 20, 2011

Counting the Cost - The Future of the IMF

Strauss-Kahn Holed Up under House Arrest in Lower Manhattan
Dominique Strauss-Kahn has finally been released on bail from Rikers Island after residents at the Bristol Plaza, where his wife had rented luxury accommodation, complained that his presence would prompt a media feeding frenzy and it would not accept the Frenchman

Turkey Earthquake Kills Two, Injures Dozens
An earthquake in northwest Turkey has killed at least two people and injured nearly 100 more. It was shortly before midnight when the 5.9 magnitude tremor struck the small town of Simav in Kutahya province. Buildings there were damaged and others shaken further north in Istanbul and across western Turkey

Dubya Rakes in a Cool $15million on Speaking Circuit. Because He’s Worth It?

MAIL ONLINE: Former president George Bush has raked in a whopping $15 million since leaving the White House, it was claimed today.

Despite insisting he wanted to keep a low profile, Mr Bush has padded his bank account by making scores of speeches paying between $100,000 and $150,000 a time.

The ex-president has made a point of saying he was staying away from politics after retiring to Dallas, Texas.

He turned down an invitation from Barack Obama to attend a ceremony at Ground Zero after Osama bin Laden was killed because he wanted to remain out of the spotlight.

But, according to iWatchNews, Mr Bush made time for three speeches in the week after the 9/11 event.

He earned three six-figure paydays speaking to hedge fund executives in Las Vegas, the UBS Swiss bank in New York and a professional golf gathering in Florida.

In all, Mr Bush is estimated to have delivered as many as 140 paid talks at home and abroad.

Almost all of the speeches are closed to the press so they do not get widespread coverage. So much for the quiet life... George W Bush rakes in staggering $15million on speaking circuit » | David Gardner | Saturday, May 21, 2011

Spain Protesters Challenge Government Ban
Spain's government have ruled that mass protests are illegal on the eve of elections. But many people remain on the streets of a number of cities refusing to leave. Al Jazeera's Barnaby Phillips reports.

Negotiating with Hamas 'Unacceptable'
Mark Regev is the spokesman for the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu. He says negotiating with a Palestinian government that includes members of Hamas is unacceptable.

Jeffrey Shapiro, le petit avocat des causes civiles

LE FIGARO: PORTRAIT - L'homme qui défie le grand pénaliste Benjamin Brafman aurait hérité de l'affaire DSK par un ami.

À New York

Le contraste ne pourrait être plus frappant entre Benjamin Brafman, l'avocat de Dominique Strauss-Kahn, et Jeffrey Shapiro, celui de sa victime présumée. Le premier est l'un des ténors du barreau new-yorkais, un avocat connu qui défend avec succès les cas indéfendables de mafieux et de célébrités du rap. Le second est spécialisé dans les erreurs médicales et les accidents du travail, avocat civil parmi des milliers d'autres à New York.

S'il ne joue pas dans la cour des grands comme Ben Brafman et si ses clients sont beaucoup moins «glamour», il n'en est pas moins efficace. Sur son site Internet sont affichées ses «victoires»: 22,1 millions de dollars pour la victime d'une erreur médicale lors d'une hystérectomie, 3,75 millions pour un bébé mal soigné à l'hôpital, 3 millions pour un ouvrier atteint d'épilepsie après un accident du travail, etc. «Sachant qu'il touche un tiers de ce que gagne la victime, ce n'est pas mal du tout», estime un de ses confrères, Matthew Galluzzo.

Ben Brafman et Jeff Shapiro, tous deux la cinquantaine passée, ont un point commun: leurs cabinets sont tous deux situés sur la IIIe Avenue à Manhattan, à cinq pâtés d'immeubles l'un de l'autre. À part cela, ils appartiennent à deux mondes très différents. Le premier défend des accusés (présumés innocents) pour leur éviter la prison, le second défend des victimes (présumées) pour les aider à retrouver une vie normale après un traumatisme. » | Par Adèle Smith | Vendredi 20 Mai 2011

LE FIGARO: Me Brafman, l'avocat de DSK rompu aux affaires difficiles : PORTRAIT - Puff Daddy, Jay-Z ou encore Michael Jackson : l'avocat de Dominique Strauss-Kahn est rompu aux combats judiciaires très médiatiques. Réputé coriace, l'homme a un parcours étonnant. » | Par Flore Galaud | Jeudi 19 Mai 2011

