Detailed Timeline.... August 1 - 31, 2006.... the start of the long road of the assassination of Aruba - Dutch "justice"

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

8-2-06

On 8-2 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:



Paul van der Sloot is awarded damages

ARUBA – The Court is of the opinion that Paul van der Sloot was undeservedly imprisoned in the case of the disappeared American teenager Natalee Holloway and allowed his claim for damages. The government has to pay van der Sloot more than 50.000 florins.

The judge indicated though that the Court has only considered Paul van der Sloot and not the other family members, like his son Joran, who is still a suspect in this case. Holloway disappeared more than one year ago after one night out in Aruba.





On 8-2 the DUTCH news-sourced "Expatica" reported:



Father of Holloway suspect wins damages for detention

AMSTERDAM — Dutchman Paul van der Sloot, father of the chief suspect in the Natalee Holloway disappearance case, has been awarded financial damages.
A court on the autonomous Dutch island of Aruba ruled that Paul van der Sloot was arrested and detained for four days without due cause last year as part of the investigation. He was awarded 50,000 Aruban Guilders in compensation. This is equal to EUR 21,800 or USD 27,900.

His son, Joran, was the main suspect in the disappearance of Alabama teenager Natalee Holloway on the Caribbean island.

Holloway, 18, was holidaying on Aruba in May 2005 with school friends to celebrate their graduation. She disappeared on the night of 30 May, and extensive searches have failed to find any trace of her.

She was last seen leaving a bar at 1am with Dutch youth Joran van der Sloot, then 17, and brothers Deepak Kalpoe, 21, and Satish Kalpoe, 18. They were in Deepak's car. Holloway was due to fly back to the US the following day but she failed to arrive at the airport.

The three young men were arrested on 9 June 2005 and questioned. They first told Police that they dropped her off at the Holiday Inn where she was staying.
Subsequently, they admitted that they had agreed to lie.

Joran van der Sloot said he had been alone with Holloway on the beach near another hotel, about 1 kilometre from the Holiday Inn. He denied having sex with her or harming her in any way. He claimed he left her on the beach at her own request. Joran claimed he wanted to go home as he had school the next day.

The Kalpoe brothers were released from custody on 14 July 2005, but were re-arrested on 26 August 2005 on suspicion of rape and murder. Joran and the Kalpoes were released on 4 September 2005 and have not been charged with any crime in connection with the disappearance.

Paul van der Sloot, a judge in training on Aruba at the time, was arrested on 22 June 2005 on suspicion of conspiring on or after the fact with his son. He was released without charge four days later but still considered a suspect.

He won a civil action for unjust detention against the Aruban authorities in November of that year and has now been awarded damages. He is no longer a suspect. The judge in the civil case stressed his ruling related solely to Paul van der Sloot.

Both father and his son deny any wrongdoing.

The Police handling of the case, coupled with the failure to find any trace of Holloway, has generated a lot of criticism in the US. There have been calls for American tourists to boycott the island.

Natalee's mother Beth Twitty has spearheaded a campaign to keep up the pressure on the authorities to find her daughter.

On 6 February this year, Joran and Paul van der Sloot were served with a civil lawsuit by Natalee's parents in New York. Joran went to the US, against his lawyer's advice, to do a television interview.





On 8-2 the “About Crime.com” reported:



Quiz - Do You Know a Psychopath?
This Test Could Reveal Surprising Revelations

Go Directly to the Quiz

Have you ever interacted with a person, who for no real identifiable reason, caused a chill to go up your spine? Possibly it is a coworker or boss with a chameleon-type personality who often displays extreme behavior? Maybe you have dated someone who seemed like the ideal mate at first, but soon frightened you and made you long to be far away from them?

There have been many studies delving into the mind of the psychopath and to date, there is not one specific pattern they fit into. There are however, several characteristics which most of them share. Many of these characteristics are those that many of us have, but to what scale they dominate our lives or control or behavior is what makes the difference between normal and extreme.

Knowing some of the more common characteristics of a psychopath can be used as warning signals as the behavior begins to appear. Psychopaths are incapable of forever masking their indifference to human life.

Begin the Quiz

Related Articles:
Characteristics of the Psychopathic Personality
Mass Murderers, Spree Killers, and Serial Killers
The Facts About Stalking

(here are the quiz questions and personality description choices)

Q: When you first met this person what characteristic best described him/her?
.… Insecure, shy
.… Charismatic, charming
.… Secretive, unresponsive
.… Humorous, easy going

Q: Which word best describes how this person most often presents himself?
.… Naive
.… Moralistic
.… Street wise
.… Intellectual

Q: Have you ever suspected or caught this person lying?
.… Rarely if ever
.… Sometimes - to avoid hurting feelings
.… Often - to keep from getting in trouble.
.… Habitually - often about silly things.

Q: What best describes this person's employment history?
.… White collar executive
.… Manual laborer
.… Educator
.… Middle management

Q: When dealing with people in positions of authority which best describes how the person reacts?
.… Resentful of people in authority
.… Tends to suck up to authority
.… Respectful of authority
.… Afraid of authority

Q: Which best describes this person's financial situation?
.… Responsible, pays his way in life
.… Rarely holds the same job for long, lets others support him and complains of bill collectors
.… Struggling along, sometimes shows irresponsible behavior
.… Wealthy, sometimes flamboyant, rarely speaks about being over his head.

Q: When dealing with his failures such as a loss of a job, bypassed for promotion or failure in school this person reacts...
.… Angrily and always blames the person who made the decision.
.… Overly hard on himself and beats himself down for his failures.
.… Depressed but eventually shakes it off and moves on.
.… Learns from his mistakes and shows personal growth from the experience.

Q: When speaking about childhood memories this person appears...
.… Reflective and generally speaks positively about his childhood.
.… Avoids discussing it and seems vague if asked pointed questions.
.… Remembers the good times and doesn't dwell on the bad times such as parents divorcing.
.… Extremely specific with details most people would forget.

Q: Select the phrase which best describes how this person is in his intimate relationships such as marriage…
.… Shows respectful toward his mate.
.… Seems to have the ability to share deep emotional ties with his mate.
.… Seems to love his mate, but has had occasional flings.
.… Has no regard or respect for his mate and has regular flings.

Q: You have observed this person...
.… Directly point out a potentially unsafe situation to others.
.… Observe a potentially unsafe situation, but did not say anything about it.
.… Appear generally unobservant and usually fails to notice unsafe situations.
.… Overreacts to potentially unsafe situations demanding they be rectified immediately.

Q: Which best describes the person?
.… Takes good care of himself by exercising and watching his diet.
.… Is moderately careful about his health, an occasional drinker.
.… Drinks often and enjoys drugs such as meth and cocaine.
.… Warns others against the use of alcohol and drugs.

Q: Choose which best describes this person after you got to know him.
.… Nice, honest, caring, responsible
.… Arrogant, liar, lazy, irresponsible
.… Often charming, deceptive, manipulative, void of emotion
.… Hard, isolated, uncommunicative, private





8-3-06

On 8-3 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:



Police Corps looks for new commissioner in the Netherlands

ARUBA – The new Chief Constable of the Aruban Police corps (KPA) comes from the Netherlands, announced the parting chief Ronny Bernadina. The new chief will be appointed for three years max, and we do not know yet what the most important duty of this chief will be, but the appointment procedure is already in full swing.

The new chief of Police must start working before October 2nd, because that’s when Bernadina goes with vacation. His employment is officially till January 1st, 2007. The appointment of a Dutch chief of Police is part of a collaboration between KPA and PKLD in the Netherlands. There is a protocol for this that will be signed at the end of August by Premier Nel Oduber (MEP), Justice-minister Rudy Croes (MEP), and the Dutch ministers of Justice, Internal Affairs, and Government Renewal and Kingdom Relations.

Once this new chief of Police’s time is up, he will be replaced by a new chief of Police from Aruba. Bernadina insisted on the protocol and in cooperation with the Legislation Administration and Judicial Affairs, it was established with the purpose to improve the organization.

Nothing will change within the Police corps if another local person is hired for this job, said Bernadina. He also said that politics was interfering too much with Police matters in the past and the KPA could not do her job properly.

Also the problem with discipline within the Police corps has to be solved, said Bernadina. This year, KPA had to take 40 disciplinary measures already against Police officers. Last year, this number was 38 for the entire year. The protocol requires therefore a so-called audit, where all the Police districts are investigated. This will become the base for the new chief of Police to test the results of his plans.

