Cyrus Vance Jr., a prosecutor very discreet

Bill Clinton was Kenneth Starr, Dominique Strauss Kahn, Cyrus Vance Jr. This will be 56 years attorney is charged with two deputies, John A. McConnell and Lisa Friel, to prove the guilt of DSK in sexual assault case that pitted him against a maid of the Sofitel New York. A trio of shock that will not favor or concession. "Everyone wants and deserves the same thing, a system that makes justice and is based on fairness": that is the credo of Cyrus Vance Jr. At the hearing Thursday in the court of the Supreme Court of New York, John A. McConnell, in any case, polished their arms to convince Judge Michael J.DSK shells that had sufficient wealth to flee if released on parole, citing his alleged escape attempt on the Air France after the alleged assault of Saturday, May 14 If the intervention of the prosecutor has as much weight is that the American system is based on the adversarial process. Unlike the French system where the judge is investigating the charge and discharge, the U.S. Attorney collects evidence that may prove the guilt of the accused. To do this, all means are good.The prosecutor's office joins the police in particular - in this case the Special Victims Bureau, which oversees the Sex Crimes Unit. "In such case, the prosecutor and his team work closely with the police, laboratories, scientists, photographers. In court, the prosecutor will have to prove the guilt of the accused, thanks to evidence and witnesses. He can ask all the incriminating evidence from the hotel, hospital ...", explains Eric Lisann, former United States Attorney.Cyrus Vance Jr., a regular spheres of power under the spotlight since the collapse of the DSK affair, which should capture for weeks or even months, Cyrus Vance Jr. is a regular, since very young, spheres of power. His father, Cyrus Vance, was in fact Secretary of State for the armies of the Kennedy administration and later Minister of Foreign Affairs of Jimmy Carter. But "Junior" has avoided the footsteps of his father, preferring the right policy. A graduate of Yale and Georgetown, he moved to Seattle in 1988, despite a promising start in New York office of the famous attorney at the time, Robert Morgenthau."Cyrus Vance Jr. spent part of his career in Seattle, where he built his reputation as a criminal lawyer. They say he did it to escape the shadow of his father, extremely experienced in New York" France 24 says Frederick T. Davis, counsel to the bars of Paris and New York and former federal prosecutor in New York. A prosecutor "fair and worker" In 2004, he returned to New York. Five years later, the station's popular "district attorney" (counsel for the State of New York) is free. At 90 years, Robert Morgenthau, district attorney of the city between 1975 and 2009, resolved to step down. Indeed, the United States, prosecutors are elected by universal suffrage for a term of four years.The requirement for candidates to campaign to win public opinion is seen as a guarantee of their independence. For Cyrus Vance Jr., is a dream of studying at your fingertips. He made a brilliant campaign in which he received the unanimous support of the press - the tabloids to The New York Times - and Robert Morgenthau, who said on television in April 2009: "I think Vance is by far the most qualified. C ' is a good lawyer, he is right. " In the middle of New York law, this impression is shared: they say discreet, hardworking and fair. "It is very well seen from the bar. It is a fair man, not arrogant and very open. It is more austere and hard as its predecessor, which was highly publicized.There is also a leading expert in criminal law, "Frederick T. Davis continues." The prosecutor is a political figure, but not an ideologue. It is supposed to act on behalf of the people, but is sworn to uphold the law and impartiality. Cyrus Vance Jr. is in this spirit ", adds Eric Lisann. Proponent of local justice, Cyrus Vance Jr. has launched the" community-based justice "based on cooperation between judges, police and social workers. It he cares to defend the poor and tackle crime "particularly in the field of domestic violence and intimate," he says on his website.Emerging "star system"? In November 2009, Cyrus Vance Jr. wins the election "district attorney" as a Democrat, and that with 91% of the vote. "A prosecutor built his career on big shots, he can benefit later. We judge a prosecutor at the rate of charge, in the same way that a lawyer becomes a tenor of the bar in terms of its number acquittals. We can talk about the phenomenon of star system, "said a corporate lawyer's office in New York who wishes to remain anonymous.Prosecutors become highly publicized trials of celebrities, even if they lose, as was the case with Marcia Clark in the case of OJ Simpson, acquitted, for Kenneth Starr, the special prosecutor's "Monicagate" Bill Clinton or Tom Sneddon, Michael Jackson accuser unfortunate. With a deal like that for DSK, Cyrus Vance Jr. could claim the same fame.

