PARIS — France’s shock at the arrest of Dominique Strauss-Kahn on sexual assault charges has turned among some to suspicion and anger, with his defenders questioning the initial New York police account and speculating about entrapment, and many others characterizing the photos of the handcuffed suspect as insulting and unfair.Poor dears.
Mr. Strauss-Kahn, 62, was arrested on charges of attempted rape and illegal imprisonment of a chambermaid in a French-owned hotel in Midtown Manhattan, the Sofitel, and was arraigned on Monday in New York.
The charges against a man thought to have had the best chance of becoming France’s next president in elections only a year away, and who is the prominent managing director of the International Monetary Fund, have exploded most political assumptions here.
Actually, I'm with Judge Melissa Jackson on this, as she remarked when denying Strauss-Kahn's defense attorneys' request for bail: “When I hear that your client was at J.F.K. Airport about to board a flight” ... “that raises some concern.”
Well, yeah.
See also Matt Welch, "BHL: France's National Disgrace" (on Bernard Henri-Levy, via Althouse).
Let's just add to that the seeming media oversight of the fact that a socialist was in charge of the IMF.
ReplyDeleteAccording their website, the purpose of the organization, which wields considerable power, is as follows:
"The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world."
And a socialist was heading this up? Yikes.
Actually, I'm with Judge Melissa Jackson on this, as she remarked when denying Strauss-Kahn's defense attorneys' request for bail: “When I hear that your client was at J.F.K. Airport about to board a flight” ... “that raises some concern.”
ReplyDeleteHe was about to board a flight that had been scheduled way before the alleged incident; he had lunch with his daughter right after leaving the Sofitel Hotel and conducted business as usual on his phone; and he called the hotel asking them to return a cell phone to him at JFK where he was about to board a flight.
None of that sounds suspicious to me, but rather exonerating. These are not the actions of someone fleeing a crime.
I read that he'd booked the flight in advance, Stogie. Good thing too, so he could skedaddle out of here just in the nick of time!!
ReplyDeleteThe facts you present here contradict the facts I have read elsewhere. Who knows what is true?
ReplyDelete