a judge recorders the release of dominique strauss-kahn, afterer prosecutors reveal the maid who accused him of rape lied about a prior sexual attack. we've got the very latest. >>> beyonce, unplugged. this morning, she rocked d w york for the release of her new album, "4." but on her last world tour, the star took off her makeup, turned on a camera and got candid. >> why did god give me this life? >> tonight, she talks about life on the road. >>> and, serious barbecue. from lamb chops to fish, it's all about being aa patriot this weekend. barbecue. the grill master is in for tonight's plate list. >> announcer: from the global resources of abc news, with terry moran, cynthia mcfadden and bill weir in new york city, this is "nightline," july 1st, 2011. >> good evening, i'm terry moran. the sexual assault case against dominique strauss-kahn, the global banking titan, is one of these rare cases where the high profile and symbolic power to influence the way we think about our justice system as a whole, who would protect, who would punish. today, the whole case turned upside down. the prosecu

i understand you spoke with strauss-kahn's defense team. what does this mean for strauss-kahn? what do they believe this means? >> i think we've got to take this one step at a time. i think today will probably be limited simply to a relaxation of the bail conditions, but obviously the prosecution is going to have to reevaluate what if anything they can still prove. this case may proceed. it may proceed with the damaged credibility of its witness, but it wouldn't be the first time. there could also be some sort of deal on lesser charges. if the problems are so profound, the case could wind up being dismissed. i don't think we'll have a resolution to the case today other than a reduction in bail conditions. >> what does that mean? >> in terms of how the case will be resolved, obviously, the circumstances have changed a great, great deal, but we don't know at this point how it's all going to end up. >> jeff, when you say relaxing the bail conditions, remind our viewers what the situation is. $6 million in bail and bond. he's under house arrest. do they think he'll be able to walk

strauss-kahn withdrew from the presidential race, so anyway, he can't run. but political analysts here are saying if the charges of sexual assault are dropped, he could still play a major role in french politics. kate? >> martin fletcher, thank you. >>> still overseas, to libya, where protesters were rallying in support of the ruling regime. after months of fighting between rebels and pro-gadhafi forces, just where do things stand? nbc's stephanie gosk is in tripoli, libya tonight. stephanie? >> reporter: good evening, kate. this is one of the largest rallies we've seen in recent weeks. thousands of supporters came out with guns and flags to show their support. gadhafi phoned in to state tv to address the crowd and to warn nato if they continued with this bombardment, that their countries would be next, their homes, offices and families. this speech was just 24 hours after his daughter told french tv that the government is actually in informal talks with the rebels. she then went on to call the rebels the devil. not exactly diplomatic language. kate? >> afte

a hotel maid in new york city accuses a top banker, dominique strauss-kahn, of sexual assault. but the maid's story, her whole story, in her own words, has not come out until now. she has come forward, out of the shadows, to speak. and joining us now is abc's robin roberts, who's got the compelling first television interview with the maid. for two months she held her silence. she spoke with you, robin. this is the voice that has been missing from this case, really, in public. what did you make of her? >> well, she wants a jury to find out what they make of her, not a reporter, not the public. and she's concerned that that won't happen, and that's part of the reason she came forward, terry. she wawaed to put a face to the story. and as prosecutors are still weighing whether or not to proceed with this case, she's coming forward to give her side of the story of what really happened in room 2806. >> this defendant is charged with criminal sexual act in the first degree. attempted rape in the first degree. >> reporter: he was one of the most powerful men in the world. a french mill

yesterday, dominique strauss- kahn was the most hated frenchman in america. the powerful politician and former head of the international monetary fund had been charged in may with sexually assaulting a hotel maid in new york city. that sent shockwaves around the world and strauss-kahn was forced to resign from the i.m.f. today he walked out of court in a different light. prosecutors admitted his alleged victim had told a string of lies. armen keteyian was at the courthouse. >> reporter: in a surprise bail hearing, prosecutors told a packed courtroom that scientific evidence confirmed the sexual encounter between the 62-year- old strauss-kahn, and the 32- year-old housekeeper, but they had uncovered major problems with the credibility of the accuser. >> i understand that the circumstances surrounding this case from the viewpoint of the parties have changed substantially. >> reporter: problems deemed so substantial by judge michael obus that he quickly returned strauss-kahn's million-dollar bail and released him from house arrest. the former head of the i.m.f.