Three local experts, including a district attorney, an expert in the field of personnel, and somebody from the Police corps, will assist the new chief of Police. The four will have to draw up a plan on how they think to improve the organization. Every three months, a group of the so-called sounding board, which consists of the same persons that are now in the Safety Advisory Committee (BAC) will check on the progress of the chief of Police. The Attorney General, the director of Legislation and Judicial Affairs, the director of Public Order and Safety, the head of P&O, Justice or KPA, the director of the Revenue Service, and the current chief of Police Bernadina (who will stay in the BAC as advisor after he leaves) are part of the BAC.





On 8-3 CBS reported:



Judge Dismisses Lawsuit In Natalee Holloway Case

(CBS) NEW YORK A New York Superior Court judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the parents of Natalee Holloway against a Dutch teenager, who was one of three young men arrested in connection with the Alabama teenager's disappearance in Aruba in May 2005.

As WCBS-TV first reported on its Web site, a source very close to the case said the judge dismissed the lawsuit Thursday afternoon.

The lawsuit was filed in February in Manhattan's state Supreme Court seeking unspecified monetary damages against Joran van der Sloot, 18, and his father.

Holloway, 18, of Mountain Brook, Alabama, was last seen May 30, 2005, leaving a bar with Surinamese brothers Deepak Kalpoe, 21, and Satish Kalpoe, 18, and van der Sloot, a Dutch national. The honors student was hours from ending her graduation trip.

The wrongful-death lawsuit was filed by Elizabeth Ann Twitty, of Alabama, and Dave Edward Holloway, of Mississippi, the missing teen's mother and father.

Van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers were arrested June 9, 2005, on suspicion of involvement in Holloway's disappearance. van der Sloot admitted he was with the girl but denied any wrongdoing. All were released, and nobody has been charged.

The lawsuit refers to van der Sloot as "the predator" and says that on at least three occasions young Aruban women have complained they were the victims of "date-rape" by him and his accomplices.

Van der Sloot left Aruba, where his father still lives, and currently lives in Arnhem, the Netherlands, court papers say.

The lawsuit says the father, Paulus van der Sloot, was an enabler of his son's "violent and anti-social lifestyle." Court papers say that on the night of May 29, 2005, he went with his underage son to a casino to play poker. It was at that casino that the younger van der Sloot met Holloway, the lawsuit says.

The court papers present a partly speculative version of what happened after the young people left the casino and went to a bar called Carlos 'n' Charlies in the early hours of May 30, 2005.

At about 1:30 a.m., court papers say, an intoxicated Holloway left with van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers. Several of Holloway's friends saw her in the car with the youths and asked her to get out, court papers say, but she did not.

"The next hours of Natalee's young life were marked by torment, terror and debasement," court papers say, describing an imagined sexual assault. "Natalee has not been seen or heard from since entering Deepak's car with Joran."

When Twitty talked to The Early Show's Hannah Storm in October, she had shared her suspicions about what happened to Natalee.

"I know this is really difficult for you to talk about, but you do believe that she was sexually assaulted. Is that correct?" Storm asked.

"Absolutely," Twitty said.

Balber would not say where he believes the van der Sloot's are staying in New York or when they were served. He said he believed that as of Thursday they had not retained a lawyer.

Balber said that if a defendant is served with a summons for a lawsuit in the state and neither party lives in the county where the summons is served, then the plaintiff gets to decide the county in which the lawsuit is filed.





On 8-3 the “AP” reported:



NYC Judge Dismisses Aruba Teen Suit

NEW YORK (AP) — A lawsuit that claimed a Dutch college student was responsible for the disappearance of Natalee Holloway in Aruba last year was dismissed Thursday by a judge who said it should not have been filed here.

Holloway's parents, who sought unspecified damages, claimed that if the suit were filed in Aruba, it would re-ignite a media frenzy that could interfere with the ongoing investigation.

In rejecting that argument, state Judge Barbara Kapnick cited an earlier ruling that found local taxpayers should not have to foot the bill for a complex case "when their interest in the suit ... is so ephemeral."

Holloway, then 18, was visiting the Dutch Caribbean island with high school classmates when she vanished May 30, 2005.

She was last seen leaving a bar on Aruba with Joran van der Sloot, who was also 18. He and two friends were arrested a few days later on suspicion of involvement in her disappearance.

Van der Sloot admitted he was with the teen but denied any wrongdoing, and all three suspects were released.

A telephone call to an attorney for Holloway's parents was not immediately returned Thursday.

Van der Sloot, who just finished his first year of college in Holland, "was elated" by the judge's decision, said his attorney Joseph Tacopina.

"We were never afraid of the facts in this case," the lawyer said. "He did nothing to this girl. ... He's trying to get on with his life."





On 8-3 the “UPI” reported:



Holloway suspect's father awarded damages

ORANJESTAD, Aruba, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- A court in Aruba has awarded damages to the father of a suspect in the 2005 disappearance of U.S. teenager Natalee Holloway.
Paul van der Sloot of the Netherlands was detained for four days last year. A court agreed with his claim for false arrest, and ruled that he should receive 50,000 Aruba guilders ($27,900), Expatica reported.

Van der Sloot 's son, Joran, is a suspect in the disappearance and presumed killing of Holloway, who was in Aruba in May 2005 with high school classmates on a graduation trip. Joran van der Sloot and two brothers, Deepak and Satish Kalpoe, were arrested twice and released both times.

Paul van der Sloot, who was in Aruba as a judge in training, was suspected of conspiring with his son.

Holloway's body has not been found. Joran van der Sloot, the last person to have admitted seeing her, says she was alive and well when he left her on a beach.





On 8-3 MSNBC reported:



We have some exclusive breaking news to bring you now about the Natalee Holloway case. We‘ve just received word that the civil lawsuit filed in New York by Natalee
Holloway‘s family against Joran van der Sloot and his father have been dropped.
What does this all mean? Well, we are joined on the phone now by Joe Tacopina. He‘s the attorney for Joran van der Sloot , and he hopefully can explain.
Joe, welcome. What does this mean?
JOE TACOPINA, JORAN VAN DER SLOOT ‘S ATTORNEY: Hey, Tucker, well, let me correct one thing: It hasn‘t been dropped. It‘s been dismissed. The Supreme Court of New York State heard oral arguments on May 17th. We argued that the case had no connection to New York, no nexus to New York, and it wasn‘t appropriately to be litigated here. And the Supreme Court Justice Kapnick just rendered the decision, an order granting our motion to dismiss.
So it wasn‘t dropped; it was dismissed. What it means is the litigation is over. That‘s what it means.
CARLSON: So for those of us who haven‘t been following this case maybe as closely, does this mean the story is over? Does this mean Joran van der Sloot didn‘t do it, in the eyes of the government?
TACOPINA: Well, Joran van der Sloot didn‘t do it. And as far as the eyes of the government, I mean, look, he had initially been the prime suspect. I think the new investigation, there‘s been a breath of fresh air brought into that investigation several months ago, and they sort of moved off of Joran as the chief suspect and started opening their eyes to other evidence that pointed away from Joran.
There‘s plenty of evidence out there, Tucker, that exonerates Joran in Natalee‘s disappearance. He had nothing to do with this girl‘s disappearance.
What this means though, Tucker, is that the Holloway family filed a lawsuit against Joran in New York State Supreme Court. What this means, that the civil suit against Joran and his father, Paulus van der Sloot , by the Holloways has been dismissed and it‘s over. The only thing left is, you know, hopefully some resolution for that family, for the Holloways in, you know, Aruba, where they‘re still continuing to do a criminal investigation.
But hopefully this is the end of the line for Joran and his being tied to this case.
CARLSON: Well, when you say hopefully doing some investigation, criminal investigation, is there still a criminal investigation ongoing in Aruba, do you know?
TACOPINA: You know, Tucker, there is supposedly, but I‘ve got to tell you, it‘s not been a very competent investigation. I mean, they arrest people and release them, you know, almost very casually. And it seems like...
CARLSON: Yes, I know, I‘ve been afraid to go there. I don‘t want to get swept up in this thing. I mean, everyone gets arrested...
(CROSSTALK)
TACOPINA: ... I don‘t know many teenage males who haven‘t been arrested yet in the Natalee Holloway case if Aruba, and it‘s a scary thing. I mean, you generally like to arrest people when you have some evidence, not based on a desire to question them and then hold them for eight days as a suspect to release them, but that seems to be the order of the day down in Aruba.
You know, unfortunately they started this investigation with blinders on. I mean, they were right to suspect Joran from the get-go. He was the last person known to have been with Natalee, but there was plenty of evidence early on that pointed in other directions that showed that it was really physically impossible for Joran to have harmed her, coupled with the fact that...
CARLSON: What...
TACOPINA: Go ahead. I‘m sorry, Tucker.
CARLSON: Well, I was just wondering, where is Joran—if that‘s his first name—Joran van der Sloot ? Is he in this country now? Is he still in Aruba?
TACOPINA: No, he‘s...
CARLSON: What‘s he going to do with the rest of his life?
TACOPINA: Well, you know, hopefully recover from this, and that‘s not going to be an easy thing. I mean, he‘s been a 17-year-old boy who people have gone on the airwaves, and slandered, and libeled, and called him a murderer and a predator, and it‘s just not been true.
What he‘s doing is he was an honor student in high school, continues to be an honor student in college, where he goes in the Netherlands, and he‘s with his family right now. And clearly, you know, hopefully this is the first step towards justice creeping through all the smoke that sort of corroded this case.
CARLSON: So he‘s not in Aruba anymore?
TACOPINA: He‘s back and forth. I mean, his family lives in Aruba.
Where he is right now, I don‘t really feel like sharing, because there‘s too many people out there who, you know, want to play Charles Bronson. But, you know, he‘s back and forth between the Netherlands and Aruba.
And he‘s tried to, you know, get some normality in his life and do things that other teenage boys do, and, you know, have fun with his friends, and go to school, and all the while still holding out hope, however faint, that, you know, something is done in this case that gives the Holloway family some solace, and breaks the case, and, also quite frankly, takes the monkey off his back once and for all.
CARLSON: All right, Joe Tacopina on the phone. Thanks a lot, Joe.
TACOPINA: All right, Tucker.