LE FIGARO: La bataille judiciaire commence pour DSK: Inculpé par le grand jury, l'ex-patron du FMI doit affronter la perspective d'un procès, alors que de nombreuses informations et rumeurs s'accumulent. Le Figaro fait le point sur ces certitudes et ces zones d'ombre. » | Par Marie-Amélie Lombard | Jeudi 19 Mai 2011

Heftiger Streit Amerikas mit Israel

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Israels Präsident Netanjahu hat dem amerikanischen Präsidenten Obama die Gefährdung der Existenz Israels vorgeworfen. Im Weißen Haus protestierte er gegen Obamas Vorschlag für einen Palästinenserstaat in den Grenzen von 1967. In diesem Fall könne das Land „nicht verteidigt“ werden, warnte Netanjahu.

Der israelische Ministerpräsident Benjamin Netanjahu hat Präsident Barack Obama vorgeworfen, mit seiner Forderung nach einem palästinensischen Staat in den Grenzen von 1967 die Existenz Israels zu gefährden. Sollte sich Israel tatsächlich auf die vor dem Sechstagekrieg vom Juni 1967 bestehenden Grenzen zurückziehen, könne das Land „nicht verteidigt“ werden, warnte Netanjahu am Freitag.

Ein mehrstündiges Gespräch zwischen ihm und Obama war am Freitag in Washington ohne eine Annäherung zu Ende gegangen. Es gebe Unterschiede in der Beurteilung einer möglichen Ausgangsposition für neue Verhandlungen, sagte Obama nach dem Treffen im Weißen Haus. „Offensichtlich haben wir Differenzen in präzisen Formulierungen und in der Sprache“, solche seien aber „unter Freunden“ normal. Netanjahu erklärte, dass Israel durchaus zu Zugeständnissen bereit sei. Ein Rückzug hinter die Grenzen von 1967 sei jedoch unmöglich. „Damit es Frieden gibt, müssen die Palästinenser bestimmte fundamentale Realitäten akzeptieren“, sagte Netanjahu weiter. „Wir haben keinen großen Spielraum, denn die Geschichte wird den Juden keine zweite Chance geben“, fügte er hinzu. » | FAZ.NET | Freitag, 20. Mai 2011

Related »

Benjamin Netanyahu Rebukes Barack Obama Over 1967 Plan

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has issued a public rebuke to Barack Obama's face, telling the US president his proposed border for the Jewish state would be "indefensible" and not based on reality.

Mr Netanyahu told Mr Obama that to suggest a return to Israel's pre-1967 borders did not "take into account certain changes that have taken place" in the intervening 44 years.

The president said that the talks, which had overrun in the Oval Office by more than 90 minutes, had been "extremely useful" and although he did not mention the pre-1967 borders, he reiterated the need for "a contiguous, functioning" Palestinian state.

It was the seventh Obama-Netanyahu meeting and came after Mr Obama's speech on Thursday calling for the creation of a Palestinian state on pre-1967 borders triggered uproar in the Israeli government.

During the frosty public show, the Israeli premier told Mr Obama that any peace deal "based on illusion will crash on the rocks of Middle East reality". Israel, he insisted, "can't go back to the 1967 lines".

Mr Netanyahu also warned that Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, would have to choose between a new unity pact with the militant group Hamas or peace with Israel. Mr Obama agreed with Mr Netanyahu that the Palestinians would have to answer "some very difficult questions" about the recent reconciliation deal between Hamas and Fatah – Hamas still denies Israel's right to exist.

Mr Netanyahu's anger was compounded by the fact that he had been taken by surprise, learning the contents of Mr Obama's Thursday speech about the future of the Middle East just a few hours before it was delivered. » | Toby Harnden, Washington and Adrian Blomfield | Friday, May 20, 2011

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Says Europe 'Stealing Iran's Rain'
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has accused Western countries of plotting to "cause drought" in Iran by using high tech equipment to drain the clouds of raindrops.

Moments after the Iranian president made the startling claim at the inauguration of a dam in a central province, it started to rain.

"Western countries have designed plans to cause drought in certain areas of the world, including Iran," Mr Ahmadinejad said in the city of Arak in Markazi province.

"According to reports on climate, whose accuracy has been verified, European countries are using special equipment to force clouds to dump" their water on their continent, he said.