could dominique strauss-kahn now walk? maybe. ali?>> well you know, we were talking to jim bitterman who is our man in paris. he did sort of an informal survey of people on the streets. and they were all universally saying it doesn't matter at this point, the damage has been done, his political career is over. is that how this is playing in other circles? >> that is one of the major questions. he's respected professionally by many people in france, but they seem personally as damaged goods. but technically, he has until july the 13th. if he is cleared of these charges, to file papers to run for a presidential candidate in the french elections. even a socialist party, they're talking about, hey, wait a minute, maybe we can even delay our primaries before, before, you know, so that we can accommodate him if he gets to walk. the thing is here, even though he's personally damaged, the fact that the u.s. justice system may have failed so badly it could just make him a martyr and give him a big boost. we don't know. that's going to be a hug

strauss-kahn tried to rape her. she now confesses to cling in another room before reporting the attack. prosecutors said that she lied about being raped in guinea. for lawyer gave a graphic account of the injuries she sustained. >> the medical evidence supports the victim's account. of the forensic evidence supports the victim's account. she was taken from the hotel and hospital in an ambulance. a grand jury has already found her account credible. >> dominique strauss-kahn was forced to resign as head of the imf of the greek economy was in crisis. his ambition to be a french presidential contender could be revived. it could be the socialist candidate before the deadline expires. >> the people here will have for him greater admiration than before because he had shown a great quality of courage and dignity. >> it has been a turbulent six weeks for dominique strauss- kahn. from top finance official to a criminal defendant. he was encouraged by the facts against him. >> we are outside the courthouse now in new york. his

dominique strauss-kahn left court free on a $6 million bond. he returned to his luxury townhouse, but he's no longer required to stay there under house arrest, which cost him some $200,000 per month. a dramatic contrast to the may perp walk that led to his resignation as head of the imf and seemed to ruin his chances of becoming president of france. today his attorneys claimed vindication. >> it's so important in this country that people, especially the media, reserve their judgment on the facts of a case until they're all in. >> there will be no rush to judgment in this case. >> reporter: in court, prosecutors had admitted strauss-kahn's accuser a 32-year-old from from west africa has made numerous conflicting and false statements, starting with being gang raped. in a letter, prosecutors wrote, she stated that she fabricated the statement. and in may, after the alleged attack at this luxury hotel, the woman had said she ran into the hallway and reported the crime to a supervisor. but prosecutors say she later admitted she proceeded to clean a

strauss-kahn tried to rape her. she now confesses to cling in another room before reporting the attack. prosecutors said that she lied about being raped in guinea. for lawyer gave a graphic account of the injuries she sustained. >> the medical evidence supports the victim's account. of the forensic evidence supports the victim's account. she was taken from the hotel and hospital in an ambulance. a grand jury has already found her account credible. >> dominique strauss-kahn was forced to resign as head of the imf of the greek economy was in crisis. his ambition to be a french presidential contender could be revived. it could be the socialist candidate before the deadline expires. >> the people here will have for him greater admiration than before because he had shown a great quality of courage and dignity. >> it has been a turbulent six weeks for dominique strauss- kahn. from top finance official inal he was encouraged by the facts against him. >> we are outside the courthouse now in new york. his lawyers have said t

the manhattan district attorney said the case against strauss- kahn will be cocontind -- will continue to be investigated. >> strauss-hn left the building with his wife and without a monitoring bracelet. the judge's decision to release him and returnrn his bail came s a relief to him and his lawyers. strauss-kahn is no longer under house arrest, but the judge said the case will proceed as planned for now. >> of course, the case is not over, as you heard. you will be expected to appear here on the e date >> that date is july 18. until then, he will only be able to travel within the u.s., and lawyers again stressed his innocence. >> today is the first giant step in the right directition. the next step will lead to a complete dismissal of the charges. >> the alleged victim's lawyers said nothing changed. strauss-kahn tried to rape the hotel made. >> the only defense dominique strauss-kahn has is that this sexual encounter was consensuau. that is a lie. >> in france, speculation has begun over whether he will run for the presidency next year as the socialist party candate. >> i find it har