On 8-3 FOX News reported:

(Thank You and Hat Tip to “Andie”)



JOHN KASICH, HOST: As you know the 18 year old disappeared in Aruba more than a year ago. No charges have been filed, but Natalee's family filed a civil suit against one of the prime suspects, Joran van der Sloot. Today a New York Superior Court judge dismissed that case. With us now, criminal defense attorney, Kathleen Mullin.

Kathleen, why was it dismissed?

KATHLEEN MULLIN, DEFENSE LAWYER: Well, John it was a PROCEDURAL DISMISSAL FOR FAILURE OF JURISDICTION. The court has said, you have a lawsuit here, but it is not in anyway, shape, or form connected to New York. And therefore, based upon a doctrined civil procedure that we call, "minimum contact," you have failed to meet the preliminary hurdle in having your lawsuit heard here. Thus, it was dismissed.

KASICH: So no opinion at all...no judgment in terms of the merits of this case?

MULLIN: NONE WHATSOEVER. It is purely a procedural hurdle. You must understand...

KASICH: WHY did the judge do that? Why didn't the judge say, we will hear it here.

MULLIN: He has to, John. He really does have to dismiss it. And it would seem to me a shock if he didn't. (I think she did say, "he.")
There is no nexus...there is no connection to New York at all. None of the parties live here...there is...

KASICH: So where will they file this? This doesn't mean it is necessarily dead, right? I mean what if they went to the Netherlands and tried to file this in a Dutch court?

MULLIN: IT is totally not dead...it is a DISMISSAL WITHOUT PREJUDICE...meaning the Holloway family can come back and file their lawsuit. But where is the appropriate place? The appropriate place is either Alabama or Aruba. It is an ALABAMA VERSUS ARUBA type of lawsuit, and to bring it to New York doesn't really make any sense.

KASICH: What about the Netherlands?

MULLIN: They could bring it to...well, Aruba is part of...

KASICH: THEY GOT TO SERVE HIM, RIGHT? They got to hand him a piece of paper, and say, you are now involved in a lawsuit.

MULLIN: Correct.

KASICH: SO HE IS NOT GONNA GO TO ALABAMA...not in a billion years would he go there. But he is in the Netherlands, so if they wanted to, they could go there, right?

MULLIN: SURE, they could go there. And they could go to Alabama and try to have the court exercise "longarm jurisdiction" over him. They could try to bring this lawsuit in a place where there is SOME CONTACT WITH THE JURISDICTION, in which they are bringing it.

KASICH: What do you think of the charges? You know there are charges first of all, that Natalee was imprisoned, she was not allowed to return to her parents, and that his father...Joran's father was involved. What is your reaction to these charges?

MULLIN: My reaction is not only was I not surprised that it was dismissed on the procedural issue this morning, but I will not be surprised if it is dismissed if and when it ever reaches the merits. I don't see that there is any substantial bit of evidence that links Joran or his family to the actual disappearance of Natalee Holloway. It is not a crime to be seen with someone, who is subsequently gone missing, or in the worse case scenario been murdered.

KASICH: Is this over now finally? Everybody has been saying, when do we see the end of this...amazing a year later, we are still reporting on it. Where does this fit in terms of which inning of the ball game here? I hate to use THAT phrase, but are we in the 8th, the 9th?

MULLIN: It is really hard to gauge that, based on the fact that the Holloway's attorneys have advised them to bring this suit in New York, which was just bad advice...a waste of time and money. I don't know or not, whether they are going to readvise them badly to bring the lawsuit that they can't win again. It is hard to tell.

KASICH: I FEEL SO SORRY FOR BETH TWITTY. I KNOW HER. SHE IS A COURAGEOUS LADY, A GREAT LADY, THE WHOLE FAMILY, THE FATHER, THE STEP FATHER...IT IS AN UNBELIEVABLE CASE.

MULLIN: ABSOLUTELY...ABSOLUTELY.

KASICH: But this may be a significant move toward resolving it. Thank you for being with us.




On 8-3 FOX News reported:
(Thank You and Hat Tip to “Heli”)



NOT VERBATIM NOT COMPLETE

Greta:

Hours ago a major decision, NY Judge says it cannot stay in a New York Court ...

John Q. Kelly is here I suppose you're surprised or disappointed to lose something like this, it was a close case we always thought

John:

It was a close case, we took a calculated risk.. we had a prima facie case, it was sound but the Judge felt Aruba would be a more significant place for it

Greta:

We should say not all thought it was close, I always thought it could be written both ways but our panel thought it would get thrown out ...

John

The lawsuit had, obviously we would have loved to go to discovery, we wanted the vdS to know we're keeping an eye on them to keep Natalee's search alive, we're not going to stop until we know what happened to her, this is one of the vehicles we sought..

Greta:

The worse is to deliver bad news to a client, when you talked to your clients, what did you say to them how did they react to the news?

John:

You try to lower expectations with clients, Beth and Dave oth knew before we took initial steps back when we served the vdS, we weighed all the options but there's nothing easy, they're both devastated, they thought this was their best chance to get answers, it's a hard discussion to have with them It's a hard day for me, hard to feel their pain ...

Greta:

I know that you want to win the lawsuit, I still think the answers aren't with Joran, Paul and the Kalpoes.... it's with the ppl on the beach and ... I interviewed Joran, we haven't heard from Deepak and Satish.. the Police chief who said at one point they were close to solving, well now he's long gone ..

John:

It could have been solved, certainly we see the vdS and Kalpoes as primary suspects, if the litigation was allowed to go through discovery it would have gien us a road to follow,through the Police reports, the depositions, we could have taken different routes, different possiblities I don't have tunnel vision, we know who the prime suspects are, we just wanted a chance to see all the evidence

Greta:

ANy communication with Karin ?

JOhn

No she's in Holland, she was supposed to be back on Saturday but she stayed on, I plan to be in Aruba shortly

She didn't share the details of what she's doing with me, business and pleasure I guess

Greta:

This is still a festering case to put it bluntly, she took a vacation rather early in the midst of the investigation, I don't know how, is she working on this case aggressively still?

John

She claims every day at 4 pm she meets with the team working the case. I can't imagine what they're working on everyday all day, the leads you read not followed up makes it no secret that.... I'm not real happy with the quality of the investigation or where it's ending up or going... we still want answers, I'm going down there shortly.

