The Natalee Holloway Timeline
of her vanishment while in Aruba
detailing persons, places, organizations,
deliberate & accidental actions & in-actions,
events & supposed events, witnesses,
known suspects, outright lies,
corruptions, and crimes
6-1-06
On 6-1 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:
Family Dinesh Djoegan demands an explanation
ARUBA – Family and friends of Dinesh ‘Pitbull’ Djoegan submitted a petition with the Public Prosecutor (OM). They are very disappointed that there was no information regarding the investigation on the murder of Pitbull. The 25-year old man was found dead near the Guadirikiri cave in April.
“Every time we call, they tell us that we need to wait. Wait for what? It is already two months ago that Pitbull was murdered and we are in a lot of pain. The pain gets bigger because nobody has been arrested yet”. The first name and signature on the form is of his wife, followed by names of family, friends, and colleagues.
The petitioners want to know how the investigation progresses and what the results are. “We want to know the motive for killing a loving person in such a cruel manner. How can we put him to rest if we do not know anything?”
A woman found the mutilated body of the 25-year old Dinesh Djoegan near the Guadirikiri cave. The body was set on fire. It could be identified thanks to a tattoo he had. The autopsy revealed that he had cocaine in his body.
The prosecutor confirmed having received the petition. The spokesperson of the OM indicated that they wouldn’t comment on the case. “We are in contact with the family of the victim. We won’t give more information.”
On 6-1 the “Riehl World View” blog reported:
New Holloway Images Emerge
via email, said to be from a security camera tape played on Dutch TV. Perhaps other, more clear images will emerge later. Clickable to enlarge.
http://www.riehlworldview.com/carnivorous_conservative/images/na1_2.jpg
http://www.riehlworldview.com/carnivorous_conservative/images/na2_1.jpg
On 6-1 the BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA NBC TV channel 13 reported:
Beth Twitty Creates Web Site With Travel-Safety Tips
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Beth Twitty said she relives many bad memories, including the hours of confusion when she first landed on Aruba after learning her daughter, Natalee Holloway, was gone.
"It was 36 hours before anyone could find the Police," Twitty said.
Twitty said she was shocked at how tough it was to trudge her way through the layers of foreign government to find the authorities who could help her.
"When you're in a crisis like that, time is of the essence. You have to be able to find those key contacts as quickly as you can," Twitty said.
For the past few months, Twitty has been working to create SafeTravelsFoundation.org, a Web site that gives precautionary traveling tips and lists the numbers of people to call if you run into trouble.
"It's just a very concise way to go about obtaining the key phone numbers and information," Twitty said.
So far, the site lists 50 countries. Eventually, there will be more, and the information will come in different languages.
Twitty is traveling across the country to speak to teens and parents about the dangers of international travel and how to stay safe.
Twitty said she wants to visit every state in this country by this time next year, as her way of saying thank you to the thousands of people who have supported her and Natalee.
"I always said if I could ever give something back to their sons and daughters or to the elderly travelers or female travelers, I would. I feel as if that time has come now," Twitty said.
And, if it saves one person, Twitty said, it is worth it.
On 6-1 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:
Social partners give the government an ultimatum
ARUBA – The employers’ organisations and the unions do not take part in tomorrow’s manifestation against the increase of the import tax on a great deal of products. They want to meet with the government and try to find solutions together for the financial problems of the National Government. They want to do this in a national dialogue. The opposition parties are of the opinion that they have tried to talk with the government on numerous occasions with no success, so now they will demonstrate.
The members of the Aruba Trade and Industry Association (ATIA), the Chamber of Commerce (KvK), Aruba Hotel And Tourism Association (Ahata) and San Nicolas Business Association (SNBA) have decided in a well-attended meeting in the office of the Chamber of Commerce yesterday that they will send a letter to the government demanding her to revoke the taxation measures. The government has till the end of this day to react on this.
Swaen agrees to talk
In a press conference, Minister Nilo Swaen agreed to talk with the representatives of the unions and the trade and industry. This meeting with the minister took place at noon today, after this paper went to press.
6-2-06
On 6-2 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:
Oduber: ‘We have no choice’
ARUBA -- “Citizens, don’t let any political party provoke you to do things against your will. They do this in their own advantage. We are not waiting for anarchy and chaos.” With these words, Prime Minister Nelson Oduber addressed the population yesterday evening. He had hoped to root out the aversion towards the increase of the import taxes that came into effect today. According to him, there is no other way to settle the finances of the National Government.
The address was also meant as answer on the pressing request of the social partners to revoke the measures. The social partners have met with Finance-minister Nilo Swaen (MEP) yesterday at noon. He promised then to discuss the matter with his colleague-ministers. The social partners received the answer on their request from the prime minister self in the national address yesterday evening. However, he didn’t take notice of the two issues that all the persons that are against the import tax increase measures are bringing forward, namely the enormous increase of the number of civil servants since 2001 and the government refusing to involve the social partners and the advisory bodies in the decision process.
He also didn’t have anything new to tell. He repeated the known argument about the mismanagement of the AVP for 7 years. He named again all the challenged projects, as well as the commendable performance of the MEP-government.
He called on everybody to behave. “The entire world is watching us to see how we deal with this important crossroads in the existence of our country.” He furthermore emphasized that everybody has the right to manifest, provided it is civilized.
On 6-2 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:
MPA against the increase of import- and turnover taxes
ARUBA – “Not only does the government want to increase the import tax, but they are also planning to impose a turnover tax starting January 1st, 2007. This means that the people are going to pay double. That is not right”, says MPA-leader Monica Kock.
MPS says that Finance-minister Nilo Swaen (MEP) will soon start evaluating the plans to introduce a turnover tax. During a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Kock explained that usually, a government makes a choice. “You charge import tax on products that enter Aruba, or you charge turnover tax.” MPA supports the fact that the population rebels against the import tax measure. However, she is also of the opinion that a manifestation is too much. “There are other ways to express your opinion; there are dialogues. Give the parties involved the opportunity to talk to each other.”
She is of the opinion that if the government continues with the plans to increase the import tax, there won’t be a way back. Same thing happened in the Netherlands when the euro was introduced. Everything became more expensive and the price increases were never revoked.” It is not correct that the government increases the import tax and charges turnover tax. MPA does not believe that the government will decrease the import tax again in January, when they start imposing the turnover tax. This government will keep both, which is not right.”
6-3-06
On 6-3 the UNITED STATES national TV program, “America’s Most Wanted” presented a segment featuring NATALEE HOLLOWAY’s disappearance in ARUBA. A telephone number was provided for persons to phone in anonymous tips.
On 6-3 NATALEE’s close friend, LEE BROUGHTON stated to "America's Most Wanted" that after it was determined that NATALEE was not present, LEE spoke with the “police in the hotel,” and LEE also gave the “police” a physical description of NATALEE.
On 6-3 “America’s Most Wanted” reported:
(Thank You and Hat Tip to “Heli”)
NOT VERBATIM NOT COMPLETE
Rick Seagal: In the small town of Meridian everyone knows Dave Holloway and the hell he's been through
emotional interviews with her mother have come to symbolize the family's anguish.
Dave Holloway mostly stayed in the background while his ex wife became the voice behind this tragedy.
Dave Holloway: I'm holding down 3 jobs, I'm an insurance agent, I have my job as father and parent and third I've had the job of trying to figure out what happened in Aruba
Rick: For the first time, her best friend Lee Broughton is coming forward to tell her story, she was with Natalee that night
Lee Broughton: For the first two months I would cry and have nightmares and the flashbacks were so vivid.
The flashbacks come when I'm in a party scene, the emotional pain about Natalee was too great to do interviews before. I was so hurt to have Natalee gone. After I saw the shows a lot, I decided to do this one I saw how some shows have been able to find people.
We were excited to be away from home on this gorgeous island. I was with Natalee most of the time, we thought it was a nice safe island. We thought everybody was good and friendly and mostly everyone was.
Rick: Lee, Natalee and her friends went dancing at a popular night spot on the night Natalee disappeared
Lee: I know for a fact she had never met him prior to that night, we thought he was a very nice young man, we had a good impression of him. We asked if he was going out that night
Rick: Lee went back to the hotel room at closing and went to bed, she didn't know Natalee had left with Joran and his friends.
Lee: We assumed she had slept in a bed with our other girlfriends, we got on the phone and dialed our other friends in other rooms, we thought she was with so and so
Rick: That's when Lee started to panic
Lee: I felt nauseous, I started bawling, I had to go tell the police that were in the hotel a description of Natalee and what we had been doing. That's when I started getting really, really worried
Dave: I was sitting on the back patio when I got that dreadful call.
Rick: Reliable information seemed impossible to find
Dave: We heard from leaks in the police department that Joran had confessed and was leading police to where Natalee's body was. The next day the aruban spokesman said this is not a homicide investigation, we think she's still alive
My heart was stuck in my throat, in total panic, I was almost non functional.
Rick: Dave couldn't sit by and wait for answers that never came, so he went looking for them. We joined him in Aruba last October when he was waiting to watch TES look for Natalee's remains in the ocean.
The aruban authorities wouldn't issue the documents to allow Texas EquuSearch to go deeper to search.
Tim Miller: Chief Dompig wouldn't give us what we needed ..
Dave: Everything stopped and we got stonewalled.
Rick: Month after month, Dave would not give in to despair Neither could we, but we wondered what could we do to help that hasn't already been done.
In March we got our chance, arubans invited us to work with Dutch Federal Police.. they were producing an entire program on the Holloway case.
Since the Dutch TV show, police have arrested and released two more people After the year he's been through it was disappointing but not surprising for Dave
After a year, what would you like Natalee to know?
Dave: I think Natalee knows that we're not going to give up on her.
6-4-06
On 6-4 the “American Chronicle” reported:
The Last Phase of the Natalee Holloway Case
Dale Netherton
June 4, 2006
With a recap of the Fox News coverage, the media now rests waiting for something to emerge that will shed new light on the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. Their theories to date have led them nowhere but they proudly present all they have done as an example of an exhaustive search. This column is a reminder of what they haven’t done or considered.
First of all they have not given a hard look at a possible motive for her disappearance. I covered this is a previous article you can find under my other articles. This is a key determinate that all investigations pursue. Motive answers why someone would want to abduct Natalee. I use the word abduction because murder is premature. Without any evidence to support this crime , abduction was seldom considered. You will note that the media seldom mentioned this possibility. They focused mainly on the what they assumed had happened to Natalee ( i.e. she had been murdered ). This focus in spite of no evidence to support it- evidently was their vision of what would be most news worthy. The results speak for themselves.
Where does that now leave us? It leaves us reviewing the whole case from the standpoint of what went wrong in the investigation that nothing was turned up. This leads us to the Investigators and their methodology. This leads us to a review of their theories on what happened and why they looked where they did. It leads us to ask why there is not an internal review process being conducted and if it is , when will the results of that investigation be made public? Concluding they did all that they could -with no results is unacceptable. It is unacceptable to the grieving family and it is unacceptable to Natalee’s hope and it is unacceptable to the country of Aruba. For the reputation of either a corrupt or incompetent Police investigation will not enhance visitors to flock to a country where they may disappear and never be found.
It is in everyone’s interest except the guilty to dig deeper into the case. One could excuse the performance of the investigation as a lack of leads or evidence but that begs the question Why? With a reward and a small island to search , false arrests ( based on what?) and screwball theories tossed out by a chief Investigator, the lack of leads and evidence rings phony. Unless these red herrings can be satisfactorily be explained it is time for the investigation to focus on the methodology and the agency doing the investigation. This must be asked for- and insisted upon - to either exonerate the investigation team or find it’s faults. The evident hope of the guilty party is to play for time until public opinion becomes resigned that the crime falls into the unsolvable category.
This is almost too obvious. At the slightest hint of bad publicity, an arrest comes forward only to vaporize without information. This is the tactic of “doing something” just as a worker can appear to look busy. It is not leading to results : therefore, it is not aimed at solving the crime. Random arrests appear to be attempts at effort but when this effort becomes a visible ploy, serious interrogation of the reason for the technique must be activated. Those responsible should be aware they are either encouraging skepticism or if they are involved, looking more and more guilty as time passes. This is because if they are hiding something they have no other choice to pursue. They cannot find what will incriminate them and they cannot expose what they want to hide.
If nothing Could be done it would be a far different story. But something Can be done and it isn’t. This is what makes this case so intriguing. If it were fiction there would be thousands of readers questioning the events, possible motives and who was involved? There would be an expectation the conclusion of the book would reveal the culprits. Nothing would be excluded as possible and an elaborate plot to abduct young attractive girls including corruption and cover up would be brought to light, the villains caught and the ending would be satisfactory. There would be no loose ends left hanging and there would be no public acceptance of the nonsense the crime was unsolvable. But this is a real case and as such is not just something an author dreamed up. A real person disappeared, a real person abducted her and a real person ( or persons) is out there thinking they are not going to be found out.
The only thing these criminals have to hope for is disinterest. That isn’t going to happen. In the first place, there are too many unanswered questions and in the second place another similar crime will cast light on what has been going on. Criminals have to try again when they succeed and it is only a matter of time until they do. It would be better for all if that didn’t happen. Digging into the investigation may prevent the need for another victim and reveal what really happened to the girl from Alabama.
On 6-4 “Scrux” forum identity “medleyrelay” posted “medleyrelay”’s interpretation of information “medleyrelay,” supposedly, received from ANITA VAN DER SLOOT about the June 15, 2005 SLOOT home search by ARUBAN Police “Investigators”:
I have been given the opportunity to clear up once and for all - what actually occurred at the van der Sloot home regarding the search by ALE. This information is coming from Anita - and she has asked that I post it - due to reading here this morning about where Joran's computer was that nite.
There will be no follow up to this - this is all I intend to say on this matter. I am just trying to clear the air!
At the time of this incident Joran did not have his own computer. The van der Sloot family had one computer in their home office which all kids had to sign in on. This was to supervise their actions a bit. Paul had his own lap top and Anita had a computer at school. When Joran went to the University he then got his own brand new computer with their programs on it.
The Investigation team that came into the van der Sloot home confiscated this home computer. The also took Paul's lap top and all cameras in the house. They went through Joran's room, his so called apartment is really only a room and a bathroom, that is almost connected to the main house. They searched the whole property and most of the house and the area around the house! Anita says it took them an entire day. There were approximately 20 people involved in the search INCLUDING THE FBI, they were dressed in white. There were also 3 dogs - and the van der Sloot's had to stay in one spot during this time. They also took the 2 cars that they have. It was 3 months later that they got their things back. The computers were damaged and Joran's cell phone not returned. The cars were filled with a white powder and they cut open pieces of fabric and everywhere there was duct tape. She said it took days to clean everything. They also tapped their phones for over 6 months and she does not think they had permission from the judge to do that.
So in conclusion - this was in no way a simple not very well executed or thorough search. Anita felt it was quite thorough, certainly not pleasant and for anyone to think anything else - well she feels they are completely ill advised.
On 6-4 “America’s Most Wanted” RICK SEGAL stated to FOX News that the ARUBAN Police lead Investigator was taking calls after the “America’s Most Wanted” show on June 3, 2006 with the NATALEE HOLLOWAY disappearance in ARUBA segment, and SEAGAL claims that the ARUBAN Police lead Investigator may be breaking the case wide open by Monday morning, June 5, 2006.
On 6-4 BETH HOLLOWAY-TWITTY and RED of the “Scared Monkeys blog" both stated to the “C-Band Talk Network”
(audio available when you click here)
(Thank You and Hat Tip to “Heli”)
Transcribed Verbatim from Satellite Radio June 4, 2006
Dana Pretzer
It's been over a year now, May 30, 2005 that Natalee Holloway went missing. Red from Scared Monkeys.com will join me in a minute. We're going to talk about this tragic case.
You have to be living under a rock here in the last little while if you don't know the name Natalee Anne Holloway. Natalee Anne Holloway vanished on May 30, 2005 while a tourist in Aruba. Natalee is 18 years of age, 5'5", 105 pounds, athletic, medium complexion, blue eyes, blond hair and her hair is shoulder length. This young girl is gorgeous, absolutely beautiful, has her future ahead of her. Her family and most of North America have been wondering where Natalee is.
It's been a year, it's hard to believe it's been that long. Ineptness, some say corruption, shoddy investigations, people talking about this, people talking about that, have lead to no answers, and the family of Natalee Anne Holloway are still living a nightmare.
Red from Scared Monkeys.com is the premiere source of information for high profile cases and stuff that you want to blog about is here tonight. Red how are ya?
Red:
I'm fine Dane, how are you?
PRETZER:
It's hard to believe May 30, 2005. I'm sure for the Holloway family, Holloway / Twitty family it seems that it's been a hundred years but this May 30, 2006 it's been one year and it just seems to stumble and bumble its way on and on and on and no answers are coming forward for these people and I that, you know the old cartoons where we had the Great Gazoo or we had somebody that could wave a magic wand; by God if I could do that to get some answers for these people I would, because it seems that's the only hope that's left for them.
Red:
It seems true Dane, I mean as much as everyone wishes and tries, at this point I guess the only thing that we have to go on is the fact that there is a hypothetical person that's being detained, after 9 or 10 people have been detained in the least.
It is hard to imagine that it's been a year and for the family I'm sure it's been an eternity.
Dana:
You know, it seems it's one bizarre set of circumstances after the next watching the cable news shows, and again kudos to internet organization such as yourself and the scared monkeys and in particular the Fox News Channel and Greta van Susteren in particular for the fine coverage and keeping the story alive, because you and I have talked about this before how important it is to keep the story alive because gosh darn it these people deserve answers and they're just not getting them.
Red:
No, and from the very beginning obviously they weren't getting answers, as much as they were co-operating in the very beginning and taking people for their word. Everyone was trusting everything for being what we were told. And as it's unraveled a year later, we go back and just look at things, look at everything with a Monday morning quarterback point of view, and we can pick and choose exactly what we were told that was a lie and what we saw for our very own even at the time as being you know, the most incredible poorly investigated crime ever, I mean to the point where, you know it's not just the family that's criticized Aruba for what's gone on, I mean they've had Dutch scholars do the same thing. It becomes so obvious to us all
PRETZER:
Shoddiness and ineptitude are the two things that come to mind and the part that drives me bananas, and believe me it doesn't take much to drive me bananas, is the trashing of the family and I just can't handle it. When the victim, and this show, and we've talked about this before, and your website and other things are all about victims' rights here, and that's the family and this poor girl, and that's the future that's lost because of this poor girl's disappearance. Here we're talking about a National Honor Society high school graduate, a National top 10% Awards earning, a 4.5 grade point average, 25th in her senior class. You know, this was a classy girl. Full scholarship, going into medicine, had her whole life ahead of her and one goofy trip to Aruba and snap, that's gone.
I thought America's Most Wanted did an excellent job on Saturday night reporting the story. Again, I forget which correspondent looked after it, and these people, Beth Holloway-Twitty, Dave Holloway, the whole family on both sides, if I had half of their strength and half of their forthrightness I would be a much better person today because I don't know how they stand it. I think I would have gone cuckoo a long time ago.
Red:
You and me both Dana and probably I can speak for the entire, everybody that posts on scared monkeys on the front page at the dot com and also on the scared monkeys.net side of it. I mean it does become difficult, it does become exasperating. I even have to take a step back sometimes and I know plenty of other people do as well. We do have to remember, even if we do get down or if things look a little bleak sometimes, and it happens. You have to remember that this family is going through the reality of it. We're the support system but they're the front line and it's hard to imagine and I've met Beth and I've met Dave, Paul and the whole rest of the family. What they go through, it's probably more horrific because of the fact there's this component of tourism and money and a foreign country but in many respects as you well know because you've done plenty of interviews with other families with missing children they are all the same and it is disgusting as far as I'm concerned to try and blame a victim or blame a victim's family because if you're doing for one, you're doing it for all and I'm sorry, everyone else who has a missing member of their family out there the last thing in the world anyone needs to hear is being blasted for doing something wrong.
It's one thing if the person went missing under your roof and there's suspicious circumstances, that's a little different but when you're 3,000 miles away and you're being blamed for a crime or your daughter is being blamed for something while she's on vacation, like you know, let's really take a look at Natalee Holloway and Joran van der Sloot and see how they conducted their lives and we got a good vision of it when Greta did her thing down in Birmingham where she showed Natalee's room and she spoke with her friends and you really got to see a really good view of what this girl was all about
You saw that she was focused on college, you saw that was her everything. Now let's take a look at what we've seen and what we've heard from the main suspect in this case. This is a guy that all he does is go to the clubs and pick up girls. Now, everyone can make their own opinions, they don't need to be told what to think
PRETZER:
The part that gets to me, and it's been a year, and the only thing that really got under my skin somewhat on this broadcast on television where they used the term "anniversary" and I don't like that term when it comes to something like this. An anniversary is something that you celebrate and some of the dopey reporters that would ask the questions of the family: "What are you doing on the anniversary of Natalee's disappearance" like, what did they expect the family to say, we're having a party, we're having cake, no. They're continuing on with this tragedy, this living nightmare of their daughter missing with no answers. It's not an anniversary, it's just one year since the tragedy and this whole disaster happened and it's one year too long.
Looking at some of this stuff that I have here, let me take a call here Red, hang on just a second.
(Lost both Red and the caller -- takes a commercial break)
PRETZER:
It boggles the mind that it's been a year and I don't know if it's a weekly thing, but you know gall darn it when you look at scared monkeys.com it almost is a weekly or a daily thing when something new and bizarre happens in Aruba involved in this case.
Red:
Yeah, and it's true and I have to agree with you on what the mainstream media does, as we bloggers like to refer to it as "lazy journalism". Just getting something to term an anniversary or a sound byte , as Beth said that it's not a yearly thing, it's called Tuesday for her you know
With the stuff that you see going on in Aruba, it's an arrest this week and they'll make it seem like it's public enemy #1. We understand it's not the same legal system, that it's more of an arrest to do questioning, but by the same token there's got to be, especially at this point it's just not to do an investigation as if it was Day 1, Day 2, Day 10 they know the eyes, if not the eyes of the world the eyes of America are on them and we're pretty much sick and tired of the nonsense of arresting someone and releasing them the next day, especially when there obviously are connections. You can see the connections, you can see where there would obviously be some type of connection between the three main suspects and the people who are being questioned and then all of a sudden a high powered attorney is put into place and next thing you know they're free.
PRETZER:
Is that where the media does fail somewhat? You read the headline on cnn.com "Arrest in Holloway case" and you rush to it and read it and here it's just another dopey suspect that they talk to nine months that they decide for whatever reason to go out and arrest again to talk to them again. It must take the family and just drive them insane to see this stuff, although they have an excellent lawyer John Q. Kelly. I imagine they get prepped, but to see this, I think that's where the media does fall down a little bit.
Hi, you're on Sunday night satellite. Hi is this Beth
BETH:
Yes, I was trying to call but I could not get through.
PRETZER:
Ok, just hang on a second I'm going to conference you in with Red of scared monkeys, ok?
I've got Red from scared monkeys.com and Beth Holloway-Twitty on the air tonight. Beth, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for calling in this evening to spend a little bit of time with my satellite audience and with Red who I've had on the show several times now to discuss the one year, and I hate the term anniversary, Red and I were just talking about this.
It's been a year since Natalee went missing, May 30, 2005. I said a few minutes ago, ma'am with all the respect in the world I wished I could wave a magic wand and help this nightmare for you and your family to end, because it's truly a nightmare. One year later to see you on television and hear you, if I had half of your strength and half of your family's strength, I'd be a much better person. How are you coping June 4, 2006 with this tragedy that your family is going through?
BETH:
Well, I mean, it has been a nightmare, I think I'm living any parent's worse nightmare and some have asked me you know, why I continue and I think you know, I don't know how to give up and also I'm thinking, you know I've taught special needs for 22 years in public schools in four different states and you know, I never looked at the parents and said "I'm sorry, there's nothing else I can do for your child" I never did that. There is always something you can do, you can always make progress, you just have to be committed and focused and dedicated and just keep getting up and doing it again and again every day and small steps do eventually lead to your ultimate goal and I just have to have that same faith the same thing will happen in Natalee's case.
As I said I never looked at my parents and said "there's nothing else I can do.
Dana:
My program Beth, when I'm not doing the radio show, I'm a Police officer, in fact I worked today and as a sideline I host a talk show and I truly believe in victims' rights and helping the victim and doing whatever we can to help people who have missing children, family members. I think what sours me the most, and I'm not sure how you can comment on this or not is how the pundits, how the suspects like to spin it to have the victim, the missing person look like the bad person to take the heat of themselves.
I'm curious as you're the mother who has lived this tragedy for so long, how do you take it. Red and I were talking a few minutes ago, I'd have gone crazy a long time ago and you just seem like you're so strong.
BETH:
Well, for one thing none of the disparaging remarks that they make in regards to Natalee are true, so it's easy to overlook their stupidity or poor judgment, I'm not sure which would be the better choice of words for the arubans in this case, but it is poor judgment, extemely poor judgment for them to be making the remarks and I think when the suspect does it's exactly what you said, it's just trying to deflect some of the heat off of him and put some on the victim which is just, it's almost as if it's a sick twist and it just shows that there's a hug level of guilt of involvement on the suspect's part when they begin to do that.
PRETZER:
The thing that I admire the most about you and you family is what you're doing now to help others, to help families prevent something like this, prevent a tragedy like this from happening, the tips that you, I know that you've been on a speaking circuit right now and helping young kids. I have an 18-year-old daughter who went to Paris for a field trip and I'll tell you, I sat here and bit my lip for about 5 days and it drove me crazy while she was over there until I got her home on the airplane.
Beth, I don't want to keep you too long, what are some of the tips that you can pass on to the kids, to stay safe in situations like this
BETH:
Well, I think there are a couple of things that you can do in preparing for your trip, in planning before we leave our borders. Start with investigating the infrastructure of the country you're visiting, make sure you've got all the key communications contacts should a situation arise that your traveller needs emergency help.
The second thing is activating your international calling, I think it's critical that we should have that activated.
There's other things you can do while you're travelling in your destination; there's planning safety measures and travelling safety measures, it might be as simple as when you get to your destination, make sure your international calling is working, make sure you've placed your passport in a hotel safe while you're travelling around the country.
Make sure you've investigated the taxis and whether they are clearly marked. I just think there are things we could have done in preparation that, you know we just didn't know how valuable this was, I think we tend to spend a little bit more time on airfares, hotel and what we're going to do rather than on planning safety, so I don't think we tend to look at that as heavily as we do our costs and agenda of what we're planning on doing.
PRETZER:
I appreciate you calling in, you must be getting some calls, we're getting a lot of beeping on the line
BETH:
Well I'm sorry, it's not me, I don't know but I keep hearing that.
PRETZER:
I hear it too and maybe it's Red that's getting another call.
Red:
I have absolutely no idea. Beth always knows exactly how I feel and the support that I have personally and that the people on our site have. Between myself and Tom and my wife and the many people that read nad post on scared monkeys.com we all support the family so much. We all just try to do as much as we can to always have them remember the support that we always provide for them. And it's not just us, it's the other pro family websites that are out there.
This story is a focal point but we feel the same for all the other parents of missing persons.
PRETZER:
Well, Beth you're living the ultimate nightmare. I'm sure you sat down and planned this trip with your daughter and this was not part of the plan. Again, I hope and pray that you will get the answers, your family gets the answers that you deserve, the correct answers. That the spin, the bizarreness that comes out of that island will someday stop and you get the closure that you truly deserve and my audience and this show back you 100% and anything that I can do for you, I'll always here for you ma'am.
BETH:
Well, I thank you so much and that's how we're able to get through it with people like you and Red from scared monkeys. It's amazing to me where he has this commitment and drive to stay with us and take us to the end, so you know, the same goes from me to you guys. We're just grateful for the support, thank you.
More conversation between Dana and Red which is long winded and boring.... I did not transcribe the remainder.
6-5-06
On 6-5 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:
Four suspects arrested in murder case Djoegan
ARUBA – Four suspects were arrested in connection with the murder of Dinesh ‘Pitbull’ Djoegan. The 25-year old Djoegan was found dead near the Guadirikiri caves in April. His body was mutilated and set on fire. One man (M.L.) was arrested on Saturday and two women (K.H. and C.H.C) and another man (S.H.) on Sunday. The Police searched the homes of the suspects and found drugs and money. The spokesperson of the Public Prosecutor didn’t say what the relationship between the suspects and Pitbull was.
The four suspects are also suspected of drug dealings.
Morning paper Bon Dia reported this morning that Pitbull’s wife was called and told that she would find some things at the place where her husband’s body was found. According to Bon Dia, she found a three-page letter, a bottle of Vodka, a joint, and an old iron cross. She handed the object to the Police and she gave Bon Dia a copy of the letter and authorized them to publish it.