prosecutop prosecutors in strauss-kahn rapepquestion hqu. >r >>> dep>>> debt bat cancercancels itp canca to deal with the debt crisis but tr the tthe two sidep t. >>> nba lockout, with contract contracts stalled, the nnbr nnba ownerp nba o threatening t threatening the season. captioning funded by cbs >>> good morning, happy friday. i'm betty nguyen. >>> a startling turn in a rape case that made headlines around the world. over a month after arresting the former head of the international monetary fund, prosecutors are now questioning his accuser's story. dominique strauss-kahn is due in court in manhattan today. terrell brown is at the courthouse. >> reporter: betty what stands out is police investigators have over and over again touted how credible the hotel maid's story has been. we learn everything she's been saying may not be adding up and it could mean a big break for dominique strauss-kahn. strauss-kahn could have his bail reduced or lifted because of of his accuser's possibility. prosecutors initially stood by the woman's story. now t

dominic strauss kahn. much more on that, of course, on our website. you can also follow me on twitter and the rest of the team. you're watching "bbc news." >> check international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. and union bank. >> union bank has put its global financial strength to work for a wide range of companies. what can we do for you? >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet los angeles. 

strauss-kahn. he was back in court for a hastily scheduled appearance. his loyal wife was there and support. the man accused of raping a hotel made says that the prosecution is mixed. they have doubts about the story. >> the strength of the case has been affected by the substantial credibility issues related to the plaintiff, we are not moving to dismiss. we are consenting to the defendant's -- >> the case still stands, says the judge. he can now travel around the u.s.. >> we have maintained that mr. strauss-kahn is innocent. these recent disclosures reinforce our conviction that he will be exonerated. >> lawyers for the made insisted that her story is accurate. >> the medical evidence supports the victim's account. the forensic evidence supports her account. she was taken from the hotel to the hospital in an ambulance. a grand jury has already found her account credible. >> this began at a hotel in the heart of manhattan on may the 14th win a made here accused mr. -- when a maid accused mr. straus

in a letter to strauss-kahn's defense attorney,prosecutors reveal that their own investigation showed the alleged victim had lied on her application for asylum about previously being gang raped in her native guinea, a story prosecutors say she has now changed. she lied about her whereabouts following the alleged sexual assault by strauss-kahn on may 14, originally claiming she hid in a hallway, when in fact she went on to clean another room before reporting the incident. lied about her taxes, falsely claiming a friend's child as a deduction, and lied about what prosecutors called a variety of additional topics. >> we believe that the district attorney is laying the foundation to dismiss this case. anyone can see that. >> reporter: in a long, emotional speech, ken thompson, an attorney for the victim, appeared to try the case, often in graphic detail, before a huge crowd of reporters from around the world. >> it is a fact that the victim here made some mistakes, but that doesn't mean she's not a rape victim. but you cannot discount the powerful physical evidence that that was left behi

. >> a crumbling case against former banking titan dominique strauss-kahn. serious new issues with his accuser's credible doctor. a judge could release him from house arrest today. >>> first football, now pro basketball, locks out its players pupuing league business on hold. >>> a creepy crawlie in coach class. stung by a scorpion. >>> this is a stunning turn in a case that's been closely watched here in the u.s. and around the world. abc's tahman bradley has more. >> reporter: the sexual assault case against former imf chief dominique strauss-kahn could be collapsing. abc news that is learned investigators have uncovered significant issues with the accuser's credibility. at a bail hearing later today prosecutors are expected to tell the court they do elieve much of what the accuser has told them, which could lead to charges being dropped. from the beginning strauss-kahn has maintained he did not assault a maid at a luxury new york city hotel. >> in our judgment, once the evidence is reviewed, it will be clear that there was no element of forcible compulsion

