Check out: "Does Sarkozy Miss DSK?", the Descoings death, Americans in Nazi Germany, and more

Newsweek International: Why DSK Would Have Been Sarkozy's Ideal Opponent, 16 April 2012
Why the libertine would have been an ideal opponent.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/04/15/why-dsk-would-have-been-an-ideal-opponent-for-sarkozy.html

The Daily Beast: France Arrests the Usual (Islamist) Suspects, 4 April 2012
In a crackdown after the Toulouse shootings, France arrested 10 suspected Islamic radicals. By concealing past mistakes, the nation may be hindering investigations, writes Christopher Dickey.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/04/04/france-arrests-the-usual-islamist-suspects.html
(Update: All of those arrested were later released for lack of evidence.)

The Daily Beast: Death in New York of French Educator Richard Descoings Treated as Suspicious, 4 April 2012
Vague echoes of the Strauss-Kahn affair are unlikely to tarnish the reputation of Richard Descoings, director of Sciences Po in Paris. Found dead in a Manhattan hotel room Tuesday, he's considered a possible suicide.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/04/04/death-in-new-york-of-french-educator-richard-descoings-treated-as-suspicious.html

(Will update when toxicology report arrives. Dominant theory at the moment is accidental death resulting from a mix of alcohol and prescription drugs.)

Newsweek: The Americans Who Witnessed the Rise of the Nazis, 2 April 2012
The story of the Americans who cavorted with the Nazis.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/04/01/the-americans-who-witnessed-the-rise-of-the-nazis.html

Check out "France Arrests the Usual (Islamist) Suspects"

The Daily Beast: France Arrests the Usual Islamist Suspects, 4 April 2012
In the most recent crackdown after the Toulouse shootings, France arrested 10 suspected Islamic radicals this morning. By concealing past mistakes, the nation may be hindering investigations, writes Christopher Dickey.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/04/04/france-arrests-the-usual-islamist-suspects.html

Check out Death of Sciences Po Director in NYC Possible Suicide

The Daily Beast: Death in New York of French Educator Richard Descoings Treated as Suspicious, 4 April 2012
Vague echoes of the Strauss-Kahn affair are unlikely to tarnish the reputation of Richard Descoings, director of Sciences Po in Paris. Found dead in a Manhattan hotel room Tuesday, he's considered a possible suicide.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/04/04/death-in-new-york-of-french-educator-richard-descoings-treated-as-suspicious.html

Check out a month of stories, columns, broadcasts: Hitlerland; the Toulouse synagogue shooting; Ms. Assad; NYPD and the mosques

Newsweek: The Americans Who Witnessed the Rise of the Nazis, 2 April 2012
A book review of Andrew Nagorski's "Hitlerland," the story of the Americans who who watched the rise of the Third Reich up close and personal.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/04/01/the-americans-who-witnessed-the-rise-of-the-nazis.html

France 24 Video: The World This Week, 30 March 2012
Has Nicolas Sarkozy's handling of the Toulouse shooter ordeal put the incumbent back in the saddle or will security issues abate in a presidential race where rising unemployment looms large? François Picard's panel argues over the outcome of the campaign in France.
   Christopher DICKEY. Paris Bureau Chief, Newsweek Magazine. Columnist,The Daily Beast;
   Vivienne WALT. Contributor, Time Magazine;
   Anne-Elisabeth MOUTET. Columnist, The Sunday Telegraph;
   Stefan SIMONS. Paris correspondent, Der Spiegel.
http://www.france24.com/en/20120330-the-world-this-week-march30
Part Two: http://www.france24.com/en/20120330-the-world-this-week-march30-part2

WBUR Here and Now (audio): Does French Gunman Represent New 'Lone Wolf' Terrorist Threat?
Merah claimed to be a follower of Al Qaeda, and journalist Christopher Dickey says he may represent a slippery new threat, a lone wolf, who are "not always so lonely." "Even if [Merah] isn't directly part of the al Qaeda firmament it may not matter ...
http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2012/03/23/toulouse-gunman-france

Mohamed Merah and the War on Terror's New Front, 22 March 2012
The French gunman killed today represents a slippery new threat: al Qaeda-inspired lone wolves versed in evading detection. Christopher Dickey talks to NYPD's police chief about how to stop them.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/03/22/mohamed-merah-and-the-war-on-terror-s-new-front.html

The Daily Beast, Lagarde: Don't Underestimate Italy, 9 March 2012
The IMF head praised Italian P.M. Mario Monti as a beacon of hope in the global economy, but few others in the old boys' club of finance received such paeans as she argued that women are less inclined to take risks.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/03/09/christine-lagarde-makes-case-for-female-leaders-at-women-in-the-world-summit.html

Newsweek & The Daily Beast: Asma al-Assad's Retail Therapy, 5 March 2012
Glamorous and smart, she was a darling of the Western press—until her dictator husband crossed the line. Leaked intimate emails show the strain of Syria's unrest on its first lady.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/03/04/syria-s-first-lady-asma-al-assad-she-married-the-dictator.html