On 6-5 the “AP” reported:
Holloway Continues Push for Answers
Natalee Holloway's father says a final search off the coast of Aruba could take place next month for the missing teenager.
Dave Holloway, of Meridian, Miss., says the cost has delayed another ocean search. But he says it will probably happen within the next month. He says he will continue to push to find out what happened to Natalee.
Natalee Holloway disappeared in May 2005 during a graduation trip to the island with her Mountain Brook (Ala.) High School classmates. She was last seen leaving a bar with three young men on May 30, 2005.
Dutch marines, the Aruban Coast Guard, the FBI and hundreds of volunteers have searched the island and coastal areas of Aruba for Holloway without success.
Dave Holloway says Natalee's case will be featured on the television show "America's Most Wanted" on June 7.
6-6-06
On 6-6 the UNITED STATES Department of State issued its “Trafficking in Persons Report 2006,” the index for which is available here. For the NETHERLANDS (including ARUBA) the UNITED STATES Department of State wrote:
THE NETHERLANDS (TIER 1)
The Netherlands is a destination and transit country for the trafficking of women and girls for the purpose of sexual exploitation; some trafficking for labor exploitation occurs. Victims continued to be trafficked from Central and Eastern Europe, Nigeria and Brazil. Reportedly, a significant percentage of the 25,000 individuals engaged in prostitution are trafficking victims. Internal trafficking of young, mostly foreign girls by Moroccan and Turkish pimps into sexual exploitation continued. The Netherlands Antilles, where the Netherlands exercises responsibility over visa issuance according to guidelines issued by the Netherlands Antilles, continued to be a concern as a transit region and destination for illegal migrants, some of whom may have been trafficked.
The Government of the Netherlands fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. In 2005, the government significantly stepped up its law enforcement and prevention efforts to address trafficking in persons. The Dutch government investigated, prosecuted, and convicted more traffickers, and increased its outreach efforts to potential trafficking victims in regulated prostitution sectors. The Dutch government continued to provide comprehensive protection and assistance to victims and increased resources and tools available to NGOs. International scrutiny continued to focus on the legalized commercial sex industry in the Netherlands. The government should ensure its assessment of trafficking in the legalized sector includes a systematic and sensitive screening of all potential trafficking victims, including in the red light district.
Prosecution
The Government of the Netherlands vigorously investigated and prosecuted cases of trafficking during the reporting period. Dutch Police investigated 220 suspects of trafficking in 2004. The government prosecuted 253 traffickers, a significant increase from 174 in 2003. Dutch courts convicted 136 traffickers; the majority of sentences ranged from three months' to four years’ imprisonment. In 2005 a district court handed down a 14-year sentence for one trafficker in a case involving three African victims; four other traffickers in the case received sentences of five to 10 years. In May 2005, a national expertise center, overseen by the national trafficking prosecutor, began carrying out its mandate to bring together various Dutch Investigatory bodies on trafficking cases and to serve as a national resource on investigations and prosecutions. The government, through the expertise center and other forums, continued to conduct specialized training for Police, attorneys, inspectors, and other government officials. In 2005, five Dutch men were convicted in a local district court for organizing child sex tours to Tunisia for sex with minors; the men received sentences between one and three and a half years. There was no evidence of official corruption or trafficking-related complicity.
The government reported that strict controls and licensing requirements for brothels were employed as a means of combating trafficking. The Amsterdam Police reported that routine checks of brothels did not show evidence of exploitation; during the reporting period these checks did not result in the identification of any trafficking victims, although there are continued reports of victims in legal red light zones. The Police also reported difficulty in carrying out effective controls in the unregulated sectors, such as escort services.
Protection
The Dutch government in 2005 continued its leadership, capacity building and funding for service providers and NGOs assisting trafficking victims throughout the Netherlands. Local governments independently funded trafficking shelters and regional networks of NGOs while law enforcement officials coordinated the provision of comprehensive services and protection to victims who assisted in prosecutions. The Dutch Foundation Against Trafficking in Persons (STV), the national reporting center for registration and assistance for trafficking victims, registered 424 trafficking victims in 2005, a modest increase from the 405 registered in 2004. It launched a website and distributed a manual as a practical tool for service providers providing victims with support. The government funded training and reintegration programs implemented by NGOs to assist victims with B-9 status — temporary residency granted for trafficking victims — to develop skills needed to find employment. One program reported that 45 B-9 recipients participated in its training program; 10 have found jobs since the regulation permitting B-9 victims to work went into effect in April 2005.
Prevention
In January 2006, the Dutch government launched a national outreach campaign to reduce trafficking in the prostitution sector. The campaign, managed by the Dutch anonymous crime reporting hotline, primarily targets the clients of women in prostitution and potential victims of trafficking, as well as members of the general public. The campaign reportedly promotes awareness of the warning signs of trafficking and encourages individuals to report potential victims to Police or call the hotline. In June 2005, the Justice Ministry distributed victim identification and reintegration guidelines to government officials, including to Dutch consular officers abroad, and NGOs, to encourage increased identification of and assistance to trafficking victims. In 2005, as required by the 2000 law that lifted the ban on brothels, the Ministry began its second assessment of the prostitution sector, including the number of women trafficked into prostitution. As part of the study, women in prostitution in Amsterdam’s red light district and other prostitution sectors will be interviewed away from brothels and their possible traffickers. In September 2005, the Justice Ministry signed a covenant with Dutch newspaper associations committing parties to prevent advertising by unregistered escort services, an industry increasingly exploited by traffickers. The Dutch government committed $21.3 million dollars between 2004 and 2006 to fund anti-trafficking programs in other countries, particularly source countries for trafficking victims in the Netherlands.
THE DUTCH CARRIBEAN AUTONOMOUS REGIONS
Anecdotal reporting suggests that the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, autonomous regions within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, are transit and destination regions for trafficking of men, women, and children for sexual exploitation and domestic servitude, as well as forced labor in the construction and agriculture sectors. Curacao, Aruba, and Saint Maarten are destination islands for women trafficked for the sex trade from Peru, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti, according to local observers. At least 500 foreign women reportedly are in prostitution throughout the five islands of the Antilles, some of whom have been trafficked. While in the past women in prostitution could enter the Netherlands Antilles as tourists and engage in prostitution legally for up to three months, special work visas must now be obtained prior to their arrival in the autonomous regions; these permits are not transferable. There are also reports of children being trafficked for sexual exploitation, particularly from the Dominican Republic. Visas for Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles are issued by Dutch Embassies following review by Aruban or Netherlands Antilles’ authorities. In 2005, allegations of corruption were made against Aruban and Antillean authorities in both immigration and issuance of work permits. The Antilles government, however, aggressively prosecuted general corruption. In 2005, the Netherlands and Aruba signed a protocol to restrict the admission of women traveling to work as dancers, after allegations emerged that over 400 women in prostitution were issued work permits by the Aruba government illegally. Officials conducted some awareness raising about trafficking during the reporting period. Visa controls were reportedly tightened in 2005. The Dutch government increased funding for an ongoing IOM trafficking prevention and capacity building program in the Antilles, providing $165,000 in 2005. The governments of the Netherlands, Aruba, and the Netherlands Antilles should collaborate more effectively to detect trafficking to the Antilles and investigate and prosecute those behind this trade.
1 The Netherlands has legalized prostitution. The U.S. Government opposes prostitution and any related activities, including pimping, pandering, and/or maintaining brothels as contributing to the phenomenon of trafficking in persons. These activities are inherently harmful and dehumanizing. The U.S. Government’s position is that these activities should not be regulated as a legitimate form of work for any human being.
On 6-6 “BBC Caribbean.com” reported:
The Week in Europe
The problem with living through history is that it is far from comfortable.
For the last two decades the world has been changing rapidly and many of the old
certainties are no longer there.
Economic globalisation, changed political priorities and new international alignments
suggest that we now live in an environment in which we cannot be sure that what we
plan today will have the outcome we expect.
1960's Caribbean has changed
So much so that the certainties that have sustained the self-image and confidence of the
Anglophone Caribbean since the 1960s seem now ever less present.
For nearly half a century Caribbean politicians and officials have described the English
speaking part of the region as being democratic, respecting of the rule of law, secure,
stable, agriculturally based and uncompromising on sovereignty.
They have also had an inalienable belief that the dream of a single integrated region is
achievable.
Yet reality, in a number of respects, suggests otherwise; that the dream began to fade in
the 1990s; and that the concept of a single, secure and sovereign Caribbean, is eroding
and being altered by events.
Today it is hard to avoid the conclusion that the Caribbean is the process of transiting to
some other place.
New trends
Somewhere in which a number of associated autonomous parts with very different
objectives and economies will co-exist uneasily in a Caribbean Single Market and
Economy (CSME) under constant external pressure to achieve greater regional integration
and to cede sovereignty.
If this is so, it will be an uncomfortable and perpetually changing region, requiring levels
of public sector management previously unknown.
The trends are there for all to see.
In the Anglophone Caribbean, Trinidad seems intent on encouraging closer economic
integration with the United States while expanding its regional vision to embrace other
relationships with Latin neighbours.
Others, including Jamaica and Barbados also accept market opening but want to
re-balance their North American, European global and inter-regional relationships.
In contrast much of the Eastern Caribbean wants out of all economic arrangements,
regional or otherwise that involve significant open markets and free movement of labour.
Guyana appears set on a path from which recovery may be difficult, that may lead it into
closer relationships with powerful neighbours, while Belize, still committed to a Caribbean
identity, is by virtue of its location growing closer to its Central American neighbours.
More generally many Anglophone nations are pointing in different philosophical directions.
Some governments want arrangements that provide some form of permanent special and
differential treatment; others retain a belief in the central role of the state while having
limited capacity to manage the implementation of national let alone regional policy; while
a few are still are not prepared to recognise the central role that the private sector and
the services sector has to come to play in a single market.
Hispanic Caribbean
For its part, the Hispanic Caribbean seems headed in an altogether different direction.
The Dominican Republic will choose very soon how it will position itself so that its political
and economic independence can be sustained.
And Cuba, while still wishing to be a part of the region, has entered into a substantive and
sustaining economic alliance with Venezuela and Bolivia to say nothing of its relationship
with China.
Pressures
In short, just months after the CSME was launched, national self-interest, significantly
different levels of economic development, the pressures of having to finance current
account deficits and variable strategic concerns would appear to be pushing the region
apart.
This might matter less if there was the time to face external change and establish a new
equilibrium. But the inexorable process of international trade negotiations, dates by which
existing arrangements end or cease to be compatible with the rules of the World Trade
Organisation and a range of global economic and political uncertainties, are forcing the pace.
To try to respond, concepts such as variable geometry and asymmetrical trading
relationships have been developed. But with limited capacity, an approach in Europe and
elsewhere not to agree to such concessions, these at best can only be short-term
transitional arrangements.
More alarmingly perhaps where Caribbean image and reality publicly collide is on
matters relating to security.
The tide of violent crime
The tide of violent crime against residents and visitors is rising in almost every nation in
the region at rates that ought to open eyes everywhere.
(PHOTO of a NATALEE “Missing” poster on an ARUBA beach with the photo caption “The
disappearance of American Natalee Holloway threatened Aruba's image”)
It threatens not just the quality of Caribbean life but also the ability of the region to
encourage the external investment necessary to create service industry driven
economies in which the legitimate private sector, agriculture, society and the state
can prosper.
In this respect and furthest from the region perception of itself, is a troubling new
development.
Perhaps for the first time ever in Anglophone Caribbean history, in Guyana, an
internationally wanted criminal with narcotics and arms trafficking connections has
made political statements that seek to involve him in the mainstream of public life
along with those who given the chance, would violently usurp authority from the state.
This is a genie once out of the bottle that cannot easily be contained as previous
experience in Central America and parts of Africa has shown.
This development and growing levels of crime across the region are the clearest signal
of the dangers of failed Caribbean democracies and what happens when two party
systems become polarised.
It speaks to the need for constant democratic renewal as well as about the dangers of
economic underdevelopment and a trend towards the love of government over
governance.
These are uncomfortable messages that collide with the way the region sees itself and
give me no pleasure to write about.
What they point to is not a fundamental problem with the culture or aspirations of the
Caribbean.
Rather it indicates the need for institutions, governments and business to rise to the
new challenge of constant change, as global history alters direction, and we all
become more closely integrated and loose elements of control over our own destiny.
A few days ago I was listening to a programme on the BBC World Service in which
Mark Tully, the veteran broadcaster, was discussing certainty, knowing and change.
The programme tried to address the need for us to walk into the unknown. It suggested
that it was this made us creative and courageous.
It made me wonder if this was not the space that Caribbean politicians and intellectuals
now urgently need to occupy.
David Jessop is the Director of the Caribbean Council and can be contacted at
david.jessop@caribbean-council.org. Previous columns can be found at
www.caribbean-council.org
June 2nd, 2006
On 6-6 the “Caribbean Hardbeat News” reported:
Top Caribbean Ministers for Tourism Town Hall Forums
Hardbeatnews, NEW YORK, N.Y., Tuesday, June 6, 2006: Several Caribbean Tourism Ministers are set to gather in New York next week for the annual Caribbean Tourism Organization’s town hall meetings. …
Some of the public schedule for attracting media attention….
ABOUT CARIBBEAN WEEK IN NEW YORK
Caribbean Week in New York is a celebration of the sights, sounds, colors, cultural and unique vacation attributes of the Caribbean.
The week culminates with the popular Governments of the Caribbean State Ball at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
Caribbean Week in New York typically attracts over 10,000 participants. In addition, extensive media coverage of the various events reaches local and national audiences in the millions.
The overall objectives of Caribbean Week in New York are:
To provide a platform for the sale of Caribbean vacations
To create events that attract significant amounts of positive media attention for the Caribbean
To provide opportunities for all member countries to promote their individual destination
…
Monday, June 12, 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Founder’s Auditorium and President’s Conference Center Medgar Evers College, Brooklyn
AND
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
777 East 222 Street, Bronx
Caribbean Fair
Tuesday, June 13,
9:00 am - 7:00 pm
South Street Seaport, New York City
Caribbean Marketing Workshop and Awards Luncheon
Wednesday, June 14, 9:00 am – 1:30 pm
New York Marriott Marquis Hotel
CTO PRESS CONFERENCE
Friday, June 16, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
New York Marriott Marquis Hotel
1535 Broadway, Manhattan
Governments of the Caribbean State Ball, Auction and Awards Presentation
Friday, June 16, 7:00 pm
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
6-7-06
On 6-7 the “Scared Monkeys blog" reported:
Aruba Take Notes, This is how you treat victims and criminals and Do Damage Control
Aruban authorities and government officials may want to make a phone call to the
Prime Minister of St Vincent to understand how one is supposed to act following a horrific crime. Aruba take notes:
It was reported earlier that four men were arrested in St Vincent for the rape and beating of two Florida teenagers and their mother. The horrible event was condemned by the Prime Minister as being just that, “dastardly criminal acts.”
Aruba take a good look at how people are supposed to act when they care about the ramifications of a crime and how it may impact them.
Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves and Leader of the Opposition Arhnim Eustace expressed sadness over the incident and urged the family to make themselves available to give evidence in the trial.
Gonsalves last week described the alleged incidents as “dastardly criminal acts” even as he identified a need for some damage control. Gonsalves told reporters last week that government had offered to have the alleged victims return to St Vincent for every stage of the trial, at the expense of the state.
Aruba, imagine if you had taken this tact from the very beginning, middle and end of
the investigation. Treating criminals like criminals and victims like victims. Imagine if you had not blamed the family of Natalee Holloway or even Natalee Holloway, as Gerold Dompig did, stating she died of an accidental overdose. Look at the reaction that Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves received from the victims in this heinous crime. Aruba, you have much to learn in people skills as how to treat such a delicate situation like a family losing their daughter.
Gonsalves last week described the alleged incidents as “dastardly criminal acts” even as he identified a need for some damage control. Gonsalves told reporters last week that government had offered to have the alleged victims return to St Vincent for every stage of the trial, at the expense of the state.
“The victims acknowledge that our country is peaceful and law-abiding but that there are a few persons who are seeking to disturb our peace and tranquillity and who are criminally minded,” Dr Gonsalves who is also Minister of National Security said.
He added: “And we have to stamp out those elements and get them on the straight and narrow and where they are not coming on the straight and narrow they must be in the prison, away from law abiding people.
You take the matter seriously from the beginning, you don’t blame the victim and you don’t cover up crimes and make your tourism more important than human life. Aruba, also take note from above. Instead of whining about the expense that it has cost you in searching for a tourist that went missing on your island, you do everything in your power and foot the bill without saying a word.
Gonsalves told reporters last week that government had offered to have the alleged victims return to St Vincent for every stage of the trial, at the expense of the state.
Aruba, no one cares how much you have spent for the searches of a person that went missing on your island on your watch. You have more than made your fair share of money from US tourists. Aruba, read these words from St Vincent Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves. Where were these words and actions from the Aruban Prime Minister?
“This paramount act of criminality offended the sensibility of all right thinking people.”
You offer people help. You offer people comfort. You offer people communication in the case and ask them to be a part of it. THIS IS NORMAL. What is not normal is what Aruba did to the Holloway and Twitty’s:
Tell Dave Holloway to go to C&C’s, have a beer and she will show up
Blame the family for their involvement for the cases initial failures
Not bother to consider what occurred as a crime and not investigate
Blame the victim for her own death
Blame the family for your declining tourism
Blame the media for bad coverage
You don’t provide insults, you provide compassion
Take some responsibly for what happened, other Caribbean islands seem to. You wonder why Americans feel the way they do and have decided to not return?
What a difference an island makes.
(Hat Tip: RR)
On 6-7 ARUBAN news source "Amigoe.com" reported:
Djoegan died of overdoses
ARUBA -- Dinesh ‘Pitbull’ Djoegan had died of overdoses cocaine. At this moment, the Public Prosecutor (OM) does not have evidence that the 25-year old man that was found dead in the vicinity of the Guadirikiri cave on April 5th was murdered. Four suspects have been arrested and the examining magistrate has prolonged the custody of one of them with 8 days.
On Tuesday, Pitbull’s widow and her mother had talked with the district attorney, who leads the investigation on the death of Djoegan. The OM does not comment on the contents of this conversation. All they said was that in order to determine the cause of death, they had to send tests to the Netherlands. The family was informed that Pitbull was not murdered, but had an amount of cocaine in his body. There is a possibility that he was forced to take the drug. The OM is also investigating the relation between the cause of death and the fact that Djoegan was found burned and crucified.
Last weekend, the Police arrested two men and two women in connection with this case. One of them, M.L. was taken before the examining magistrate on Tuesday afternoon. He was already in prison for illegal possession of firearms and cocaine balls.
6-8-06
On 6-8 the ARUBA prosecutors office issued the following statement:
The Public Prosecutors office does not have to justify its actions with regards to the persecution of criminal acts to the Minister of Justice or the Government of Aruba
6-9-06
On 6-9 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:
Solution for the Guadirikiri-case in sight
ARUBA – “The investigation team in the Guadirikiri-case is making progress. The team seems to be getting closer to figuring out what had really happened”, indicated the spokesperson for the Public Prosecutor Mariaine Croes.
One thing they know for sure, Dinesh ‘Pitbull’ Djoegan had died of overdoses cocaine. How the drugs have gotten in his body and by who, is still being investigated. Four suspects were arrested in the past two weeks, of which one, M.L. was taken before the examining judge on Tuesday, who prolonged his detention with 8 days.
The other three suspects were taken before the examining judge on Wednesday. He was of the opinion that L’s girlfriend, V.H.C., was not involved in the case and released her. The detention of other two was also prolonged with 8 days. They are being suspected of murder of Djoegan, whose body will be handed over to the family one of these days.
On 6-9 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:
Protesters demand the government to step down
A few thousand people walked over the Boulevard to the chanting of slogans against the government
ARUBA – To the tune of loud jeers and the slogans baha (step down) and revoca (revoke) of thousands of protesters, Prime Minister Nelson Oduber accepted a manifesto last Thursday evening. In that manifesto, the social partners demand the government to revoke the increase of the import taxes that went into effect on June 1st last, and deliberate with them on the tackling of the financial problems. Oduber’s reaction was just a danki (thanks), but didn’t indulge. He continued to hold to the measures, but did agree to a meeting.
When Oduber came outside to accept the manifesto from union-leader Rudy Geerman, he was accompanied by Finance-minister Nilo Swaen, Tourism-minister Edison Briesen, and Public health-minister Booshi Wever. Oduber said that his democratic elected government had decided on the challenged measures to solve the financial problems. He said that the measures were necessary and that his government had no intensions to walk away from the problems. Geerman told the premier that he wants to sit and talk with him that same evening if necessary, but the subject of the import taxes must be on the agenda. Oduber’s answer was that he will meet with the unions on Monday at noon to talk about an agenda, but that he refused to be forced to deliberate.
The message of the protesters was bipartite: one part wants the government to step down and all the protesters want the measures be revoked.
Police-spokesman Papito Comenencia couldn’t tell how many people were in the manifestation. At the end he said that everything went smooth and orderly. The Police have talked to the leaders of the manifestation and told them to make sure that everything goes well. Only the government had caused unrest by instituting a lawsuit against the Police union SPA that was supposed to be down for hearing during the demonstration. Shortly after SPA-chairman Eric Zaandam has received the citation, he also received the notice that the government had abandoned the case.
Not everybody assembled at the Juliana School. Some decided to wait for the others in the vicinity of the government’s office. A 70-year old retired employee of DOW said that Aruba is deteriorating due to bad leadership of Nelson Oduber. This has to stop.
A supporter of the MEP that works in a hotel admitted that he understands the reason for the action. “The government was better off giving more information and openness of business. People do not understand the standpoint of the government. If the people knew more, there would have been more understanding. He said that the influence on the increased import taxes is already noticeable. Just go take a look in the supermarkets. The prices have already increased, but that is not possible, because the products on the shelves are from before the import tax increase; even the prices of products which expiration dates are almost expired have increased. The supermarket-owners have adjusted the prices too soon. That’s theft!”
Also other protesters said that the government had not deliberated with the social partners in order to come to a structural solution for the government deficits. He measures were taken unilaterally.
Also MPA-leader Monica Kock and her fellow party members and Andin Bikker of DR took part in the manifestation, but in a private capacity.
Many groups were recognizable by their clothing, like members of the SPA (t-shirts with Police on it), teachers (with white polo shirts) , management and employees of Garage Cordia (red shirts), and others that took part in the manifestation that the AVP organized, were wearing the same t-shirt with No mas medida that they wore then.
A sound truck went in front of the crowd, followed by union leaders, committee-members of the Chamber of Commerce, and ATIA. The parade had a cheerful aspect with all the flags that the protesters were waving, but there were hardly any spectators along the road. Due to the pushing incident of last week, the Police decided to block off the boulevard in front of the government’s office.
ATIA has co-signed the manifesto. Chairman Edwin Roos called the attendance a wake-up call for the government. Vice-chairman Juan Yrausquin said that the manifestation was not political, but organized by the commercial sector. He emphasized again that ATIA would love to sit down and talk with the government about the measures. “We still see other solutions.” Yrausquin had heard that the government wants to meet on Monday. He considers this as a strategy to avoid further protests on Friday. He said that he is not aware of the contents of further protests.
6-11-06
On 6-11 JOSSY MANSUR stated to the “C-Band Talk Network”:
(audio available when you click here)
(Thank You and Hat Tip to “Heli”)
NOT VERBATIM NOT COMPLETE
I wasn't able to get the feed from the beginning, so picking it up several minutes into the broadcast.
PRETZER:
When you have a credible witness, it's only as good as a credible Investigator who can use this information to solve the case. Does ALE have a credible Investigator now working on this case. We've all seen what's gone on
Jossy
They do have some good ppl. Ppl judge them by this case. The ALE from all the cases I've seen them solve in the past 32 years, in this case I'm not satisfied with the quality of the investigation as far as the answers we've gotten. I do think they have good Investigators, good interrogators, lot of info from these suspects but I don't know why they haven't acted on it.
Dana;
e-mail questions...what is known about Joran's background and his asscoiation with Kalpoes. These 3 seemed to have formed a friendship, they didn't attend same school and not were not from the same socio economic background.
Jossy
It's hard to determine, just 3 kids, they must have met somewhere in a night club or casino.
I know the night Natalee disappeared all of them were gambling at the casablanca at the Wyndham, he was there with "DeSanto"(?) (sp), he gave very interesting statements, Deepak joined him at the table, Guido was with them also. Joran was participating in a poker tournament, they continued to gamble.
It tells us at that point they had a very strong friendship. When it began I don't know.
PRETZER:
Natalee and a group of girls from MB went to the Excelsior between 9 and 10 pm...Joran was already seated at opposite end of the table from Natalee. An older gentleman was seated to Natalee's left engaged her in conversation Have you seen the video, is it Paulus, has anyone enhanced the video to try to determine that?
Jossy:
I have seen the video and the man looks very much like Paulus, to be able to confirm that 100% is very hard, the video is taken from high up, you don't see the full face, you see the glasses, the receding hairline.
PRETZER:
At 1 a.m. the bar is closing, Natalee walks outside, some say she left with Joran and walked to the back parking lot, could she have confused Deepak's car for a taxi
Jossy
Two different versions of her leaving...one says she was leaving with Joran and another one said she was with Joran and Deepak and they were guiding her. It's hard to determine from the witnesses b/c the versions are so contradictory. No one can deny that Natalee disappeared while she was in the company of these 3 suspects.
Dana
Have you or your ppl talked to locals at the bar, do any of them remember seeing Joran there, remember him leaving with a blond
Jossy
Many people, one of the assistant bartenders I know personally, said they left together...she did get into the car with these 3 people.. according to one of the two versions they guided her to the car.
PRETZER:
Do you know, was the van der SLoot house ever completely searched, the house, the grounds
Jossy
It was never completely searched, the house was not searched I know that Joran's apartment was searched, many things were taken out and whatever happened to the things we don't know, because we never got any answers.
PRETZER:
Hi you're on the air. Red is here
Red:
I would like to say to Jossy, thank him from myself and many members of scared monkeys for his efforts in trying to find out what happened to Natalee. He's been maligned along the way, he's never acted like a spokesman for the aruban government the Police or the suspects. That's what media is supposed to do, question, investigate and find out what happened. He's done that every step of the way, he's had tireless efforts.
I do have a question; in the very beginning Jossy said that this isn't normal for Aruba, for their Police and we have to think that ppl have gone missing, they may have been aruban, there have been crimes over time but the real question is, why was this so drastically different. Why did they not arrest the 3 suspects last seen with Natalee on Day 1, what made ALE act in a manner that is so far outside the norm of Police protocol. Many ppl just think it was botched, but something that truly has to be answered is why the Police veered off the path
Jossy:
I think the Police felt very uncomfortabe from the beginning. A man who works for long time, an active member of Justice Dept, Judge .... the Police were working with him in solving other cases, they were concerned about having Paul in this, he was so active for so many years .... ( I lost the feed .... buffering)
...some kind of relationshkp with many of the Police officers .... the FBI were involved from the beginning as onlooker from behind the glass...we would have solved the case a long time ago if the FBI took the case.
I think it was very uncomfortable position for them, they gave too much consideration to Paul van der Sloot.
Red;
I would like to say to Jossy that we truly do appreciate his undying efforts in trying to find a conclusion. It behoves the family and aruba, he has a vested interest in trying to get to the bottom of it....he doesn't want to have tourism continue to decline.
If they had just done the right thing, we wouldn't be here right now.
PRETZER:
Jossy, 33 years in the newspaper business ever had a case like this
I just lost Jossy, the phone lines are wonderful aren't they.... hold on a second
Jossy:
No, none whatsoever. we've had other ppl missing, we worked with foreign Police officers, but nothing like this
PRETZER:
We use the term bizarre, disappointing, if you were to put one word to this case, label this case with one word, what would it be
Jossy:
I would call it grotesque.
PRETZER:
Hi you're on the air
Caller:
Many reports from Gerold Dompig said that Natalee is deceased. He's made that assumption, but what is he making that assumption based on?
Jossy
On the many interrogations with the suspects. Natalee disapeared while with J2K's and he's also basing it on the fact that there is no evidence to prove that she is alive or dead, but from experience and investigation they done, they assume from all the facts that she is no longer alive, although she may be although there is no hard evidence that she is dead.
PRETZER:
Caller:
From Massachussets, I was wondering about the painted rocks, why ppl were painting the rocks, the Police were in there with white paint
Jossy;
Recently I saw that tape, a friend sent it to me, they are marking a spot for investigation, what they found in the first visit they wanted to come back. Whether they did come back or not we don't know, we're investigating that.
Caller:
Did that have to do with Natalee?