what was it like in that courtroom today, tell us about the scene and strauss-kahn's appearance? >> well, it was a media circus, just like the other court appearances from dominique strauss can. a little less chaotic, perhaps, then the last time. still, the public seating was full inside the courtroom. everyone waiting for a glimpse of dominique strauss can. he walked in with his wife. he looked more refreshed, sirius yet confident, an air of confidence we did not see the last time he appeared in court. remember at that time he had just spent four nights in a likers island jail cell, walked in, once it was determined that he was going to go free from house arrest relooked as if a weight had been lifted. and indeed it had. just the latest sensational twist in this long running saga. >> brown: sara, tell us a little more about some of the credibility questions that came up. as i said in that piece, some had to do with her past. and some have to do with what she said happened on the day of the alleged assault. >> right. in some ways the fireworks really today happened outside the cou

dominique strauss-kahn is charged. they are suppressed because they are elite. >> that's the disadvantage. one of the benefits is they are sensitive to the rights of children as in caylee anthony case and also sense toitive to poor women. i don't blame, in either case, the prosecutors for leaning over to make sure that in one case the wealthy and powerful and the other case an adult woman doesn't get the benefit of the doubt. then you have to look hard and make sure that the evidence is valid that you have the kind of case and you don't overcharge and you wait to charge until the evidence has been tested. >> now, the charge in decision in european systems is not only civil but judges themselves run the investigation. is that preferable to what we have? >> it's more complicated. they are magistrate judges. they do investigations and decide which charges to bring. if they are good, they are very good. if they are subject to the thumb of the government, they are bad. take for example our military system. it's very profess

we're in lower manhattan where dominique strauss-kahn faced the judge. >> reporter: dominique strauss- kahn headed to court to learn whether a new york judge will free him from house arrest. the sexual assault case is reportedly falling apart. prosecutors are raising questions about the credibility of the made. law enforcement officials told the new york times that they believe she lied about her background and what she did around the time of the assault. she talked to a man in prison about the benefits of charging dominique strauss-kahn. prosecutors are also curious about activity in her bank account. >> reporter: after posting $6 million in bond and paying for his own armed guards -- there's a bail decision being reviewed. it's rare to see the prosecution questioning the witness. >> it suggests there are serious problems here and the prosecution is backing away at this point. >> reporter: the arrest for dominique strauss-kahn to redesign, and this derailed his likely run for the french presidency. with the case in doubt, there's talks he may be a candidate again. >>> and just second

treatment strauss-kahn during his arrest. the frencht has always been prepared to forgive infidelity. this is a man, he said, who has shown great courage in the face of everything that has been thrown at him, shown great humility and also has not spoken out of turn throughout this proceeding. in his eyes, his supporters will gather around strauss-kahn. whether he runs as one question, but it becomes back as a kingmaker he could play an important role. >> thanks for joining us on "gmt." we, of course, will keep the following event in manhattan in the courtroom throughout the day. let's take a look at some of the other stories making headlines around the world. lebanon's interior minister confirmed the names of four hezbollah members charged with killing of the former prime minister are really -- hariri. the government's efforts one now be made to arrest the four men. has blocked repeatedly denounced the tribunal and vowed to retaliate -- hezbollah has repeatedly denounced the tribunal. do we have any idea where the men are? >>

if dominique strauss-kahn was a normal u.s.itizen living in new york they might have spent a couple of weeks investigating the background. >> phil, do you think there has been a rush to exonerate too quickly. everybody is saying the case has collapsed. none of the failures, the flaws in this victim's alleged victim's story go to the underlying truthfulness of her claim against dsk. how should the media deal with that? >> first of all, let's be clear that dsk himself has some flaws as were pointed out endlessly in the beginning when this complainant was being portrayed as a poor hard-working muslim woman. do his flaws make him guilty any more than her flaws make her guilty in that case. i'm not a lawyer. you guys are. let me read you a headline from a cbs ap story i pulled out. dsk's political life revived among case stunner. there's a question mark at the end of that headline. but there you have it. there's already -- i think he's probably ahead of anthony weiner in the redemption line. he'll redeem himself fast fer he's found