Queen Elizabeth II to visit historic and highly monitored in Dublin

Queen Elizabeth II Tuesday began a historic visit to Ireland under surveillance, the first movement of a British monarch since independence in 1922 was troubled by the threat from dissident republicans.

The police are on the warpath in both London and Dublin and Belfast, fearing that Republican dissidents opposed to the peace process in Northern Ireland will build upon the movement to attempt a resounding action.

No fewer than 10,000 police and troops deployed in Ireland for a visit and several people were arrested in recent days, suspected of belonging to the dissident republican movement.

On Monday, a bomb threat from dissident Irish republicans caused a commotion of battle police in London. The "Mall" that leads to Buckingham Palace was closed for several hours after an alert, which proved unfounded.

The fear of an assassination of a dissident group was reinforced by threats brandished late April by a masked man at a rally in Londonderry, Northern Ireland."The queen is not welcome," he had started, saying speak on behalf of the Real IRA who is credited with the recent increase of attacks in Ulster, including the murder of a police officer in April.

The tumultuous relationship between Irish and British have largely subsided since the peace accords of 1998 and the first visit by a British monarch since 1911 figure is a gesture of reconciliation.But resentment still against the former colonial power.

At the time of the independence of Ireland, London has retained in her lap the province of Northern Ireland, mostly Protestant.

Sinn Féin, often accused of links with the IRA (Catholic separatists), found the visit "premature," before acknowledging that it represented a "unique opportunity" to establish "a new relationship based on equality and mutual respect ", joining the majority sentiment.81% of Irish people are friendly to visitors, according to a survey.

Tuesday, Elizabeth II is to lay a wreath at the "Garden of Remembrance (Memorial Garden), erected in honor of victims of the war of independence," a powerful symbol of reconciliation, "the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs.

She must decide Wednesday night a highly anticipated speech, joined for the occasion by Prime Minister David Cameron and the head of British diplomacy, William Hague. The movement will end Friday.

FRANCE: "The RSA is not a salary but a safety net

With his proposed reform of Revenue solidarité active (RSA), the French Minister for European Affairs, Laurent Wauquiez, caused an uproar on the left and right, and even within the government.

Sunday, the minister, speaking as leader of the club "The social right", proposed to cap the accumulated social benefits to 75% of the minimum wage (SMIC) or requesting five hours Weekly social service recipients of the RSA in exchange for payment of their allowance. Objective: to fight against the "cancer of the assistantship" in the words of the minister.

Immediately, several government figures have stood the initiative of Laurent Wauquiez.On Tuesday, Prime Minister Francois Fillon flew to the aid of this speech establishment in May 2007 under the leadership of Martin Hirsch, then High Commissioner for Active Solidarity against Poverty. "Thanks to the RIAA, return to work is more attractive than the dependence of solidarity, said the head of government in the National Assembly.The RSA is an advance over the RMI [minimum integration income, ed]. "

For Helen Perivier, an economist at the French Observatory of Economic Conditions (OFCE), the tracks of reform Laurent Wauquiez upset the very nature of social assistance and, therefore, the French social model.

FRANCE 24 - How would the Minister Laurent Wauquiez they trigger such an outcry?

Helen Perivier - Currently, people who touch the RSA must actively seek employment. They are supposed to be covered either by social workers or through outplacement services as the employment center, or both, so that it can work again as soon as possible.Jobs in assisted contracts in the nonprofit sector is the major route of reintegration into employment of recipients of welfare benefits.