Jossy;
Hard question to answer, we know some of the people involved, we'll approach them this coming week, at this point I don't know what they were doing, they were marking off the place or whether it's related to the Natalee case.
PRETZER:
That is one of the more bizarre things.
Caller: Louisianna, what is the general population have felt about this case, you mentioned it was unusual with the Police, are the ppl feeling the same way
Jossy:
Many feel the same way, they feel like I do it should have been solved a long time ago. They have sympathy with Beth that she lost her daughter, they are mad because of this case and the tourism. The majority want this case solved.
PRETZER:
Bottom line is ppl want it solved, in America, Canada, Holland, Aruba. Everyone has had enough including the family.
JossY
The population wants it solved, it has had a negative effect on Aruba's tourism and they would like it solved and concluded
PRETZER:
How much has tourism in Aruba been hurt
Jossy:
Percentage between 15 to 20% down from the usual tourism we get at this time.
Caller:
The painted rocks, that's the visiblity team out there...the boy from the Visibility Team was arrested and many of us from the blogs feel there's a connection there. On June 10, the rocks were painted, the same time there was a report ....
Jossy;
I can answer that some ppl who belong to visiblity team, they were put into existence to give more security to tourists. Some ppl belonging to that team, if it has relation to detention of GVC it's hard to say
Caller:
A lot of coincidence by the dunes and the rocks, we think that should be looked at more closely
PRETZER:
You have to admit this painted rock situation has been bizarre to say the least
Jossy
I honestly admitted that I've seen this tape only recently, the last few days, it's very strange they are painting the rocks and the sand with white paint. One of the photos they seem to be painting the sand or marking it, leads me to believe they are marking spots to come back later for whatever reason
PRETZER:
I've had Joe Huston from TES, we talked about the search itself, I'm about the search itself. Were TES handcuffed in their efforts to try to find Natalee?
Jossy
There were many obstacles put into the way of those organizations. TES did a magnificanet search in aruba, they did the best they could with very little equipment that was allowed in. They are planning to come back in the future on the ocean, which is where they should be searching
Government politics has handcuffed this case
PRETZER:
Tell us about politics in Aruba, is the PM up for election?
Jossy;
It will be an election issue....the party that wins 11 seats makes a coalition with someone else....the ministers are appointed not elected.
PRETZER:
I want to get to a couple more e-mail comments.
Joran and comments from attorneys, about him being innocent. Without getting yourself into a jackpot if you don't want to answer. Lawyers always come forward to defend their clients, a lawyer should try to get their clients off. Should a lawyer be saying that their client is innocent without providing proof of who is guilty
Jossy;
His job is to defend, with whatever means he can put his hands on. But that doesn't give the lawyer the right to come up with unnecesary comment and paint his client as something he isn't, like background or character.
Joran is in Holland studying, I don't know what he's doing. The Kalpoes are quiet, they don't give interviews. I think they're smarter than Joran.
PRETZER:
I agree, there's been too much publicity. What are your thoughts about Joran coming to the US and doing all that media
Jossy;
I think it was very stupid of him.. His lawyers in ARuba told him not to do that. He should have followed the lead of the Kalpoes.
PRETZER:
If I had $1 for every lie or inconsistency, I'd have quite a few dollars.
Jossy;
You would have quite a few, thousands. One thing keeps piling up on another, the lies I don't know what it's all about. I don't know what they think to gain with this. he gets himself into more and more trouble. Let the judge decide when the case comes forth.
Natalee disappeared while in the company of J2K's, period, you have to take it from there.
PRETZER:
If there was a poster in Aruba that attracted tourists to come to Aruba where they would feel safe, it would have your picture on it Jossy. You've done a magnificent job as a newspaper man to help the family, help aruba and get some answers.
Jossy:
I thank you very much, we are definitely interested in the answers. I want to see the family with some peace of mind, to having the right answers to what happened to their daughter.
PRETZER:
You're certainly doing God's work in trying to help solve this case.
Jossy
I honestly admitted that I've seen this tape only recently, the last few days, it's very strange they are painting the rocks and the sand with white paint. One of the photos they seem to be painting the sand or marking it, leads me to believe they are marking spots to come back later for whatever reason
Caller from Blogs for Natalee.com
I wanted to thank him for everything he has done, I'm ( Janie Jamie ?? )...he told about Paul's house not being searched. There was speculation about a concrete slab poured. What can be done to get a search warrant for that.
PRETZER:
I don't know, that's evidence that would have to come forward and go to the Judge. I think it's totally bizarre when you do a search, you don't look in one place and that's a bizarre thing about this case.
Caller:
I'm a poster form scared monkeys, I just want to thank you for your coverage and having Jossy. I wanted to thank ( (EasyRider ?? ) for initiating this. There are 3 ppl that would be very interesting to know what he knows about them. Those ppl being Lorenzo, known to have parties in the area, does he know the vdS does he have any involvement The second is Freddy, he's been questioned, what 's his involvement with J2Ks and then Koen whose father had a boat. What does Jossy know in regard to that.
PRETZER:
These are popular questions, ppl are interested in getting answers. This satellite can be picked up in Aruba, and maybe they'll hear this and help.
Caller:
Jan from Pittsburgh. I happen to be a friend of the vdS, I have it on 100% authority from Anita that their house was completely searched except the younger brother's room, the yard was torn up and completely searched.
PRETZER:
The info is everything was searched?
Caller:
It wasn't necessary to search the younger boy's room but the remainder was completely searched.
I'm just trying to clear the air, I'm not trying to cause any trouble, I think it's important that there's accurrate information as well. I tried to put it out on the blogs a week ago and I got that directly from Anita van der Sloot herself.
PRETZER:
I want the truth, and wherever it comes from whatever it points to I think it's important.
But agian, if you search you don't forget a pocket, you don't forget..if I'm searching somebody I search all the pockets...
Caller from Alabama:
We get the info that vdS house was not searched and that was from Dompig, he is the one who has said over and over that it was not ever searched.
PRETZER:
One last call
Caller
I'm from scared monkeys my name is NM (?)
Philadelphia, thank you so much for having this program.
Some of the people on scared monkeys have researched and found there's a crematorium at a hospital and Paul has been a chair or person on the board, everybody thinks that perhaps the crematorium was used in this disappearance of Natalee.
PRETZER:
The family needs answers. It's a no brainer, whether you're the best friend of the vdS or the vdS, answers are needed. We'll continue on with this type of program when we can.
On 6-11 the “International Safe Travels Foundation” # HYPERLINK "http://www.internationalsafetravelsfoundation.org/MS/MS10/vB_PAGE/20060518135823/michigan_press_release.doc"reported:
FIFTEEN STATES INDEPENDENTLY ENDORSE SAFE TRAVELS
BETH TWITTY BRINGS SAFE TRAVELS TO MICHIGAN SHERIFFS
Lansing, Michigan – June 11, 2006 – More than one hundred sheriffs and their personnel from the state of Michigan were captivated by Beth Holloway Twitty’s presentation of her SAFE TRAVELS program at the Michigan Sheriffs’ Association Annual Summer Conference at the Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville, Michigan.
Twitty established the International SAFE TRAVELS Foundation to educate and inform the public on making every trip a safer trip when traveling internationally. The Foundation and her SAFE TRAVELS safety awareness campaign were created after her daughter Natalee disappeared in Aruba during her 2005 senior graduation trip.
“Beth Twitty’s message is powerful,” commented Michigan Sheriffs’ Association Executive Director Terrence Jungel. “While the loss Beth and her family have experienced is devastating, I applaud her efforts to protect others through the International SAFE TRAVELS Foundation.”
Jungel was so moved by the courage demonstrated by Twitty and by the importance of her message that he personally initiated the endorsement of SAFE TRAVELS by other states at the recent National Sherrifs’ Association conference in Orlando, Florida. The state sheriff’s associations that have independently endorsed SAFE TRAVELS include Alabama, Michigan, Texas, South Dakota, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Utah, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Minnesota, Vermont, Oregon, Iowa and Indiana.
“This is just the beginning. We put our credibility as an organization behind the International SAFE TRAVELS Foundation,” he said.
Twitty will present SAFE TRAVELS to the National Association of School Resource Officers in July.
The Safe Travels Foundation is a US tax-exempt, charitable organization qualified under Section 501c3 of the Internal Revenue Code established to inform and educate the public to help them travel more safely as they travel internationally.
HYPERLINK http://www.safetravelsfoundation.org
6-12-06
On 6-12 “Blogs for Natalee” identity “J4N” reported:
(Thank You and Hat Tip to “J4N” and “Hoop”)
NATALEE HOLLOWAY: CARIBBEAN STUDY ON VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN
Posted by: HOOP
In March of 2005, numerous Caribbean countries gathered together to implement a directive for a global study, initiated by the United Nations which urged all nations to explore and find solutions to the issue of Violence Against Children.
Following the March meeting of Caribbean nations, held in Spain, the Caribbean nations report was released through the United Nations. Apparently, Aruba, a tiny island in the Caribbean Sea elected not to be part of the CARICOM nations dedicating themselves to this issue.
As an entity of the Dutch Netherlands, Aruba is subsidized in the area of law enforcement by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which does maintain membership in the United Nations. The results of the Caribbean report on Violence Against Children raises questions regarding Aruba’s claim to being a “safe island”, particularly when its’ purported “record of safety” is not subject to public scrutiny through any membership such as through CARICOM, which would allow for such public scrutiny of exactly what and how Aruba reports crime statistics.
“The impact of violence on the lives of children is a blemish on the face of nations in all parts of the world..." stated the Deputy Director of UNICEF, Rima Salah, who spoke to delegates to the Caribbean regional consultation on violence against children, which Aruba did not participate in.
“There is no doubt that the solutions must come from within..”….however, “it is unlikely that any community can overcome these challenges without opening up to the experiences of others.”
On May 30, 2005, Natalee Holloway, a bright honors high school graduate from Mountain Brook high school in Alabama, U.S., was abducted on the island of Aruba while celebrating her graduation with honors, along with fellow classmates.
Despite repeated efforts from the U.S. FBI to become involved and assist Aruban authorities in aiding in the recovery of Natalee, FBI officials were limited by Aruban officials in information they were permitted to see, as well as the degree in which they could participate in solving the abduction of Natalee. Unbelievable as it may s/und, Aruban officials kept the expertise and resources of the U.S.’s finest law enforcement officers at bay, in what now is believed to be a purposeful cover-up, in an attempt to aid those involved in the abduction of Natalee Holloway while attempting to protect the island from any bad public relations that might result in a drop in tourism dollars to the island.
It would seem that the level of corruption involved in protecting the individuals involved in the disappearance of Natalee, may implicate members of law enforcement, high ranking government officials, as well as people with a good deal of privilege, money and power on the island.
Natalee, the victim has vanished under a cloak of silence, eerily apropos to a statement made by Professor Sérgio Paulo Pinheiro, an independent expert who leads the global study looking at violence against children, of which numerous Caribbean nations participated; however, Aruba did not. Pinheiro reminded the participants that “ violence against children is hidden beneath a cloak of silence and invisibility”…a heavy cloak of blatant arrogant silence, that continues to conceal the horrors that Natalee Holloway faced on May 30, 2005, as she celebrated her final night in Aruba, before her intent to head back home to the United States.
Furthermore, a sinister cover-up that appears to include the destruction of evidence, the purposeful limitations of a search conducted in the home of a suspect whose father was a former judge in training, as well as changed documents, and selectively not collecting evidence from certain suspects, as well as not documenting statements by certain witnesses, leaves serious questions unanswered regarding Natalee's right to a thorough investigation as the victim of crimes committed against her as well as questions regarding the integrity of this investigation into her abduction.
Natalee was last seen with three suspects, who continue to band together in their attacks on Natalee’s character while refusing to cooperate further with Police in answering questions as to what was done to her.
The three suspects have been implicated in numerous lies regarding their involvement in Natalee’s abduction, and Natalee’s parents continue to not know what was done to their daughter, or by whom, nor where her body was taken. The three main suspects were seen where two of them seemed to have led Natalee to a waiting car, which was driven by the third suspect. It is believed that Natalee was drugged and then led away, thus rendering her a helpless victim, unable to reason nor to defend herself in any way.
A chilling comment: “No body, no case”, made by Paulus van der Sloot suggests a real possible tragic and harrowing cruel end to Natalee’s life where the Police chief reported the desecration of her body, in that “someone” literally moved Natalee from one location to another, so as to deny any possible DNA or any other evidence to ever be collected. Other arrests included "heavy battery", leaving chilling pieces to what remains an "un-solved" case amidst freely walking suspects. This heinous crime against this beautiful child remains an open case, with none of the suspects being held and all of them released to enjoy their freedom, while Natalee has never been heard from again.
One has to wonder how serious Aruba is concerning the safety of its tourists from America when such a heinous crime is covered up through such a travesty of justice that would allow the last three suspects seen leading Natalee away, to never be held accountable regarding her disappearance. Numerous lies, conflicting stories, and even blaming one another as well as two innocent men, has revealed the main suspects to be men lacking in moral conscience and moral character because of a chilling disregard not only for Natalee and what she was subjected to, but the brutal silence inflicted upon her family by the refusal of suspects to reveal what they did to her.
Aruba allows this charade of what they call an “investigation” to continue, with a Police chief going on national television in what appears as an attempt to slander and discredit the victim by claiming she was "highly intoxicated", and “soften” the blow that Natalee is dead by suggesting the suspects “are not killers”, while telling the USA that one of the suspects changed major components of his alibi numerous times, with other facts changed perhaps more than 25 times.
In addition to this, one suspects father, a former judge “in training” who failed his exam, was permitted to speak with all three suspects where the “no body, no case” plan was believed to have been put into action along with plotted lies to tell Police that were later proven as being lies. Time lines were changed, stories were changed, even so chilling as one in which the parent of one suspect never let on that he indeed seemed to be sitting next to Natalee at a casino, based on video surveillance, on the night Natalee disappeared, and where his son had claimed to initially not know her, and then later, to have "dropped her off at the hotel", only then to be changed to one where he claims to have “left her on the beach”.
A step back in looking at the a report released by the United Nations on violence against children specific to the Caribbean nations, reminded participants at the Caribbean conference of this study, “that all Caribbean nations have ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and that Article 19 of the Convention requires States Party to provide adequate care and protection to children from all forms of violence.” Sadly, Aruba miserably failed to protect and to honor Natalee. And yet, the young participants in attendance at the Caribbean conference (of which Aruba did not send any participants) noted, “violence against children in the Caribbean region seems to be increasing”.
The UN report indicated that “The (Caribbean) countries share a similar historical and cultural background, including some factors that are considered by many to underlie some of the violence that takes place. For example, the indigenous people of many of the countries were almost wiped out after the arrival of European settlers in the late fifteenth century. People were brought in from Africa into forced labour in the sugarcane plantations and later East Indians and other groups were brought in for indentured labour. This history of slavery and brutal plantation life are believed by many to explain in part why people use and accept violence.”
Further information released indicates that “drug trafficking throughout the region, and trade links between drugs and weapons” not only promotes violence but broadens the arena in which violence occurs. Other reported information noted that in the Caribbean, there exists some of the highest youth murder rates in the world.
It is inconceivable that Aruba would choose to not participate in the violence study initiated by the UN, by virtue of their claim that they are a happy and safe island, especially against the backdrop of the story of Natalee Holloway who was not only denied a thorough and honest investigation into her abduction, but even in what is believed to be her death, is denied simple common traits of human decency in allowing her parents the right to bury their child with dignity and respect.
The brutal realities of Aruba’s unconscionable treatment of Natalee and her family raises serious questions about their commitment to the safety and well being of children, when it is a known fact that children are allowed to drink and gamble under age as one of the suspects, Joran van der Sloot was known to be a regular at casinos and bars on the island. Through statements made to an Aruban journalist, it was also reported by various classmates, that Joran would brag at school about "slipping something into the drinks of girls". This statement was reported directly to US media by a journalist who stated that several classmates had reported that Joran had bragged at school about his conquests of young girls while "slipping something into their drinks". Add to this, the chilling findings in the United Nations report that “in this culture of violence, some of the perpetrators and victims of violent crime are male adolescents and young adults”….and that “young people are the victims of violence”.
It is believed that a shared cultural history of violence towards human beings has contributed to the level of violence seen in the Caribbean. “The legacy of slavery in the (Caribbean) region not only explains many of the social and cultural traditions that have hindered acceptance of children’s rights, including the right to be protected from violence, it also is considered to underlie the widespread acceptance of physical punishment ….and the emphasis at other levels on criminal sanctions as a means of solving social problems rather than addressing them through conflict resolution or mediation.” Problems are linked to “a particular great concern in the region , that being the problem of ‘absent parents’. The gathered Caribbean nations who elected to be concerned and involved in the study of violence against children, heard that “homicide rates in the Caribbean are nearly twice the world average: 22.9 per 100,000 compared with 10.7 per 100,000”.
Furthermore, the conference of Caribbean nations studying violence against children heard that “the involvement of young men in crime and violence in the Caribbean region is a significant problem. Children are caught up in this as both witnesses and victims and, as they move into adolescence, some may also be involved as perpetrators”.
Children in Caribbean countries have stated that they live in fear and with daily violence. Furthermore, they say that “violence is portrayed as ‘normal’ and even ‘acceptable”. A further belief throughout the Caribbean region is that “the media are insensitive to the problem and tend to sensationalize violence against children rather than report on it responsibly.” “Of grave concern is the fact that one quarter of all major crimes – armed robbery, assault, rape and murder -- ...are committed by young people, mostly adolescent males between the ages of 13 and 19. The same problem occurs across the region, and adolescents are said to look upon violence as a survival tool, a passport to social mobility”.
In looking at whether any serious commitment on the part of Aruban officials exists in wanting to find Natalee, one must ask whether the lack of information given to FBI agents, is a reflection of the lack of transparency in the way Police officials shut out the FBI so as to avoid any public scrutiny regarding the manner in which they conducted their “investigation”.
Aruba’s lack of participation in the CARICOM conference perhaps may illustrate the possibility that children who are tourists, while providing the backbone to Aruba’s economy, may perhaps be a low priority given the example of how low a priority the solving of the disappearance of Natalee Holloway has appeared to play out despite Aruba’s claims that they did “everything”….which tellingly excluded the gathering of DNA, and keeping of meticulous paperwork and records, and the throwing out of statements of confession from one of the three suspects last reported to be seen with Natalee.
Recommendations from the violence study included the knowledge that children at times could be deprived of their liberty due to having “committed an offence but also because they are deemed to be ‘uncontrollable’”. Other measures could be taken to insure the safety of society from young men who are predators.
A recommendation included that a national committee be established “made up of government, judiciary and civil society representatives, to visit detention centers to monitor the conditions …as a necessary step” in addressing youth violence. However, one must consider that in Aruba’s self-isolation from the CARICOM community, whether their separate isolation from a community that employs judicial and collaborative review and examination, might suggest a level of dysfunction on the part of Aruban officials who have chosen to remain apart and separate from such public scrutiny that would expose them to judicial and collaborative review and scrutiny . The abstaining from the CARICOM community, and all its' collaborative efforts insures that the truth concerning crimes in Aruba "stay on the island".
The question of Aruba’s commitment to youth safety, particularly that of it’s youth tourists is fairly questioned when one considers that the findings of the Caribbean study of Violence Against Children found that throughout the Caribbean region:
“There is weak enforcement of the laws in some cases, and this should be addressed. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that all the arms of the judiciary are trained to deal with cases involving children. One issue of concern that was raised in the consultation is that throughout the region people seem not to trust the law enforcement agencies or indeed the political leaders whose fundamental duty is to enforce law and order. Clearly there is an urgent need to find ways to restore confidence in law enforcement agencies; one way for this to be done is through strict enforcement of the law and bringing to justice those who promote or inflict violence.”
In the case of Natalee Holloway, it is telling that the Aruban Police and government officials granted the three suspects last seen leading Natalee into a car - a full ten days of freedom before bringing them in for any type of serious questioning. This action of granting the suspects ten days in which they could do whatever they wanted, including possibly destroying evidence, was granted to them, in spite of Natalee’s mother providing Police with the names of suspects from day one of the investigation. One must question what motive may have allowed for this to occur. Certainly, heinous acts of brutality against a young and innocent American girl would not be good for tourism. Furthermore, it is chilling to consider that when finally picked up by Police, and despite confessions by one suspect that the three men last seen with Natalee had “buried Natalee”, and that “something really bad happened” to her, the three suspects have now been released, while Natalee suffers the ultimate price in losing everything, including all those who loved her.
One can only consider the truthfulness of the United Nations Caribbean study indicating that law enforcement and political leaders entrusted with upholding the rights and safety of all citizens, would be perceived as disinterested, corrupt and untrustworthy, particularly as in Natalee’s case, where some officials began a slander campaign against this beautiful young honors student, in an attempt to distract the public from scrutinizing the three suspects who were last seen with Natalee, and the involvement of the father of one suspect, a former judge in training who failed his certification exam, who was permitted special privileges in speaking to and advising all three suspects along with his chilling comment that there would be no need to worry due to “no body, no case” . To this day, Natalee’s body has never been found and the continuing disinterest by Police to truly solve this heinous case is reflected in the fact that when asked to fill out paper work to allow for a deep water search for Natalee’s body, the Police chief indicated that he just didn’t “have the time” to fill out the paper work. The search then had to be called off.
For Natalee, there is no justice, as she continues in her innocence as a victim, to be subjected to a life-time sentence of the loss of everyone she loved, everything she loved, all her hopes and dreams – while those who brutally beat her, raped her and murdered her, leaving her to die alone continue to enjoy the privileges of their freedom. Even in death, she is not free, for her body remains imprisoned in Aruba, while her honorable good name continues to be slandered and smeared in a campaign to save tourism and dollars at the cost of the rights and innocence of an American child victimized and brutally tormented to death.
For reference to all quotes from Caribbean Violence Against Children Study: Please read United Nations Caribbean Report on Violence Against Children.
On 6-12 the “Scared Monkeys blog" reported:
(Thank You and Hat Tip to “klaasend“)
Holland Does Not Appear Happy with Caribbean Common Court of Justice nor Aruban Legal administration. Are Changes not far behind?
It would seem like big brother Holland is looking to make some changes and centralize control of the legal system in the “Partners in the Kingdom”.
http://www.scaredmonkeys.com/fun-images/AM_20Digital_20Aruba_20Courts.bmp
(Click on article to enlarge)
(A. M. Digital)
Mike Eman of AVP states that Holland’s position stems from the fact that Holland has “taken notice of the doubtful administration of our (Aruba’s) legal system.” Eman also went on to say, “Aruba has its own Public Prosecutor who is not functioning properly.”
Where did he ever get these notions from?
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/klaasend2/amdigital061206b.jpg
(Click on article to enlarge)
(A. M. Digital)
On 6-12 the ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported another ARUBA tourists safety issue:
First Caribbean Tourist Safety conference: ‘Make the Police part of the tourist product sales’
ARUBA – “Aruba should invest a lot of money in the promotion of the safety on the island. Aruba had done nothing to brush up her image after the Holloway-affair. At least, I haven’t seen that. I have only heard the negative aspect of it. Do not hide the affair, but show actively how safe it can be for a tourist to walk on the beach here for example”, said Peter Tarlow, expert in the field of the consequences of crime and terrorism for the tourism, at the opening of the first Caribbean Tourist Safety conference that took place in the Aruba Resort from June 7th till June 10th.
It takes only one incident to damage the image of a safe island for a long time and that’s what the disappearance of the American teenager did to Aruba. But according to Tarlow, the entire Caribbean region realizes that they have a big problem. There are many places where services and safety have shortcomings. The competition is not only determined by the travel distance, but especially by the safety image of the vacation destination. Tourists go to destinations that have a good reputation, where it is safe. Tourism is the most important industry in the world, but it gets the least attention.
Tarlow says that more attention is being paid to the protection of airplanes than the safety of the passengers. In connection with that, it is remarkable that the Israeli airline company El Al scores very high with travelers when it comes to safety. This company hardly advertises, but is profitable for years due to its image.
At his or her vacation destination, a tourist should feel safe and at home. Inquiries proved that what contributes to a safety feeling is the visible presence of Police and security personnel in uniforms and friendliness. Tarlow asked his international audience if the authorities have welcomed them with a smile when they arrived at the airport. “The system will also fail when nobody asks you upon departure whether you had a good time.”
Crisis management fails when risk management is lacking. According to Tarlow, the authorities and managers in the tourism should occupy themselves with the question ‘where are the biggest risks’. You should not only be aware of that, but also tell others what you learned in practice. One thing is very important: “Live up to your words! Don’t say that your destination is safe, while that’s not the case. “One-hundred percent safety does not exist.
Ann Gallaugher, vice president of the Tourism Development for the Anaheim and Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau in South California, said that since the terrorist attacks of September 11th, her organization is working very close with the authorities and it pays off. ‘The fact that Police and security services scare off people is no longer the case. The sales departments in the tourist sector should therefore include these people in their teams.”
According to statistics, Anaheim with amongst others Disneyland as a huge tourist attraction is the safest place in the group of cities with 250.000 and 500.000 inhabitants in the United States.
September 11th had big influence on the tourism, but so did hurricanes, tsunamis and political unrest. The break out of the infectious disease sars in Toronto, the hurricanes in New Orleans, and the murder of German tourists in Miami; all of these were well expatiated on CNN. The media in the United States love sensation and in Aruba the people now realizes what the disappearance of Natalee Holloway had produced.
The safety feeling is to a great extent subjective. You can achieve this feeling by approaching visitors friendly and make eye contact with them. Aruba has the advantage that many visitors can be addressed in their own language.
Gallaugher mentioned that there is a special aid- and relief program for tourists that during their visit to Anaheim were victimized and it is very successful. Also that works as marketing instrument. Gallaugher hopes that the next conference will attract more participants of the sales departments.
6-13-06
On 6-13 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:
More cruise ship passengers; less stay over tourists
ARUBA – The figures of the Central Bureau for Statistics show that more than 75.000 cruise ship passengers visited Aruba in March. That is 15 percent more that in March of 2005.
The growth in February was 8.9 percent compared to same period in 2005. The growth in the first three months of this year was 9.9 percent. Tentative numbers for April show a drop compared to same month in 2005, but the anticipations for May are another growth.
Compared to March 2005, the average room occupancy of the hotels dropped with 29 percent. Almost 135.000 stay over guests were registered, which is 55.000 less than last year. Also the average proceeds per room dropped with 11 percent to 199.12 florins per room.
The airport of Aruba registered 70.753 departing passengers, which is a decrease of 12 percent compared to March 2005, when 80.000 departing passengers were registered; but note that the Easter vacation was in March last year, while this year it was in April.
**** NOTE that the increasing figures given in the above article are for March, 2006.… which was before the May 9, 2006 public announcement that “Carnival Cruise Lines” was also stopping one of its cruise ships from visiting ARUBA--an estimated loss of another 146,000 tourists annually.
6-14-06
On 6-14 the “Scared Monkeys blog" reported:
(Thank You and Hat Tip to “klaasend“)
Main Stream Media, Where Are You? Ask the Question …”Does This look like a Crime Scene”?
”Does This look like a Crime Scene”? If not, then what is going on here?
Where is Greta van Susteren? Where is Rita Cosby, Joe Scarborough, Nancy Grace? Hell, where is Bill O’Reilly and Geraldo Rivera? Kimberly Guilfoyle? Anybody? We would ask Dan Abrams but he seems to have a new job.
Media, where are you in all of this? Please ask the questions.
Why has no one in the main stream media asked anyone in Aruba and close to the Natalee Holloway investigation what is going on in these pictures? The painted rock videos were first down loaded to the internet back on June 11, 2005. Why has this story never been discussed by the MSM when everything else has been?
DOES THIS LOOK LIKE A CRIME SCENE?
How will we ever know if you do not ask the question?
http://www.scaredmonkeys.com/fun-images/smallmoviepic11620055_small.jpg
http://www.scaredmonkeys.com/fun-images/smallmoviepic11620056_small.jpg
WHO IS THIS MAN?
It hardly seems possibly that no one knows who he is.
http://www.scaredmonkeys.com/fun-images/Aruba_20rockpaintingdude.jpg
http://www.scaredmonkeys.com/fun-images/aru_2Dbay_20vid38paint9_small.jpg
WHY DOES THIS MAN HAVE A WHITE TARP AND WHAT IS HE DOING WITH IT?
http://www.scaredmonkeys.com/fun-images/smallmoviepic11620058_small.jpg
The media has covered this story for over a year. These videos have been available since the outset of this case and yet there has not been one TV show that has actually gone on the record and asked anyone in charge what we are looking at. I would like to think that the Holloway and Twitty families have a right to know what this is all about. If it is nothing, just say it. They do deserve an explanation.
The following link provides numerous still photos from the videos of the “painted rocks” and other going-ons.