By doing so, "they prevent rain clouds from reaching regional countries, including Iran," Mr Ahmadinejad charged.

Iran has experienced several droughts in recent years. » | Barney Henderson | Saturday, May 21, 2011

American radio preacher predicts doomsday
If Harold Camping is right, then you should probably stop reading this and go say goodbye to your family.

The 89-year-old California-based preacher host of the "Open Forum" television and radio show has predicted that the Christian Rapture - the return of Jesus Christ and an accompanying worldwide disaster - is set to take place on Saturday, May 21.

"We have no plan B, it is going to happen," Camping said. "The Bible is a very factual book."

Camping has, according to some of his colleagues, spent millions of dollars promoting the end of the world, but he predicted a previous Rapture in 1994. Clearly, that didn't happen.

Al Jazeera's Rob Reynolds reports from Los Angeles.


Related article and video »

THE DAILY TEGRAPH: So how are you spending your final hours?: The end of the world is predicted for today, so you'd better read this as fast as you can. » | Matthew Norman | Friday, May 20, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The end is here ... or is it?: If you are reading this and it is past 7am, then the world has not ended and we have all had a lucky escape – predictions of an apocalyptic "Judgment Day" have come to nought. » | Nick Allen, Los Angeles | Friday, May 20, 2011

Interview: Robert Fisk on Obama Speech
Robert Fisk reacts to US President Barack Obama's May 19 speech on the Middle East, North Africa, and discusses 1967 Israel/Palestine borders with Tony Harris from Al Jazeera's headquarters in Doha

Dominique Strauss-Kahn Moved to 'Unspecified Location' after NY Flat Failed

THE GUARDIAN: Former IMF chief released from jail but unable to move into $14,000-a-month flat as building's residents objected

Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been released from jail and sent to an unspecified temporary home in Lower Manhattan where he will be detained under armed guard.

An initial location for Strauss-Kahn to be detained had fallen through as although he may have been granted bail he was finding it difficult to find a new home in New York.

The former head of the International Monetary Fund was hoping to move into a $14,000 (£8,600) a month apartment in the luxurious Bristol Plaza building in the upper east side of Manhattan after a judge bailed him on Thursday while he fights charges of attempted rape of a hotel chambermaid.

Strauss-Kahn's $1m bail stipulates that he must be kept under house arrest, wear an electronic tag to monitor his movements and hire a $200,000-a-month gun-toting security team authorised to use force if he should attempt to flee.

"I expect you will be here when we need you," Judge Michael Obus said on granting bail. "If there is the slightest problem, we can withdraw conditions."

Strauss-Kahn's wife, Anne Sinclair, a former journalist, had hired the apartment. But news of this abode attracted a media scrum outside the building and objections from residents. Police had to put up barricades to hold back the TV crews and cameramen.

Speaking anonymously, one resident said the media commotion outside was the first news he had heard of Strauss-Kahn's arrival. "It's outrageous. You [‘d] think someone would have told us. I am going to object to this," he said. » | Dominic Rushe in New York | Friday, May 20, 2011

Dominique Strauss-Kahn 'Mistress' Defends Former IMF Chief

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A Spanish writer and socialite has become the first of Dominique Strauss-Kahn's alleged former lovers to come forward and defend the former IMF chief, saying he was never cruel or sadistic to her.

Carmen Llera Moravia, 58, said she had known the high-flying economist "for years" and claimed that he was being subjected to a politically-motivated witch hunt.

"I was never a victim of his, as people have written," said Miss Llera in a letter to an Italian newspaper.

"He is not a cruel or sadistic man, violence is not part of his make-up. He likes sex, but so what? It's not a crime."

Mrs Moravia wrote a book of poetry five years ago in which she described a lover who liked to be sadistic in bed. The man in the book 'Gaston', was thought to be Mr Strauss-Kahn, with whom she is believed to have had a relationship between 2003 and 2005. One of Mr Strauss-Kahn's middle names is Gaston.

The book of poems describes a woman being shoved up against a wall by Gaston, recounts how she tried in vain to escape his advances and refers to his "violence" and taste for "sadistic sexual pleasure".

But Miss Llera, who was born in Pamplona but now lives in Rome, said the character was "a literary invention" and had nothing to do with the French presidential contender.

She said she did not know what happened between Mr Strauss-Kahn and the Guinean maid he is alleged to have assaulted in a hotel room in New York.