and strauss-kahn has a reputation for being a ladies man. but for the french, that can be a badge of honor. >> the view from france tonight. >>> now, to afghanistan. we're getting an exclusive look inside that deadly attack, by terrorists at a luxury hotel in kabul. an american who was there, having dinner with his family hen it all unfolded, had his cam are in hand. and tonight, he shows abc's's nk schifrin, what he captured. >> reporter: it started as a serene tuesday night in kabul. ali omar, that's him there, filmed his family joking around. they sat outside the intercontinental hotel. >> by the poolside, having dinner. >> reporter: then, the shots started. first, in the distance. then, a little closer. and then, just as that police officer there, is walking away. >> they killed him. up close. after they hit him, they turned around, just started spraying. >> reporter: ali runs throughgh the dark. still filming. >> i said my prayers. if i die, i die. i'm watching the guy. he's just shooting in the crowd. i'm staring at him. if i can see h

if dominique strauss-kahn was a normal u.s. citizen living in new york they might have spent a couple of weeks investigating the background. >> phil, do you think there has been a rush to exonerate too quickly. everybody is saying the case has collapsed. none of the failures, the flaws in this victim's alleged victim's story go to the underlying truthfulness of her claim against dsk. how should the media deal with that? >> first of all, let's be clear that dsk himself has some flaws as were pointed out endlessly in the beginning when this complainant was being portrayed as a poor hard-working muslim woman. do his flaws make him guilty any more than her flaws make her guilty in that case. i'm not a lawyer. you guys are. let me read you a headline from a cbs ap story i pulled out. dsk's political life revived among case stunner. there's a question mark at the end of that headline. but there you have it. there's already -- i think he's probably ahead of anthony weiner in the redemption line. he'll redeem himself fast fer he's foun

strauss-kahn and his wife left their townhome again today. in just 24 hours, the former financier going from vilified to nearly vindicated. today, more damning evidence. prosecutors say they have the recording of a phone call the woman made to her boyfriend, who was being held in an immigration jail in arizona. she reportedly tells him, don't worry. this guy has a lot of money. i know what i'm doing. >> i think you can understand why we believed from the beginning that this case was not what it appeared to be. >> reporter: the accuser's case began collapsing after prosecutors themselves released a three-page letter, outlining her lies and inconsistencies. >> you can lie on your asylum application. you can lie in your tax forms. but when you lie to the d.a.s, and potentially mislead a grand jury, prosecutor's office is going to say, there's no way we can move forward. >> reporter: there were questions about her finances. the associated press reports that authorities found several bank accounts around the country in her name, holding thousands

strauss-kahn had been a leading candidate for french president and as the u.s. case crumbled, supporters began plotting his political comeback but the latest allegations could put his future in question again. rita nissan for cbs news. >>> in france, attempted rape charges can be filed for up to ten years after the alleged crime. >>> howard is up next with the forecast. >> very nice out here, andrea. the sun is shining brightly. we're headed toward the 90 degree mark again today. as far as the allergy update, tree pollen bothers you? good news, no tree pollen reported. mold spores are high. we'll have the full seven-day forecast, talking about some thunderstorm chances for the rest of the week when 9news now at noon returns. >>> more people in virginia are reporting sightings of our national bird. some some spotsylvania county believe they've's seen a bunch of bald eagles flying around. brittany morehouse takes a look at other facts about our bird. >> boaters passing this can't get enough of these birds. and the sounds they make. they tell me they're bald eagles

strauss-kahn from his strict bail conditions. will he get back the $6 million posted in bail and insurance. his lawyers believe it won't be long until the charges are dropped. >> we've maintained from the beginning that mr. strauss-kahn is innocent of these charges and these recent disclosures reinforce he will be exonerated. >> it all started on this manhattan hotel may 14 when a maid from guinea claimed mr. strauss kahn attempted to rape and sexually assault her when she cleaned his suite of rooms. now prosecutors say the maid lied to the grand jury, claiming she hid in the hallway and she now admits to cleaning another room before reporting the alleged attack. prosecutors say the maid lied on her asylum application and lied to investigators about being raped in guinea. outside court her lawyer gave a graphic account of the injuries he she claimed she sustained during the claimed rape. >> the medical evidence supports the victim's account. the forensic evidence supports her account. she was taken from the hotel to the hospital