The painted rocks are in close proximity to the dunes and the California Light House, both areas that have been searched extensively.
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/klaasend2/bonsairock3.jpg
WHILE YOU ARE ASKING QUESTIONS, WHY ARE THERE RENTAL VEHICLES AT IN THESE SCENES?
http://www.scaredmonkeys.com/fun-images/aru_2Dbay_20videorock10_20rental_small.jpg
If it were an Aruban operation wouldn’t the vehicles have resident plates?
WHY IS THE VISIBILITY TEAM HERE AND NOT THE ARUBAN POLICE?
Is it a coincidence that Willem van Cromvoirt is a part of the Visibility Team and owns a video surveillance company? And GVC was arrested as a suspect?
http://www.scaredmonkeys.com/fun-images/smallmoviepic11620053_small.jpg
http://www.scaredmonkeys.com/fun-images/Van_20Crumvoit_202_small.jpg
MSM, WHILE WE HAVE YOUR ATTENTION … DOESN’T THIS PROFILE LOOK FAMILIAR?
http://www.scaredmonkeys.com/fun-images/PVDS_20profile_20silvercarguycompare_small.jpg
http://www.scaredmonkeys.com/fun-images/PVDS_20profile_20rocksilvercarguy4_small.jpg
Isn’t it worth the question just to ask?
Will someone in the media step up to the plate and simply ask what is going on. It seems rather coincidental that these taped are down-loaded to the internet at the very same time and right after the “something bad happened” “something bad happened” story was reported. Also on June 11, the false rumor was reported that “Police Have Confirmed the Death of Natalee Holloway”.
All anyone wants is answers. Of course in order to get answers, questions first need to be asked.
6-15-06
On 6-15 “The Worldnet Daily” reported:
Aruba fudging tourism number?
Since the disappearance of Natalee Holloway on May 30, 2005, in Aruba, there have been several calls for boycotts against the island, including from Alabama's governor. While starting to research the effects of this boycott, three things were readily apparent. First, Arubaans are upset that boycotts were declared. Second, Aruba has a vested interest in making sure no such boycotts affect them, especially from the U.S., which accounts for about two-thirds of Aruba's visitors. Third, Aruba is a country that primarily lives on the tourism industry.
By minimizing a tarnished public image and reporting record-breaking tourism, Aruba has been swaying public opinion in its favor to be seen as more popular than ever, thus attracting even more tourists and countering the boycott against them. That does not, however, negate Aruba's responsibility to report accurately, especially when Aruba is asking the general public to believe what it says in the Natalee Holloway case.
Aruba's official tourism website, www.Aruba.com, touts how Aruba is safe and a wonderful place to visit, and that is not being questioned. This report is strictly looking at tourist data and possible effects from an Aruba boycott.
One article appearing on the Aruba.com website is from former U.S. congressman and now talk-show host Bob Barr titled "Aruba Boycott a Lost Cause," in which Barr called this consumer action "not a real boycott." In his article, Barr stated, "Only the president can direct that U.S. citizens, whether they hail from Alabama or Maine, are not permitted to travel to a particular event or country." While that is true, this was not a government action, rather a consumer action by people who are upset at how the Holloway case is being handled. Tourists do occasionally get killed or go missing, but that is not the issue. The issue is how Aruba has been handling the case, which is what sparked a consumer boycott.
In a USAToday article dated Oct. 30, 2005, Myrna Jansen, the managing director of the Aruba Tourism Authority was quoted as saying, "Now everybody knows Aruba," boasting that Aruba is more popular than ever, and even claiming a 10 percent increase in tourism, much of it from repeat tourists. Just about a week later, in a Nov. 8, 2005, article posted at Aruba.com, Jansen claimed Aruba's reputation "remains intact" and claimed increased U.S. visitors and higher hotel occupancy forecasts over the next year.
The Belize Tourism Board has reported a drop in Aruba tourism from 2000 until 2003, with an increase in 2004 for both air and cruise ship visitors of about 80,000, a significant increase after years of steady drops. While trying to obtain more information about current hotel occupancy rates, I discovered something strange: While Aruba hotels have previously reported their occupancy rates in a timely manner, no such information was available for any Aruba hotels over the last year, thus raising questions as to what the actual occupancy rates are.
In 2006, Aruba backtracked from reports of double-digit tourism increases. In an article at Aruba.com dated March 31, 2006, Aruba reported a modest 0.6 percent overall 2005 tourism increase, which is a far cry from the steady 9-10 percent numbers stated earlier in the year. If all the reports are true, then Aruba must have had a sudden tourism crash in the peak winter tourist season, but that does not make sense if we are to believe the 9 and 10 percent numbers Aruba originally reported. If that really did happen, Aruba would have had a massive sudden drop in tourism, leaving hotels at 50 percent or less occupancy during the peak winter tourism season, which would have made headline news in the travel industry – but that did not happen. The numbers simply do not add up.
The sudden tourism reporting reversal was a result of a then soon to be released report that Aruba officials apparently tried to reconcile their reports to match, yet did not fully expect.
A May 15, 2006, press release by Aruba's main bank, the Central Bank van Aruba, states, "The Central Bank van Aruba (the Bank) mentions in its Bulletin of the fourth quarter of 2005 that available information indicate a reduction in business activities in the fourth quarter of 2005, mainly brought about by a dwindling performance in the tourism sector. According to the Business Perception Survey conducted by the Bank, businesses reported being less optimistic about the current state of the economy, and even pessimistic about the short-term economic outlook. The tourism sector showed a negative outcome. The number of stay-over visitors and their nights spent on the island fell by 8 percent and 6 percent, respectively. This resulted in a 2 percent decline in gross tourism receipts, while the hotel occupancy rate recorded a 2.2 percentage points decline to 77.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2005."
While Aruba stated a less than stellar fourth quarter, the overall economic data reported by the bank does not match the overall tourism numbers.
A 2.2 percent occupancy rate decline may not sound like much, but if that was only in the fourth quarter, it could not possibly be from a single quarter when the same report states "the net international reserves of the monetary sector decreased … and were … 9 percent lower than a year earlier." In other words, a 2.2 percent decline from a 10 percent gain would still mean a 7.8 percent overall increase, yet the bank reported an overall economic slowdown. In fact, the bank reported that 2005 was a bad overall tourism year in Aruba. Since Aruba's economy is almost totally based on tourism, Aruba is clearly in a recession that has nothing to do with the economic growth in the rest of the free-market world.
Aruba is clearly concerned with its image, and Aruba's bank is primarily concerned how their businesses are doing and making money. Additionally, banks are notorious for reporting their financial status accurately. The more reliable numbers, therefore, are from the bank as opposed to public-relations people.
While Aruba has had an increase in tourism for several years, there is a definite decline in tourism since the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. While there is no information as to which countries people not going to Aruba are from, and with the U.S. being Aruba's primary tourist source that now has a consumer boycott against Aruba, one can easily conclude the drop in tourism is from the U.S. Even with Aruba's campaigns to increase tourism from other countries, Aruba has still not compensated for the loss of U.S. tourist dollars. Thus, the Aruba boycott is working.
Art Nittskoff, the chief travel agent for Gamble America who specializes in vacation travel reported that although he has never sold many Aruba vacations because there are no direct flights from Cleveland to Aruba, people he spoke to in the travel industry reported no perceivable change in Aruba travel over the past year. This would be consistent with both Aruba not having a 10 percent increase in tourism, as well as a 2.2 percent decline in travel to Aruba, as small percentage changes on a per-travel-agency level may not be noticed. A 10 percent change in any direction, however, would certainly be noticed.
Aruba tourism officials clearly overstated its tourism statistics, then failed to backtrack enough to match its own central bank's reports. With many of Aruba's statements regarding the disappearance of Natalee Holloway being questioned by her family, one has to wonder why Aruba would release any questionable numbers, yet that is exactly what Aruba appears to have done.
Fred Taub is a boycott consultant and president of Boycott Watch, which monitors and reports about consumer boycotts, and Divestment Watch, which monitors and opposes divest-from-Israel campaigns.
On 6-15 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:
Aruba’s autonomy under dispute
ARUBA -- Minister Alexander Pechtold (D66) of Kingdom Relations amazed the Aruban Parliamentarians by referring to a protocol concluded in 1993. He claims that at that time it was agreed that, in exchange for dropping the demand on independency, Aruba will set things right financially and governmentally. Pechtold is of the opinion that the Netherlands can now tighten up, because Aruba has not managed to comply with the protocol. According to Premier Nelson Oduber (MEP), Pechtold’s position is too crazy for words and he won’t say another word about it.
There is currently a tri-partite parliamentary deliberation in The Hague, with the future political relations within the Kingdom as the main subject. The Netherlands is in favour of a model, in which justice, good quality of government and finance will fall under a common responsibility. The unanimous position of Aruba is that the National Government of Aruba would then end up under legal restraint of the Netherlands and the Parliament is therefore against it. Pechtold has now brought forwards that Oduber had signed the protocol at that time. In that protocol it was agreed that the Netherlands will abandon the independency of Aruba in 1996, 10 years after the status aparte of 1986. In exchange for that, Aruba would set things straight, under the threat of Dutch interference. Pechtold is of the opinion that these old agreements are still valid and he now appeals to them. That’s nonsense, says Oduber, who is of the opinion that the protocol has expired long time ago and that in fact the arrangements do no longer exist.
The Aruban delegation in the Netherlands was shocked with this position of Pechtold. Most of the members didn’t know about this protocol, neither the contents.
‘STATUS APARTE’
“If the structure of the status aparte gets changed, it would mean war.” With these harsh words of the late Betico Croes, his brother Justice-minister Rudy Croes (MEP) distances himself from the new political structure for the Neth.Antilles and Aruba as proposed by the Netherlands. Croes is of the opinion that Aruba with her expertise and experience can contribute to the restructuring of the Neth.Antilles, but the way the autonomous status of Aruba is arranged, must never be disputable.
“Aruba is voluntarily collaborating with the autonomous status of Curacao and St. Maarten, but this can never happen at the expense of Aruba’s freedom, of our status aparte.” He is also of the opinion that the Netherlands should never have one-sided influence on justice, finance, and education.
Croes also mentioned the admittance ordering for Antillean- and Aruban youngsters. He is of the opinion that already with the designation ‘aliens’, the Aruban citizens fall in the category of second-rate citizens, but that this legislation will further degenerate the Aruban citizens to third-rate citizens.
“Aruban citizens are Dutch citizens by birth, but with the bad luck of being born in Aruba. They are being discrimination for that reason.”
PROTOCOL 1993
Premier Nelson Oduber (MEP), opposition-leader Henny Eman (AVP), the then Dutch Premier Ruud Lubbers (CDA) and his fellow party-member Ernst Hirsch Ballin (CDA) of the Cabinet for Neth.Antilles- and Aruban Matters (KabNA) had signed the protocol in The Hague in 1993.
On 6-15 FOX News GRETA VAN SUSTEREN reported in her “Gretawire” blog, “I spoke to Beth Holloway-Twitty yesterday. Unfortunately there is no news in the case in Aruba. It seems to be at a complete stall… I hope I am wrong about this. Beth and Dave are still awaiting the decision out of the New York court about whether their civil suit against Joran van der Sloot will go forward or not. I have no idea about this one. I think the decision whether the judge throws it out or keeps it is a cliffhanger….”
On 6-15 the “Scared Monkeys blog" reported:
Aruban PM Nelson Oduber calls Business Owners Dishonest and Abusers
Isn’t this priceless. Something about the pot calling the kettle … black?
By the way PM Oduber, increasing taxes on products does not necessarily mean more Government tax profit. It usually means people will buy less as they cannot afford to pay for a product due to the tax increase. Increasing taxes hardly stimulates an economy.
The commercial sector is not acting honestly, because none of the stores where prices were increased have imported products after June 1, and therefore they are abusers.
Calling the business owners of Aruba as not acting honestly and abusers? This must be part of the MEP re-election strategy of PM Oduber. Just think, you would never have had to raise taxes if your tourism didn’t take such a hit. And the tourism would never have decreased if you have “honestly” investigated and prosecuted the disappearance of Natalee Holloway.
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e82/klaasend2/amdigital061506.jpg
(Click on article to enlarge)
(A. M. Digital)
On 6-15 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:
AHATA and Dumfries (MEP) fight over room tax
ARUBA -- Aruba Hotel And Tourism Association (AHATA) regrets the statements of parliamentarian Dirk Dumfries (MEP) about the room tax. According to Dumfries, AHATA is planning to take the proceeds of the room tax away from the government. AHATA denies this in a press release. “All we want to do is manage part of the room tax, not take it away.”
According to Dumfries, hotel guests pay 7 percent room tax, and AHATA says that the room tax percentage is 6. This room tax goes into the treasury. Aruba Tourism Authority (ATA) promotes Aruba abroad and the government finances ATA’s work.
AHATA as well as ATA are trying to boost up Aruba’s image gains, after it was affected by the negative publicity around the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. And we have to do this, says AHATA, because the number of tourists has dropped. Such marketing campaign cost about 12 million dollars and ATA’s budget is 4.5 million dollars max.
During a consultation with Tourism-minister Edison Briesen, AHATA suggested to manage 3 percent of the room tax, so that the marketing money can be available sooner that when the government has to decide on this first. AHATA said that it wants to manage the money, but that Briesen will be responsible for the spending of the budget.
Dumfries was present during this consultation and was positive about the plan. Therefore, AHATA does not understand why Dumfries call the plan a devil’s plan now and thinks that AHATA wants to take money away from the government.
On 6-15 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:
Aruba’s autonomy under dispute
ARUBA -- Minister Alexander Pechtold (D66) of Kingdom Relations amazed the Aruban Parliamentarians by referring to a protocol concluded in 1993. He claims that at that time it was agreed that, in exchange f/r dropping the demand on independency, Aruba will set things right financially and governmentally. Pechtold is of the opinion that the Netherlands can now tighten up, because Aruba has not managed to comply with the protocol. According to Premier Nelson Oduber (MEP), Pechtold’s position is too crazy for words and he won’t say another word about it.
There is currently a tri-partite parliamentary deliberation in The Hague, with the future political relations within the Kingdom as the main subject. The Netherlands is in favour of a model, in which justice, good quality of government and finance will fall under a common responsibility. The unanimous position of Aruba is that the National Government of Aruba would then end up under legal restraint of the Netherlands and the Parliament is therefore against it. Pechtold has now brought forwards that Oduber had signed the protocol at that time. In that protocol it was agreed that the Netherlands will abandon the independency of Aruba in 1996, 10 years after the status aparte of 1986. In exchange for that, Aruba would set things straight, under the threat of Dutch interference. Pechtold is of the opinion that these old agreements are still valid and he now appeals to them. That’s nonsense, says Oduber, who is of the opinion that the protocol has expired long time ago and that in fact the arrangements do no longer exist.
The Aruban delegation in the Netherlands was shocked with this position of Pechtold. Most of the members didn’t know about this protocol, neither the contents.
‘STATUS APARTE’
“If the structure of the status aparte gets changed, it would mean war.” With these harsh words of the late Betico Croes, his brother Justice-minister Rudy Croes (MEP) distances himself from the new political structure for the Neth.Antilles and Aruba as proposed by the Netherlands. Croes is of the opinion that Aruba with her expertise and experience can contribute to the restructuring of the Neth.Antilles, but the way the autonomous status of Aruba is arranged, must never be disputable.
“Aruba is voluntarily collaborating with the autonomous status of Curacao and St. Maarten, but this can never happen at the expense of Aruba’s freedom, of our status aparte.” He is also of the opinion that the Netherlands should never have one-sided influence on justice, finance, and education.
Croes also mentioned the admittance ordering for Antillean- and Aruban youngsters. He is of the opinion that already with the designation ‘aliens’, the Aruban citizens fall in the category of second-rate citizens, but that this legislation will further degenerate the Aruban citizens to third-rate citizens.
“Aruban citizens are Dutch citizens by birth, but with the bad luck of being born in Aruba. They are being discrimination for that reason.”
PROTOCOL 1993
Premier Nelson Oduber (MEP), opposition-leader Henny Eman (AVP), the then Dutch Premier Ruud Lubbers (CDA) and his fellow party-member Ernst Hirsch Ballin (CDA) of the Cabinet for Neth.Antilles- and Aruban Matters (KabNA) had signed the protocol in The Hague in 1993.
On 6-15 the ARUBAAN's news-source "Aruba Tradewinds Times" reported:
Sharp increase consumer prices in May 2006
Inflation Rate Aruba Reaches 4 Percent On Year Basis
ORANJESTAD-Prices on consumer products rose by 1.3 percent in May 2006 as a direct result of a sharp increase in oil prices on the global market. Therefore consumers on the island had to pay more for water, electricity and gas.
The housing sector saw the sharpest increase of 2.5 percent, followed by the sector transportation & communication where prices rose by 2.4 percent. Prices on food products rose by 0.1 percent in May 2006. There was a noticeable decrease in prices on sugar products, chocolate and pre-cooked meals. Prices on drinks, alcoholic beverages, clothing, shoes and healthcare service remained unchanged.
The consumer price index rose by 2.6 percent as of January of this year. In the last 12 months the consumer price index showed a sharp increase of 4 percent. That is still lower than the 12- month consumer price index of the U.S. which stood at 4.3 percent in the same period. The consumer price index grew faster in the U.S., giving the island still a competitive advantage on the country that is its most important trading partner.
On 6-15 FOX News GRETA VAN SUSTEREN reported in her “Gretawire” blog, “I spoke to Beth Holloway-Twitty yesterday. Unfortunately there is no news in the case in Aruba. It seems to be at a complete stall… I hope I am wrong about this. Beth and Dave are still awaiting the decision out of the New York court about whether their civil suit against Joran van der Sloot will go forward or not. I have no idea about this one. I think the decision whether the judge throws it out or keeps it is a cliffhanger….”
On 6-15 MERI URICH wrote:
Curtain Call
By Meri Ulrich
June 15, 2006
Many months ago I wrote my first article on the Holloway case. Looking back at what I wrote I discovered that the same words would apply 13 months later.
There appears to be a collective mindset on Aruba that truth is secondary to one's job and one's desire to pander to the tourist trade.
I believe that the truth of what happened to Natalee Holloway is known by some on Aruba and has been known from the very beginning. I also believe that a chain of events was set in motion from the moment that she was reported missing until the present time. It has become so convoluted and so much is on the line concerning this obvious cover-up that there is no going back.
Many believe that none of the "suspects" are guilty of anything and that the ALE has done all it could do to solve this case. I believe otherwise and there are many reasons why I feel that way.
I also believe that as long as The Netherlands are an ally of the USA and as long as large American Corporations are involved on Aruba and in The Netherlands, we will never know the full truth of happened to Natalee. She is but a blip on the radar screen compared to what could be lost by divulging the truth at this late date.
I don't think that this is a complicated case and I don't think that it would be difficult to solve had the initial investigation been run by men and women with integrity and a healthy respect for the law and for human rights.
I believe that the truth was covered-up as a favor to a friend and it snow-balled from there. It got to the point where too many were involved and too many could lose their standing if the truth should come out.
Natalee Holloway was an American teenager on a pleasure trip and she fell prey to the anti-social behavior of a few. She made herself vulnerable through her naivety and the belief that nothing bad could possibly happen to her....a belief held by many young people. There is an invincibility held by the very young and it takes age and awareness to realize that no one is completely safe anywhere.
There are many corporate and political interests involved in this case...not that they are responsible for whatever happened to Natalee, but in the sense that they have a lot to lose if it were to be exposed that the people who are running the place are corrupt and inept.
With a total of ten "suspects" arrested and questioned thus far it is hard to believe that NO ONE knows what happened to Natalee and that NOTHING of forensic value was ever found. It appears on television as if the entire Island has been turned upside down with the many searches, but places of great importance were never properly searched and without that we will never know where Natalee spent her final moments on earth and if certain individuals were involved in her disappearance.
Even if the NY Courts were to move this case forward and some of the principals in the case were called in to be questioned in open court I doubt that the truth will ever be known. The lies will continue because they must.
The truth is known to several people involved in this case but those very same truth holders are never going to tell it because they have too much to lose and they have involved many people who would sink with the ship of fools who actually perpetrated Natalee's disappearance. They offered protection and therefore made themselves accessories to the crime. Now they are trapped in the web of their own complicity.
Beth Twitty and Dave Holloway will never let go of their daughter because they have a huge, terrible void in their lives and the unknowing makes that void even more painful to live with. The cruelty in allowing these people to wander the earth searching for their daughter when some know of her whereabouts is beyond comprehension to those who have never suffered such a loss.
It is easy to make statements about the personalities and character traits of these people that most of us don't really know and it is easy to take sides for or against them, but is it right?
Does anyone have the right to call the mother of a missing child names and to accuse her of theft without having any tangible proof that any of these accusations are true? Does anyone have access to her bank accounts, her life, her inner thoughts, aside from those she is close to? The answer is no, yet some continue to sling mud at her in the hopes that if enough ridiculous accusations are made that something will stick.
How is it that people can ignore what the real and pertinent facts are regarding Beth Twitty? She is a mother who had a daughter and that daughter is no more. She is a mother who has searched for her daughter and continues to search for her no matter what obstacles are thrown in her path. How can that be criticized? What mother wouldn't do the same?
To malign her and libel her is just as horrific as the false hopes that some have given to her and the lies that have been told to her about her child.
You may not believe that ANY of the known "Murder Suspects" are guilty and that is as it should be...we all have the right to believe in whatever we feel is true. We DO NOT have the right to continually beat a person who is lying on the ground prostrate before us and who's suffering is obvious. That is simply wrong.
If you are a seeker of the truth and you believe that some have been wronged than seek it in a humane fashion and not by attempting to further scar and injure someone who has already suffered the ultimate injury..the loss of a child.
If you want to defend a "Murder Suspect" than by all means do so and find facts that exonerate this person. Do not simply attempt to tar and feather someone else to prove your case. How does throwing baseless accusations at a person clear someone else's name?
Beth Twitty did not rob anyone of their child and she did not make anyone disappear. Those who have been accused of taking her child are free and that is more than we can say for Natalee Holloway who is probably dead.
For those of you who can't find it in your heart to join Beth than at least don't beat her. The woman has been injured enough.
No matter who harmed their child or made her disappear, Beth and Dave have suffered a horrible loss and at the very least they deserve compassion and empathy.
As I stated in the beginning of this article, I have nothing new to add to the facts of this case and as a result of that I no longer blog about it on a regular basis. That would be pretentious and self aggrandizing. I did want to add one more article to my body of work because I am hoping that people will step back and look at what has transpired here and by doing that they will see who the real victims are and cease in their relentless attempts to victimize them over and over again.
Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you (Matthew 7:12).”
6-16-06
On 6-16 the “Cyber Diver News Network” reported:
Aruba cover-up fails to conceal boycott-driven tourism decline
ORANGESTAD, Aruba (16 June 2006) -- Since the disappearance of Natalee Holloway on May 30, 2005, in Aruba, there have been several calls for boycotts against the island, including from Alabama's governor. While starting to research the effects of this boycott, three things were readily apparent. First, Arubaans are upset that boycotts were declared. Second, Aruba has a vested interest in making sure no such boycotts affect them, especially from the U.S., which accounts for about two-thirds of Aruba's visitors. Third, Aruba is a country that primarily lives on the tourism industry.
By minimizing a tarnished public image and reporting record-breaking tourism, Aruba has been swaying public opinion in its favor to be seen as more popular than ever, thus attracting even more tourists and countering the boycott against them. That does not, however, negate Aruba's responsibility to report accurately, especially when Aruba is asking the general public to believe what it says in the Natalee Holloway case.
Aruba's official tourism website, www.Aruba.com, touts how Aruba is safe and a wonderful place to visit, and that is not being questioned. This report is strictly looking at tourist data and possible effects from an Aruba boycott.
One article appearing on the Aruba.com website is from former U.S. congressman and now talk-show host Bob Barr titled "Aruba Boycott a Lost Cause," in which Barr called this consumer action "not a real boycott." In his article, Barr stated, "Only the president can direct that U.S. citizens, whether they hail from Alabama or Maine, are not permitted to travel to a particular event or country." While that is true, this was not a government action, rather a consumer action by people who are upset at how the Holloway case is being handled. Tourists do occasionally get killed or go missing, but that is not the issue. The issue is how Aruba has been handling the case, which is what sparked a consumer boycott.
In a USAToday article dated Oct. 30, 2005, Myrna Jansen, the managing director of the Aruba Tourism Authority was quoted as saying, "Now everybody knows Aruba," boasting that Aruba is more popular than ever, and even claiming a 10 percent increase in tourism, much of it from repeat tourists. Just about a week later, in a Nov. 8, 2005, article posted at Aruba.com, Jansen claimed Aruba's reputation "remains intact" and claimed increased U.S. visitors and higher hotel occupancy forecasts over the next year.
The Belize Tourism Board has reported a drop in Aruba tourism from 2000 until 2003, with an increase in 2004 for both air and cruise ship visitors of about 80,000, a significant increase after years of steady drops. While trying to obtain more information about current hotel occupancy rates, I discovered something strange: While Aruba hotels have previously reported their occupancy rates in a timely manner, no such information was available for any Aruba hotels over the last year, thus raising questions as to what the actual occupancy rates are.
In 2006, Aruba backtracked from reports of double-digit tourism increases. In an article at Aruba.com dated March 31, 2006, Aruba reported a modest 0.6 percent overall 2005 tourism increase, which is a far cry from the steady 9-10 percent numbers stated earlier in the year. If all the reports are true, then Aruba must have had a sudden tourism crash in the peak winter tourist season, but that does not make sense if we are to believe the 9 and 10 percent numbers Aruba originally reported. If that really did happen, Aruba would have had a massive sudden drop in tourism, leaving hotels at 50 percent or less occupancy during the peak winter tourism season, which would have made headline news in the travel industry – but that did not happen. The numbers simply do not add up.
The sudden tourism reporting reversal was a result of a then soon to be released report that Aruba officials apparently tried to reconcile their reports to match, yet did not fully expect.
A May 15, 2006, press release by Aruba's main bank, the Central Bank van Aruba, states, "The Central Bank van Aruba (the Bank) mentions in its Bulletin of the fourth quarter of 2005 that available information indicate a reduction in business activities in the fourth quarter of 2005, mainly brought about by a dwindling performance in the tourism sector. According to the Business Perception Survey conducted by the Bank, businesses reported being less optimistic about the current state of the economy, and even pessimistic about the short-term economic outlook. The tourism sector showed a negative outcome. The number of stay-over visitors and their nights spent on the island fell by 8 percent and 6 percent, respectively. This resulted in a 2 percent decline in gross tourism receipts, while the hotel occupancy rate recorded a 2.2 percentage points decline to 77.8 percent in the fourth quarter of 2005."
While Aruba stated a less than stellar fourth quarter, the overall economic data reported by the bank does not match the overall tourism numbers.
A 2.2 percent occupancy rate decline may not sound like much, but if that was only in the fourth quarter, it could not possibly be from a single quarter when the same report states "the net international reserves of the monetary sector decreased … and were … 9 percent lower than a year earlier." In other words, a 2.2 percent decline from a 10 percent gain would still mean a 7.8 percent overall increase, yet the bank reported an overall economic slowdown. In fact, the bank reported that 2005 was a bad overall tourism year in Aruba. Since Aruba's economy is almost totally based on tourism, Aruba is clearly in a recession that has nothing to do with the economic growth in the rest of the free-market world.
Aruba is clearly concerned with its image, and Aruba's bank is primarily concerned how their businesses are doing and making money. Additionally, banks are notorious for reporting their financial status accurately. The more reliable numbers, therefore, are from the bank as opposed to public-relations people.
While Aruba has had an increase in tourism for several years, there is a definite decline in tourism since the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. While there is no information as to which countries people not going to Aruba are from, and with the U.S. being Aruba's primary tourist source that now has a consumer boycott against Aruba, one can easily conclude the drop in tourism is from the U.S. Even with Aruba's campaigns to increase tourism from other countries, Aruba has still not compensated for the loss of U.S. tourist dollars. Thus, the Aruba boycott is working.
Art Nittskoff, the chief travel agent for Gamble America who specializes in vacation travel reported that although he has never sold many Aruba vacations because there are no direct flights from Cleveland to Aruba, people he spoke to in the travel industry reported no perceivable change in Aruba travel over the past year. This would be consistent with both Aruba not having a 10 percent increase in tourism, as well as a 2.2 percent decline in travel to Aruba, as small percentage changes on a per-travel-agency level may not be noticed. A 10 percent change in any direction, however, would certainly be noticed.
Aruba tourism officials clearly overstated its tourism statistics, then failed to backtrack enough to match its own central bank's reports. With many of Aruba's statements regarding the disappearance of Natalee Holloway being questioned by her family, one has to wonder why Aruba would release any questionable numbers, yet that is exactly what Aruba appears to have done.