Mr Strauss-Kahn faced seven charges in a US court earlier this week relating to an alleged sexual assault on a 32-year-old woman.

He has denied all the charges against him.

Miss Llera, the widow of Alberto Moravia, a famous Italian novelist, claimed Mr Strauss-Kahn was being made a "scapegoat" by puritanical Americans. » | Nick Squires, Rome | Friday, May 20, 2011

Empire - War & Revolutions: Europe and the Arab World
Empire asks: Does this NATO operation epitomise Western double standards? Why is Europe reacting strongly in Libya, but indifferent to what is happening in Syria and playing nice with Bahrain?

Obama and Netanyahu Admit 'Differences' on Middle East
BBC: US President Barack Obama and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu have admitted to "differences" on the path to Mid-East peace, after they met in Washington.

The talks came after Mr Obama said in a key speech that any future Palestinian state must be based on the borders that existed prior to the 1967 war.

A defiant Mr Netanyahu said there may be some concessions but stressed the 1967 lines were "indefensible".

He said that there could be no peace "based on illusions".

"[It] will crash eventually on the rocks of Middle East reality," Mr Netanyahu said.

After the talks, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas urged Mr Obama to continue pressing Mr Netanyahu on the 1967 borders plan, AFP news agency reported. (+videos) » | Friday, May 20, 2011

Anne Sinclair, une fortune aussi brillante que ses yeux bleus

TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: AFFAIRE DSK | Pour lui, cette journaliste de 62 ans aux célèbres yeux bleus a abandonné une carrière brillante, subi sa réputation d'homme à femmes et déjà assumé en 2008 son écart de conduite mondialement médiatisé avec une économiste du FMI.

Brune, élégante, celle qui attirait des millions de téléspectateurs lorsqu'elle réalisait des interviews politiques sur la chaîne privée TF1, est aussi une femme fortunée.

Son argent devait servir les ambitions politiques de DSK. Il financera les conditions draconiennes de sa liberté surveillée: appartement loué à Manhattan, équipements de sécurité, caution et garantie d'un montant total de 6 millions de dollars.

Petite-fille d'un riche marchand d'art

Née à New York, cette petite-fille d'un riche marchand d'art juif, Paul Rosenberg, qui avait fui aux Etats-Unis devant l'avancée des nazis, est l'héritière d'une immense fortune.

"Je pense d'abord en ce moment à ma femme, que j'aime plus que tout", a dit DSK dans le communiqué annonçant sa démission du Fonds monétaire international.

En pénétrant jeudi dans la salle du tribunal de New York, au milieu d'une forêt de caméras, droite et digne, Anne Sinclair a offert la plus vibrante des preuves d'amour à son époux accablé par les accusations de tentative de viol et agression sexuelle.

La main dans celle de la fille de DSK, Camille, elle s'efforce de ne rien laisser paraître. Seulement quelques regards vers son mari, et ce baiser furtif échangé d'un geste, à quelques mètres l'un de l'autre.

"Je ne crois pas une seule seconde aux accusations qui sont portées contre mon mari. Je ne doute pas que son innocence soit établie", avait-elle déclaré dimanche, solide et ferme malgré l'humiliation.

"Nous nous aimons comme au premier jour". Cette phrase, elle l'avait écrite sur son blog, lorsqu'en 2008 déjà, il avait fallu sauver l'honneur de Dominique Strauss-Kahn après son faux pas au FMI. » | AFP | Vendredi 20 Mai 2011

Umfrage: Rechtspopulisten liegen in Österreich vorn

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Europas Demokratien geraten in der Euro-Krise unter Druck. In immer mehr Ländern mischen Rechtsaußen-Parteien mit, Österreich gibt nun den Vorreiter: Die Freiheitliche Partei kommt in einer aktuellen Umfrage auf 29 Prozent - und liegt damit auf Platz eins.

Wien - Bei der Sonntagsfrage zu ihren Wahlabsichten nannten 29 Prozent der Befragten die Freiheitliche Partei (FPÖ), wie die österreichische Tageszeitung "Kurier" berichtet. Dicht gefolgt wurde sie in der Umfrage des OGM-Instituts von der SPÖ mit 28 Prozent. Die christsoziale Volkspartei (ÖVP) kam nur noch auf 23, die Grünen auf 13 Prozent. Die zweite rechtspopulistische Partei in der Alpenrepublik, das "Bündnis Zukunft Österreich" (BZÖ), erreichte fünf Prozent. » | sef/AFP | Freitag, 20. Mai 2011

DSK : le récit d'une audience capitale
DSK est inculpé mais placé sous liberté surveillée. Les avocats de l'ancien patron de FMI ont mutlipliés les garanties pour le faire sortir de Ryker's Island, l'île prison ou il séjournait depuis mardi.