However, these jobs are more or less general interest in the work recommended by Laurent Wauquiez [monitoring outside schools, cleaning, reception in public services, Ed]. This statement is therefore to stigmatize people who touch the RSA but does nothing in terms of stimulating the job market or re-employment in this population. The danger would be to move from a logic of solidarity, which is based on social assistance in France, a logic of "workfare" pure, ie reimbursement of aid paid by a few hours.The RSA is not a salary as a salary provides access to social rights (pensions, unemployment insurance, etc..), But a guaranteed minimum income, which represents a last safety net.

F24 - It is therefore to change the nature of the French social model ...

HP - Everything is a question of balance between the idea of ​​merit and solidarity. In France, it is clear that the solidarity prevails, but this assay is moving in time. With the implementation of RSA, it has already moved the cursor to the merits, since moved to supplement the wages first by a grant once the unemployed back into employment.

F24 - Are there other countries in cases of "social service" as proposed by Laurent Wauquiez?

HP- United States, for example, welfare is clearly based more on the concept of merit than on solidarity. This logic has hardened in the 1980s with President Ronald Reagan, and "workfare", which means "work for your welfare" ["work for your own wealth"] was true act in the mid- 1990 with the reform of social assistance. Some states, like Indiana, have a very strict and follow a logical allocation of reimbursement by a community service.

SYRIA: Dozens of protesters killed during the "Friday of Wrath

At least 62 civilians were killed Friday in Syria during demonstrations against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, mostly Deraa in the south, said the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights. In a first assessment, the organization spoke of 48 dead.

The Observatory has reported 35 deaths in the province of Deraa (south), 15 in the Homs (center) and one in Latakia (northwest). Later, it was reported that Syrian security forces had opened fire on the crowd Rastan (center), killing 13 protesters and wounding 45.

A Deraa, home of the dispute, at least thirty-five people were killed and dozens others injured by shots fired by security forces at the entrance to the city, told AFP the militants Human Rights.Tens of thousands of people defied the ban on demonstrations by marching in several cities demanding the regime fell.A week ago, Friday, April 22, repression killed more than 80 dead.

Meanwhile, a military spokesman quoted by the official SANA news agency said that four Syrian soldiers were killed at dawn and kidnapped two others in Deraa in an attack by "armed terrorist group".

The demonstrators in the streets of Deraa, Damascus, Homs and Banias

Six weeks after the start of an unprecedented protest movement against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, "the Syrian youth revolution" had called on Facebook to "Friday of Wrath" in solidarity with Deraa, cradle of the revolt , besieged by the army since Monday.

Responding to this call, 2.000 demonstrators gathered in Midane, a district of Damascus, said militants told AFP.And several thousand people gathered in WQAS, near the capital.

In the industrial city of Homs (center), thousands of people shouted "Down with the regime," according to videos filmed by militants and released for the first time in real time on the internet.

At Banias, nearly 10,000 people demonstrated, chanting "Freedom, solidarity with Deraa," according to activists of human rights.

At Deir Ez-Zor, 460 km northeast of Damascus, a thousand of protesters emerged from mosques and Al-Farouk Al-Othman were dispersed "with sticks and electric cables" by security forces, has told AFP Nawaf al-Bashir, a militant human rights.

And Ar Raqqa, 540 km northeast of the capital, 300 to 400 people shouted "God Almighty, let the siege be lifted to Deraa," said Abdallah al-Khalil, a member of an association of defense of human rights.

In the predominantly Kurdish region of northern Syria, 15,000 people marched without incident in Qamishli and three surrounding communities, according to Kurdish officials for Human Rights.

Unauthorized demonstrations despite the end of emergency rule

The authorities, however, reiterated the ban on protests: "In current circumstances, the Interior Ministry calls on citizens to refrain from conducting demonstrations or sit-in under any slogan, without official permission" according to a statement carried by the official Sana agency.