On 6-16 ARUBAAN's news-source “A. M. Digital” reported:
“If Holland, supported by the U.S., wish to lure Aruba in certain direction, don't forget that Venezuela and our friend Chavez are right there,” declared Aruba Prime Minister Nelson Oduber
Many in Aruba could not believe their ears yesterday when listening to a statement made by Aruba Prime Minister Nelson Oduber via a radio station in Curacao. Although the statement was meant for local consumption, it can do harm to Aruba.
The statement was made in connection with events that are taking place in Holland related to the Kingdom tripartite meetings that are attended by Holland, Aruba, the Federal Government of the Netherlands Antilles, and the Governments of all the islands of the Netherlands Antilles.
...Oduber furthermore said that Dutch Minister Pechtold has been threatening Aruba for two years, and referred to him mockingly as a small party member in Holland. Oduber was mad, and said that Holland must not think they can interfere with our affairs just like that.
At a certain moment, Oduber said that if Holland, supported by the USA, wishes to force Aruba into a certain direction, they should not forget that Venezuela and Chavez are right there. ...What Oduber meant by that is not clear to us but it is certainly a threat considering the relations between George Bush and Hugo Chavez. Such statements can never contribute to attract investors to the island, and can also harm the tourism industry.
On 6-16 the ARUBAAN's news-source "Aruba Tradewinds Times" reported:
Stay-over tourism down by 15.8 percent in January 2006
Stay-over Tourism Down, Room Rates Up And Occupancy Rate Still At High Level
ORANJESTAD-The amount of stay-over arrivals fell by 15.8 percent in January 2006 in comparison to January 2005, to a total amount of 55.590 visitors. The number of visitor nights spent declined by 10 percent to 559,554 nights in January 2006 in comparison to the same month last year. The average hotel occupancy rate registered a decline of 2.7 percentage points to 83.1 percent in January 2006 in comparison to 85.8 percent in January 2005.
Different factors contributed to the decline in stay-over arrivals in January 2006 according to the Aruba Tourism Authority (ATA). One of the main factors is that there was approximately 3 percent less room inventory attributed to the closure of the Occidental Grand for renovations. The closure represented approximately 3,000+ stay-over visitors that had occupied these rooms the year before.
In addition to a temporary loss in room inventory other factors were mentioned that include high room rates that resulted in higher revenues for January 2006. Then there is the cancellation of numerous charter flights due to fierce competition of scheduled airlift offering attractive fares. Aruba received 4,090 less charter seats in January 2006 compared to January 2005.
The aftermath of the disappearance of Natalee Holloway was also mentioned in addition to the increase of aggressive competition amongst other destinations in the Caribbean region.
North America
Aruba's main generating market the U.S. fell by 20.1 percent to 40,190 American arrivals in January 2006 in comparison to 50,292 Americans that visited the island in January 2005. The U.S. market-share is of 72.3 percent of the total amount of visitors that arrived in Aruba in January 2006.
Arrivals from the Northeast region of the U.S. fell by 16 percent to a total of 10,102 Americans, arrivals from the Midwest region fell by 36 percent. The fall in arrivals from the U.S. Northeast and Midwest regions is attributed to the cancellation of charters (Chicago, Detroit and Minneapolis) and the reduction of seats from Boston.
The Western region is the only U.S. region that grew. Arrivals from the
West coast grew by 16.6 percent, representing a total of 2,575 American arrivals and a market-share of 6.4 percent from the total amount of U.S. arrivals that visited the island in January 2006.
The U.S. West coast was less affected by the Natalee Holloway disappearance and Americans from the West Coast had the tendency to stay at other branded high-rise hotels. The Occidental renovations did not play a factor in the decision making of visitors from that region according to ATA. Increase air connection from the West coast mainly from Houston contributed positively to the growth.
Arrivals from Canada grew by 5.3 percent in January 2006 in comparison to January 2005. Aruba welcomed 3,258 Canadians in January 2006 in comparison to 3,094 Canadians in January 2005.
Latin America
Arrivals from Latin America rose by 3.5 percent in January 2006, representing a market- share of 10.2 percent. The Latin American market represented 5,696 visitors in January 2006, this is attributed to improved airlift from Venezuela and Brazil.
The Venezuelan market increased by 3.8 percent, the Brazilian market is up by 7 percent and the Argentine market is up 20.2 percent, representing 3,519 arrivals, 611 arrivals and 280 arrivals respectively.
Europe
Arrivals from Europe fell by 13.6 percent in January 2006 in comparison to January 2006. The number of nights spent by Europeans fell by 3 percent. The main reason for the fall in arrivals from Europe is the lack of available airlift, with KLM reporting high load factors.
Despite the fall in arrivals and nights spent on the island, Europeans spend on average 12.9 nights in Aruba during January 2006 compared to 11.5 nights in January 2005.
The Dutch market fell by 15.6 percent to 2,832 arrivals in January 2006 compared to 3,357 arrivals in January 2005. The Scandinavian countries showed a combined growth of 11 percent in visitor arrivals and a 16 percent growth rate in the number of nights spent. Arrivals from Finland, Denmark and Norway grew by 26 percent, 141.3 percent and 14.3 percent respectively. The Swedish market fell by 8.9 percent to
308 Swedes in January 2006.
Aruba is an up and coming hot destination in the Scandinavian countries, however the lack of airlift from Europe continues to be the biggest factor inhibiting further growth from the old continent.
6-18-06
On 6-18 JOSSSY MANSUR reported on the DANA PRETZER show:
(Thank You and Hat Tip to “Heli”)
(audio available here)
NOT VERBATIM NOT COMPLETE
Dana Pretzer with Jossy Mansur June 18, 2006
Because of problem with streaming I'm picking this up in progress.
PRETZER:
What can you tell us about the rock painting
Jossy;
...a year before the Natalee disappearance, they haven't been able to identify him, the body belongs to a Columbian boy whose parents are illegal, they didn't want to come forward and didn't have money to come forward. The ppl in the video ,our reporters have identifed members of the visiblity team. One of the ppl belongs to the technical team of the Police...
I don't know their names, but they were with the visibility teams which is supposed to take care of the security of tourists at the hotels and the beaches
Dane:
What are those paintings all about
Jossy
It's to mark the spot, we were also told that part of the body was missing, they would come back later to search, What bothers us is near the rock painting was found the belt which was extremely similar to the belt that Joran used around the neck of his friend.. CLose to the rock Dave went with a friend by there, they saw a Police car with the trunk open as though they were puting somethin in it. It bothers me those two facts.
PRETZER:
It just adds to the bizarresness of the whole case. One question, I've seen photos, you mention the belt, you mention DAve, back on July 25, 2005 I see pictures that a park ranger picks up fabric and it looks to me similar fabric to a top that Natalee was wearing, But we were told it was fish net, but if you look at the picture it looks like her top for sure.
JossY
It does look very familiar to what she was wearing, but I'm unable to confrim it, we would have to go search for the fabric itself which has disappeared since. Every piece of evidence or what appears to be evidence has disappeared or we never heard about it again
Dana
Any forensic work done on any of the evidence which you say has disappeared.
Jossy;
It was given to the authorities and it must have been sent to Holland I guess... but just like those bags full of material from Joran's apartment we didn't hear anything more about it.
PRETZER:
Jossy Mansur from Diario is here tonight. It's over a year later and I thank Jossy for spending time with us tonight. Something we haven't heard about for awhile is the civil suit brought by Paul van der Sloot
Jossy
It has been postponed for a ruling, the Judge will rule but on the date it was postponed for a later day in July, but the judgment will be given in July
Dana
From e-mail here ..the basis of the question is "why as far as I know no charges been brought against casinos that allow Joran to drink and gamble. Can any charges be brought against Joran for allowing him to participate, why has he not been held accountable for those illegal activities. How big of a problem is that in Aruba?
JossY
It hasn't but it should be, because he will have a 17-year-old boy going to the casino, gambling away night after night, at least over the weekends for sure. Sometimes accompannied by his father who teaches criminal law at the university and is a replacemnt Judge. The law says a minor can't gamble under age and his father was there with him. Nobody has even given them a reprimand or a fine which they deserve.
PRETZER:
"When are we going to hear the report from the Prosecutor to investigate the investigation.
JossY;
We are all asking the same question because it's about the time for the Prosecution to present the case in Court. We've seen change in the lead Investigators, tons of documentation of all the interrogation that took place, some of which was very important. It's all dragging along, I dont' know what they're waiting for.
PRETZER:
As far as a time limit, what is it as far as the prosecution bringing charges?
JossY
There is no time limit, it's like anywhere else. It doesn't come to a conclusion after 5 or 10 years. They remain suspects for 2 years but there's no time limit on the charges.
PRETZER:
I'm glad to hear that. I'm troubled with the 2 year limit as far as being a suspect. Could you clarify that, let's say 2 years and 1 day evidence comes forward that's concrete that implicates the suspects..how does it affect
JossY;
It doesn't mean if there's evidence they can't arrest them. For 2 years being suspect it means they don't have to get any additional evidence to bring them in
Dana;
After 2 years, that doesn't mean somebody is off the hook, they need direct evidence to bring them in again after two years.
Heres's a question, about the media in Aruba, in particular Julia Renfro. Is it fair for other media people to speak about her, as far as her investigative reporting and any biases that go either way and the professionalism thereof. COuld you comment on her, we hear she's writing a book, are there other cases of media in Aruba that just should be brought forward as far as bad reporting goes
JossY
I can't comment on a colleague, but I'll say she's been proven wrong many times I dont know why she's writing a book for what purpose or objective with that. The best thing she can do is reporting the facts, and stop being against the family like she is now.
PRETZER:
The media in general, where do you think now that the television cameras aren't in Aruba as much as they once were. The story we're trying to keep alive to help the family get closure. The every day type of media outlet in Aruba, when this story has slown down, where do they go?
JossY
For the media at least it's politics, the labour movement, the social situation, the government mismanagement of funds or whatever else they mismanage which is everything. They keep busy, they dedicate themselves to many things on the island.
Dana;
we're seeing problems with the Police, walkouts....
Jossy
They walked out on Friday and the Judge ordered them back. They had minister of Justice problems from the beginning, they were promised many things, bonuses and overtime..so they're not happy. When this case broke, there was a big confrontation between the Police and the minister, they were half heartedly looking into it in the beginning.
PRETZER:
Without getting into dollar limits, a 3 or 4 year Police officer in Aruba, are they well paid, poorly paid,...are they ligning up to serve as officers or is it a job nobody wants
Jossy
They have many candidates, we have a school for Police. I don't think the Police are well paid, they just have sufficient income to get by on. They are the ones who take all the risks, all the investigations.
PRETZER:
Ppl are looking for your Diario articles in english
JossY:
We are working on that to put it on the internet. we have to get the right people to translate. Some American people have done translations of our articles and they're terrible.
PRETZER:
Regarding the rocks and finding the body of the young boy. there was never any story printed in the newspapers, when they were looking for Natalee. How can that be that it was ignored? Was it because of the Holloway case?
JossY';
It was reported, it wasn't reported in detail because the Police and prosecution dont' give out much detail. They keep everything secret when they're investigating..that's why we have to as reporters we have to go out in the field to dig for the answers
PRETZER:
Paulus had a letter apparently from Natalee which he was going to turn over, what can you tell us about that?
JossY
I don't think there was a letter, I haven't seen any proof that Natalee wrote hinm a letter.
PRETZER:
Maybe I understood the question wrong in this e-mail ..
Jossy;
We heard that, we didn't pay any attention, it's nonsense.
PRETZER:
Carlos has been in custody for 5 weeks, can you tell us about him?
JossY
Carlos is a witness, it's been leaked from the Police. I can tell you, Carlos came through another lady that works in a newspaper, she came to me told me I have a friend who wants to tell you some things b/c he trusts you. I accepted this Carlos and he told me a story that he was at home he had discussion with his wife in Columbia, he wanted to relax and got in to his car drove to a beach far to the North past the lighthouse. He put his car behind some bushes and slept, he was awakened by a wonman screaming..a woman was saying no no no...according to him he saw one of these suspects with a girl that suddenly became silent. He took something from the trunk, put the girl in it and went into the ocean, he swam with the body out in the ocean, came back got in his car and left.
He's still in custody. He claim3 to have two pieces of evidence which he must have handed over to the Police by now. I hope it doesn't disappear or rather that it doens't go somehwere and we never hear anymore about. I hope we get results back for a change
PRETZER:
The re-enactment on the aruban version or Dutch version of AMW, was there ever any follow up from that, tips that came in that were useful
JossY
There were many tips that came in but none of it was used, we haven't seen any follow up from that program that contributed in any way whatsoever to the case. I don't think anything useful came out of the program.
PRETZER:
Lorenzo van Rijn, has several homes one was searched the other not. What can you tell us about this guy?
JossY
I do know what our reporters have been able to find, he's a half brother of Joran. He has a boat. He lives in a secluded section of the island, very close to Joran. I don't know if he was questioned, but people mention his name quite often in regard to this case.
PRETZER:
When you and I talked last week, we talked about searching the van der Sloot home, I took a call from somebody who claimed the entire house had been searched
JossY
As far as we know the house itself was not searched, Joran's apartment they took quite a bit of stuff. In the yard they discovered there is an exterior basement or well, we heard that and we heard that Tim Miller tried to get in there by any means possible to rule out that property has any possible place a body may be found. But they never had permission fron Paulus
PRETZER:
Have they considered searching his home, any further discussion about that
JossY
No, none whateover, it's been discarded, you need a Court Order, search warrant to do that
PRETZER:
You made a comment about Natalee and who she was with, ..
JossY:
I don't think it will take 6 months, the Prosecutor said it will come forward in January and March and then June ... but it's very hard for us to find out from her because there's a gag order. She will take calls from ppl outside of Aruba but she won't take them from us. She never answers directly, it's hard to know what she's planning or when she plans to take this to COurt
PRETZER:
What's your speculation as to what happend to Natalee?
JossY
My speculation is that Natalee was harmed by one or 3 of these suspects. It's hard to believe that 3 ppl that were with her don't know what happened. They didn't leave her at the HI, not to the beach, they took her to Joran's apartment, I don't know what happened...Joran admitted something bad happened...why would Deepak tell him in the Police car if they found the body he'd be in prison for 15 years.
PRETZER:
We touched a little bit on that, but regarding the Kalpoes and their alleged culpability. We talked about them being quiet in the media, can you speculate again about the involvement of the Kalpoe brothers. Will eventually one of them that was there come forward and turn state's evidence.
JossY;
I think one of them will talk sooner or later. It's hard to determine the involvemnet of the Kalpoes...why would they invent all these stories with Joran. We very well know they took her to the apartment, they didn't go to the lighthouse, the Kalpoes are involved in the sense they know what happened to Natalee.
PRETZER:
Thank you Jossy for joining me for Part 2 of our interview.
JossY;
If I can answer any questions I'll be happy to do that at any time.
PRETZER:
Jossy is a class act on the island, with so few. As far as Police go, you can have Police training but you have to know what to do with the training. You have to know what to do with the training, you have to know how to apply it, have the communication skills etc.
If the FBI had been involved from Day 1 .... ego gets in the way and if one jurisdiction can help then they should be invited to do that.
We'll take a few calls if you want to comment on tonight's second portion of my interview with Jossy Mansur. This guy is a class act, I don't give a rat's hiny about you negative guys out there, he's spoken his mind sincerely and gave the information he believes is accurrate. To try to help the family, society and the people of ARuba. This case will never go away, but the family definitely needs closure. If what he says about a Court case, charges and going to trial, if that's true or accurrate, then that's a good thing. But to find Natalee and get closure for the family is a better thing.
Don't bring them to Court unless you have evidence to convict them.
Caller:
I wanted to follow up about the painted rocks. It doesn't make any sense that that's a one-year-old crime scene and they were painting the rocks on June 10, 2005. We heard it was art work, it just seems to be the latest version of the non truth
PRETZER:
He's giving the info that's been given to him. I don't know if he buys it, it's an interesting bizaressness to this case about a 7-year-old's body that was recovered
PRETZER:
The rock thing is as bizarre as it's going to get. There are a lot of bizarre things that come out of Aruba. I'm looking at the picture of that cloth, the explanation of fish net..one of the things that really concerns me is Jossy's comments about evidence disappearing. Has it literrally disappeared.
Caller from Illinois:
If you have Jossy back on, ask him how the law differs there, a journalist can ask for copies of Search warrants, documents here, can he do that there.
PRETZER:
I think they have received info but it's been leaked, I don't know if they can ask for it.
The justice system itself, I wanted to get him to make it clear about being a suspect for 2 years..it's a wacky kind of a system. Murder should never have a statute of limitations, but this whole thing about being a suspect and not a suspect and these hold days...it makes your head spin
I'm going to stay on top of the Holloway case as best as I can. The blogs are out there, BFN, Scared Monkeys, Yahoo groups high profile cases, there are all sorts of information out there ....
Caller
I'd like to comment about another site. I think they should go to Scrux.com b/c it is the one site that has both sides of the case. Many ppl support Joran and a lot support the family. Their only bias is the truth.
PRETZER:
I would characterize them all to be that way, as far as the other people..I've heard from them on e-mail and I'm not going to bash them.
On 6-18 “Blogs For Natalee” identity “Jamie” reported about an ARUBA law enforcement plea for help:
The Police force asks
Who Sunday evening 29 May 2005 in Carlos n Charlie's in the Aruban capital Oranjestad and does have been here photograph or video recordings has been made, on which are Natalee to possibly see and/or Joran of the S. and the two brothers Deepak and Satish K. which is seen for last with its?
Who recognize or does the combination of the striking grey Honda Civic with above the called four persons has seen?
Who have Natalee and/or do the three boys in the night of Sunday 29 on Monday 30 May 2005 possibly at California Lighthouse, Arashi Beach, on the route to the house of Joran in the district Montanja seen if on the range at the fisherman's huts or on those spots has correctly seen nobody?
Who (her)kent the unknown man, who has been seen Saturday 21 May on the range at fisherman's huts, by means of the composite and the data description?
Who recognize does itself in the witnesses where the Police force to in search is or knows someone of these witnesses?
Who recognize does itself in the specific tip giving ASTRE, weet which is this woman or weet who is the four boys that have seen the woman and/or those boys have also seen?
Who in the period between Thursday 26 May and Thursday 9 June 2005 in Aruba been and does have has something has been seen there that possibly with this vermissing can make?
Who has in the period between Thursday 26 May and Thursday 9 June 2005 photograph/video recordings made of Aruba, the what kind of Police force can be important? The Police force has been interested in these recordings.
6-19-06
On 6-19 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported another ARUBA tourists safety issue:
Walk-out by Police
ARUBA – The Police corps of Aruba walked-out this morning because they are not satisfied with the policy of the government. They were told that from now on, overtime will be paid partially. In the past two weeks, Police union SPA has been asking Justice-minister Rudy Croes (MEP) on numerous occasions to explain this decision and the idea behind it. Up till today, Croes has not reacted on the request and this was enough reason for the union to call a meeting with its members.
On 6-19 FOX News SUSTEREN reported on her “Gretawire” blog:
Natalee Holloway Case: State of Suspension
Over the weekend I spoke to Beth Holloway-Twitty — still no news out of Aruba. I suspect the Aruban investigation is over, although there is no official word it is. I keep hoping I am wrong about this investigation and that it will resolve... meaning we find out what happened to Natalee. It has been well over a year and still no answers. This is one story that I thought if we persisted, we could get answers. Every day I get many e-mails from people asking if we have dropped the story. The answer is no. We check on it daily. If and when there is news, we will report it.
Beth and Natalee's father, Dave, are still awaiting the decision by the New York State Court whether their civil suit filed against Joran van der Sloot and his father will get thrown out or not. The issue of whether it will get thrown out was argued in May and the judge could decide it any day... or any month. Unfortunately for Beth and Dave — and for Joran and his father — there is no time limit within which the judge must decide, so they all remain in the state of suspension. You may forget about this civil case, but the litigants don't.
On 6-19 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:
Government sticks to her guns
ARUBA – The government refuses to revoke or postpone the increase of the import taxes. They mentioned this in a letter to the social partners yesterday.
Even though the representatives of the unions and the employer’s organizations had hoped for a different reaction, they met with the government this morning at 11:00 as was agreed. ATIA-chairman Serge Mansur indicated that the social partners are very serious with their demand. “The government has to abandon the measures, otherwise there will be actions.” He couldn’t say yet what kind of action. “But it will be a manifestation, very much different than the one of last week.”
On 6-19 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:
Premier does not get mixed up in Dimas discussion
ARUBA – Prime Minister Nelson Oduber (MEP) does not want to get mixed up in the ‘Gestapo-discussion’ between the ministers of Justice and Immigration Matters. Rudy Croes (MEP) of Justice and Booshi Wever (MEP) of Immigration Matters are at odds with each other, because a group of employees were put out of the DINA building last Friday.
Croes called this ‘Gestapo-methods’ in a letter he wrote to Wever. Croes says that a group DINA-employees were first body searched and then told to leave the building and never come back.
In a reaction on the media-questions on this subject, Oduber said that all the DINA-employees know very well whether they have signed to work for the new organization Dimas or not. Oduber further assumes that the criterions to hire people at Dimas are correct. “There must be a good reason for not hiring somebody.”
On 6-19 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:
Prime Minister Oduber: ‘Aruba can do it alone’
ARUBA – Prime Minister Nelson Oduber’s reaction on a statement of the Dutch Minister of Kingdom Relations, Alexander Pechtold (D66) during a press conference of last Thursday was: “Aruba is willing to collaborate with the political changes within the Realm, but Aruba self wants to stay out.”
During the tripartite deliberation in The Hague, Pechtold pointed out a protocol in 1993, in which is stated that Aruba was to set things right financially and governmentally in exchange for abandoning the independency claim.
Oduber says that Pechtold made a tentative suggestion just because Curacao is also going to get a status aparte. “The protocol that Pechtold is talking about was established via the then Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Ruud Lubbers and Justice-minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin (both CDA, editor). It was never mentioned again.”
Oduber considers Aruba as an independent country, with her own political institution and with an own responsibility for the financial situation of the island. “Aruba does not ask the Netherlands for financial aid. We must do it ourselves.”
6-20-06
On 6-20 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:
After having worked as chief of corps for a few years, chief superintendent of Police Ronnie Bernadina will take early retirement at the end of this year
ARUBA – Superintendent Ronnie Bernadina will take early retirement at the end of this year. The chief of the Aruban Police corps mentioned in a letter to the rest of the corps that he thinks that he had ‘sacrificed’ enough for his country. After 37 years, he’ll pack the Police work in.
He emphasized that his decision to stop working has nothing to do with the recent commotion about the unpaid overtime. He has submitted his letter of resignation a few weeks ago already. Bernadina is disappointed in what his job has made of him. “When you get in that highest position, you realize that nobody appreciates you; not your colleagues, not your employer, not the government.” He indicates that he had experienced many good moments during his years of service, but that the bad experiences of the last phase of his career had led to the decision to leave. He wants to leave at the end of this year in order to give the government time to appoint a successor and allow him enough training time.
Bernadina and Justice-minister Rudy Croes (MEP) met yesterday morning with amongst others some experts of the Finance Administration. They agreed to do everything possible to find funds for the overtime payments of this month. At the end of the meeting, they emphasized that the main subject of the meeting was not the amount of overtime, but the payment of the claimed overtime.
6-21-06
On 6-21 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:
Oduber and Mansur lost appeals against each other
ARUBA – Prime Minister Nelson Oduber (MEP) and director, chief editor, and owner of the morning newspaper Diario, Jossy Mansur have both lost the appeal case they have instituted against each other. Mansur is sentenced to place a rectification, which he has already done quite some time ago, right after the first sentence. He appealed the verdict, because he is of the opinion that he had published nothing wrong. Oduber was of the opinion that the rectification was not published according to the sentence, but the Court ruled against that.
The judge had decided in September of 2005 that Mansur had offended Oduber by publishing twice in the Diario that Oduber had done business with a Columbian drug cartel from his home in October of 1993 and had called him the most corrupt premier ever. The verdict was that Mansur had to rectify. Both Mansur and Oduber appealed the verdict. Mansur was of the opinion that he had not published offensive statements about the premier and that a rectification was therefore not appropriate. The judges of the Court of First Instance as well as the Court of Appeals were of the opinion that due to his function, a premier can receive more criticism than a normal citizen. But the word ‘corrupt’ towards Oduber may be considered as a serious accusation, because the premier is considered to be integer and should enjoy the voters’ trust. The Court of Appeals ratified the decision of the Court of First Instance and ruled against Mansur.
The premier appealed because he was of the opinion that the rectification didn’t comply with the demands in the verdict. The rectification had to be as big as the comments of Mansur and had to be published on page three. The Court didn’t agree with Oduber and ruled against his appeal.
On 6-21 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:
Loan for deficit AZV approved
ARUBA – The deputy chairman of parliament Zulay van Poppel-Marquez (MEP) announced that the majority of parliament has approved the national decision that permits Finance-minister Nilo Swaen (MEP) to take out a loan. The loan has to make up the AZV’s deficit of 2005.
The AZV-law includes that if the AZV has a deficit, the national government of Aruba must make up this deficit. Article 38 states that “in case the account of the Fund indicates a deficit for the preceding year, the minister in charge of finance can be authorized by national decision to take out a loan to cover this deficit”.
The minister had asked the parliament to approve the national decision. Based on the accountability-ordinance, the Advisory Council had sent the minister a negative advice on the national decision. Notwithstanding this negative advice, the minister has still presented the parliament with the national decision for ratification. He based it on a judicial advice of the Legislation and Judicial Affairs Administration.
On 6-21 ARUBAAN's news-source "Aruba Tradewinds Times" reported:
Cruise tourism up 5.5% in the first 5 months of 2006
Cruise Tourism Going Strong
ORANJESTAD-While there is a substantial decline in stay-over arrivals to the island of Aruba, cruise tourism is growing steadily. The number of cruise arrivals grew by 5.5 percent in the first 5 months of 2006 in comparison to the same period in 2005 according to the report released by the Aruba Ports Authority N.V. (APA).
A total of 297,772 cruise passengers were welcomed on the island in the first 5 months of this year in comparison to 282,197 cruise passengers in the same period last year, that is an increase of 15,575 cruise passengers.
The growth will continue in the months ahead according to APA. In the low-season that starts in May through September a total of 57 calls are expected with a total amount of 114,725 cruise passengers. There were 71 calls and 102,449 cruise passengers in the low-season of 2005.
The decrease in the number of cruise calls to Aruba is due to the absence of the cruise vessels Freewinds and Polynesia. The substantial increase in cruise passengers for this year's low-season is attributed to bigger cruise vessels with more passenger capacity visiting the island.
On 6-21 the ARUBAAN's news-source "Aruba Tradewinds Times" reported:
Aruba rejects Dutch financial help
Aruba's "No Thank You"
ORANJESTAD-The Dutch government is willing to take cover the entire debt of The Netherlands Antilles & Aruba under the condition that the governments of both countries are not allowed to issue new loans without the approval of the government of the Netherlands.
The Prime Minister of The Netherlands Antilles is willing to discuss the deal. That is contrary to the Prime Minister of Aruba who views the Dutch proposal as a step to decrease the island's present autonomy status.
During a press conference, Prime Minister Nelson Oduber said that Aruba will solve its own problems. Oduber views Aruba as an independent country, with its own political institutions and is thus responsible for its own financial situation. "Aruba will not ask the Netherlands for financial aid. We will solve this by ourselves," Oduber ended.
The debt of The Netherlands Antilles stands at $2.6 billion, the debt of Aruba at $1 billion.
On 6-21 the ARUBAAN's news-source "Aruba Tradewinds Times" reported:
Government will not revoke measures
Iron Government
ORANJESTAD-The government will not revoke the increase on import duty imposed on luxury products. This is stated in a letter sent to all representatives of social partners and labor unions. Chairman of Aruba Trade and Industry Association, Serge Mansur says that social partners are very serious in their demand to have the measures revoked else there will be more demonstrations.
The government introduced part of the measures that include an increase in import duty on luxury products effective as of June 1st. The measures would have to bring an additional $18 million on a yearly basis for the government. Purpose of the measures is to alleviate the financial situation of the island.
6-22-06
On 6-22 “Hotels Magazine” reported:
CARIBBEAN NIGHT OF TERROR - GANG ROBBED & BEAT N.Y. COUPLE WITH HELP OF RESORT SECURITY GUARD
A luxurious Caribbean getaway turned into an ordeal from hell for a beautiful New York real-estate broker, who claimed she was held down, sprayed with chemicals and brutalized by group of robbers inside her $1,000-a-night hotel room.