LE FIGARO: À quoi va ressembler la vie de DSK en résidence surveillée : Bracelet électronique, surveillance par caméra et gardes armés, qui consigneront ses visites et ses faits et gestes… Lefigaro.fr revient sur les termes draconiens de l'assignation à résidence visant l'ancien patron du FMI. » | Par Constance Jamet | Vendredi 20 Mai 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Dominique Strauss-Kahn: wife and daughter in first public appearance: "How is he?" Anne Sinclair asked quietly, after the judge had called a recess. "Depressed," said William Taylor, her husband's attorney. "He hates this." » | Jon Swaine, New York | Friday, May 20, 2011

WELT ONLINE: Strauss-Kahn wohnt mit Fußfessel bei seiner Tochter: Für die Freilassung bis zum Prozess verhängt der Richter strenge Vorgaben und eine hohe Kaution. Für letztere kommt ausgerechnet die Ehefrau des Ex-IWF-Chefs auf. » | Autor: Uwe Schmitt | Freitag, 20. Mai 2011

Israel: US 'Does Not Understand' What We Face
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: President Barack Obama demonstrated in his latest Mideast policy speech that "Washington does not understand what we face," according to a senior Israeli official.


The official says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was disappointed the speech did not address the Palestinian demand to repatriate to Israel millions of Palestinians, most descendants of people who were driven from or fled homes in the war over the Jewish state's 1948 creation.

Speaking ahead of Mr Netanyahu's White House meeting with Mr Obama, the official said, "There is a sense that Washington does not understand the reality, that Washington does not understand what we face."

Mr Obama last night ordered Israel to accept Palestinian demands in a peace deal as he pledged American support for human rights in the Middle East.

Mr Obama was more explicit about the parameters of an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal that ever before. He said Israel had to accept the Palestinian demand for it to accept the 1967 borders.
A Jewish state "cannot be fulfilled with permanent occupation" of Palestinian lands," he said.

"Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognised borders are established for both states," he said. "The Palestinian people must have the right to govern themselves, and reach their potential, in a sovereign and contiguous state."

The embrace of a key Palestinian demand is likely to anger Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli premier, on the eve of his visit to the White House on Friday. » | Friday, May 20, 2011

My comment:

Obama is a greenhorn. He's fond of talking, but that's about all. I think the world has already started switching off when he speaks. Even the Saudis summed up his Mideast speech in two words: "meaningless drivel"! Obama certainly doesn't understand Israel's dilemma, nor does he comprehend the realities of life there for Israelis on a day-to-day basis. The power of Obama is on the wane. He's a spent force. – © Mark

This comment also appears here

Doomsayers Predict Apocalypse Now

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A US evangelical Christian has predicted that the apocalypse will take place on Saturday, prompting derision from atheist groups.

Harold Camping, 89, previously made a failed prediction that Jesus Christ would return to Earth in 1994.

But, the head of the Christian radio network Family Stations Inc has said that he is sure an earthquake will hit on May 21, sweeping true believers to heaven and leaving others behind to be engulfed in the world's destruction over a few months.

"We know without any shadow of a doubt it is going to happen," he said.

His Family Radio [Worldwide] has 66 US stations and broadcasts in more than 30 languages through international affiliates.

His supporters have posted about 2,200 billboards around the United States about the coming apocalypse, and dozens of followers have driven across the country to spread the news. » | Friday, May 20, 2011



Family Radio Worldwide »

Forte instabilité en Tunisie
LE POINT: Plusieurs mois après la chute de Ben Ali, le calme n'est toujours pas revenu.

La Tunisie post-Ben Ali semble être entrée dans une nouvelle zone de turbulences face à une possible menace "terroriste" sur son territoire coincé entre l'Algérie et la Libye alors qu'elle peine déjà à faire face à un débordement du conflit libyen à sa frontière sud. À peine quatre mois après son soulèvement inédit, qui a donné le coup d'envoi du "printemps arabe", la Tunisie a cumulé cette semaine des annonces alarmantes allant des premières arrestations de "membres présumés d'Aqmi" (al-Qaida au Maghreb islamique) jusqu'au dénouement sanglant d'un échange de tirs dans le nord du pays avec des membres "fortement suspectés d'appartenance à al-Qaida".