diallo initially says she cowered in the hall as strauss-kahn left. hotel records show she briefly went into another room and then back to his suite. something she does not dispute now. added to that, prosecutors say she lied about the details of a rape in guinea that helped her to get asylum. >> i have made some mistakes but that doesn't mean -- doesn't mean -- this man tried to rape me. he tried to rape me. >> reporter: but diallo is adamant she is telling the truth about what really happened in that room, and she will seek justice. >> i want justice. i want him to go to jail. i want him to know that you cannot use your power when you do something like this. god is my witness. i'm telling the truth. from my heart. god knows that. >> reporter: as of tonight, dominique strauss-kahn's lawyers deny any wrongdoing by their client and say there is no evidence of forced sex. diallo's attorney says no, that she was forced to have sex. he is planning to file a civil casesen wednesday. diallo says speaking out was not an easy decision. >> i never want to be i

strauss-kahn was very popular as you know, before the strauss-kahn affair. everything has been developed and we know about the whole story going on. it's mixed opinion. the mixed opinion is there. >> how do they feel about the justice system. >> half the french would like to see strauss-kahn get back into the politics. the majority thinks he has no more chances to be elected as the next president in france in about ten months from now. we will see. he might be a spoiler, we'll never know. already we feel a split inside the socialist party, among the top contenders of the party, and it seems that his image, his shadow is wavering over the party and they're scared there's embarrassment within the party. if dominique strauss-kahn doesn't run for presidency, i will go. she already did. and she confirmed. >> allow me to jump in, because you're talking specifically about the socialist perception perhaps which i do want to ask you about. just overall, court of public opinion in france. do they believe that strauss-kahn has been ill treated by the u.s. justice syste

banon says strauss-kahn tried to rape her eight years ago.sing her of making false declarations. >>> back to work for jurors on the casey anthony trial who failed to reach a verdict after deliberations yesterday. earlier the prosecution wrapped up its closing arguments calling casey a pathological liar. >>> market open less than 45 minutes. stock markets up slightly. investors waiting for a new report on factory orders for may. that will help them get a fresh look at how the economy is growing. numbers out at 10:30 a.m. eastern time. ♪ ♪ i feel so alive >>> abook campaign under way to help return verts from suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. an organized called god bless you.org has launched an effort every 5,000 people who have the like button. charlie winegardener is behind the program saying he has seen the healing power of pets. >> doctors call it the significant injury in war. 2,000 american soldiers returning home with traumatic brain injuries. a scientist is working on a new approach to treat these returning heroes. >> for him

>> let's talk about dominique strauss-kahn.oks like the case against him here in new york is falling apart. meanwhile a new developing for him in france. >> yeah, his legal problems are far from over for dominique strauss-kahn. if he thought because the new york case was crumbling there are new cases against him. especially one new case, i should say, in france, a journalist through her lawyer has filed a criminal complaint against him for a situation that took place some eight years ago. she's accusing dominique strauss-kahn of sexually assaulting her. now, people, are wondering whether or not -- wondering why it took this long to file this complaint. it goes back to the fact that her mother had advised not to file this complaint, because her mother was working for the socialist party that dominique strauss-kahn was working for as well. we'll have to wait and see if there's enough ed in this complaint to take this legal proceeding further. ali? >> thanks very much. >>> the nation's debt ceiling here in the united states, it's

has big problems with this case, fred. >> susan, what has strauss-kahn been doing now that his house arrest, so to speak, is over? has he left the premises? have you seen anything about what his day-to-day is now going to be like? >> reporter: well, it's become a real media scene as it has been from the start. you can see over my shoulder a ring of photographers. that was prompted because a little while ago, someone went inside. and so the thought is, maybe they'll be leaving. there's certainly no reason for them to live in this location anymore now that he's been released on his own recognizance. he doesn't have his passport back. but he can move about the city and move about as long as he makes sure he's back for his next court case. we saw a busload of senior citizens snapping photos as they passed by this very short street. we know he went out for dinner last night. he and his wife went out to a restaurant to have dinner and cameras, of course, pictured him when he came back in. but certainly his legal team and sources have said, perhaps he might be moving to another location soo