WBUR On Point (audio): Police Spying On Mosques, 27 February 2012
New York took the biggest hit on 9/11. The New York City Police Department made the biggest response. Brought in big guns from the CIA. Pumped up surveillance all over. Launched a big campaign, deep and wide, to look in on its Muslim population. For a while it won praise. Now people are wondering if the NYPD has gone too far. Maybe way too far. Spying on mosques. In mosques. Sweeping up worshipper license plates. Tracking Muslim students. Surveilling with a very broad brush. Well beyond New York. How much is too much policing?
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2012/02/27/police-spying-on-mosques

Check out Marie Colvin in Memoriam, Yemen elections, DSK's interrogations and Greece's bailout on The Daily Beast, plus Marseille in Nat Geo

A busy week, and a sad one:

The Daily Beast: Marie Colvin: A Legendary Reporter Killed in Syria, 22 February 2012
Marie Colvin, who was killed by Syrian shelling in Homs today, put her life at risk to report on atrocities from Sri Lanka to Baghdad. Her friend Christopher Dickey remembers her tenacity.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/02/22/marie-colvin-a-legendary-reporter-killed-in-syria.html

The Daily Beast: America Welcomes Yemen Elections, Remains Wary of al Qaeda's Influence, 21 February 2012
The country's elections herald a tentative first step toward democracy—but the U.S. remains wary of al Qaeda's growing influence in the region.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/02/21/america-welcomes-yemen-elections-remains-wary-of-al-qaeda-s-influence.html

The Daily Beast: Dominique-Strauss Kahn's Stinky New Scandal, 21 February 2012
The man the tabloids called Pepé Le Pew was questioned today over his alleged role in a prostitution ring. Christopher Dickey on why the former IMF chief isn't likely to be charged.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/02/21/dominique-strauss-kahn-s-stinky-new-scandal.html

The Daily Beast: Greece's Sad Fairy Tale, 21 February 2012
With the latest bailout deal, Greece's economic tragedy verges on black comedy.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/02/21/greek-bailout-deal-a-sad-fairy-tale.html

National Geographic: Marseille's Melting Pot, March 2012

As more European countries become nations of immigrants, is Marseille a vision of the future?

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/03/marseille/dickey-text/1

Check out "Anthony Shadid, The Middle East's Great Voice of Reason Dies," and France24 video on Iran, etc.

The Daily Beast: Anthony Shadid, The Middle East's Great Voice of Reason Dies, 18 February 2012
Anthony Shadid was one of the great rational voices in the maelstrom of hate that is the Middle East. Christopher Dickey on his tragic passing.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/02/18/anthony-shadid-the-middle-east-s-great-voice-of-reason-dies.html

France 24 Video: The World This Week, 17 February 2010
Talking about Libya, Syria, Iran, Israel's game of chicken with Tehran and DC, and the death of Anthony Shadid.

Hosted by François Picard, with other panelists Ed Cody of The Washington Post, Marjorie Paillard of France 24, and Charles Onyango-Obbo of The Nation in Nairobi.
http://www.france24.com/en/20120217-part-1-syria-bashar-assad-uprising-activist-france-sarkozy-mitlitia-intervention

Check out "Greece's Reckless Behavior" and, speaking of reckless, Israel and Iran

Daily Beast Column: Greece's Reckless Behavior Has Europe Fed Up, 15 February 2012
Signs are mounting that the euro zone is fed up with Greece's inability to get its fiscal act together—and is insulating itself against a potential default. Christopher Dickey reports.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/02/15/greece-s-reckless-behavior-has-europe-fed-up.html


Newsweek: Obama's Dangerous Game With Iran, 13 February 2012
Can the president keep nukes out of the mullahs' hands, prevent the global economy from imploding, manage the wild card that is Israel—and get reelected? (Christopher Dickey contributed to this article by Dan Klaidman, Eli Lake and Dan Ephron with Ross Schneidermann)
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/02/12/obama-s-dangerous-game-with-iran.html


I realize how crowded inboxes can get. So, to be taken off the list, just send me a note saying 'Please take me off' or some such and I will do just that.

Check out "Holding the Financial Beasts at Bay" and other notes from Davos

Dear Friends, all these are following on our Newsweek cover story last week about Christine Lagarde and the IMF:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/01/22/imf-head-christine-lagarde-exclusive-interview.html

From yesterday:

The Daily Beast: After Davos: Holding the Financial Beasts at Bay, 30 January 2011
Davos ended with a whimper, and now European leaders head to a financial summit in Brussels, unlikely to come up with a viable—and desperately needed—economic plan, writes Christopher Dickey.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/01/30/after-davos-holding-the-financial-beasts-at-bay.html


From The Daily Davos blog on The Daily Beast last week:

Davos World Economic Forum's Glum Kickoff, 24 January 2011
The World Economic Forum's annual Davos conclave used to be an occasion for ebullient world leaders to assure one another that globalization was the way of the future. Now they're just trying to figure out what the future will look like.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/01/24/world-economic-forum-at-davos-is-a-glum-conclave-of-cluelessness.html