Pour le militant tunisien des droits de l'homme Khemaes Ksila, la "situation instable en Tunisie peut être un terrain propice pour les activités de groupes terroristes al-Qaida ou autres". "Il faut que le peuple et toutes les forces politiques qui veulent réussir cette phase transitoire se donnent la main pour barrer le chemin à tous les groupes terroristes voulant déstabiliser le pays", dit-il. Et les Tunisiens, qui scandaient encore des slogans comme "plus jamais peur" pendant les dernières manifestations antigouvernementales début mai à Tunis, ont commencé à découvrir cette semaine les visages de généraux participant à des émissions télévisées sur la sécurité et la lutte contre les "terroristes", du jamais-vu jusqu'alors dans le pays. » | Source AFP | Vendredi 20 Mai 2011

Strauss-Kahn und die Folgen: Das Ende der sexuellen Ausnahme

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Libido dominandi? Der Skandal um den ehemaligen IWF-Präsidenten Dominique Strauss-Kahn könnte in Frankreich eine Kulturrevolution in Gang setzen. Feministische Stimmen drehten den Diskurs.

Viele Franzosen glauben an eine Verschwörung. Heute würde Alfred Dreyfus nicht der Spionage für Deutschland bezichtigt, sondern in einen Sexskandal verwickelt. Es ist die Rache für Roman Polanski. Julian Assange hätten sie das gleiche Schicksal nicht erspart. „Gelyncht“ habe man Dominique Strauss-Kahn, den alle nur DSK nennen, polterte Jack Lang live aus Cannes: „Es hat ja keinen Toten gegeben.“ Und überhaupt, schrieb Bernard-Henry Lévy: Warum ging das Zimmermädchen entgegen allen Gepflogenheiten allein in die Suite? Von allen amerikanischen Eigenheiten haben Besucher das Funktionieren der Justiz am wenigsten verstanden.


Das wusste schon Tocqueville, der über die Demokratie in Amerika schrieb. Ihn zitiert Pierre Beyleau im „Figaro“. Der Journalist bezeichnet die Reaktionen seiner Landsleute als „seltsame Mischung“: Sie besteht aus dem „genetischen“ Antiamerikanismus der Franzosen und der Empörung der „französischen Nomenklatura, die es nicht fassen kann, dass einer der Ihren behandelt wird wie ein gewöhnlicher Autodieb in Brooklyn“. In den Vereinigten Staaten sei das Recht „die Grundlage des Staates“, in Frankreich dient es zur „Aufrechterhaltung der sozialen Ordnung“. Der konservative „Figaro“ schlägt klassenkämpferische Töne an und kämpft für die Gleichheit, die Linke lobt im Verdruss über die amerikanische Barbarei die französischen Gefängnisse – mit hundert Suiziden pro Jahr. Ihre Version der Verschwörung: der amerikanische Kapitalismus gegen den französischen Sozialdemokraten, als den sie Strauss-Kahn allerdings nie wirklich akzeptiert hatte. » | Von Jürg Altwegg, Paris | Freitag, 20. Mai 2011

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Fotoshooting auf dem „Perp Walk“: Im Fall Strauss-Kahn prallen Kulturen aufeinander: Amerika und Europa haben verschiedene Vorstellungen von den Rechten des Angeklagten. Ist die Zurschaustellung Strauss-Kahns eine „mediale Hinrichtung“? Zum „perp walk“ werden nicht nur Täter eskortiert, deren Schuld gerichtlich erwiesen ist. » | Von Katja Gelinsky | Donnerstag, 19. Mai 2011

Saudis Call Obama Speech Meaningless Drivel
ARAB NEWS: RIYADH/DAMMAM: Saudis dismissed US President Barrack Obama's much-anticipated "Arab Spring address" as meaningless, predictable drivel while Egyptians and other Arabs, to whom Obama offered some sops, also did not find anything new in the speech, which according to them focused on US interests.

"He did not say anything of consequence," said Riyadh-based historian Hatoon Al-Fassi. "It was a long speech and what I remember the most is his defense of Israel. Till he uttered this sentence, 'US commitment to Israel's security is unshakable', I had some hope, but when he said that I lost all interest. All his words after and before just rang hollow."