Janis Aurichio said that her male companion was also tormented by the gun-toting goons - who beat him and laughed as they threatened to blow his brains out.
"Right after they get to their room, five males show up," Aurichio's lawyer, David Jaroslawicz, told The Post. "They pointed a gun at him and put a pillow case over this head and said 'We don't want to splatter your head and ruin the room.' "
The woman claims in a $10 million suit that the attack was the ultimate betrayal because the attackers were helped by one of the security guards at the posh Amanyara Hotel in the western section of the Turks and Caicos Islands.
And in a final slap, the hotel whisked the couple off the island because they feared negative publicity would lead to a drop in tourism, Jaroslawicz said.
"When the hotel found out this happened, they chartered a plane and got them off the island," he said. "The last thing they wanted is another Natalee Holloway on their island," he said, referring the case of the young American who went missing in Aruba last year.
The suit claims the horror occurred on the night of April 25 and 26, as the thieves held the couple at gunpoint for between 30 and 45 minutes - poking Aurichio with their weapons and beating her friend, Andrew Schwartz.
As the couple shook in fear and turquoise waves crashed outside their hotel window, the cruel crooks tried to blind them with caustic chemicals.
"She pleaded for her life and begged them not to kidnap and poison her," Aurichio's suit says.
They rummaged through the room for what seemed like forever, and eventually made off with Aurichio's jewelry, Jaroslawicz said.
"It was a tough experience and it wasn't what you see in the travel posters," the lawyer said.
After the attack, the couple made their report to Police and were flown out of the resort.
Five men were arrested last month and charged in the attack, according to a local press report. Among them was a hotel guard, who was accused of letting the men into the resort and facilitating their entry into the couple's room.
The residential broker and New Jersey native is a former sports-marketing rep who entered the real-estate field in the tough times immediately after Sept. 11, 2001.
She still managed to work hard and "carve a new niche . . . in the over-$1 million [home price] range," according to her bio on the Web site of Citi Habitats, the company where she works.
In her suit, she claims the hotel and its parent company, Amanresorts, failed to warn her that the Turks and Caicos Islands are rife with crime and that they failed to Police their own staff to weed out criminals.
Aurichio has filed suit in New York because she is a resident here and the resort company keeps offices here.
A hotel spokeswoman said she could not comment on the suit. A lawyer representing the hotel's insurance company declined to comment, citing pending litigation.
The suit claims that the company - and the authorities on the Turks and Caicos - do not tell tourists of the crime on the island.
VACATION FROM HELL: Janis Aurichio says she was savagely beaten and robbed at the Tony Amanyara Hotel (above) in Turks and Caicos. [Eduardo Patino]
On 6-22 the NORTHEAST LOUISIANA “News Star” reported:
Van Susteren tells gathering at Squire Creek of her path
Greta van Susteren never considered a television career when she was practicing criminal law in Washington, D.C.
"I don't consider myself the TV type," she said. "I thought I'd always be an old-fashioned trial lawyer."
But van Susteren parlayed a few newspaper interviews and a one-day guest-analyst gig on what was then the new Court TV network into a 15-year career, first at CNN and now at Fox.
Van Susteren entertained 300 people with anecdotes from her career during the Squire Creek Peach Festival Luncheon at Squire Creek Country Club in Choudrant on Wednesday.
"TV is immensely easier than practicing law, where you have people's lives in your hands," she said. "It's an exciting job. You get to meet everybody and see everything from a ringside seat."
Van Susteren told the audience she was among the first media into New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina only because Squire Creek owner and Ruston businessman James Davison used his influence to get her into the city.
"It was an important story because, at that time, the rest of the world had no clue about the devastation," van Susteren said. "That's one story that I'm proud of the media collectively because we were able to get it out."
Van Susteren was asked about former colleague Tony Snow, who left the network to become President Bush's press secretary.
"I've never met anyone who doesn't love Tony," she said. "He's a great guy. I talked to him three days ago and he loves his job, but it's long hours and tough work."
When van Susteren opened the floor to questions from her audience, the most interest was in her coverage of missing teenager Natalee Holloway, who disappeared last summer in Aruba.
Van Susteren said she's not convinced that the primary suspects, three teenage boys who were with Holloway the night she disappeared, are guilty, but she said Holloway's mother "is absolutely convinced that it was them."
Van Susteren also was asked about the O.J. Simpson case, which she covered extensively at CNN.
She believes Simpson was guilty, "but the verdict (of not guilty) was absolutely correct because it was one of the worst prosecutions ever. I could convince most of you to vote not guilty," she said.
Van Susteren was also asked about Fox's reputation as a conservative news network.
"There's no question a lot of my colleagues are conservative, but we don't all get into a room and drink Kool Aid (and slant the news)," said van Susteren, who said she considers herself liberal.
On 6-22 FOX News GRETA VAN SUSTEREN reported in her “Gretawire” blog, “I had a surprise after the show on Tuesday night: I walked off the set at 11:01 p.m. ET and who should I see walking into the FOX News D.C. bureau? Beth Holloway-Twitty! Beth was in D.C. for 24 hours, working on a project. On Tuesday night, she landed at Reagan Airport at 10:15 p.m. and grabbed a cab to come over to the bureau and see me. The FOX News bureau is across the Potomac River from Reagan National Airport. Needless to say, I was flattered that she hopped a cab so late at night and surprised me. I assume your question is: What's new in the investigation for her daughter? I so wish I had an answer for you.”
On 6-22 JOHN Q. KELLY stated to FOX News:
(Thank You and Hat Tip to “Heli”)
NOT VERBATIM NOT COMPLETE
Greta:
New evidence in Aruba from a witness. Not a suspect but he's in jail.
So who is in jail and why?
John Q. Kelly:
This is a gentleman who stepped forward, I was put in contact with him, he saw somebody on the beach. I put him in touch with Janssen so he's been in jail for a month now
Greta:
we might laugh, he's a witness and in jail? Is there legal authority to hold him on a whim?
John:
I feel sorry for him they certainly want them to come forward but my understanding is he's held and he's talking. He's allegedly witnessed something, he's got physical evidence and it's been sent to the NFI
This guy, Carlos, he's supposedly witnessed the events of Natalee's death and disappearance and the disposal of the body.
He saw two people on the beach. Natalee is one of the two.
Greta:
One person doing something to Natalee?
John:
Yes, from a distance, there was an assault, a noise and then disposal of the body. It was a confrontation, an assault and disposal in the water.
Greta:
Any description of the guy who did the assault?
John:
Tall and thin as I understand. No names associated, no suspects, just a description.
That's how it all started, I was contacted about first hand info and where Natalee could be found
Greta:
Anything that corroborates this guy's story?
John:
Physical evidence that's consistent with his story, that's been sent to The Netherlands. There's also some weights been recovered that were used to weigh down the body, consistent with the place they were taken from.
Greta:
Where was this?
John:
One thing I don't know. I don't know what beach
Greta:
Why is she holding him?
John:
He's from out of the country, he might be illegal and will disappear if she doesn't hold him
Greta:
Does this seem to be moving slowly if he was picked up April?
John:
We might think that, but the physical evidence is sent to The Netherlands, so it takes time.
The Police are on strike, I thought they'd been on strike for the last 13 months but....
Greta:
A strike over some overtime dispute I understand.
On 6-22 “Hope for Natalee” blog identity “Hoop” reported:
NATALEE HOLLOWAY: CARIBBEAN STUDY ON VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN
Posted by: HOOP
In March of 2005, numerous Caribbean countries gathered together to implement a directive for a global study, initiated by the United Nations which urged all nations to explore and find solutions to the issue of Violence Against Children.
Following the March meeting of Caribbean nations, held in Spain, the Caribbean nations report was released through the United Nations. Apparently, Aruba, a tiny island in the Caribbean Sea elected not to be part of the CARICOM nations dedicating themselves to this issue.
As an entity of the Dutch Netherlands, Aruba is subsidized in the area of law enforcement by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which does maintain membership in the United Nations. The results of the Caribbean report on Violence Against Children raises questions regarding Aruba’s claim to being a “safe island”, particularly when its’ purported “record of safety” is not subject to public scrutiny through any membership such as through CARICOM, which would allow for such public scrutiny of exactly what and how Aruba reports crime statistics.
“The impact of violence on the lives of children is a blemish on the face of nations in all parts of the world..." stated the Deputy Director of UNICEF, Rima Salah, who spoke to delegates to the Caribbean regional consultation on violence against children, which Aruba did not participate in.
“There is no doubt that the solutions must come from within..”….however, “it is unlikely that any community can overcome these challenges without opening up to the experiences of others.”
On May 30, 2005, Natalee Holloway, a bright honors high school graduate from Mountain Brook high school in Alabama, U.S., was abducted on the island of Aruba while celebrating her graduation with honors, along with fellow classmates.
Despite repeated efforts from the U.S. FBI to become involved and assist Aruban authorities in aiding in the recovery of Natalee, FBI officials were limited by Aruban officials in information they were permitted to see, as well as the degree in which they could participate in solving the abduction of Natalee. Unbelievable as it may sound, Aruban officials kept the expertise and resources of the U.S.’s finest law enforcement officers at bay, in what now is believed to be a purposeful cover-up, in an attempt to aid those involved in the abduction of Natalee Holloway while attempting to protect the island from any bad public relations that might result in a drop in tourism dollars to the island.
It would seem that the level of corruption involved in protecting the individuals involved in the disappearance of Natalee, may implicate members of law enforcement, high ranking government officials, as well as people with a good deal of privilege, money and power on the island.
Natalee, the victim has vanished under a cloak of silence, eerily apropos to a statement made by Professor Sérgio Paulo Pinheiro, an independent expert who leads the global study looking at violence against children, of which numerous Caribbean nations participated; however, Aruba did not. Pinheiro reminded the participants that “ violence against children is hidden beneath a cloak of silence and invisibility”…a heavy cloak of blatant arrogant silence, that continues to conceal the horrors that Natalee Holloway faced on May 30, 2005, as she celebrated her final night in Aruba, before her intent to head back home to the United States.
The brutality of this silence becomes more evident when one considers the comment by one suspect who stated that maybe someday, he might talk about what happened, but not right now, because he didn't want to do that. Meanwhile, Natalee's family suffers in this cruelty of silence in not knowing where their precious child is, nor what was done to her.
Furthermore, a sinister cover-up that appears to include the destruction of evidence, the purposeful limitations of a search conducted in the home of a suspect whose father was a former judge in training, as well as changed documents, and selectively not collecting evidence from certain suspects, as well as not documenting statements by certain witnesses, leaves serious questions unanswered regarding Natalee's right to a thorough investigation as the victim of crimes committed against her as well as questions regarding the integrity of this investigation into her abduction.
Natalee was last seen with three suspects, who continue to band together in their attacks on Natalee’s character while refusing to cooperate further with Police in answering questions as to what was done to her.
The three suspects have been implicated in numerous lies regarding their involvement in Natalee’s abduction, and Natalee’s parents continue to not know what was done to their daughter, or by whom, nor where her body was taken. The three main suspects were seen where two of them seemed to have led Natalee to a waiting car, which was driven by the third suspect. It is believed that Natalee was drugged and then led away, thus rendering her a helpless victim, unable to reason nor to defend herself in any way.
A chilling comment: “No body, no case”, made by Paulus van der Sloot suggests a real possible tragic and harrowing cruel end to Natalee’s life where the Police chief reported the desecration of her body, in that “someone” literally moved Natalee from one location to another, so as to deny any possible DNA or any other evidence to ever be collected. Other arrests included "heavy battery", leaving chilling pieces to what remains an "un-solved" case amidst freely walking suspects. This heinous crime against this beautiful child remains an open case, with none of the suspects being held and all of them released to enjoy their freedom, while Natalee has never been heard from again.
One has to wonder how serious Aruba is concerning the safety of its tourists from America when such a heinous crime is covered up through such a travesty of justice that would allow the last three suspects seen leading Natalee away, to never be held accountable regarding her disappearance. Numerous lies, conflicting stories, and even blaming one another as well as two innocent men, has revealed the main suspects to be men lacking in moral conscience and moral character because of a chilling disregard not only for Natalee and what she was subjected to, but the brutal silence inflicted upon her family by the refusal of suspects to reveal what they did to her.
Aruba allows this charade of what they call an “investigation” to continue, with a Police chief going on national television in what appears as an attempt to slander and discredit the victim by claiming she was "highly intoxicated", and “soften” the blow that Natalee is dead by suggesting the suspects “are not killers”, while telling the USA that one of the suspects changed major components of his alibi numerous times, with other facts changed perhaps more than 25 times.
In addition to this, one suspects father, a former judge “in training” who failed his exam, was permitted to speak with all three suspects where the “no body, no case” plan was believed to have been put into action along with plotted lies to tell Police that were later proven as being lies. Time lines were changed, stories were changed, even so chilling as one in which the parent of one suspect never let on that he indeed seemed to be sitting next to Natalee at a casino, based on video surveillance, on the night Natalee disappeared, and where his son had claimed to initially not know her, and then later, to have "dropped her off at the hotel", only then to be changed to one where he claims to have “left her on the beach”.
A step back in looking at the a report released by the United Nations on violence against children specific to the Caribbean nations, reminded participants at the Caribbean conference of this study, “that all Caribbean nations have ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and that Article 19 of the Convention requires States Party to provide adequate care and protection to children from all forms of violence.” Sadly, Aruba miserably failed to protect and to honor Natalee. And yet, the young participants in attendance at the Caribbean conference (of which Aruba did not send any participants) noted, “violence against children in the Caribbean region seems to be increasing.”
The UN report indicated that “The (Caribbean) countries share a similar historical and cultural background, including some factors that are considered by many to underlie some of the violence that takes place. For example, the indigenous people of many of the countries were almost wiped out after the arrival of European settlers in the late fifteenth century. People were brought in from Africa into forced labour in the sugarcane plantations and later East Indians and other groups were brought in for indentured labour. This history of slavery and brutal plantation life are believed by many to explain in part why people use and accept violence.”
Further information released indicates that “drug trafficking throughout the region, and trade links between drugs and weapons” not only promotes violence but broadens the arena in which violence occurs. Other reported information noted that in the Caribbean, there exists some of the highest youth murder rates in the world.
It is inconceivable that Aruba would choose to not participate in the violence study initiated by the UN, by virtue of their claim that they are a happy and safe island, especially against the backdrop of the story of Natalee Holloway who was not only denied a thorough and honest investigation into her abduction, but even in what is believed to be her death, is denied simple common traits of human decency in allowing her parents the right to bury their child with dignity and respect.
The brutal realities of Aruba’s unconscionable treatment of Natalee and her family raises serious questions about their commitment to the safety and well being of children, when it is a known fact that children are allowed to drink and gamble under age as one of the suspects, Joran van der Sloot was known to be a regular at casinos and bars on the island. Through statements made to an Aruban journalist, it was also reported by various classmates, that Joran would brag at school about "slipping something into the drinks" of girls. This statement was reported directly to US media by a journalist who stated that several classmates had reported that Joran had bragged at school about his conquests of young girls which included a scenario reported by classmates where he would "slip something into their drinks". Add to this, the chilling findings in the United Nations report that “in this culture of violence, some of the perpetrators and victims of violent crime are male adolescents and young adults”….and that “young people are the victims of violence”.
It is believed that a shared cultural history of violence towards human beings has contributed to the level of violence seen in the Caribbean. “The legacy of slavery in the (Caribbean) region not only explains many of the social and cultural traditions that have hindered acceptance of children’s rights, including the right to be protected from violence, it also is considered to underlie the widespread acceptance of physical punishment ….and the emphasis at other levels on criminal sanctions as a means of solving social problems rather than addressing them through conflict resolution or mediation.” Problems are linked to “a particular great concern in the region , that being the problem of ‘absent parents’. The gathered Caribbean nations who elected to be concerned and involved in the study of violence against children, heard that “homicide rates in the Caribbean are nearly twice the world average: 22.9 per 100,000 compared with 10.7 per 100,000.”
Furthermore, the conference of Caribbean nations studying violence against children heard that “the involvement of young men in crime and violence in the Caribbean region is a significant problem. Children are caught up in this as both witnesses and victims and, as they move into adolescence, some may also be involved as perpetrators”.
Children in Caribbean countries have stated that they live in fear and with daily violence. Furthermore, they say that “violence is portrayed as ‘normal’ and even ‘acceptable”. A further belief throughout the Caribbean region is that “the media are insensitive to the problem and tend to sensationalize violence against children rather than report on it responsibly.” “Of grave concern is the fact that one quarter of all major crimes – armed robbery, assault, rape and murder -- ...are committed by young people, mostly adolescent males between the ages of 13 and 19. The same problem occurs across the region, and adolescents are said to look upon violence as a survival tool, a passport to social mobility.”
In looking at whether any serious commitm%nt on the part of Aruban officials exists in wanting to find Natalee, one must ask whether the lack of information given to FBI agents, is a reflection of the lack of transparency in the way Police officials shut out the FBI as to avoid any public scrutiny regarding the manner in which they conducted their “investigation.”
Aruba’s lack of participation in the CARICOM conference perhaps may illustrate the possibility that children who are tourists, while providing the backbone to Aruba’s economy, may perhaps be a low priority given the example of how low a priority the solving of the disappearance of Natalee Holloway has appeared to play out despite Aruba’s claims that they did “everything”….which tellingly excluded the gathering of DNA, and keeping of meticulous paperwork and records, and the throwing out of statements of confession from one of the three suspects last reported to be seen with Natalee.
Recommendations from the violence study included the knowledge that children at times could be deprived of their liberty due to having “committed an offence but also because they are deemed to be ‘uncontrollable’”. Other measures could be taken to insure the safety of society from young men who are predators.
A recommendation included that a national committee be established “made up of government, judiciary and civil society representatives, to visit detention centers to monitor the conditions …as a necessary step” in addressing youth violence. However, one must consider that in Aruba’s self-isolation from the CARICOM community, whether their separate isolation from a community that employs judicial and collaborative review and examination, might suggest a level of dysfunction on the part of Aruban officials who have chosen to remain apart and separate from such public scrutiny that would expose them to judicial and collaborative review and scrutiny . The abstaining from the CARICOM community, and all its' collaborative efforts insures that the truth concerning crimes in Aruba "stay on the island."
The question of Aruba’s commitment to youth safety, particularly that of it’s youth tourists is fairly questioned when one considers that the findings of the Caribbean study of Violence Against Children found that throughout the Caribbean region:
“There is weak enforcement of the laws in some cases, and this should be addressed. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that all the arms of the judiciary are trained to deal with cases involving children. One issue of concern that was raised in the consultation is that throughout the region people seem not to trust the law enforcement agencies or indeed the political leaders whose fundamental duty is to enforce law and order. Clearly there is an urgent need to find ways to restore confidence in law enforcement agencies; one way for this to be done is through strict enforcement of the law and bringing to justice those who promote or inflict violence.”
In the case of Natalee Holloway, it is telling that the Aruban Police and government officials granted the three suspects last seen leading Natalee into a car - a full ten days of freedom before bringing them in for any type of serious questioning. This action of granting the suspects ten days in which they could do whatever they wanted, including possibly destroying evidence, was granted to them, in spite of Natalee’s mother providing Police with the names of suspects from day one of the investigation. One must question what motive may have allowed for this to occur. Certainly, heinous acts of brutality against a young and innocent American girl would not be good for tourism. Furthermore, it is chilling to consider that when finally picked up by Police, and despite confessions by one suspect that the three men last seen with Natalee had “buried Natalee”, and that “something really bad happened” to her, the three suspects have now been released, while Natalee suffers the ultimate price in losing everything, including all those who loved her.
One can only consider the truthfulness of the United Nations Caribbean study indicating that law enforcement and political leaders entrusted with upholding the rights and safety of all citizens, would be perceived as disinterested, corrupt and untrustworthy, particularly as in Natalee’s case, where some officials began a slander campaign against this beautiful young honors student, in an attempt to distract the public from scrutinizing the three suspects who were last seen with Natalee, and the involvement of the father of one suspect, a former judge in training who failed his certification exam, who was permitted special privileges in speaking to and advising all three suspects along with his chilling comment that there would be no need to worry due to “no body, no case” . To this day, Natalee’s body has never been found and the continuing disinterest by Police to truly solve this heinous case is reflected in the fact that when asked to fill out paper work to allow for a deep water search for Natalee’s body, the Police chief indicated that he just didn’t “have the time” to fill out the paper work. The search then had to be called off.
For Natalee, there is no justice, as she continues in her innocence as a victim, to be subjected to a life-time sentence of the loss of everyone she loved, everything she loved, all her hopes and dreams – while those who brutally beat her, raped her and murdered her, leaving her to die alone continue to enjoy the privileges of their freedom. Even in death, she is not free, for her body remains imprisoned in Aruba, while her honorable good name continues to be slandered and smeared in a campaign to save tourism and dollars at the cost of the rights and innocence of an American child victimized and brutally tormented to death.
For reference to all quotes: Please read United Nations Caribbean Report on Violence Against Children.
6-23-06
On 6-23 “Hotels Magazine” reported:
RESORT FEARS NEW NATALEE
The Turks and Caicos Islands are bracing for a Natalee Holloway-like blow to tourism, as news spread about a brutal attack on a New York woman and her companion at a posh seaside hotel.
"We are concerned," said Robert Hall, spokesman for the Caribbean island chain's tourist board.
"Nowhere in the world can you always control the conduct of some of these selfish, spineless bums," he added. "And we regret the pain this couple had."
High-end real-estate broker Janis Aurichio and her pal Andrew Schwartz were sucked into the dark underbelly of the sandy paradise on April 25, just minutes after checking into their $1,000-a-night villa at the Amanyara Hotel in the island chain's western section.
Five gunmen raided their room, terrorized them and threatened to blow Schwartz's head off. They sprayed the couple with chemicals and made off with all their possessions.
This week, Aurichio filed a $10 million lawsuit against the resort.
On 6-23 “Human Events Online” reported:
Replace Liberal with Morally Decayed
Fifty years ago, a decade after Europeans had been extricated from the hellhole of World War Two by their magnanimous American cousins, the Old World denizens again were enjoying the fruits of civility envisioned for them in their Maker’s original Garden of Eden.
Yet, British writer William Golding, eventual winner of a Nobel Price for literature, foresaw how easily barbarism again could vanquish the West’s inherent Christian decency. His Lord of the Flies, published in 1954, was the first of three allegorical novels that would explore fundamental challenges to human existence, survival and freedom. Lord of the Flies specifically describes the horrific slide into savagery by aband of young children following the crash of their plane on a small tropical island (not too unlike Aruba, in the southern Caribbean).
True to Golding’sprophetic vision, by the mid- 1960s Western Europe, including the redoubtable British Isles, had begun a hedonistic rear march into the hypnotic ancient land of Anything Goes. In the Netherlands (AKA Holland), the Dutch even would coin a word to describe their retreat to moral anarchy: gedoogcultuur, “the culture of permissiveness.” (Remember, these are the same people who a few decades earlier had contributed to English language the term “Dutch uncle,” that is, a stern, relatively decent mentor who tries to keep others on the straight and narrow path.)
Here, as Golding predicted with clarity, are some terminal, cancerous, liberal sores that today fester on Holland’s once-traditional and healthy body politic:
* Scantily clad prostitutes laze about in urban storefronts so that sex-hungry passersby can window-shop for a steamy middle-of-the-day liaison. Meantime, the Sex Workers Union (blue-collar hookers) is pushing the Dutch government to allow the pimpish labor bosses to crank up in Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport the fastfood-restaurant-sounding
“YumYum Caviar Club,” which actually would be a bordello for horny in-transit travelers. (One of the Netherlands’ biggest imports has become “whordes,”so to speak, of attractive young East European women to replace the aging pool of native Dutch prostitutes.)
* Local and tourist pedophiles, the most unrepentant of dirty old men, roam the land with impunity since the 1990 national “reform” legislation lowered the age of sexual consent to 12 (think of your own children and grandchildren when they were that age, one year shy of being even a teenager).
* The grossest pornography available can be purchased in chain grocery stores, just down the aisle from tofu and skim milk, and graphic nudity is a big hit on “family hour” prime-time, through-the-air television.
* Marriage is a legal right of homosexuals, even if it includes serial infidelity on both sides.
* “Dutch treat” has become another perverted expression, no longer meaning that two people at the same table simply pay for their own share of the food or drink bill. The only Dutch “treat” today is physically, mentally and socially ruinous, and exemplified by 210 Amsterdam “coffee shops” that really are dens for foreign and domestic marijuana users, and 75 “bars” for hash heads. Holland has become the drug capital of Europe and is blamed by Britain and France for exporting at least 80% of the heroin marketed into those countries, and 100% of the trade in nightmarish psychedelic substance Ecstasy. Meantime, absorbed with systemic liberal guilt over its colonial past, the Netherlands has opened the floodgates for immigrants from Indonesia, the Islamic colony in Asia which the Dutch ruled for three
Meantime, absorbed with systemic liberal guilt over its colonial past, the Netherlands has opened the floodgates for immigrants from Indonesia, the Islamic colony in Asia which the Dutch ruled for three centuries. This has resulted in one million Muslims (6% of Netherlands’ population) living in little Holland (slightly larger than Maryland), whose four largest cities now count Muslims under age 14 as the majority of their youth. Such immigration also has resulted in an outbreak of deadly tit-for-tat terrorism between Indonesians and a handful of unapologetically militant Dutch nationalists.
All these sad details of Dutch decay are important because it goes a long way toward explaining what is happening, and not happening, in Dutch-owned Aruba, an island speck that is a world away geographically but only a heartbeat away culturally from the motherland.
No longer a colony but a full-fledged political division of the distant Netherlands, Aruba is a mélange of 70,000 multicultural souls on an island off the South American coast about the size of Washington, DC.
Like Mother Holland, Aruba boasts that its crime rate is “very low.” Also like Mother Holland, however, Aruba has a low crime rate in large part because so little tawdry and outright dangerous activity in its laissez-faire environment actually qualifies as a crime; furthermore, if such activity is criminal, the Police tradition in many cases (based on the Dutch model) is to wink at the perps and head for the nearest Dunkin’ van Donuts for a quick sugar-fix. In the wake of the highly reported May 20 disappearance of teenage American tourist Natalee Holloway, USA Today has reported this less-than-professional Aruban attitude toward crime statistics:
“Detailed crime statistics are hard to come by: In 2003, the most recent year with available data, there were 4,236 crimes, though no specifics on those against tourists. According to Aruba's attorney general, five homicides were reported last year. But Police have not provided a breakdown of offenses since 1995, says Martijn Balkestein of the Central Bureau of Statistics.”
A more frightening portrait of Dutch/Aruban Police incompetence in dealing with “noncriminal criminals” emerged in an Associated Press story that details how Natalee’s kinfolk in Alabama, not the Karibbean Kops, nailed the prime suspect, the playboy son of an influential local official:
“MOUNTAIN BROOK, ALA. (AP)--Natalee Holoway’s family, not Aruban Police, first identified and located a Dutch youth now held as a suspect in the disappearance of the Alabama teen, according to a friend who helped with the search.
“The family's quick work --a combination of hunches, tips and amateur detective work on the Caribbean island--also led to two of the youth's friends who also were taken into custody. But it ultimately was met by frustration when authorities failed to quickly arrest the trio, which included the son of a prominent Dutch ministry official.
“ 'She had been missing less than 24 hours and we had all three names and addresses, so it's just disappointing that they weren't able to move faster,' said Jody Bearman, who organized the trip to Aruba for 125 students from Mountain Brook high school and seven chaperones . . .
“With help from some locals, Holloway's mother and the others determined the youth had been in the casino playing in a Texas Hold 'Em poker tournament, according to Bearman. Players had to sign in, she said, and that gave them a name and initial: Joran V.
“ ‘After talking to enough people, we were able to deduce that it was Joran van der Sloot,’ she said. ‘Once we got the name we were able to track the address through people and we got the Police. They escorted us and we went straight to the house . . .’
“His story didn’t add up, though, according to Bearman. ‘We started pressing him on that because we had students who were in the lobby until 5 a.m., and she never arrived,’ she said. “While Aruban Police were present during the questioning of van der Sloot, which lasted until about 3 a.m., officers left the talking to Holloway's family until things began to get ‘heated,’ Bearman said. . . ."
After witnessing the campaign carping and nonproductive palaver of John F. Kerry regarding the Iraq War, Americans solidly rejected his bid for the presidency in 2004. If the domestic War on Crime is as important to voters as the international War on Terrorism, no sensible candidate for president in 2008, even a Democrat as far left as Hillary Clinton, is likely to hold up the ultraliberal Dutch/Aruban Police and cultural standards as models for the United States.
Certainly Natalee Holloway's family will not be supporting that course of history.