"Existing laws will be enforced to ensure safety of citizens and the stability of the country", added the ministry.

On 19 April, Mr.Assad issued a decree requiring event organizers to obtain prior official authorization in this country ruled with an iron hand by a single party, the Baath, since 1963.

Four soldiers killed by "terrorists" or protecting the demonstrators?

The army said that four Syrian soldiers were killed and two others abducted at dawn Friday in an attack against a military post in Dera (south) by an "armed terrorist group".

Earlier in the day, an activist in Deraa, Abazid Abdallah, told AFP that four soldiers were "killed while defending the people."

"We are peaceful people, at no time have we borne arms against the army or cons or security services," said Abazid.

On Monday, the army had launched an unprecedented offensive to quell the revolt Deraa where, according to a report of the Observatory of Human Rights, 50 people were killed.

Since the beginning of the protest, more than 500 people were killed across the country, as the "Committee of the martyrs of 15 March", close to opponents.But the military spokesman denied that figure, saying 148 people had been killed - 78 soldiers and policemen and 70 civilians.

The Commission on Human Rights of the United Nations held in Geneva on Friday a special session on Syria at the request of the United States who wish to adopt a resolution condemning the crackdown.

The Muslim Brotherhood, the main opposition group in the country, accused the regime of committing "genocide" and called on people not to succumb to the "tyrants" in reference to Mr. Assad.

SPECULATION: Banks fingered in rising food prices

The food market would be better off without the investment banks? Undoubtedly, "replied the British NGO World Development Movement (WDM) - the equivalent of Transparency International for all economic development issues - which on Tuesday released a new study of the impact of speculation on rising food prices whose level reached today than in 2008, during the riots. "Banks have depleted plunged into famine and millions of people in developing countries," says FRANCE 24's and Murray Worthy, head of WDM strategies.

Since the financial crisis, banks have certainly become easy targets, but figures provided by the NGOs are talking.British bank Barclays, for example, collected 383 million euros in 2010 by simply betting on rising food prices. "It's an estimate that we made from public figures from Barclays Capital [the investment bank Barclays, Ed] and data market," said Murray Worthy. Barclays declined to respond to these assertions.

This taste of the British bank for speculation in these markets has no equal in Europe. Only U.S. banks Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are the strongest.Thus, according WDM, Goldman Sachs dominates this small world of speculators with a billion dollars (684 million) collected per year in these markets.

After the subprime

Speculation on food are certainly since the early 20th century, but has reached dangerous levels at the dawn of the 2008 food crisis. In 2003, she was indeed the order of $ 3 billion per year ... against 55 billion in 2008, said Olivier De Schutter, the UN special rapporteur for the right to food. "2011 should be another record year," warns Murray Worthy.The amount of speculative trading on commodity markets (food, energy, metals) is expected to reach $ 400 billion this year, against 300 billion in 2008, the UN says.

The appetite of investment banks for food grew after the collapse of the subprime bubble. "They have sought a new home which was not yet regulated in which to invest too quickly," Murray decrypts Worthy.They were then reminded that the U.S. had deregulated the marketing of foodstuffs in the early 2000s.

Bubble

Barclays Capital, Goldman Sachs and others have then imported and developed financial products that made the heyday of the U.S. housing market ... before driving to his loss. "These banks have transformed the property market is often vital for people in financial market," laments Murray Worthy. Barclays Capital has even created the equivalent of CDOs ("Collateralized Debt Obligation") for raw materials, these highly sophisticated financial products which have played an important role in the subprime crisis.They allowed players who have no connection with the purchase and sale of maize, wheat and other grains - such as pension funds - to invest their money in these markets, denounces World Development Movement.

The NGO acknowledges that speculation is only one element among many of soaring food prices. The OECD estimates that the weather conditions, the development of biofuels and the current instability of the Arab countries have a greater impact. But for WDM, speculation escape increasingly out of control. "The bubble is now grow very quickly," warns Murray Worthy.The NGO estimated that it would limit the amounts that banks can invest in the markets for food products and better frame the nature of transactions. Recommendations already made by the European Commission in 2008 ...