Greta:

I hope I'm so wrong about this investigation and what they did down there, I hope some day the family will get answers.
…

Greta:

Joe, I know that you were always certain it would go your way, but I thought it could go either way. it's now dismissed

SCARBOROUGH:

My client is elated, he's always very grateful, they're tremendously appreciative of everything that's been done. This was a good couple of days for the vdS, the dismissal, I was always confident, I thought the law was 100% on our side as well as the facts

Paul won a judgment for damages on his wrongful detention

Greta:

How much did he win?

Joe

$30,000 the Judge did leave open to go back for damages for Joran to claim wrongful detention

Greta

What happened, is that Paul was arrested and detained and after he was released, he filed an action and he was cleared. Then there was a process to prove how much he was entitled to

Joe

The Judge found there was no basis to hold him Karen was wrong to old him, the Judge said there's no evidence against Joran, but Joran can come back and claim when he's cleared. Despite Karin's spin and machinations there's no evidence against him

Greta:

What are you waiting for to file for Joran?

JOE

Joran filed as well, the Judge in the damages case decided that the criminal investigation isn't closed, so she will defer to Karin and their prosecution team but found there was no basis to hold Paul and that's why damages

Today was magnificent for the family, the judge ruled loud and clear that it didn't belong in NY, there was a substantial nexus to Aruba. The leading case in NY talked about fairness, justice and nexus to NY and ruled all of those 3 factors were in our favour


Greta:

The bottom line is, you won.


Natalee's parents haven't seen Natalee, haven't seen their daughter for a year. Joe I understand you want to say something,

Joe

There was so much put into this case, Rosemarie Arnold put so much into this, they deserve credit too , much more than I do. Justice was served today, the law was on our side and the facts were on this kids side.

Greta:

Is this going to be solved, do you think?

Joe

I wish I could be optimistic, we found a lot of leads that were not followed, I'm not confident in Karin or this investigative team, but for the Holloway's sake I hope it gets solved at some point.

Greta:

I would like Fuhrman, Piero, John Kelly--all of us--for all of us to go down there and crack this case, if only they would let us

Joe

There were so many leads…

Greta:

It's disgraceful, just disgraceful.




8-4-06

On 8-4 JOHN KELLY stated to FOX News:
(Thank You and Hat Tip to “Heli”)



John Kelly:

It was high stakes, high visibility litigation, it's got its risk but I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. It was an opportunity to 1. get answers and 2. to keep the issue alive. Natalee is missing, there are people responsible and we want to bring her home.

FNC:

And you wanted to keep the pressure on Joran and his family. Do you think you succeeded?

John Kelly:

Well yeah, I think we succeeded in that and also it motivates the investigative team down there too. They see us working here in New York trying to get answers and it sort of motivates them to feel that they've got to be ahead of the curb and not have us get the answers they're more appropriately looking for down there.

FNC:

Do Natalee's parents think that Joran killed her?

John Kelly:

Yep, yep

FNC:

How are they feeling today?

John Kelly:

Devastated. You hold out hope, I always told them it was a long shot, we knew the risks incumbent upon us going in, but you know despite lowering expectations, there's always that hope there that you'll be able to go forward. It's very, very difficult for them knowing that a lot is not being done down there and it's just not a good investigation, it's been doomed from the start.

Q from the audience:

Does the family have the ability to file a suit in Aruba?

John Kelly:

They do. I'd have a little difficulty handling it, it's all done in Dutch so I'd have to brush up on it a little bit, but yeah, it's much more limited. The reason we wanted to get it in a US forum is you have much broader discovery. You can take sworn depositions, you can compel everybody to testify.

Down there it's all down secretively first of all, which has always been a problem with the investigation, plus it's all done on paper. You submit written questions and all they have to do is respond in writing. You don't get a chance to cross-examine, follow up, pursue things as they go. It's very limiting, very difficult.

FNC:

So where do her parents go from here? What other recourse do they have?

John Kelly:

I don't know, we wait for opportunities, just like this one came along. I'll be going back down to Aruba, I'll be meeting with the Prosecutor again and see what avenues they're pursuing right now, keep the pressure on them down there and I think ultimately if this gets (inaudible) it's going to be a lucky break.

The answers are down there, someone knows what happened to Natalee. There's someone down there, there's answers down there, we've got to find them.

FNC:

I know that I get the same information and the same response from Joe Tacopina who is representing

John Kelly:

Joe who?

FNC:

You know that guy, large man, but who is representing Joran's family, he says, boy I'd love to be the Investigator here because he says the information is down there still

John Kelly:

He's a little partial towards his client still in terms of saying that but he's right about one thing, the information and the evidence is down there and you know what, Joran is the prime suspect, the Kalpoes are prime suspects and they appear to be very much involved but you know what, if we had the opportunity to investigate this more and the roads went in a different direction, I'm very open, I'm not tunnel visioned with all this.

Q from the audience:

Shouldn't the Dutch government be more aggressive in this since the tourism is so harshly affected?

John Kelly:

We had hoped they would, we've been putting pressure on the tourism industry, we called for a boycott, we hope people don't go down there. It's obviously not a safe place if something goes wrong when you're down there. But they've not felt compelled to make it their top priority. I don't know if you followed it all, it took them four (4) months to search the sand dunes when they had a lead and thought she might be there.

They just, it's like watching grass grow down there trying to get an answer to anything.

Q from the audience:

Did you go down there yourself and do any investigation?

John Kelly:

Oh sure, I've been down there several times, I've been down there with teams of Investigators and I've also worked with the Police and Investigators down there too. I've spent a lot of time down there both with the prosecution team and the Police down there as well as my own people.

FNC:

So many people think the case is done because of this,

John Kelly:

The trail groes colder by the day unfortunately, I hate to say that but at some point it's going to require a lucky break or something unusual to crack the case and hopefully we'll get it.





On 8-4 DAVE HOLLOWAY stated to FOX News:
(Thank You and Hat Tip to “Andie”)



GRETCHEN CARLSON, HOST: Lets bring in Natalee's father, Dave Holloway, who joins us by phone. Dave, it is good speaking with you tonight. I remember seeing you talking to Greta a couple of months ago right after you filed this civil suit here in New York, and while you were so sad obviously about the disappearance of your daughter...for the first time in a long time, it seemed like there was a glimmer of hope...that you thought, you know...that you might get to the bottom of this case...finally.

DAVE HOLLOWAY, FATHER OF MISSING GIRL: That was what we were hoping that we would get a favorable decision and hopefully get a statement UNDER OATH. As you are aware, in Aruba these SUSPECTS when they were giving statements, they...there is no penalty for lying. Whereas in the United States, if you give a statement UNDER OATH...if you do lie, that is called PERJURY, and you can face jail time for THAT.

GRETCHEN: And, also, you felt that you could just learn more information in general from witnesses being called. THIS WAS NEVER ABOUT TRYING TO GET THE MONEY FROM CIVIL DAMAGES. THIS WAS TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO NATALEE!

HOLLOWAY: Certainly, we were looking for a lengthy, thorough...STATEMENT UNDER OATH, rather than some of these short, choppy Police statements that we had been seeing.

GRETCHEN: Were you surprised that the judge said, hey, we are not going to do this in New York?

HOLLOWAY: Yeah, we were thinking that it was probably a 50/50 chance...you know, we were hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. And, unfortunately, you know, the favor...the ruling was not in our favor. But keep in mind, THESE BOYS ARE STILL SUSPECTS...there is still a potential ongoing investigation, and I think the prosecution is still active in the case. So, maybe...maybe we will finally get something to it (I think this is what Dave said.).

The reality of all this is, is that the criminal investigation may close sometime soon...justice may not be served...and the other reality is, is Natalee's disappearance and what happened to her may never be known.

GRETCHEN: You talk about the prosecutor...I know that she has gone on vacation now back to Holland. She has been gone now for maybe five or six weeks, I mean that just seems to be the latest quagmire in this whole entire mess. Obviously, she hasn't been in touch with you for that amount of time then. Is she really working actively on the case?

HOLLOWAY: You know, we haven't had any conversations with her, like you said, in about six weeks, so John indicated to us yesterday after we had a discussion that he would meet with her and possibly go back down to Aruba...and see exactly where we stand on Natalee's disappearance.

GRETCHEN: In the ten page decision by the Supreme Court Justice HERE IN NEW YORK CITY, at the end of it she recommends that you should attempt to file this civil case down in Aruba. What are the chances of THAT happening?