On 6-23 ARUBAAN's news-source “Diario” reported:
Diario writes its lamentable and sad to have to report what has occurred. Usually these things have been known to happen in Los Angeles or in Cancun but never here in Aruba!
Diaro reports that false Police are going around which gives Aruba a very bad name in light of the tragic circumstances that has already occurred with the Natalee case.
A man speaking Spanish and dressed in Police blues stopped in front of an American tourist enjoying the breeze on the beach and told her she owed $500 for a fine. It does not say what the fine was for. When the tourist said she was not aware of committing anything she could be fined for as she had just arrived and she was unaware of what crime was committed to incur that fine.
The blue uniformed polis then spoke with someone on his cell phone, she believed him to be asking something about the fines. He then said to her, 'ok if you perform a sexual act in front of me we can then forget the fine, but you must do this.' The tourist ran to the hotel desk and asked for help in reporting what occurred. While the desk person took down identification of guests and locals the woman also called the consulate to report the incident.
This put our polis and tourism in poor light and can only be useful in hampering tourism.
On 6-23 the ARUBAAN's news-source "Aruba Tradewinds Times" reported:
Explosive population growth continues in 2006
Nearly 103,000 People And Steadily Counting
ORANJESTAD-Aruba counted 102,695 inhabitants at the end of the first quarter of 2006 compared to 99,746 inhabitants in the first quarter of 2005, that is an increase of 2,949 persons or 3 percent. Women continue to dominate in absolute figures, making Aruba a feminine island. The figures are published in the quarterly demographic report recently released by the Central Bureau for Statistics.
A total of 6,440 persons from the 102,695 inhabitants counted in the first quarter of 2006 are 0 to 4 years of age and 81 persons on the island are older than 95 years. The latter includes Eddy's (Aruba Tradewinds Times) own grandmother Mrs. Ada Varlack who is 96 years of age.
Nearly 200 persons on the island are 90 to 95 years of age. That includes Mr. Ike Cohen (one of the original founders of Aruba Hotel & Tourism Association) who is now 95 years old. Little over 400 persons are 85 to 89 years of age and 807 persons are 80 to 84 years old.
The number of people in all age categories until 54 years varies between 6,000 and 9,000 persons. The age category with the highest number of people is that of 40 to 44 years, it is represented by 9,901 persons. Remarkable is that the number of people aged 96 and older have grown by one third in the first quarter of this year in comparison to the first quarter of 2004.
Aruba's robust population increase is mainly attributed to the wave of immigrants that continue to settle on the island. A total of 3,738 persons migrated to the island in 2005. In the first quarter of 2006 a total of 620 immigrants were admitted to the island. The number of emigrants leaving Aruba to reside elsewhere continues to decline. A total of 234 people left Aruba to reside elsewhere in the World, the majority of those leaving the island are Arubaans.
The number of deaths in Aruba continue to decline as Arubaans continue to live longer. A total of 482 people passed away on the island during 2005 compared to 502 deaths in 2004.
Aruba's 3 percent annual population growth rate is one of the fastest in the World. With a total of 1,467 people per square mile it is now in the top 15 most densely populated countries in the World. The island is third only to Bermuda and Barbados with the highest population density per square mile in the Americas.
Aruba will remain the third most densely populated country in the Americas by 2020, by that year the island is expected to have 125,000 inhabitants and the majority of its people will be foreign born. By the year 2035 the island is projected to pass the 150,000 inhabitants milestone.
In the Americas only the island of St. Maarten has a population of which the majority is foreign born. At present 40 percent of Aruba’s population is born outside the country representing nearly 100 different nationalities and is thus one of the most diverse nations in the World.
On 6-23 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:
Number of population exceeds the 100.000
ARUBA – The Central Bureau for Statistics (CBS published a demographic bulletin on the first quarter of 2006 stating that in the first quarter of this year, Aruba had 102.695 inhabitants compared to 97.011 and 99.746 in the same period of 2004 and 2005 respectively. Considering the above, the population of Aruba is growing. In all these years, the women were in a bare majority.
Aruba has 6440 inhabitants in the age of 0 to 4; 81 inhabitants are older than 95; between 6000 and 9000 are 54 and younger; 9901 are between 40 and 44; 1500 are between 55 and 79; 807 are between 80 and 84; 400 are between 85 and 89; almost 200 are between 90 and 95. Comparing the above with the first quarters of 2004 and 2005, the number of people in all age categories has remained reasonably stable. Only the category 95 and older has increased with one-third since 2004.
124 People died in the first quarter of 2006: 2 infants and 65 male, 35 between 70 and 79, 30 between 80 and 89; the other 57 were all female.
The number of people that died in 2004 and 2005 remained stable: 133 and 116 in the first quarter of 2004 and 2005 respectively. Respectively 502 and 482 people died in the entire year of 2004 and 2005, of which more men than women.
620 Immigrants registered in the Registry of Aruba in the first quarter of 2006 versus 709 and 906 in same period 2005 and 2004 respectively. The number of immigrants has dropped since 2004. Of the 620 immigrants this year, 219 were born in Aruba or the Neth.Antilles. The number of people born in the Netherlands that established in Aruba is relatively small, but had grown since 2004. Less people emigrated to another country since 2004, 246 versus 234 in 2006. In all these three years, especially people born in the Neth.Antilles and Aruba are the ones that left Aruba.
Aruba had 164 marriages in the first quarter of 2006, of which 85 non-residents and 72 residents, and 120 divorce cases. In 2004 and 2005, respectively 1184 and 1091 marriages were contracted in Aruba and 487 and 445 dissolved.
6-24-06
On 6-24 BETH HOLLOWAY-TWITTY, DAVE HOLLOWAY, and JOSSY MANSUR stated to FOX News:
(Hat Tip Thank You to “San”)
Kimberly – Aruban authorities question a man who claims to have witnessed what happened on the beach the night she vanished. Joining me now is editor and chief of El Diaro Jossy Mansur. Jossy has spoken exclusively to the alleged witness and has been on top of the case from the beginning. Alright give us the latest, apparently this witness felt comfortable talking to you what do you know.
Jossy – Well he came to me through a lady friend of his. In the beginning I didn’t want to meet him because I’ve seen so many people come in and going out with any important information but then I attended him. He came and told me the following story that he was home that night he had some kind of discussion with his wife over the phone his wife is in Columbia he is a Columbian illegal alien in Aruba and then he jumped into his car and went to a place where he used to go with his wife on the beach that’s way to the North of the Marriot and past the lighthouse and there he parked his car behind some bushes.
(video here from this point, forward) He feel asleep and was awakened a while later by a woman screaming “No, no,” and the “F-word,” twice, and then the voices ceased the voice of the lady screaming ceased. He got out of his car went into the bushes and saw this young man over the body of a woman. He was busy now opening the trunk of his car he was taking something out in which he wrapped this body in. He took the body and waded out into the ocean first and then swam with it dragging it along for quite some distance let go and then swam back. He put on his clothes again (Jossy said this is this man telling me now) put on his clothes and got into the car.
Kimberly – So there are only two people there, the woman he’s claiming to be Natalee Holloway what did he describe in term of the physical appearance of the male?
Jossy – The male he described to me as tall, white, light hair and afterwards he told me that it was Joran he recognized Joran from the video tapes that were on television and then the pictures in the paper and everything else. He didn’t recognize him that same night but he did recognize him from the days following his witnessing of this happened that he told me about.
Kimberly – Any description of the vehicle he saw?
Jossy – No because he claims that it was a dark vehicle. He didn’t know the time either because he didn’t have a watch with him. But his story seems to fit into the pattern of this case in many ways.
Kimberly – So you’ve talked to so many people in this case and in the investigation do you believe him and apparently there is a piece of evidence what is that piece of evidence.
Jossy – He says that there are two pieces of evidence but he didn’t tell me that when I interviewed him at the Diario in my office. I met with him the next day at the spot he took me to the exact spot we met there and he showed me where all this happened and he told me that when day broke a while later that he was there he found a condom on the floor picked it up took it away and a piece of cloth that he claims the mother could recognize this belonging to Natalee.
Kimberly – And it’s your understanding that these items have been turned over to authorities the prosecutor. Does she believe this story?
Jossy – I think she does believe this story to a certain extent yes. Because afterwards the Police picked him up brought him in and about two months ago and have had him since. I don’t know whether it is in protective custody. I would believe that because if it was for deportation because he was illegal they would have done that immediately.
Dave by phone and Beth from Birmingham
Kimberly – Beth I’m going to start with you is this the break in the case that you’ve been waiting for?
Beth – Well Kimberly we’ve had to sit on this information now for about two months so it a little frustrating as to as to why they’re still holding him if it’s for his protection or is it is fear that he will flee. You know we’re just really kind of ready to get some answers from KJ as to where she thinks we will move forward from now.
Kimberly – Do you tend to believe this story you’ve heard about this story? You’ve heard about this since April is that right you knew about it.
Beth – Right we’ve know about this for about the past two months and you know it’s hard me to step over the line of whether or not I believe him or not of course you know we just have never been able to interview him but what we’re getting from even KJ was conveying to John Kelly is she is inclined to believe that he is telling the truth.
Kimberly – Alright let’s bring in Dave. Dave you guys had a private Investigator Art Wood go and actually meet with this individual. What did he tell you about him in terms of his credibility?
Dave – Well Art did not believe the individual and I think that some of that may be due to the fact that he did not speak English he’s a Spanish speaking guy. Art has some reservations as far as his credibility. The guy came forward seeking the reward we have a $250,000 reward out for information leading to where Natalee is so maybe he’s seeking the reward.
Kimberly – Sure but someone could come forward right Beth and have accurate information. I mean the reward is there to encourage people to do right thing. If they get the money I’m sure you guys would be happy to turn it over to them if you get the clue that you need.
Beth – Oh more than happy to Kimberly and what’s even more puzzling though to me is as to why they are detaining this Columbian witness I mean they’re bound to have come to some conclusion now as whether he is a credible witness.
Kimberly – What bothers me to both of you this has been going on for so long. April you guys were aware of it, KJ’s aware of it, now this guys in custody as a witness for a month. What does this tell you about the strength of the information?
Beth – Well I would be inclined to believe that they’re coming something that he is somewhat creditable and has information. Like I said I just don’t know why would you detain this individual as a witness for this long of period of time. I mean if he were really going to bring no bearing to the case in the past when we had someone come forward he’s gone before the judge of instruction and defense and prosecuting attorney to give sworn statements so we just don’t know where this is going with this one.
Kimberly – Dave I’ve got 15 seconds left here we’re heard that there is actual physical evidence perhaps some cloth and/or DNA evidence a condom used do you know anything about that? Do you expect that to get results.
Dave – Yes there is two pieces from what he understands. He understands there was a pipe or a piece of metal use to weight her down and I think the Police have recovered that and from what he understands they are doing forensic evidence on it. The condom and all that kind of other stuff I don’t know where they stand on that or even if it’s been turned in.
6-25-06
On 6-25 the BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA “Birmingham News” reported:
New book inspired by Natalee Holloway
A Birmingham publisher has a new book out in honor of the Mountain Brook teen who disappeared last year while on a graduation trip to Aruba. "For Natalee ... A Community of Love" is a 55-page book written by Donna M. Greene. Greene, of Birmingham, is the founder and director of Community Ministry for Girls. "For Natalee" costs $20, and proceeds will go to the International Safe Travels Foundation, founded by Holloway's mother, Beth Twitty. The publisher, Will Publishing, describes "For Natalee" as an "open thank you" to all who have helped and supported the family of Natalee Holloway during the past year."
If you are interested in the book "For Natalee; A Community of Love," you can contact willpubl@aol.com or call (334) 215-3383.
By 6-25 the “Aruba Strategic Communication Task Force” website entitled “arubatruth” was removed.
Do the select ARUBAN tourism, government and laws enforcement “elite” now feel that they no longer need the “Aruba Strategic Communications Task Force” originally stated goals it would minimize and counteract the effect of all the ARUBA-perceived “negative and incorrect information” that is being disseminated about ARUBA in connection with the disappearance of NATALEE and the investigation?
6-26-06
On 6-26 BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA NBC TV channel 13 reported:
New Developments Surface In Natalee Holloway Case
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Over the weekend, new information surfaced in the Natalee Holloway case: a new witness is being held in Aruba.
The witness has been in jail since April, and he said he saw Joran van der Sloot, one of the original suspects, the night Holloway disappeared. He also said he saw what he thinks was Holloway and van der Sloot on the beach the night in question.
Beth Twitty, Holloway's mother, said she’s not sure what to make of the latest information, but she is hopeful something will come from this latest turn of events.
“I don’t know if she’s even recoverable at this point or not, but what we do keep thinking is that we’ll at least find out what happened that night. There has to have been somebody that has some information, that knows what transpired that night,” said Twitty.
Ten people have been arrested and questioned in Holloway's disappearance.
On 6-26 the “Aruba Boycott blogspot” reported:
HOW MUCH MORE DISRESPECTFUL CAN ARUBA GET?
[WARNING photo of dead and decomposing, human nude female]
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7977/1351/400/body.jpg
What a great picture for tourists!
This gruesome photo was published in Bon Dia over the weekend. Usually, in civilized places, when a person dies and the authorities don't know who the person is, they submit a sketch of the person based on a composite by a professional Police sketch artist such as this:
[artist sketch]
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7977/1351/400/sketch.gif
An actual missing woman--link here
I didn't want to post this macabre picture, but I did in order to show just how sick, heartless and cruel Aruba is. This is someone's mother, someone's sister, someone's daughter...and to show her dead in advanced stages of decomposition on the front page of a paper is just downright evil, unethical, and morally wrong. I shudder to think of all the other murders and unsolved deaths in Aruba that go unreported. Why visit this place...the cesspool capital of the Caribbean.
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7977/1351/400/09-18-02%20Cesspool.gif
On 6-26 “Poker Player” reported:
(about one of the many goals)
Internet Gaming Prohibition
There are two lingering thoughts on the minds of online poker players right now. The first is, "Will I be able to win my seat into the 2006 WSOP main event?" and the second is, "Will playing online poker be illegal?"
On May 25, 2006, the House Judiciary Committee passed HR 4777 (Internet Gambling Prohibition Act) and HR 4411 (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act). Rep. Jim Leach (R-Iowa) sponsored HR4411 and Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Virginia) has been spearheading HR 4777 over the past few months. During the committee hearings, Goodlatte mentioned, "I oppose gambling because I think it causes many, many problems in our society." Both bills are headed to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives for debate, then possibly voted upon. Both bills aim to strengthen the Wire Act of 1961, since many online gaming sites and customers have been testing the elasticity of that law over the last few decades. Leach's bill would make it illegal for credit card companies to allow their customers to fund their accounts at online gaming sites which covers poker, sports books, horse racing, and casino sites. Goodlatte's bill would take legislation a step further and force credit card companies and other financial institutions to report any of these transactions to the government.
The more disturbing part of Goodlatte's bill is that they would also force your internet service provider (ISP) to deny their customers access to off-shore gaming sites. In the worst case scenario, if the Goodlatte bill becomes a law, you will not be able to access your favorite online poker site from your computer and not be able to fund it through your credit card. If your bank notices a wire transfer to or from an illegal off-shore gaming site, they would be required by law to submit your name and account information to the government.
Billions of dollars are generated every year overseas as online gaming companies operate in countries such as Costa Rica or Aruba. The majority of online gamblers are Americans and their money is flowing into foreign banks. Those nations and their financial institutions reap the benefits of our cash flow, while our nation receives zero percent of the income and tax revenue generated. In addition, thousands of online gaming industry jobs are being filled by overseas workers. Legalizing online poker would generate tax revenue and allow online gaming sites to set up a base of operations in America, thereby creating jobs.
Poker is played by over 70 million Americans and a majority of them play online. I'm the type of individual that doesn't like the government or Big Brother poking his nose into my personal life. If hard-working Americans want to come home after a long day of work to play poker online for a few hours a night, then they should be allowed to do so. In my opinion, the government needs to take time to conduct a thorough study on poker and internet gambling before they can come to their own conclusions, just like the American Gaming Association (AGA) suggested. Two of the largest casino corporations, MGM and Harrah's, decided to apply pressure to Congress through the AGA and asked for a formal study of online gambling. If this happens, it would slow down the legislative process. After some basic research, I'm positive that the politicians in Washington will understand that poker is a game of skill, and not chance. The government should legalize poker, then set up an organization to regulate the multi-billion dollar industry. Legalization would allow the government to levy taxes on both the online sites, the financial institutions that are involved, and the individual players.
Senator John Ensign (R-Nevada) recently told Bloomberg News, "It doesn't look like you can ban it. If it is being done offshore, why not bring it to the U.S., where it can be regulated?"
6-27-06
On 6-27 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:
MEP: ‘This is also not good’
ARUBA – “AVP’s strategy or plan becomes little by little clear for everybody. The government is forced to reduce the personnel expenses, and now that the government is doing that, the people are being incited to go on strike. But everybody knows what the political preference of the Police union is.”
MEP reacts with these words on the recent developments with the Police. Cabinet Oduber IV requests the cooperation to drastically reduce the government expenses. The government starts with the Police, because this department is mishandling the overtime in a structural manner. “The favorite day is the day that pays out 200 percent of the hourly pay, with the consequence that in less than 4 months, more than 4 million florins were paid in overtime. Instead of supporting the government, the union incites the members to go on strike. This only hurts our country.” The MEP hopes that the government will start an inquiry on the integrity of the Police. MEP is of the opinion that the Police cannot turn their back on the population when these can no longer pay the salaries and overtime. The party also wonders: “It’s also not good now that the government wants to reduce the expenses of personnel. What do we have to do then?”
On 6-27 ARUBAAN's news-source “A. M. Digital” reported:
Monica Kock, MPA
Ministry of Tourism Budget is Slashed
But Minister Swaen (Financial) has an additional 10 million
On 6-27 CNNHN reported:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY, MOTHER OF NATALEE HOLLOWAY: We want justice, and we have to recognize the fact that, you know, this crime has been committed on the island of Aruba and we know the perpetrators.
JORAN VAN DER SLOOT , LAST SEEN WITH NATALEE HOLLOWAY: I only knew her for one night. I should have just stayed home and this wouldn't have happened to me. It would have happened to another person.
DAVE HOLLOWAY, NATALEE HOLLOWAY'S FATHER: There are some statements out there that one of her friend's alibis does not match up. Both things lead me to believe that he knows more than what he's telling us.
TWITTY: We just have to, though, keep going. The only way we will get justice for Natalee is if we do keep going.
VAN DER SLOOT: I just hope that the truth coming out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Well, Joran van der Sloot, maybe it will. Apparently, there is yet another witness now behind bars in Aruba that claims he observed the murder of Natalee Holloway. Can he be trusted? Is he for real?
Joining us right now is Natalee's mother, Beth Twitty. Beth, thank you for being with us.
TWITTY: Hi, Nancy.
GRACE: Beth, every time you discover that there is a new witness, does your heart jump and think maybe there is an end to this?
TWITTY: Well, you know, I was thinking about that just a while ago while I was listening to your show. And, you know, for the first six to nine months, I didn't believe anything. I always knew and was able to remain guarded.
But I'll be honest. The longer it goes on, I think that I'm a lot more vulnerable now to just latching onto things that I hear when I know if, I can really stop and keep myself grounded, that, you know, it's not true. And it's probably leading nowhere with this new witness. But I just can't help but let myself go the longer the time passes.
GRACE: Well, recently, Joran van der Sloot, the chief suspect earlier named by the Aruban Police, who seemed to have botched the case from the very get-go, was in New York and was served with legal papers. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Back off. Back off. It's official. Keep walking, bro. Just keep walking.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These are legal papers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please don't touch me. Please don't touch me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't you put your hands on me. Don't you put your hands on me, pal.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These are legal papers, you understand? You understand me?
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a legal process, and you've been served.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: That is private Investigator Bo Dietl trying to serve legal papers on Joran van der Sloot, the Aruban judge's son, who was once named the prime suspect in the disappearance of an American girl, Natalee Holloway.
With us, Natalee's mom. Beth, you seem to me like you are not be putting a lot of credibility in this new witness, Carlos from Colombia's, statement. What is his statement? What does he claim to have seen?
TWITTY: Well, I think what he was conveying to some of the persons that have interviewed him was that he's actually an eyewitness as to what happened or what transpired that night. And I think that he was describing a tall male. And the young lady he was with, he thought at the time, could have been Natalee.
And I think he had some pretty detailed accounts as to what happened. And it even led to the recovery -- I believe John had mentioned earlier -- a recovery of a cable that was from the location where this witness described that he had seen this activity transpire between these two individuals.
And I think that was sent to the forensic institute in Holland. No, we have not heard back, though, any results as to, you know, what they found from this piece of cable.
GRACE: To the Holloway-Twitty attorney joining us tonight, a veteran trial lawyer himself, John Q. Kelly. John, thank you for being with us.
JOHN Q. KELLY, HOLLOWAY FAMILY ATTORNEY: Sure, Nancy.
GRACE: John, tell me about the cable that was found as a result of Carlos, the witness's story, the alleged witness?
KELLY: Well, Carlos took the Aruban Police to the location. He indicated that he had witnessed certain events. He had indicated that he saw the male take a female body, dispose of it at sea, and dispose of it by weighting it down with some steel cable.
They actually had Aruban divers go into the sea at that location, recovered steel cable matching generally the description given by the eyewitness. So that was a form of corroboration.
They've x-rayed the cable. They've sent it to the Netherlands forensic institute for further testing. And, you know what, Nancy? It`s been two months, and we haven't heard anything about the results of that testing, which is sort of par for the course, but we'd like to hear something.
GRACE: Well, according to Beth, as well as Natalee's dad, they never tell them anything. Why do you think this would be any different, John?
KELLY: Well, you know, I've had a line of communication with Karin Janssen, the prosecutor. And, you know, everything just takes so long. Remember, the search in the sand dunes took six months. You know, I've been waiting on the results of the cable examination for a month and a half now. And they just sort of move at their own pace and don't realize, you know, you've got a family that's very anxious, going through hell here, and lot of other people who want to see some justice done and get some answers here.
GRACE: Let's go to our producer, Eric Marrapodi. Eric, what else does this guy, Carlos the Colombian, as he's referred to, what else does he say he saw?
ERIC MARRAPODI, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Well, this young man says that he saw the murder of Natalee Holloway and the disposal of her body, as John was explaining. And what's important is to how much detail he gave in that statement. And that's really what's at issue here and whether or not those details can be corroborated.
Nancy, a source very close to the case tells me tonight that the devil is in the details, that some of those details that he's claiming to have seen, the Investigators believe are just too detailed for him to have seen from his vantage point.
GRACE: Right. Let's go to Kelly in Texas. Hi, Kelly, what's your question?
CALLER: Yes, I would like to ask Beth Holloway how does she deal with every day of not having her daughter and how does cope with...
GRACE: OK, thanks, Kelly, for calling in.
To Beth Twitty, response?
TWITTY: Well, I mean, we really rely on the supporters. And it's just been amazing, their endless support for the family. And I mean, days are difficult. Some days, especially, you know, when it gets quiet for a couple of weeks. You really begin to get discouraged that, you know, that this will just be forgotten and Aruba will not be accountable for any action that, you know, had taken place on their island.
And, you know, it's difficult to have that hope that, you know, we will get to the bottom of it. But, you know, we just rely on the supporters to continue to keep us going.
GRACE: And, Keith Lindsay, what do you do as a prosecutor when you've got a witness that has credibility problems but also has some valid points? How do you deal with that?
LINDSAY: Well, I think that the more points of corroboration that you can place in front of a jury in a visual manner that has been corroborated by the Investigators, by the physical evidence, of course, will also bolster his credibility. But if you can't corroborate his testimony, and if he's got a motive to lie, then, of course, you have real problems.
On 6-27 MSNBC reported:
And you‘re about to watch as Joran van der Sloot gets slapped with a law suit, literally. Why is the tape out now? Will Joran ever face a trial for the vanishing of Natalee Holloway?
…
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY, MOTHER OF NATALEE HOLLOWAY: We still haven‘t heard a final answer on whether this Colombian witness is really credible or not. We still haven‘t heard from the judge. So, it‘s difficult. But there‘s still some things to come.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSBY: And tonight, a secret in the Natalee Holloway case has been exposed. There has been a new arrest, one that‘s very much been kept under wraps. Aruban Police have nabbed a Colombian national to find out what he may have seen the night the Alabama teen vanished. And if you can believe it, he‘s been behind bars since last month.
So, just who is this person and how did it all go down? On the phone with us right now from Aruba is Julia Renfro with the “Aruba Today” newspaper. Julia, who is this guy?
JULIA RENFRO, (the transplanted AMERICAN in ARUBA who moved to ARUBA 17+ years ago and owns an interest in many ARUBA businesses including an ARUBAAN's news-source) (on phone): Hi, Rita. Well, the only thing we know at this point is his name is Carlos and he‘s from Columbia and he has pertinent information claiming to have witnessed a possible murder. He‘s not very specific in that it was Natalee, but it was the night that Natalee disappeared. He claims to have heard screaming, he claims to have heard somebody being dragged out in the ocean and being held under water.
COSBY: And where exactly does he say that he heard the screaming and saw someone being dragged? And did he describe somebody blond like Natalee? And someone looking like Joran or the Kalpoe brothers?
RENFRO: He claims to have seen a small young lady with a tall young man. He was not able to clarify whether or not the type of vehicle. You have to imagine up by the lighthouse, it‘s extremely dark. And apparently, he had a fight or some kind of controversy with his wife and had driven up there to just relax and watch the ocean and watch the waves. And he was woken up by screaming, as he says. And he started peeking around the rocks and that‘s when he claims he saw.
COSBY: And why did Police decide to arrest him now a year later? How did word get out of what this guy is claiming?
RENFRO: Well, he came forward several months ago actually, already. Excuse me. He spoke to members of the media, who brought him to the authorities, basically pushing him to the direction that it‘s his responsibility to tell what he saw.
COSBY: And Julia, are authorities taking him seriously? Credible? Or are they saying, wait a minute, this seems a little too wacky to believe.
RENFRO: Well, you have to understand that the authorities are not speaking with anybody at this point. The prosecutor‘s office is not speaking to the press or anybody else. And they are basically just making a strong dedication and commitment to the case to solve it.
COSBY: How long can they hold this guy?
RENFRO: And they‘re not interested in you, they‘re not interested in me.
COSBY: How long can they hold him, Julia? What‘s the law, how long can they keep him?
RENFRO: Well that‘s up to the judge. And it works out to be 180 days. I doubt that will happen. What they‘re doing at this point, they are searching and they‘re investigating the points and details that this man has brought forward. And if any of the details that he‘s brought forward are brought forward to be credible, of course, he will be continued to be detained. And it‘s not because he‘s a suspect. It‘s because unfortunately, he‘s an illegal alien. He‘s living on the island of Aruba without permission. And just like in the United States, which you guys very well know, you can‘t just go and live on somebody else‘s country.
COSBY: Absolutely. So, they are holding him on those grounds. Julia, please keep us posted, thank you very much. An interesting development. And as Aruban Police press this new witness for information and see where it goes, we‘re getting our first look at the actual moment suspect Joran van der Sloot was slapped with the Holloway family‘s civil lawsuit in quite dramatic fashion. You may remember it all happened back in February during Joran‘s trip to New York. This exchange caught on videotape was pretty heated. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JORAN VAN DER SLOOT , SUSPECTED IN NATALEE HOLLOWAY CASE: Don‘t touch me, please don‘t touch me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These are legal papers.
VAN DER SLOOT: Don‘t touch me, please don‘t touch me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That‘s him.
VAN DER SLOOT: Please don‘t touch me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don‘t put your hands on me. Don‘t you put your hands on me. Well don‘t get in the way, these are legal papers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSBY: And the tape is being released as Natalee‘s family waits to find out whether the civil lawsuit has a future, will hold up in New York court.
Private Investigator Bo Dietl, who actually was the guy delivering the paperwork directly to Joran says this tape that he has is the key to the case.
BO DIETL, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR: When the plant hit the ground, I had him served on the plane by himself. There was really no witnesses.
COSBY: But why serve him again? Why does he need to be served again at the airport? Some people say this was over the top?
DIETL: Well my opinion on this one was this is a very important case. It was just him and somebody else on the plane. So, there was no other witnesses. This way, we videotaped it and there wouldn‘t be any kind of a decision that he was not served properly or whatever. And I felt as thought this is an important enough case that we should serve him again. This way we have video evidence of him being served.
COSBY: You know, you kept asking him a lot of questions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DIETL: Where did you bury her?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSBY: Is that crossing the line, do you think? Was that heavy handed?
DIETL: Well, I‘m a father of two daughters. And I‘m sick and tired of listening to the lies. This guy changed his story about nine times. He knows what happened there. And there‘s no doubt in my mind. And if I had that—that was the father out of me coming out of me. And just the way he tried to avoid the service when the producer gave me a shove there.