FOOTBALL: Real Madrid narrowly missed a sixth consecutive defeat in the "clásico"

Real Madrid, reduced to 10 and led the scoring for Barca, has managed to avoid a sixth successive defeat in the "clasicos" Saturday (1-1) but still eight points behind La Liga, six days of end.

Morally, Real, crushed at Camp Nou (5-0), has avoided the depression, preventing its biggest rival to win a third consecutive time in the Santiago-Bernabeu stadium.

Messi Barca will do as well as the Real of Di Stefano in the 60s, with six "clasicos" consecutive victory in La Liga.

But he remains undefeated this season against Real and comes under the best conditions before the three other "clasicos" program: Wednesday in the final of the Copa del Rey, April 27 and May 3 in the semi-finals (round-trip League) champions.

Barca's record against Real since the arrival of coach Josep Guardiola in 2008 is impressive: six games, five wins, one draw, 17 goals scored, three conceded.

Jose Mourinho, who had tamed Barça de Guardiola last season with Inter Milan, has three more opportunities to defeat the team "Blaugrana" with Real.

The stars of each team, Cristiano Ronaldo at Real and Barca in Messi, defeated their Indian sign on Saturday night.

Ronaldo, who had never scored against Barcelona, ​​equalized on a penalty kick in the 82nd.As for Messi, who had never scored against a team of Mourinho, he opened the scoring, also from the penalty spot (53 ').

Messi remains top scorer in La Liga, with 30 goals, against 29 for Ronaldo.

Adriano saves on his line

Dampened by the heavy defeat at the Nou Camp to go phase, the toughest of his career, Mourinho opted for a highly defensive, with Pepe, center-aligned as a false front hinge midfielder Albiol-Carvalho.

A tactical move to master the elusive Messi. And it worked, until the turn of the game: the penalty and exclusion of Raul Albiol (51). But Pepe's tenure came at the expense of midfielder Mesut Özil.And for many years, Real has been unable to produce the game

In the first half, the show was not announced dazzling the rendezvous: a lot of mistakes, nervousness, balloons lost. And very few opportunities.

Messi has still been two: the 19th with a lob small intercepted by Iker Casillas and the 44th with a breakthrough followed by a shot from the left. But again, Casillas played a full role in pushing both hands.

And Cristiano Ronaldo has created the most dangerous time: after an initial header from a corner of Ramos, he forcefully took over the head. We were very close to the 1-0 but Adriano saved on his line (45th).

The match was completely packed second half.After two penalties, Real had several opportunities, including a match by Khedira (90th). Barca was the same in stoppage time, by Villa.

Prior to the summit of the Spanish League, Valencia had consolidated his third place by winning consistently at the last, Almeria (3-0).

Valencia, who finished digesting its elimination by eighth-finals of the Champions League (for Schalke 04), finished the season strong and will receive the Real Madrid the next day.

NIGERIA: Several attacks marred the legislative

The legislative elections of Nigeria already postponed twice and opened Saturday in an explosion at a polling station in Maiduguri in the north-east of the country has made several wounded.

On Friday, a bomb had already exploded in a polling station near Abuja in the center of the country leaving 11 dead and 38 wounded. The balance of the explosion of Maiduguri has not yet been clarified.

This vote marks the start of a marathon election, which must continue with the presidential April 16.Polling stations have opened in some areas as scheduled at 08:00 local time (0700 GMT) but others could not start on time, found the AFP journalists.

A poll postponed twice

These elections take place in almost all districts of the country, had been postponed last Saturday April 4 and April 9, due to the absence of electoral materials and personnel in a large number of polling stations.

"I think today will be different.(Electoral Commission) is ready, "said Fatai Awofolaju, an official election in Lagos.