HOLLOWAY: I doubt very seriously if we would have much of a chance in Aruba. I do not intend to go back, due to...one may take a pot shot at me, but I think we will probably allow the investigation or the criminal investigation to proceed, and just see what happens. We were told that if criminal proceedings do not (permit or ferment = not sure), then we may have an OPPORTUNITY TO APPEAL their decision. But, you know, that is way on down the road and hopefully something will crack the case.

GRETCHEN: Yeah, you told one of our producers that you can live with the fact that Joran van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers MAY WALK, BUT NOT KNOWING WHAT HAPPENED TO NATALEE IS THE UNTHINKABLE THING, and that pretty much sums it up from A FATHER'S POINT OF VIEW.

HOLLOWAY: Yeah, that is the reality though, they may walk...and, you know, back early on, THE POLICE OPENLY STATED THAT THEY WERE GUILITY OF SOME CRIME...BUT PROVING IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT...and, you know, that is the hard part. And I guess we will face that reality that they may...they may be set free.

GRETCHEN: Alright, WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THIS HEARTBREAKING STORY. Dave Holloway, thank you very much.

HOLLOWAY: Thank you.





8-5-06

On 8-5 the “AP” reported:



Natalee Holloway's mom crushed by loss of 'last shot'

MONTGOMERY, Alabama (AP) -- The mother of a Mountain Brook teen who disappeared more than a year ago in Aruba said she was "crushed" by the dismissal of the lawsuit filed against the Dutch teen last seen with her daughter.
"That was our only and last shot for justice," said Beth Twitty, mother of Natalee Holloway.

Twitty said she knew the case filed in Manhattan against Joran van der Sloot was a long shot, but the family took a chance.

"Until you hear that door closed you hang onto hope," Twitty said.

The case claimed van der Sloot, who was 18 at the time, was responsible for Holloway's disappearance and sought unspecified damages.

Van der Sloot , who has maintained his innocence, was last seen leaving a bar with Holloway, then 18, before she vanished May 30, 2005.

He and two friends were arrested on suspicion of involvement in her disappearance, but were released.

Twitty said she will be speaking with the attorney that filed the lawsuit, but said this case was seen as the best legal option.


Van der Sloot 's lawyer, Joseph Tacopina, told The Associated Press that the college student "was elated" by the judge's decision.




On 8-5 FOX News reported:
(Thank You and Hat Tip to “Andie”)



THE LINE UP - TRANSCRIPT:

Dave Holloway was Kimberly's guest tonight, along with her legal panel of Mickey Sherman and Lis Wiehl.

A CRUSHING BLOW TO NATALEE HOLLOWAY'S FAMILY THIS WEEK, AS A NEW YORK JUDGE DISMISSES A CIVIL LAWSUIT NATALEE'S PARENTS FILED AGAINST PRIME SUSPECT, JORAN VAN DER SLOOT AND HIS FATHER.

KIMBERLY: Joining us on the phone is Natalee's father, Dave Holloway. Dave, thanks for being with me tonight, and this is an obvious disappointment to you and your family. How much faith did you put in this decision?

HOLLOWAY: Yeah, we were hopeful that we would prevail in the decision, but, you know, we also knew that there was a possibility that we would not, and that we didn't. Yeah, we were hoping that a statement under oath would reveal THE TRUTH. AND THAT IS WHAT WE ARE SEEKING IS THE TRUTH.

You know as well as I do that in Aruba...

KIMBERLY: RIGHT.

HOLLOWAY: ...IT IS LEGAL FOR THE SUSPECTS TO LIE, AND THERE IS NO REPERCUSSIONS, whereas in the United States, you get a statement under oath, that could up (= not sure) jail time.

KIMBERLY: Now, Dave what is the next step? Where do you go from here?

HOLLOWAY: You know, we are back at (not sure). These three boys are still considered suspects...and I am hoping the investigation is still ongoing, and that the prosecutor is still involved in the case.

The reality is that...these guys may never be brought to justice, and the case could be closed...and we may be faced with a situation, in which we will never know whatever happened to Natalee.

KIMBERLY: In your heart and mind, you still feel that they are the three responsible?

HOLLOWAY: You know, all the evidence points that way, and we were hopeful that if we did prevail in New York, that maybe we could gather some additional information to either help the Aruban authorities out or figure out what happened.

KIMBERLY: SO YOU ARE NOT PUTTING THIS CASE TO REST, YOU ARE GONG TO PERSEVERE ON?

HOLLOWAY: NO, WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE AND TO CONTINUE TO FIND ANSWERS. Unfortunately, we are going to have to rely on the Aruban authorities to (sorry, not sure).

KIMBERLY: Alright, Dave...all my best to you and give my best to Beth, as well. Thank you.

And once again, our battling bride and groom, former prosecutor and Fox News legal analyst, Lis Wiehl and defense attorney, Mickey Sherman. Alright, last round went to Lis. Mickey, so what do you think of this case? Alot of people from the beginning were saying, this isn't going to go anywhere in terms of the civil suit HERE in Federal Court.

MICKEY: I was one of those people. I am amazed it lasted this long. It was kinda of "gotcha moment...a kind of a ha ha thing..." but there was no where that any judge...any judge, whether it was in New York or any place else that was ever going to allow that case to go forward.

Basically, it is a complaint that says, the van der Sloot family are a "bunch of creeps," and, therefore, we should be able to sue them. It had nothing to do with the state of New York, but even if it did, the guts of the suit really don't say anything that moves the ball closer to proving, or showing, or establishing that this young man had anything to do with the murder. And to put some false hopes in the family, I think, is almost cruel...to think that maybe some civil depositions are going to make him fess up. If he is not going to fess up in a prison in his own country, I can't imagine that the burden of the Supreme Court of New York was going to make any difference.

KIMBERLY: Alright, lets go back to the wife, Lis.

LIS WIEHL: MICKEY, SWEETIE, YOU ARE SO WRONG ON THIS.

(CROSSTALK)

YOU ARE SO WRONG ON THIS. YOU ARE SO WRONG ON THIS.

MICKEY: You can't say, "sweetie" on Fox News. I am supposed to be the "edgy defense lawyer."

LIS: YOU ARE SO WRONG ON THIS ONE! THERE WAS JURISDICTION HERE! The judge had the discretion to allow this case to go forward. You know why? Because the "victim" was from the US, because van der Sloot and his father had come here, and what was it the judge said? He said it was not convenient to have this lawsuit to have this lawsuit go forward. What does that say to the Holloway family...that it is not CONVENIENT to have this law suit go forward?

MICKEY: WELL, let me ask you this...Latin term, you went to Harvard...I went to (not sure). You know it better than I do. But the bottom line is this case had nothing to do with New York...nothing to do with New York, but even if it was brought back in Aruba, there was nothing to it. There was no meat.

LIS: And, gee, THE ARUBAN GOVERNMENT has done such a great job in investigating this for over a year now. I can see why the parents want to bring it to the US...and at least get these guys here and get them under oath...and get them...

MICKEY: The parents...my heart goes out to them, you know...but lets be realistic...that's all.

KIMBERLY: Marital bliss...viewers at home...alright, this round goes to Lis AGAIN. SHE gets to keep the Fox contract...Mickey, you get the CNN contract. Bye!

Thanks, alright, if you have any information on the whereabouts of Natalee Holloway, please call the number on your screen. Don't forget, there is a $250,000 reward to anyone with information to help solve this case.


(Thanks, Kimberly for covering the Natalee Holloway disappearance for us, who want to know what happened to Natalee.)




8-7-06

On 8-7 the CBS “Early Morning Show” reported:
(Thank You and Hat Tip to “Heli”)



VERBATIM AND COMPLETE


Renee:

Another blow for Natalee Holloway's parents. The Alabama teenager disappeared in Aruba 14 months ago and hasn't been seen since.

On Thursday, a Judge in New York threw out a lawsuit accusing Joran van der Sloot of being responsible for Natalee's disappearance. Beth Twitty, Natalee's mother filed that lawsuit with her husband. Beth, good morning.

BETH:

Good Morning Renee

Renee:

The suit was filed in New York and it was a bit of a long shot was it not?

BETH:

We knew it was a long shot from the beginning Renee, but you know, it's just hard to know what direction and what to do when you have a victim of a crime in a foreign country, I mean it's just ground breaking territory for everyone and you know, we feel as if we have to, you know, have tried these avenues.

Renee:

What were you hoping to accomplish by filing the lawsuit in New York?