Capitalism and Croissants, 25 January 2011
Peter Mandelson spins the political future in 2012.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/01/25/capitalism-and-croissants.html

Video clip: Gross National Happiness, 25 January 2011
Altruism is a pretty rare concept at Davos, but this saffron-robed monk is a regular, and he knows how to speak his truth to power.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/01/25/gross-national-happiness.html

Video clip: The Street Theater from Hell, 26 January 2011
"Where are your papers? Hands against the wall!" The UNHCR gives CEOs a chance to be refugees.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/01/26/the-street-theater-from-hell.html

Check out Newsweek Cover: Christine Lagarde, the IMF, and the threat of the next Great Depression

Newsweek Cover: Christine Lagarde: The Truth Talker, 23 January 2012
As head of the International Monetary Fund, can Christine Lagarde steer Europe and America away from the brink of the next Great Depression?
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/01/22/imf-head-christine-lagarde-exclusive-interview.html

And while you're looking at this online, if you've got an iPad, check out the new-this-week Newsweek app. At last, an iPad magazine that really works.

Check out "There's No Such Thing as Moderate Islam";

Newsweek Magazine: Geert Wilders Says There's No Such Thing as Moderate Islam, 16 January 2011
Can't Someone Tell Geert Wilders to Stop His Anti-Muslim Diatribes Before Somebody Gets Hurt?
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/01/15/geert-wilders-says-there-s-no-such-thing-as-moderate-islam.html

Dawn at the Etoile, New Year's Day

After a long night and a light rain, a warm morning and a sense that the year is beginning fresh and clean.

IMG_8118

 

As we sail into the year ahead --

Check out "Why the Arab Spring Is Here to Stay"

Newsweek Issues 2012: Why the Arab Spring Is Here to Stay, 17 December 2011

No matter how desperately the remnants of the old regimes may try, the Arab awakening cannot be reversed. Here's why.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/12/17/why-the-arab-spring-is-here-to-stay.html

Check out an Arab Spring 'Animal Farm,' and the latest chapter in a true crime saga

Newsweek: An Arab Spring Update of Orwell's "Animal Farm," 12 Dec 2011
It's a shame George Orwell didn't live to see the Arab Spring. We can only imagine the tale he would have written.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/12/11/an-arab-spring-update-of-orwell-s-animal-farm.html

Newsweek: Is a Doctor From Florida Joran van der Sloot's New Conquest?,12 Dec 2011
The Dutch sociopath accused of murder sits in a dirty Peruvian prison awaiting trial. Has he just charmed another victim?
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/12/11/is-a-doctor-from-florida-joran-van-der-sloot-s-new-conquest.html

Check out "The O Word," an elaboration on the themes in last week's video

The Daily Beast: The O Word: Christopher Dickey on What Occupation Means Today, 6 Dec 2011
Terrorists and freedom fighters the world over claim they are up against foreign occupation. But Americans find that idea hard to fathom—especially when we are the occupiers, says Christopher Dickey.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/12/06/the-o-word-christopher-dickey-on-what-occupation-means-today.html

Check out "The Meaning of Occupation," an "op-vid" on The Daily Beast

The Daily Beast Video: The Real Meaning of Occupation, 1 Dec 2011
Occupation. It is a word spoken—and unspoken—that's at the center of the issues in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Middle East, and, yes, Wall Street. But what does it really mean? And what is its significance? Christopher Dickey explains.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/11/30/christopher-dickey-the-real-meaning-of-occupation-video.html

Check out "Why Dominique Strauss-Kahn Needs to Tell His Side of the Story"

The Daily Beast: Why Dominique Strauss-Kahn Needs to Tell His Side of the Story, 28 November 2011
As a new report feeds into rumors that Dominique Strauss-Kahn was set up, Christopher Dickey debunks the conspiracy theories—and says it's time for DSK to tell his side of the story.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/11/28/why-dominique-strauss-kahn-needs-to-tell-his-side-of-the-story.html

Check out "Does Egypt's Real Revolution Start Now? Taking on Egypt's Military leadership will be difficult."

Newsweek International: Does Egypt's Real Revolution Start Now?, 27 November 2011
Getting rid of Mubarak was the easy part. Taking on Egypt's military leadership will be far more difficult.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/11/27/does-egypt-s-real-revolution-start-now.html

Right-Wing Terror in America

Ross Schneiderman's cover story in this week's Newsweek magazine.

Check out "The Trouble with Technocrats" and France24 video on the same subject

Newsweek International: The Trouble With Technocrats, 21 November 2011
Saving Italy -- and Europe and the USA -- from themselves will take more than number-crunching. Co-authored with Barbie Nadeau
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/11/20/can-monti-save-italy-the-trouble-with-technocrats.html

France 24 video: The World This Week, 18 November 2011
Eurozone debt crisis: political solutions to economic woes -- As technocrats rise to power in Europe, elected leaders fail to agree on how to resolve the debt crisis
http://www.france24.com/en/20111118-wb-en-world-week-part-1-europe-germany-syria-protest-occupy-wall-street