In Lagos, the economic capital, Abuja, the administrative capital and Kano (North), the second city of the country, polls opened at 8:00 or shortly thereafter.In Bayelsa State which is from the President Goodluck Jonathan, they opened with 90 minutes delay.

This election that is expected to test the ability of the country's most populous country with 160 million people to hold free elections.

Attacks and armed robbery threaten legislative

The explosion of a bomb Suleija Friday, some 45 km from Abuja (center) in a polling place elections and preparing where 11 people were killed and 38 injured, has not been claimed. The vote in this constituency has been postponed.Chairman Jonathan presidential candidate, denounced a "heinous terrorist bombing" and ordered increased security at the premises of the Electoral Commission throughout the country.

Gunmen also attacked Friday in Shani, Borno state in north-east, a police station where election officials were responsible for the supervision of election materials, killing four people.

The previous elections in Nigeria were marred by fraud and violence.Since November, the NGO Human Rights Watch has already recorded 85 deaths in pre-election violence.

The borders were closed, traffic restrictions were imposed on vehicles and soldiers patrolled the strategic points.

The impact of the attacks was difficult to measure. "What bomb?" We have no problem here, "commented Bode Oshowole Saturday, a printer 61, in a polling station in Lagos.

"They're trying to scare us but it does not," responded the head of another office."Nigeria can not be turned into another Afghanistan or Iraq," said Nnamdi Ekweogu.

In a little over 10% of precincts where the ballots could not be printed in time, the legislation will be held April 26, the date of elections of governors and assemblies of the 36 states of the federation.The postponement affects 15 out of 109 senatorial districts and 48 constituencies which elect the 360 ​​members in the House of Representatives.

"Several countries in Africa have been able to hold successful elections, and if we fail, we can not claim a leadership role or to discipline anyone for failure," he said Thursday Jonathan to a delegation of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), based in Washington, which supports democratic institutions and practices worldwide. The NGOs in Nigeria has sent more than 50 observers from more than 23 countries, working with 1700 Nigerian observers.

COTE D'IVOIRE: Alassane Ouattara allied forces take control of Yamoussoukro

AFP - Ivorian President forces acknowledged by the international community Wednesday Alassane Ouattara have accentuated their pressure on the regime of outgoing President Laurent Gbagbo in taking the political capital Yamoussoukro, as tensions rose in Abidjan.

On the third day of the offensive, this highly symbolic victory comes four months after the beginning of a post-election crisis which has, according to UN figures, at least 460 people and displaced nearly a million people.

It is a major setback for incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo, whose regime is isolated diplomatically and economically strangled, and whose forces seem to fall back on the economic capital Abidjan, the heart of a power that has never been so threatened.

"Mr.Gbagbo has a few more hours to go, otherwise it will march on Abidjan. And it will be much more complicated for him, "warned France 24 Guillaume Soro, Prime Minister Ouattara.

In the metropolis of Abidjan, many residents have returned home hurriedly in the afternoon, reporters found the AFP. Shots were heard in several northern districts. The Plateau, where the presidential palace, the traffic was very limited.

Mr. Republican ForcesOuattara, composed mainly ex-rebels holding the north since 2002, continued their advance Wednesday and taking Soubré Yamoussoukro, 130 km north of San Pedro (south-west), the largest export port in the world cocoa .

They had already won important victories on Tuesday in entering Duekoue, Daloa (center-west) and Bondoukou (east), but also Abengourou (southeast), just 220 km from the economic capital Abidjan.

The Ambassador of Cote d'Ivoire in France named by Alassane Ouattara, Ally Coulibaly, assured that his forces controlled camp "three quarters" of the country.

Yamoussoukro, the birthplace of the "Father of the Nation" Felix Houphouet-Boigny (1960-93) became the political capital of the world's leading exporter of cocoa, has fallen into the hands of fighters pro-Ouattara, virtually without a fight, only a few shots with Kalashnikov were heard, residents said.