BETH:

Oh, we were hoping for discovery, we were hoping for all those statements that have been taken from suspects and witnesses. We needed the complete file and to see if we could figure out, you know what had happened and that's just not going to happen now

Renee:

You said this is like grasping at straws just a bit. What was your reaction when you heard that it had been dismissed?

BETH:

You know, even though we knew it was a long shot, we knew it would be an uphill battle, but you know we had been building for this, gosh since February the 16th you know, emotionally and physically, so of course to find that that's not going to be a direction we can take, I was crushed Renee, of course.

Renee:

Yeah, yeah, are you still convinced that Joran van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers had something to do with Natalee's disappearance or that they know of someone who did have something to do with her disappearance?

BETH:

Oh absolutely, and of course we know that they are the original three (3) suspects into her disappearance. You know the Judge filing the Motion to Dismiss the case heard here was a procedural ruling on jurisdictions so, there again, we face that wall again of jurisdictional issues when you have a victim of a crime in a foreign country.

Renee:

Jurisdictional issues, but it wasn't dismissed on the case's merits, does that give you hope?

BETH:

Well yeah, the facts still stand that these are the suspects into her disappearance but what is just so frustrating is just finding the venue and to have this case heard and I don't really know what we'll regroup and do from here Renee.

Renee:

Aruban authorities have arrested and then released ten (10) people in relation to this case, I mean do you have any legal options there, any legal avenues there? Can you file a suit there?

BETH:

You know, I really don't know at this point what John intends to do and I think that we were just you know, hopefully seeing that this would pan out but I just don't know what's ahead of us Renee.

Renee:

John Tacopina who is your lawyer, that's who you're talking about

BETH:

John Kelly

Renee:

Oh I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Natalee's been missing for fourteen (14) months now, can you just describe to us what the last fourteen (14) months has been like for you. What do you miss most about your daughter?

BETH:

Oh well, you know it's been long, I can't believe we're going into, like you said, fourteenth, fifteenth month now and you know, but I keep thinking about Natalee, and of course I miss every aspect of her but now what I think we're moving into Renee is a larger picture than Natalee and when I say that, I mean and you know, Natalee represents and you know, crimes outside of our border and also she represents the challenges that a family will face should they find themselves victims of a crime in a foreign country

Renee:

Beth Twitty, thank you so much and good luck to you, we appreciate your time.





On 8-7 PATRICK HURLEY wrote:
(Thank You and Hat Tip to "Scared Monkeys" blog and “Debbie”)



And A Father's Love Is There Forever...

By Patrick Hurley
Aug. 7, 2006

I remember when my daughter was born. We had almost lost her several months earlier when my wife had gone into labor before its time. For three days, as I tried to sleep on a cot in a critical care room, I prayed and pleaded with God to save my little girl and give her a chance at life. He answered those prayers and on September 19, 1984, Corie Elizabeth Hurley was born at 7:03 p.m. She was healthy and happy and screaming her lungs out! The doctor took her off to the side and vacuumed her breathing and laid her on my wife's chest. I began crying quietly. I knew from that moment on my life would never be the same again.

Because a Father's Love is there Forever.

Corie was an only child. Her best playmate growing up was me. We did tea parties, rode on the swings, practiced gymnastics, enjoyed drama in the Barbie Dream House, went trick and treating, played wiffle ball, flew kites and went everywhere together...Dallas, Orlando, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington D.C., Disneyland, Cabbage Patch Land, Alcatraz, Busch Gardens, Navy Pier and every hotel that had both a swimming pool and an in-room snack bar! I always wanted a son but I got something better....a daughter. I noticed everything she did and fell in love with her more and more every day. She was my baby. My little girl who someday would become a woman. Each moment we had together was a special gift from God and whether I was reading her a bedtime story or lifting her up to dunk a basketball on her miniature hoop I was grateful for her presence in my life.

Because a Father's Love is there Forever.

Corie Beth will be 22 years-old next month. She is in college and she drives everywhere at all hours of the night. I have made it a point to know all her friends and I require her to check in with me after midnight. She doesn't have a curfew, she just has a dad who probably worries a little bit more than most fathers do. But, she is my daughter. I will never forget holding her in my arms for the first time in the elevator going up to her hospital care room. I was scared to death I would drop her. I was even more fearful that I would not be a good enough dad for her. I promised silently to myself as we ascended the floors that I would do everything in my power to make her happy, protect her and help her realize all her dreams someday.

Because a Father's Love is there Forever.

The Natalee Holloway case which once raged like a roaring inferno is now just a dying pile of burning embers. The suspects who last saw her that fateful night have long been released and are moving on with their lives. There is no real Police movement anymore just a number of committed bloggers who speculate in anger and frustration as to what really transpired in the wee hours of the morning of May 31, 2005. A civil case has been lost and with it any hope of getting more testimony from the boy who refuses to say anything beyond his self-proclamations of any wrongdoing. But, somewhere in the heart of Mississippi is a father who thinks like me, feels like me and who once behaved like me with a little girl he adored on a moment to moment basis. His name is David Holloway. He held his little girl like I did. He probably wept with pride as she danced and pranced in the living room to show him how talented she was at the age of five. He read her children's stories and prayed with her as he tucked her safely in night after night.

And, like me, when he went through a painful divorce, he was separated by the most important person in his life. As I write this, my daughter sleeps safely in her bed knowing that I will soon remind her of her summer school class while Dave Holloway will not be allowed that same privilege. He never loved his daughter less than I did, but because of one night when his baby was trusting those she should never have trusted, he lost her forever. I know he will never stop looking for her even though the news crews have all gone to other stories and the general public is no longer curious about the girl who went missing in Aruba. He will think of her every day as his memories of her will stretch from poignant moments to hours and hours on end. He will always feel an emptiness in his heart because he will constantly see her face at every age as a reminder of his devotion to her. He will struggle in his prayers to God at times because of the unfairness and the cruelty of it all. To him, this was never a news story or a ratings game. This was never a delicious mystery or a blogger's delight. This was a child he helped bring into this world who captured his heart and never let go. He will always be her dad no matter how much everyone else has forgotten her. He loved her the first time he saw her and held her and he will love her and be committed to her until his last dying breath.

I know he will.

Because I am a dad who has a daughter.

And a Father's Love is there ....

Forever.





On 8-7 ARUBAAN's news-source “Diario” reported:
(Thank You and Hat Tip to “sunmoonstars”)



Natalee’s Case Is Raising Its Head Again!

When we believed that the case left the magnetic publishing field in which it was a captive, and the Police and prosecutors could do their work in more tranquility, the sentence in the case of Paulus van der Sloot and the rejection of the Judge to take the case in New York, served as a combustion to feed the flames of passion on both sides. One could hear an optimistic Tacopina (only God and he know why!) in interviews after the New York ruling, without contributing anything new to the case. Just a repetition of ineffective things. He didn’t answer the cardinal questions (for example, how did Joran reach his home that night, and why did he lie so much and made up so many stories to lead the Police astray).

In the meanwhile, in Curacao the sentence awarding Paulus a sum of 50,000.00 florins was not well received by a Minister and the Police officials who have been in the same experience of a temporary detention, but who were awarded by insignificant amounts such as afl. 700.00 or afl. 7,000.00 while Paulus received the gift of afl. 50,000.00 from the pocket of the Aruban People!. The completely unequal sums again fired up emotions that in Aruba there is a justice of class; that if you are a Dutch person born in the Netherlands, all doors are open to you, but if you are a Dutch born in Aruba or in whichever other island, doors are hermetically sealed in the passageways of justice!*) Fair or not, those thoughts are still alive, instead of disappearing together with the colonial era that is behind us.

The case in New York is understandable because since a beginning experts of American law said that the Judge was going to dismiss the case by reason of territorial competency. The United States is not Aruba, and in the United States the Justice system is very different to the one that functions in Aruba. In addition, one of the fundamental arguments is that the case did not take place in New York, but in Aruba, which is a foreign island to the American justice system. For all practical purposes it is an understandable sentence. But, the one in Aruba left a lot of people astonished.

Now the case of Natalee is surging again. At DIARIO we work hard to continue with the investigation, because the three suspects still have not told us what happened with Natalee when she was in their company. No other person came forward to declare that they were with Natalee after Joran left her on the beach, as he himself declares. That reduces the mystery to the participation of the three suspects, because only they declared that Natalee was with them when she disappeared.