And then he had a coat over his head, he looked like Darth Vader. He
was trying to hide himself. He came over here to do an interview to try to
explain his noninvolvement with the disappearance of Natalee. And I just -
my fatherly thing came out. You know what? Maybe it was a little over the top, but I was waiting to try to provoke him and try to get the anger that I know he has inside of him out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DIETL: And the next time you push me, I‘m going put your head right...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSBY: Did you see any anger? What kind of reaction and did he say anything to you?
DIETL: Well he looked at me with these eyes, oh he wanted to, I thought he was going to react to me. And I obviously wasn‘t going to go over the line with myself. I asked him some questions. Where did you hide the body? Why don‘t you tell us where you put the body?
COSBY: What did he say? What did he do, Bo?
DIETL: He just gave me some vicious looking eyes. But you know what, I had no problem with that.
COSBY: You know, you looked at this guy face to face. Obviously a lot of people have suspected him of some pretty big stuff. Do you believe he‘s capable of kidnapping and murder?
DIETL: I believe that he‘s very capable of raping a girl, he‘s a very big man. He‘s 6‘6. He looks like a very strong man. He‘s not a boy, he‘s a man, 6‘6, and I believe his oversize and his overpower, that he‘s done this before and very possibly he utilized these very prevalent date-rape drugs that are all over the Caribbean. And these kids and families that go there, they‘ve got to be aware. And the Aruban authorities, they screwed up this investigation from the beginning. And if they can‘t keep their investigations and their policing in line, we shouldn‘t go to Aruba.
COSBY: Right now this guy‘s roaming free. Is it possible, as we look at it Bo, that this guy is just being falsely accused and you and others are going over the top on it?
DIETL: Well all I know is every week, every month, something new pops out, some erroneous lead, some erroneous new person. Let‘s be honest with you.
The fact of the matter is, Joran van der Sloot was one of the last ones that was seen with Natalee Holloway. He‘s put himself with her. He‘s made admissions of being with her on the beach. He is the one that least seen her alive, so he certainly has a lot more information. If he tells the truth and if we can find out the truth, we may be able to uncover where and how Natalee was lost.
COSBY: You know, we see in the video, he‘s resisting accepting the papers. How did you read that?
DIETL: Well, when he‘s resisting the papers, the producer came up and gave me a shove.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VAN DER SLOOT: Please don‘t touch me, please don‘t touch me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That‘s him.
VAN DER SLOOT: Please don‘t touch me, please don‘t touch me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don‘t put your hands on me. Don‘t you put your hands on me, pal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DIETL: And I say, I‘m doing a legal process here of court papers. You can‘t push me.
COSBY: Yes, it got pretty heated with you and the producer.
DIETL: Well the producer—I think he landed on his backside.
COSBY: As a result of you?
DIETL: Yes, he had very slippery shoes. He should have been wearing sneakers. He had some shoes that he slipped and he went down on his butt. And then van der Sloot wouldn‘t take the papers and I just ended up stuffing them in his jacket.
And I think that was a very good, proper service. And then after that, I walked him out and I just tried to ask him a couple of questions. You know we are also conducting the investigation for John Kelly, my firm. So I do know a lot about the case. I just thought it would be a nice, opportune moment to ask him a few questions, like where did you bury the body, Joran van der Sloot, whatever his name is.
COSBY: Bo Dietl, thanks so much, Bo.
DIETL: Rita, thank you.
6-28-06
On 6-28 MSNBC reported:
(video available here)
MORET: Coming up: Aruban Police have a new witness in Natalee Holloway's disappearance. He says he was on the beach the night Natalee disappeared. What took him so long to come forward? We will talk to Natalee‘s mother about the latest development.
Your e-mails, send them to ABRAMSREPORT@MSNBC.com. Remember, include your name and where you‘re writing from. And I will respond at the end of the show.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MORET: Coming up: A new witness in Natalee Holloway's disappearance, he says he was on the beach the night she went missing. So, why is he only coming forward now?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MORET: It‘s been over a year since Alabama teen Natalee Holloway was last seen in Aruba. And we‘re now learning a 10th person is being held in connection with her disappearance, a new witness. He‘s been jailed since early May. And what he‘s telling Police about what he saw the night Natalee disappeared could be the break that Natalee‘s family has been waiting for.
Joining me now on the phone with the latest is Julia Renfro, editor in chief of “Aruba Today.”
Julia, thanks for joining us.
What‘s this witness saying?
JULIA RENFRO, (the transplanted AMERICAN in ARUBA who moved to ARUBA 17+ years ago and owns an interest in many ARUBA businesses including an ARUBAAN's news-source): Well, the Aruban authorities haven‘t really given us any details.
But what we understand is, he has come forward—around April, he was brought to the Police by a member of the media. And this man claims to seen Natalee being taken out into the water and disposed of. It—it seems like a wild story, but the authorities find his information credible.
MORET: Why?
RENFRO: Why? Because he had some specific details, and, apparently, he had had—he was holding on to several pieces of—or items that might have forensic evidence on them.
MORET: Well, you know, this happened a year ago. What took this man so long to come forward?
RENFRO: Well, he is an illegal alien on Aruba. And just like in the United States, once he came forward, he was detained, you know, because he‘s going to be deported. And—and I think he was fearing being deported.
MORET: Well, let‘s go over the details.
You say—I believe he said he saw a tall, thin man with light hair and a woman with light hair on the beach. Is that something about what he said?
RENFRO: Yes. He—he says he was—he was on the beach in the early morning hours, and he was actually asleep in his car, and heard some noise and screaming, woke up.
MORET: Screaming as in for help, or screaming—playful screaming?
What kind of screaming?
RENFRO: It—it wasn‘t clear. Like I said, the authorities haven‘t given us that information.
MORET: Then, the other thing that I read is that—that he saw two people go into the water, and only one come out?
RENFRO: Yes.
MORET: Is that correct?
RENFRO: Yes.
MORET: So—so, the—the implication is, he saw two people go in and then, what, that Natalee was left in the water? Is that what Police are—are gleaning from this?
RENFRO: Yes.
And—and, apparently, he also claimed that he felt that she was being held down by something heavy, a pipe or something. And I don‘t know if the authorities have been able to retrieve this or if they‘re still looking for it. That also is unclear.
MORET: And what about the items you say that he found on the beach?
Are they personal items belonging to Natalee?
RENFRO: That‘s what they‘re saying. Like I said, the authorities have not released that information, you know, for the reasons of, you know, right now, that‘s the only evidence we have, so...
MORET: Well, are they calling this man a suspect or a witness?
RENFRO: No, absolutely not. They are calling him a witness. If he was a suspect, the authorities would have released his initials by now, and they haven‘t.
And the reason why he‘s being detained is, because he is an illegal alien, he cannot live on the island, and he‘s needed if—if this case goes to trial. He‘s going to be needed as a witness, so they don‘t want to let him go back to Colombia, or they don‘t want to force him to go back to Colombia, because they need him.
MORET: And based on this sketchy description that he‘s giving, Natalee would have been alive when they went into the water, if she was screaming.
RENFRO: Like I said, that‘s unclear as well. We—we really don‘t know that at all.
MORET: And are they—they‘re calling this the most credible witness so far, or are they not really saying?
RENFRO: Like I said, they haven‘t released any information. We feel that this is important, because, you know, he‘s been detained since early May. So, we‘re working on almost two months of detainment.
We don‘t know how far they are or what the next step is, but what we do know is, the authorities are continuing to investigate this case and to find out what happened to Natalee Holloway.
MORET: Julia Renfro, thanks a lot for the update.
We will talk next to Natalee‘s mother, Beth Twitty, about this latest news in the search for Natalee.
Plus, our conversation yesterday about a judge who blocked a law that would keep sex offenders away from places like school bus stops got a lot of you riled up. We will read those e-mails.
And our continuing series, “Manhunt: Sex Offenders on the Loose”—our efforts to find missing sex offenders before they strike again.
This week, we are in Wisconsin. Police need your help finding David Hardin, 42 years old, 5‘8“, weighs 190 pounds. He was convicted of sexual degree—a second-degree sexual assault of a child. He has not registered his address with the state. You see his picture there.
If you have any information on his whereabouts, call the Wisconsin State Police, 608-240-5830.
We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MORET: We‘re back with more on the news of a new witness in the mystery behind Natalee Holloway's Aruba disappearance over a year ago.
A man from Colombia living on Aruba illegally says he was awakened while sleeping in his car by screams the night Natalee was last seen. When he got out to see what was going on, he says he saw a tall, slim, light-haired male walking out to sea with a small, light-haired female. The man then returned to the shore alone and drove off.
Now, this witness went over to the area where he says he saw the two. And he says he gathered several items, which are now being tested in a forensic lab in the Netherlands. He has been detained since May.
Joining me now is Beth Twitty, Natalee‘s mother.
Beth, it‘s good to see you again. Thanks for joining us.
BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY, MOTHER OF NATALEE HOLLOWAY: Thank you, Jim.
MORET: Beth, when you hear these things—and I know you been on this roller coaster. You and I talked in Aruba. We talked in Birmingham at your home. You even talked at our—my home in Los Angeles. This is a roller coaster.
And every time a new development comes, you say, we will have to wait and see. This is new and different though, isn‘t it?
HOLLOWAY-TWITTY: Well, in a way it is. And—but I think about how much time has transpired now. It‘s been, gosh, you know, 12 or 13 months. And, you know, I think that we‘re all just a little skeptical about this.
And I think John Kelly, our attorney, of course, he‘s—he‘s much more skeptical than we are about it. I think he knows we have been down this road many times, and only to reach a dead end. So, he‘s really just pulling back on this one.
MORET: Yes. And I guess what bothers me most is, you hear somebody coming forward now or even a month ago, when—when authorities say he came forward. You know, it‘s been so long. Why did he wait so long? It couldn‘t simply be because he was there illegally and was worried.
If he really thought somebody was killed, he should have come forward sooner. And that‘s what bothers me about this.
HOLLOWAY-TWITTY: Well, and the one thing that really troubles me, Jim, is, I‘m thinking, if this really did transpire, he seems like he would have tried to intervene that very fateful night, if he was actually seeing this happen.
Now, I can‘t imagine just somebody standing by. Even if he were on the island illegally, you know, during the middle of the night like that, it seems like he could have come forward at that time.
So, a couple of things about it don‘t add up to me. And, you know, I think that John Kelly is just—he‘s pretty skeptical about this. But, like I said, we‘re just waiting to see. We‘re still waiting on the information on the forensics that they did on a piece of steel cable that was recovered from the location where the Colombian witness was describing he had seen this tall male with whom he thought was Natalee.
MORET: Well, and he says he gathered some items on the beach. And—and I suppose that—that tests could show some connection there with Natalee as well. And you‘re waiting for that, too.
HOLLOWAY-TWITTY: Right. Right.
And we have not heard a word back, not a peep from any results from that. So, you know, we‘re so hoping—hoping that will reveal something.
MORET: Beth, do you think that this—this investigation is still a real and active investigation? Or do—do you have faith that these—these leaks that come out, these announcements that come out every so often, indicate the case is really moving forward?
HOLLOWAY-TWITTY: You know, Jim, the only thing that I have hope for is, I have hope that we will still get justice through a New York judge being able to say yes to having this case heard in the United States.
I will be honest. That is our last shot and what we feel as if is our only hope at getting justice right now. That‘s it.
MORET: And when you hear this—when you hear this description of a young, tall, light-haired male walking with who would presumably be your daughter, do you think that Joran—you still believe Joran is involved in this, don‘t you, Joran van der Sloot?
HOLLOWAY-TWITTY: Well, I think we have to, you know, go back to the facts and the early facts surrounding the case.
And with Joran‘s repeated lies that he told the officials, you know, with him being known to be the last male seen with Natalee alive, we know the condition she was in, it doesn‘t look good for him. And I think that we all go back to those facts, and we see him as the original perpetrator into her disappearance.
MORET: Beth Twitty, I have seen you for so long as an advocate for your daughter and also other teens. And I hope everyone knows that, too.
And thank you so much for joining us today. I hope that the results are—are revealed shortly.
HOLLOWAY-TWITTY: Thank you, Jim.
On 6-28 the TORNTO, CANADA “Globe and Mail” reported:
Wake up, Canadians
Toronto -- With a disregard of law for the tourist in Aruba, the pirating of pleasure craft in the waters off Cuba and the kidnappings in Mexico (Spate Of Kidnappings Shifts Focus To Crime For Mexican Voters -- front page, June 27), a Canadian holiday -- Lake Louise in Alberta or the Lighthouse Route in Nova Scotia, say -- is looking better every minute. Perhaps the unfettered lawlessness in other countries will promote a keener appreciation of our own country and provide all the reasons needed why it would be healthier to vacation on our own turf.
6-29-06
On 6-29 ARUBAAN's news-source “Diario” reported:
OTRO TESTIGO DEN CASO NATALEE TA ADMITI DI A GAÑA
ORANJESTAD (AAN) -- No mucho tempo pasa tabata circula informacion encuanto un testigo Latino kende lo tabata tin informacion hopi pisa riba e caso di e studiante Mericano desapareci, esta Natalee y e persona en cuestion lo a wak “un ke otro tuma lugar na beach”.
Via via e testigo su informacionnan a yega na redaccion di DIARIO y despues e testigo mes a presenta na DIARIO.
Pa e por a yega na redaccion no tabata facil pasobra e persona aki na prome instancia a haci masha dificil mes pa coopera cu e investigacion.
Na prome instancia e testigo tabata pidi balente placa prome cu e duna cualkier informacion y el a kere cu na DIARIO tabatin un baca di oro unda cu e lo por a bin saca cuanto placa cu e tabata kier.
Na Redaccion el a haya di tende cu nos meta ta pa yuda autoridadnan soluciona e caso y pa loke ta trata recompensa den cualkier forma financiero e lo bay depende di instancianan y personanan concerni cu a pone cierto sumanan disponibel pa informacion den e caso Natalee.
Despues di a duna su declaracion na DIARIO, Redaccion a tuma contacto cu autoridadnan competente y pasa nan e informacionnan y despues polis y ministerio publico a atende cu e supuesto testigo.
Awor ta bin resulta cu despues di basta ora di trabao cu autoridadnan a hinca den e interogacion y tratamento di informacionnan cu e testigo aki a duna nan, a bin resulta cu polisnan a bin ripara cu loke e testigo a declara no tabata cuadra cu e realidad y no a dura mucho cu despues e testigo mes a admiti cu el a gaña.
E caso aki lo bay haya un rabo; keda pendiente pasobra no ta tur informacion a sali ainda riba e caso di e testigo aki kende awor lo ta tratando pa scapa curpa di e para cu el a kere di por tira riba autoridadnan na Aruba.
On 6-29 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:
Eman (AVP): ‘Aruba in constitutional crises’
ARUBA – “The Aruban parliament is brought to a standstill. There is mention of a deadlock. The most fundamental right of the parliament to request a meeting and also get it, so that the members of parliament can debate on the policy of the country, is annulled due to the position of the chairman of Parliament”, said AVP-party leader Mike Eman.
He said this last Wednesday in front of the entrance of the parliament building. Eman was there together with a delegation of his party and a group of sympathizers and for the seventh time requested the chairman of Parliament for a public meeting during which the ‘measures in the form of increasing the import taxes and excises of the Oduber IV-cabinet’ would be discussed.
After also the 7th request didn’t work out, the AVP-party is now considering an appeal to Governor Fredis Refunjol. According to Eman, Aruba is in a constitutional crisis and most of the fundamental institutions in our constitutional order do not function effectively any longer. “Guaranteeing the legal security is a responsibility of the Kingdom. An appeal can be made to the governor as part of this.”
Eman is of the opinion that the request for a public meeting cannot be neglected. “That is a flagrant violation of the parliamentary right to meet.”
According to AVP, the meeting that they have requested is separate from the process with regard to the National decision. “According to the constitution, the meeting requested by our party has to be continued. The chairman cannot stop this with the excuse that he is waiting for the government to send the National Ordinance.”
The AVP has been trying to meet about the measures of the government since April. The first time was on April 2nd. The chairman of Parliament didn’t react on that though. Therefore, based on article 23 of the ‘Rules of the order for the Parliament, the AVP requested a public meeting with ‘measures in the form of increasing the import taxes and excises of the Oduber IV-cabinet’ as agenda item. The meeting took place on May 10th and was adjourned immediately after it started. The reason for this was that the Parliament had not received all the documents that were needed. AVP says that the documents were received a day later, but the adjourned meeting didn’t continue. An adjourned meeting has to be called again within 30 days after the adjournment, said AVP to the chairman of Parliament, but this didn’t happen. The chairman did organize another public meeting though upon request of the government. Eman calls this a violation of the fundamental right of Members of Parliament.
On 6-29 the “AP” reported:
Citizenship Case Sinks Dutch Parliament Early
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (June 29) - The Dutch prime minister said Thursday his government will resign after his coalition split over the citizenship case of a Somali-born lawmaker.
Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said he will tender his resignation to Queen Beatrix on Friday, signaling the collapse of his 3-year-old government and likely early elections within several months, rather than next May as scheduled.
The political turmoil began last month when the immigration minister known for her hard-line policies threatened to revoke the passport of Somali-born lawmaker Ayaan Hirsi Ali, after the legislator admitted falsifying her name to escape an arranged marriage when she applied for asylum in 1992.
Hirsi Ali, 36, resigned her seat, but parliament ordered Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk to reconsider her decision. On Tuesday, Verdonk reversed it, having discovered a loophole: Under Somali law, Hirsi Ali's false name was technically legal because it was her grandfather's family name.
The governing coalition split Thursday as one party defected in a stinging rebuke of the immigration minister for her clumsy handling of the citizenship case.
Hirsi Ali's political downfall has exposed divisions among the Dutch about whether their strict immigration policies - now being imitated elsewhere in Europe - have gone too far or not far enough.
Hirsi Ali, whose name before leaving Somalia 14 years ago was Hirsi Magan, became an international figure after the 2004 murder of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh by a Muslim fanatic over a film that criticized the treatment of women under Islam. Hirsi Ali wrote the script.
Van Gogh's murder led to an anti-immigrant backlash, including the burning of mosques and a crackdown on radical Muslims. Hirsi Ali went into hiding for months, and still lives under 24-hour Police protection, now in the United States.
Verdonk faced criticism after Hirsi Ali signed a statement acknowledging that she had "misled" Verdonk by saying she had lied about her name.
"To ask someone to sign a statement like that, just to save your own face... it's not worthy of a minister," said Wouter Bos, leader of the opposition Labor party.
Hirsi Ali, meanwhile, has accepted a job in Washington with the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, a think tank.
On 6-29 JOHN Q. KELLY stated to FOX News:
(Thank You and Hat Tip to “Heli”)
Greta On The Record
NOT VERBATIM NOT COMPLETE
Greta:
Trouble is brewing. There is another arrest, Joining us is John Kelly. I understand someone has been arrested.
John:
There are new charges, I was contacted in early April by an intermediary, this man Carlos was looking for the reward money saying he was an eyewitness.
I found the story implausible, it couldn't be corroborated, I set him up with Karin and she found him more plausible, held him as a witness, talked to me several times, I told her I didn't believe him. I didn't want to meet with the guy
Recently he admitted he was lying and now he's being held on that basis.
Greta:
Tonight he's charged?
John
Yeah, with some sort of perjury or extortion, he was looking for the reward money from Diario, the 20,000 gilders that Jossy had run. He wanted to claim that. He wanted the bigger amount too, that's when I was contacted
Greta:
What was the story that was made up that you didn't believe?
John
That he was down on the beach at 3 a.m. his wife had kicked him out of the house, saw people on the beach, saw somebody strangle Natalee .....he claimed to have recovered evidence which he never produced ..
Greta:
How does Karin Janssen explain he's been in custody for all this time and now he's said he's lying
John
Now he's an arrested witness, at first they were holding him for immigration reasons...you know what, as implausible as it was, Janssen followed up, she took him to the scene, sent divers into the water. I'm not going to criticize her for that but it was so implausible you can't raise expectations especially when there's a financial gain to be had
Greta:
Any leads tonight
John
No, it's been very quiet, I haven't heard anything, we're real hopeful about this civil case, that's our last best chance to get justice
Greta:
The civil case is brought against Joran and Paul van der Sloot, it's now waiting to be decided Any sort of idea when she must decide, it was argued in May, she's had it for 6 weeks
John
Good sign, she's giving it a lot of consideration, she has a lot of facts to weigh.
Greta:
Wait a second, it's a good sign she's been sitting on it for 6 weeks?
John
It's not a bad sign, it's a no sign, I'm taking it as the glass half full, she hasn't dismissed it so it's a good sign.
Greta:
Any searches going on?
John
No, the last was in the ocean where this eyewitness had supposedly seen the disposal. They've had the dogs out a few times, but I think it's over.
6-30-06
On 6-30 the “American Chronicle” reported:
Castor Beans and Natalee’s Case
by Dale Netherton
Recently there was a television program about a doctor who was poisoned by his wife using castor beans, which contain the poison ricin. The story revealed the doctor had returned from the tropics and was suspected of contracting some disease from his visit. He was placed in the hospital and several tests were run, but there was no definitive diagnosis. As he improved in the hospital he returned home and soon became violently ill with the same symptoms he had experienced previously. The doctors working on the case assumed he was allergic to wheat gluten and prescribed a strict diet to exclude wheat from his diet. Again he returned to the hospital in pain and finding he had tried to test their hypothesis concluded the allergy theory was the most probable cause of his illness.
Watching this program I saw a lot of similarities with the assumptions the doctors were using and the ones the Investigators in the Natalee Holloway case maintained. The doctors ( including the doctor patient ) refused to believe the doctor’s wife could have anything to do with the illness. Although they knew it was very unusual for an allergy to begin so suddenly and they knew their theory of an allergy to wheat gluten could be easily tested ( but wasn’t ), they persisted in pursuing the search for an unknown bacillus or virus. They even diagnosed the problem once as Typhoid Fever but had to finally discard this diagnosis as inconsistent with his return to the hospital after treatment.
The doctor then got suspicious of his wife ( who he was in the process of divorcing ) and looking in one of her dresser drawers found a couple of packets of castor beans. When he was tested for ricin and found his blood contained some of the poison the mystery was solved. But the assumption of the wife’s innocence prevented it from being solved sooner. Once that assumption was questioned- the solution was easily determined for it was possible then to formulate a probable cause that explained why he was sick at home and not at the hospital, Why the symptoms had an rapid onset, why the misdiagnosed typhoid fever symptoms returned and finally why nothing they had theorized previously explained the mystery.
Like the doctor’s case, false assumptions are leading nowhere in the Natalee Holloway disappearance. The doctor and the other physicians on the case didn’t want to consider the wife may have been involved. Consequently they came up with theories that left gaps in their formulation of a most probable cause. Not everything could be made to fit under the false assumptions they used. Likewise not everything can be made to fit in the Natalee Holloway case using the assumptions that have so far been promoted. It doesn’t fit that teen age boys could kill a girl and not leave a trace of evidence. It doesn’t fit that a girl could disappear on a small island under her own power. It doesn’t fit that many “suspects” have been “arrested” and released. Unless you assume there might be some form of collusion by some authorities.
This assumption ( like the doctor’s presumed innocence of his wife ) prevents any investigation into those supposedly doing their best to find Natalee. When the doctor confronted his wife she cracked under the overwhelming evidence she had to admit and couldn’t explain. What do you suppose would happen if the investigation into Natalee’s disappearance raised similar concerns about the unexplained arrests and releases, the bizarre theories that contradicted known facts( like the “passed out” theory based on no known evidence )? What would be the response to an internal investigation similar to appointing a special prosecutor independent of Aruban interests?
Think about how many times you have assumed something to be wrong and found that your assumption prevented you from finding the solution to the problem. How many of us have called the TV repairman only to find we had assumed the plug was in the outlet? Or we assumed our gas gauge was correct and ran out of gas. Or we assumed we had turned off all the lights and find we had left one on? False assumptions keep us from finding the truth. They limit our investigation and create barriers to inquiry that may very well lead us to the solution we seek.
The number one cause of mistaken solutions to problems according the problem solving guru’s , Kepner Tregoe, is ‘ jumping to cause’. This is another way of saying, “Don’t assume you know what caused the disappearance of Natalee”.
By the same token when no results have been discovered with the methods you have utilized, it is time to review what you have not yet investigated and see if you cannot formulate a theory that includes this new approach. Otherwise you are left with resignation and failure.
On 6-30 TACOPINA stated to FOX News:
(Thank You and Hat Tip to “Heli”)
NOT VERBATIM NOT COMPLETE
Greta: Joran was in town for a television interview but he was on camera a lot sooner than he thought.
Joe Tacopina is here. Joe Correct me if I'm wrong, to serve Joran, you just go up say "you're Joran van der Sloot?" drop it on the floor and go, correct?
What did your client think of all that?
SCARBOROUGH: Welcome to America indeed, he was scared, he's an 18 year old kid, he didn't know who Bo Dietl was, he was served within seconds of that video. Bo said he was served, I don't know why the encounter went on as long as it did. It's the maelstrom of this case. He takes it in stride.
Greta: It was way oveboard though wasn't it?
SCARBOROUGH: Bo is a good Investigator, this wasn't his finest moment. Fist of all he was served on the plane and on the videotape, no reason to do that, it's unfortunate that this became such an event..it is what it is. It's not in dispute, the service I mean.
Greta: It's totally irrelevant to the suit, it can't have an impact on the suit the way the service was made
SCARBOROUGH: Nor are we trying to make it an issue
Greta: This is just an unfortunate event
SCARBOROUGH: Quite frankly it didn't make the plaintiffs' service particulary professional, it wasn't a nice move on their part. This kid was dumped on for a year and then this ...
Greta: What is Joran doing this summer?
SCARBOROUGH: He's working, trying to move on, go on and again every time we hear from Aruba we'd like resolution.
Greta: The Judge hasn't decided on your Motion yet?
SCARBOROUGH: I hope she has decided but hasn't rendered an opinion, I think it's a slam dunk but that's just me.
On 6-30 CNNHN reported:
NANCY GRACE, HOST: Breaking developments in the Natalee Holloway investigation.
Is a man now in custody telling the truth? He claims he saw judge`s son Joran Van Der
Sloot with Natalee on the beach the very night she disappeared.
On August 24, 2006 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:
The Netherlands is assisting with the Holloway-case
After a tip that Natalee Holloway’s body was buried in the sand hills, a big group of officers searched the area in January of this year.*
ARUBA – The Netherlands will soon send constables to Aruba to investigate the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. The Netherlands does this at her own expense. The Corps National Police Service in the Netherlands (KLPD) is going to help Aruba with the Holloway-case. They do this upon request of Justice-minister Rudy Croes (MEP). Croes has also asked Interpol to thoroughly examine the file.
Holloway disappeared more than a year ago during a school trip. The authorities have worked on that case since then, without finding any trace of the girl. Minister Croes has sent a letter to The Hague a week ago requesting assistance. He hopes that with Police assistance from the Netherlands, the case will be solved faster. “Aruba sympathizes with the parents and close family of the girl, despite the negative campaign against the island”, writes Croes in the letter. The request went to minister Johan Remkes (VVD) of Home Affairs and the minister of Kingdom Relations, Atzo Nicolai (VVD). As a result of the request, the KLPD will get full leadership of the investigation. Police officers of the Dutch corps will come to Aruba especially for the investigation. The Netherlands will also pay for the accommodation expenses of these officers in Aruba and also the expenses for the commitment. They will also get a location of their own, out of which they can work on the case. The Police officers are allowed to carry a gun and use it and they get power of criminal investigation. They will also get access to relevant information from the Holloway-file and all the information system.
Minister Croes promised in his letter that the Dutch officers will get full cooperation of the investigation authorities and the government. Croes has also formally requested the Interpol to investigate the file for irregularities. “Upon request of the attorney general, Interpol had meanwhile tried to get the not yet released data by the FBI (the American federal Police, editor)”, mentioned the minister in the letter.
The Public Prosecutor confirmed being aware of the request, but emphasized that it didn’t come from attorney general Theresa Croes–Fernandez Pedra, but from the Justice-minister himself. He had asked Interpol for assistance in July, when he visited the headquarters of the international Police organization in Lyon, France.
The OM is also aware of the cooperation between the corpses from the Netherlands and Aruba and mentioned that this was done on Police level and that the OM had not made the request. “The criminal investigation in the Holloway-case is still open. If the Dutch Police can help, they are more than welcome to do so”, said Mariaine Croes.
*NOTE.… the brief search near the “California lighthouse” on January 16, 2006 was performed by a group dominated by 50 Police-work-Inexperienced ARUBAN Police academy cadets, none of whom had even graduated yet.