"Yamoussoukro is under control of Republican Forces, the jubilant crowd cheering, they parade in town," said a resident of the capital.

On board the pick-ups with machine guns or motorcycles, they roam the city by launching shouting, witnesses said.

According to several testimonies, the pro-Ouattara continued their way south, leaving a small detachment in the political capital.

A resident of Toumodi (50 km south of Yamoussoukro) ensured to have heard gunfire in the afternoon in this village, located about 200 km from Abidjan.

On the eastern front, the forces are advancing rapidly pro-Ouattara, without meeting strong resistance, approaching a little closer to Abidjan, where new recruits began Wednesday to enlist in the army of the president.

On the western front, they are now the cocoa port of San Pedro.

More than 400,000 tons of cocoa are blocked from calling the camp Ouattara to stop exports. This measure has been further strengthened by Western sanctions.Ouattara government warned Wednesday, "an exporter" of cocoa "collaborate" with the president.

Gbagbo's camp had called Tuesday night to a "cease-fire immediately," declaring himself ready for negotiations with the rival camp under the auspices of the African Union in Addis Ababa in early April.

But Anne Ouloto, spokesman for Mr. Ouattara, responded by asking supporters of Mr Gbagbo to "disarm," saying that the call for a cease-fire was a "diversion".

Pope Benedict XVI on his side announced its decision to send an envoy to Côte d'Ivoire to promote "reconciliation and peace" and called for "a process of constructive dialogue."

Libya: Muammar Gaddafi: "The people will deal with terrorists and traitors"

The Libyan leader did not budge. While regular forces Libyan Sunday launched a violent offensive against the cities taken by the insurgents, Muammar Gaddafi repeated in an interview with FRANCE 24 broadcast Monday that the "crisis" through which his country is the result of "a conspiracy" orchestrated by the network of Al Qaeda. Affirming that Libya played a "vital role in regional and even global peace," he posed as a partner in the fight against international terrorism.

Muammar Gaddafi also condemned the interference of the international community, including France, which on Sunday welcomed the establishment of the Libyan national, established by the insurgency. "Really, it makes you laugh, this interference in the affairs of a country.It is as if we interfered in the affairs of Corsica or Sardinia ... "

"Al Qaeda has a plan," he accuses. I think that the terrorists of Al Qaeda have tried to take advantage of the situation in Tunisia, Egypt, but they were down in Libya. They are dormant cells who woke up and took up arms to kill members of the army, police. "

"We are partners in the fight against terrorism, says Muammar Gaddafi. There were armed Islamic extremists in Algeria, as there was in Iraq or Pakistan ... We are the same thing, we have armed factions who are fighting us.There was a resolution of the Security Council UN [against the Libyan regime, which includes an asset freeze of Libyan officials, ed], but ignored Al-Qaeda! "

"It makes you laugh the interference!"

If the Libyan League for Human Rights puts the figure of 6,000 deaths since the violence began in mid-February, Muammar Gaddafi admits that there were "hundreds" dead "on both sides, the side of Army and police and the rebels. "

However, it underlines the fact that the world has a picture "distorted" the situation there. "To my friends and the world, I say it is a distorted picture that was given to peaceful demonstrations.Several chains have manipulated the truth. Do not grow the business as if there was a big problem. (...) Now we open the doors to foreign journalists and we invite the world to open their eyes. "

And explain its view of the situation: "The bearers of weapons in Benghazi have no clear demands. In Benghazi is the revolution of 1 September [in reference to 1 September 1969, when Muammar Qaddafi overthrew King Idris I and proclaimed the Libyan Republic, ed]. We must get rid of people who are armed traitors. The people will look after them.In some areas, machine guns have been distributed and the population was able to block these terrorists. "

On his relations with the United States and the European Union, Gaddafi obvious astonishment. "It's strange, our relations were good. Perhaps there a security issue in the Mediterranean, to block emigration ... We also Libya major oil companies Spanish or French, and Suddenly these countries have forgotten the interests that are theirs. "

BAHRAIN: The opposition demanded the resignation of government

A senior Bahraini Shiite opposition, Abdel Jalil Khalil Ibrahim, Saturday demanded the resignation of the government and the withdrawal of forces from the streets of Manama in response to the offer of dialogue made the previous day by the crown prince of Bahrain.