Joran’s lies are many, and not, like a lawyer in the U.S. declares, because he is young, he got scared and he temporary lost his head. If he only told one lie, or at the maximum two, we could agree with Tacopina, but there are a lot of them that are documented by the Police. Let us review some of them briefly so that nobody stays with the image of purity that his lawyer wants to create for him.

1) Joran declared that he left Natalee at the Holiday Inn, where she stumbled and fell, and that one or more security guards came to help her enter the hotel to go to her room (this lie caused the guards various unnecessary days of detention).

2) Joran declared that Natalee asked him to look at the sharks behind the lighthouse

3) Joran declared that he was with Natalee on the beach, where the young girl fell asleep and that he left her lying on the beach.

4) After that he changed this declaration to which he said that Natalee became sick and he left her in that condition on the beach.

5) Next he declared to the Police that Deepak went back to Natalee on the beach, and that he believes that Deepak raped and killed Natalee (documented by 4 Police officers!).

6) He declared also that he suspects that Deepak buried Natalee close to the first fisherman’s hut, and even went to there to the Police, but nothing was found.

7) Joran declared to a Dutch interrogator who came to help with the case, that his shoe size (the one that he lost on the beach) was a 14, while in official statement to the Police he said that it is 11.

8.) Deepak declared that Joran would face 15 years in prison if the girl would be found.

9) Joran declared that he is willing to go to the Police to tell them how Satish hit a girl with a car.

In any case, there are so many of these declarations that I don’t understand how a lawyer (and a good lawyer, I’ve been told) can say happily that he lied because he was 17 years old and scared. However, in the same tape recorded in the Police car he told Deepak and Satish that he doesn’t care going to jail because he can resist as long as necessary in jail. A healthy 17 year old boy does not make these kinds of declarations!

Besides all the previously mentioned lies, and many more, the case remains stuck. It doesn’t occur to anybody to go deeper to the bottom of all the documented declarations by Joran, Deepak and Satish, and the other interrogated witnesses? These statements were simply taken for what they were and were left lying on papers all this time. Like this you will not solve the case and it will go on creating problems for Aruba.

And now I have a question for the Government: why don’t you file a case against the three suspects and Paulus van der Sloot for all the damage that they caused Aruba? They were the ones who left with the girl in the late hours, in their company she disappeared; they themselves accused each other of doing something bad to Natalee, they themselves created all the stories and lies to lead the Police astray! Why were local lawyers not consulted to start a case against Paulus and against the three suspects for all the material damage that they caused our island?

They are principally responsible for the bad reputation that Aruba and our justice system received in the exterior! I am of the opinion that there must be somewhere in the Law to persecute people who destroy the good name of a place, and cause considerable financial problems for its entire population.





8-8-06

On 8-8 an emailer to FOX News GRETA VAN SUSTEREN’s “Gretawire” blog wrote:



E-mail No. 10

Dear Greta,

Just got back from Aruba from our yearly vacation there. This time was so different. I think Natalee Holloway is getting back on them.

Apparently the island is inundated with crime due to drugs. My husband and I have been going there for over 12 years and have always felt safe until now. We were robbed of over $3000 worth of stuff on the beach last week during our visit.

They try so desperately to keep it secret — I learned this from the natives. However, the week before us there was another robbery on the beach — denied by the management of our resort (of course, due to public relations, etc.) Two days after we were robbed, so were my friends. A couple we met were robbed at the Lighthouse while visiting the beach! Three natives told me their homes were broken into! The crime is rampant on the island and word needs to get out. We type messages on the Aruban message boards to warn people and they do not get posted.

I had the pleasure of taunting Deepak Kalpoe at his place of business and then seeing Joran van der Sloot in the old Wyndham casino the night he was freed from the NY lawsuit. He walked in there with such arrogance that I wanted to punch him out! People in the casino that work there patted him on the back with such celebration it made me sick! The island reeks of corruption! The natives speak of Beth Twitty as a drunken slut who fixed the whole story. I met her last year late at night and she was sober as sober can be!

I have been going to Aruba for so many years — it was my home away from home. However, after being robbed on the beach, meeting Deepak and seeing Joran in action, I am totally confused! It is obvious (and spoken by the natives) that the government is so corrupt. I no longer feel safe in Aruba. How is it that Natalee is missing and these arrogant, low-life a__holes are walking free!

Donna Bykowski
Oakland, NJ





On 8-8 the “AP” reported:



Aruban Prosecutors to Appeal Order to Pay Damages to Paulus van der Sloot

ORANJESTAD, Aruba — Aruban prosecutors said Tuesday they will appeal an order to compensate a man detained in the disappearance of U.S. teenager Natalee Holloway.
A judge on the Dutch Caribbean island ruled on July 28 that the prosecutor's office should pay $30,190 to Paulus van der Sloot, a former justice official in Aruba who was detained in the case for three days, for defamation and legal fees.

"The public prosecutor's office does not agree with the amount granted, since this is much higher than usual," spokeswoman Mariaine Croes said.

Van der Sloot , a Dutch national, was arrested June 23, 2005, in the disappearance of Holloway, from Mountain Brook, Alabama, who vanished a month earlier on the final night of her high school graduation trip to the island. She was 18 at the time of her disappearance.

Holloway was last seen leaving a bar with the official's son, Joran van der Sloot, and two Surinamese brothers.

Joran van der Sloot and the brothers were detained in her disappearance and later released after a court ruled there was not enough evidence to hold them.

At the time of his arrest, authorities said they suspected Paulus van der Sloot of assisting his son, but he was released three days later and was also never charged in the case.

Van der Sloot now works for a law firm on the island that represented his son. His attorney, Arie Swaen, did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.





On 8-8 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:



Croes demands concrete facts from Verdonk

ARUBA – Justice-minister Rudy Croes (MEP) wants minister Rita Verdonk (VVD) of Immigration to tell him before September 1st, how many Aruban problem youngsters live in the Netherlands. “If it turns out that the Netherlands is being swamped with problem youngsters from Aruba, then we will have to do something here. But if this is not the case, then execution of Aruban citizens’ civil rights in the Netherlands is being unnecessarily curtailed in an unacceptable manner”, states the minister in his letter.
As a result of the figures of the Dutch Central Bureau for Statistics, Croes wrote a letter to Verdonk on May 11th. The figures show that there are hardly problem youngsters from Aruba in the Netherlands. Croes asked Verdonk to study the information and start a dialogue on the position of Aruban youngsters in the Netherlands. The Aruban government parts with the increased admittance regulation for Aruban youngsters, because there are hardly any problem youngsters from Aruba in the Netherlands.
“Your bill puts Aruban citizens in a worse position than citizens of other European Union countries, who can establish in the Netherlands without problems.”

Exiling inhabitants of the Royal Dutch Kingdom to another part of the Kingdom based on a not yet determined lack of education, not being able to be self-supporting, or not following an education is according to Croes unfair and in breach with the principle of equality and the principle of legal security.

Croes feels that he has the support of the Council of State, the Association of Dutch Municipalities, and several experts that have all decided negatively about the plans of Verdonk to subject Antillean- and Aruban youngsters to increased admittance requirements.

Croes asks Verdonk to study the bill once more. “Precipitance is already not wise in general. Especially when it has to do with the status of people. We then expect the necessary precision.” Croes indicated that he is not against preparing people from Aruba that want to establish in the Netherlands. “But this also has to apply to Dutch citizens that want to establish in Aruba. Also these persons have to adjust to other values and norms.”

Croes also mentioned the position of persons that have followed their education abroad, while they were born in the Netherlands. He wonders whether these people also have to comply with the admittance regulations. If that’s not the case, then such regulation would definitely be discriminating for Aruban citizens.





8-9-06

On 8-9 DUTCH news-sourced “Expatica” reported:



Appeal against damages for suspect's father

AMSTERDAM — The Aruban Prosecution Service has confirmed it will appeal against the damages won by Dutchman Paul van der Sloot.

Last week a court on the autonomous Dutch island of Aruba ruled that van der Sloot was arrested and detained for four days without due cause as part of the investigation into the disappearance of US teenager Natalee Holloway.

He was awarded 40,000 Aruban Guilders in compensation, roughly equal to EUR 17,000 or USD 22,000. He was also granted 13,500 in costs.

He is the father of Joran van der Sloot, 19, the last person seen with Holloway before she vanished. The youth was held in custody for several months as the main suspect but he consistently denied harming her.