Al-Fassi said people in the Arab world had high hopes after his speech in Cairo two years ago, "but when it came to action he turned out to be a hypocrite like all previous American presidents. So I did not have any expectations anyway. His words did not move me because they were all couched in diplomacy and hypocrisy, and nothing more."

"Katheeran min kalaam khalil min al-amal." That is how Dammam-based political analyst Mutlaq Al-Anazi described Obama's speech: "Too much talk and no action."

"There was nothing in his speech except a robust defense of Israel," said Anazi. "When you support Israel then you lose the moral high ground that we expect American presidents to take when dealing with the Palestinian-Israeli issue."

Anazi said Obama has the gift of gab. » | Siraj Wahab, Maher Abbas & Ghazanfar Ali Khan | Arab News | Thursday, May 19, 2011

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood Poised to Prosper in Post-Mubarak New Era

THE GUARDIAN: Islamist movement banned under Mubarak regime will compete in forthcoming parliamentary and presidential elections, but more radical groups are also gaining political ground

It's hard to miss the new headquarters of the Muslim Brotherhood in the Cairo neighbourhood of Moqattam – six stories towering over the dusty street with the distinctive Qur'an and crossed swords symbol emblazoned on the stucco facade. The decor is a medley of parquet floors, crystal chandeliers, swagged velvet curtains and gilded furniture.

In the lobby a team from the brotherhood's fledgling TV station is interviewing a bigwig as a sharp-suited, clean-shaven aide hovers fussily.

"After 100 days we are sure the revolution is on the right track," beams Issam el-Erian, the articulate and experienced spokesman for the organisation known in Arabic simply as the Ikhwan [brotherhood]. "In a few months we will have a new parliament and then a new constitution for the new Egypt."

The Moqattam HQ is a striking improvement on the brotherhood's shabby old premises in a downmarket Nile-side suburb – a reminder of the long years when it was banned, its activists routinely harrassed, detained and tried in military courts and aspiring MPs forced to stand as independents.

Now, everything exudes self-confidence and a sense that the world's oldest Islamist movement, which has long embraced democracy and eschewed the violence of the past, is poised to prosper in the post-Mubarak era. It is even planning to set up football teams to compete in the country's professional leagues, prompting silly jokes about yellow cards for any pulling of beards. » | Ian Black in Cairo | Thursday, May 19, 2011

Arabs See Obama Speech as Late, Not Enough

AL MASRY AL YOUM: US President Barack Obama's speech on uprisings sweeping the Arab world show Washington is struggling to guide democratic movements that took it by surprise, Arab analysts said, threatening US regional allies.

Obama went to Cairo University to address the Muslim world in a landmark speech in 2009 that promised support for democracy that Washington assumed would come thanks to outside pressure on entrenched rulers in countries such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

But on Thursday he stood at a State Department podium in Washington to discuss protest movements that have been mainly peaceful and driven by ordinary Arabs, removing autocrats in Tunisia and Egypt but so far failing to bring change in Yemen, Bahrain, Syria or Libya.

The stark contrast in settings said much about a confused US reaction to Arab revolts where it has appeared to be irrelevant, and its challenge now in nudging them towards conclusions compatible with US foreign policy goals.

Those include isolating Iran, ensuring continued Gulf Arab oil supplies and promoting Arab ties with Israel. Obama's failure to end Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, where Palestinians seek statehood, has done much to quash the hope many Arabs had in him two years ago. » | Reuters | Friday, May 20, 2011

"My prediction on Obama's speech: Arab leaders won't like it much. Arab reformers won't like it much. This is the Obama style: Try to appeal to everyone and end up disappointing everyone." – Shadi Hamid, Brookings Centre in Qatar on Twitter

Inside Story: Obama's Middle East address
On Thursday, President Barack Obama spoke of a change of strategy towards the Arab world.

This special edition of Inside Story takes a closer look at what the US president's speech means for the future of the Middle East.

Inside Story with presenter Shihab Rattansi, discusses with Hillary Mann Leverett, former state department official; Shibley Telhami, Anwar Sadat chair at the University of Maryland; and Daniel Levy, former senior adviser to the Israeli government.

This episode of Inside Story aired from [sic] Thursday, May 18, 2011.