"To consider the dialogue, the government must resign and the army must withdraw from the streets" of the capital, saidIbrahim, leader of the parliamentary bloc of Wefaq, the main Shiite opposition group.

"We are not witnessing a language of dialogue, but that of arms," he added, referring to the army shooting Friday night against the demonstrators, who were 95 injuries, including "three in a state of clinical death, "he said.

These shootings were occurring while the Crown Prince Salman Ben Hamad Al-Khalifa, speaking on state television to promise a dialogue with the opposition once calm was restored.

"I make no distinction between a Bahraini and another and what is happening now is unacceptable," said Prince Salman."Bahrain is currently experiencing a state of division and that's unacceptable," he said.

King Hamad Ben Issa Al-Khalifa immediately instructed his son, Crown Prince, to conduct a "dialogue with stakeholders and communities without exception", ensuring through cooperation "sincere", "Bahrain will come out stronger ".

This offer of dialogue "is not serious," said the elected Wefaq, demanding that the authorities "serious and sincere measures that meet the requirements of the current situation."

"The situation is complicated and I fear it spirals out of control," warned Mr.Ibrahim, whose group has withdrawn from Parliament, where he has 18 of the 40 elected House of Deputies, to protest against the bloody crackdown on Thursday at the dawn of a sit-in anti-regime instead of Pearl in Manama.

Bahrain, a small kingdom populated predominantly Shiite, has ruled since the 18th century by a Sunni dynasty.

The head of Wefaq, Sheikh Ali Salman, told AFP Thursday that the opposition wants a "new government is proposing political reforms, we can revise the Constitution, which enshrines the principle of peaceful transfer of power and establish a constitutional monarchy. "

The Prime Minister, Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the king's uncle, is in the position since Bahrain's independence in 1971, while the sovereignty ministries are held by members of the royal family.

MIDDLE EAST: Hillary Clinton suggests a risk of "chaos" and "storm" in the region

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Saturday that the movement towards democracy in the Middle East, she continued, had nevertheless "risks of chaos," holding that the situation there was "perfect" for a hurricane ".

"Without progress towards open and accountable systems, the gap between peoples and their governments will increase instability and worse," she said at the 47th Security Conference in Munich (Southern Germany).

"Throughout the region," Middle East "there must be a clear and substantial progress towards systems transparent, honest and responsible," she pleaded.

"Currently, in some countries the transition is advancing rapidly, in others it will take more time," she said in a clear reference to different contexts of contestation in Tunisia, which ousted President Ben Ali and Egypt, where President Hosni Mubarak refused to leave immediately.

"Of course there are risks, risks caused by the transition to democracy," noted the U.S. Secretary of State.

"This may cause chaos and instability in the short term, or worse, and we observed that in the past, the transition can cause a regression to a different regime as authoritarian," as citizens of a country tried to kill, stressed Ms. Clinton.

In the Middle East, the situation is "perfect" for a hurricane, she said, marking the high stakes.

Switzerland freezes assets of former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier

AFP - Switzerland on Tuesday blocked the assets of former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier follows the entry into force of a new law that would allow them to return to Haiti, announced Foreign Ministry.

"This law was accepted by Parliament at its autumn session 2010, it entered into force on 1 February 2011", says the Department of Foreign Affairs (Department) on its website.

"The funds were then blocked Duvalier on the basis" of this new law, say the Swiss authorities.

The law was nicknamed "Lex Duvalier" in the Confederation, as she was introduced to compensate for a lack appeared in the long legal battle over restitution to the Haitian people by some 6 million Swiss francs (4.6 million) filed by the Duvalier family in Swiss bank accounts.