The Prosecution Service said in a statement that it did not agree with the "content of the ruling or the size of the damages awarded". It has therefore decided to appeal the decision.





On 8-9 the “National Womens Health Information Center” reported:
(Thank You and Hat Tip to “FloridaDoug”)



Professor working on 'roofies' detector

CRETE, Neb. - An assistant professor of chemistry is developing a tiny testing kit that women can carry in their purses and use to quickly detect date-rape drugs.

Andrea Holmes, who teaches at Doane College in Crete, said "this seemed to be a really, really relevant topic."

"So many women on college campuses are being affected by this," said Holmes.

Date-rape drugs — or "roofies" — such as Rohypnol are secreted into a person's drink. The drug incapacitates the person and causes memory loss. Men and women who have been raped while under its influence can regain their senses with no memory of the assault.

Rohypnol and other date-rape drugs may no longer detectable by the time a victim is treated and tested.

"Many women do get raped and cannot prove it afterwards," Holmes said. "What we want to do is determine the presence of the drug before it ever enters the body."

She's hoping to develop a small strip or stick that would turn a certain color if dipped into a drink that had been spiked with roofies.

In May, she and three student researchers reached a milestone: They concocted a chemical mixture that turns from blue to colorless when Rohypnol is added.

"This took us weeks and weeks," Holmes said. "Research is usually 99 percent failure. This was a breakthrough."

Other researchers have made progress on similar ideas.

The Drink Detective was introduced in Britain in 2004. A few drops of a detection liquid are placed on a pad that has been dipped into a drink. The pad changes colors if roofies were put into the drink.

Holmes wants something even smaller and simpler: a paper sensor that can fit into a pocket or small handbag.

"It is a big, big area of research," she said. "Everybody is trying to create their own sensor."

Holmes is applying for a $20,000 National Science Foundation grant to continue her research, hoping to include GHB, methamphetamine and other "party drugs" that have been used by date rapists.





On 8-9 the “Cayman Net News” reported:



LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Integrity in Policing

Dear Sir:

Integrity in Policing is an organisation devoted to examining policing issues around the world with a view towards encouraging constructive debate and ultimately raising the level of accountability and professionalism as it relates to policing around the world, particularly countries frequented by tourists. By putting some Police forces "under the spotlight", it is our hope to raise the level of safety for tourists.

The USA, Canada and Great Britain are major supporters of the tourist industries in Mexico, Cuba, Jamaica, and the rest of the Caribbean.

Recent events have raised some questions regarding security

1) Are our residents receiving an adequate level of security?

2) Is policing in these countries up to a reasonable standard?

3) What guarantees are there?

4) What can be done to improve?

5) Do we not deserve better for our tourist dollar?

Recent events in the media have brought our concerns to the forefront once again. Congress is presently probing violence/crime aboard cruise ships. Canadians mourn the tragic killings of two citizens vacationing in Mexico. Just as shocking is the conduct of Mexican authorities that immediately tried to frame two tourists.

The Natalie Holloway case in Aruba has been thoroughly explored by CNN. This tragic case does not stand-alone. To date, Police have arrested and released ten suspects. While we can no longer hope for Natalie's safe return, we can hope that Aruba's Police Force concludes the investigation properly.

While time fades our memories, it is difficult to forget the slaying of Canadian teenager, Rebecca Middleton, in Bermuda many years ago and the botched Police investigation that allowed her killer, Justice Smith to avoid facing any real justice. The government of Bermuda finally concluded the matter by writing the Middleton family a cheque for less than $3,000.00.

The situation in Jamaica is well documented. Even small islands such as Bonaire have not been immune to such atrocities. Recently, two teenage girls and their mother, all Americans, were beaten and raped during an excursion to a volcano on St. Vincent.
What is being done about such situations? Should governments forbid citizens from visiting countries that fail to reach a certain standard of policing?

Although the slaying of tourists is of paramount concern, robberies and sexual assaults are on the increase.

Accusations have also been made about the integrity of a senior officer in many islands in Caribbean including the Cayman Islands.

Since Mexican Police have a reputation for corruption, how can they be trusted? It is only through open dialogue that we can hope to raise the levels of safety and awareness in the travelling public.

We are sending correspondence to Mexico and all Caribbean countries to invite input on these issues which impact on us all.

D. Banks





On 8-9 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported another ARUBA tourists safety issue:



KvK wants to put an end to deterioration of the center

ARUBA – In an open letter to the government, the committee of the Chamber of Commerce (KvK) expressed her concern about the deterioration of the center of Oranjestad. They urge the government to discuss the establishment of a policy to tackle all the problems with all the parties involved. “If this does not happen carefully, and without knowledge, it’s going to hurt the Aruban community financially and more”, warns KvK.

The recently demolishing of a building that was being used by drug addicts and all the following violence against the different businesses in Oranjestad is an indication of short-sighted policy, says KvK. “The consequences for the businesses in the inner city and for the safety of the individual residents and visitors are not being considered.” It’s not just about drug addicts, but also problems with the traffic, lack of parking spaces, criminality, littering, deterioration of the buildings, and uncertainty about the business licensing policy for new businesses.
The problems are not just the responsibility of the ministry of Justice, but also of the ministry of Economic Affairs, Tourism, and Infrastructure and Planning. They do not show enough attention and interest.

Putting the shelter for drug addicts in the center of Oranjestad didn’t solve the problem; on the contrary, the problems have become bigger and had caused the economy more damage. KvK urges the government to revise the policy soon and to move the shelter to somewhere else.

The business life in the center demands the authorities to provide them and the public with around the clock protection. “The tax payers have the right to that.”

KvK is willing to render full assistance to the improvement of the situation in the center of Oranjestad. “Some of the responsibilities are exclusively the government’s though. It’s about time that the government gives clarity on her intentions with the center of Oranjestad.”





8-10-06

On 8-10 ARUBAAN's news-source "Aruba Tradewinds Times" reported:



Tourism fell by 0.3 percent in April 2006

ORANJESTAD-Stay-over tourism fell by 0.3 percent in April 2006 in comparison to April 2005. Aruba welcomed 67,406 stay-over arrivals in April 2006 compared to 67,611 arrivals in April 2005, a slight decline of 205 arrivals. The number of visitor nights spent fell by 0.1 percent in April 2006 compared to April 2005 to 496,957 nights. The average hotel occupancy rate is 81.3 percent in April 2006, a decline of 5.5 percentage points compared to April 2005.

North America

The number of arrivals from the U.S. fell by 8.2 percent in April 2006 compared to the same month last year. A total of 49,172 Americans visited Aruba in April 2006 compared to 53,572 Americans that arrived in April 2005. The U.S. remained the main market for Aruba in April 2006 responsible for 73 percent of all stay-over arrivals.

The number of Canadian stay-over arrivals fell by 9.8 percent in April 2006 in comparison to April 2005. A total of 1,523 Canadians visited Aruba in April 2006 compared to 1,688 Canadians that arrived in April 2005. The Canadian market is up by 3.9 percent for the first 4 months of 2006 compared to the same period in 2005.

The number of stay-over arrivals from the U.S. is down by 15.3 percent for the first 4 months of this year compared to the first 4 months of last year. A total of 176,564 Americans arrived in Aruba in the first 4 months of 2006 compared to 208,435 Americans that arrived in the first 4 months of 2005.

The decline in arrivals from the U.S. is mainly attributed to the substantial decline in charter seats. Aruba received 3,255 charter seats less in April 2006 compared to April 2005. Higher hotel rates, less room inventory from the Occidental Grand Hotel and high fuel costs are mentioned as main factors that contributed to the fall in U.S. arrivals.

South America

South American markets did very well in April 2006, that is mainly attributed to Easter weekend, which fell in April this year. Aruba welcomed 7,069 Venezuelans in April 2006 compared to 3,460 Venezuelans in April 2005, an increase of 104.3 percent. Stay-over tourists from Colombia rose by 96.2 percent to 975 arrivals. Argentina is up by 62.3 percent, Brazil is up by 62.3 percent, Ecuador is up by 47.7 percent and Peru is up
by 93.1 percent.

The rise of South American visitors is mainly attributed to growing confidence in the economies of the region, monetary and political stability.

Europe

Stay-over tourists from The Netherlands fell by 4.2 percent to 3,036 Dutchmen that arrived in April 2006. Arrivals from Germany is up 24.7 percent to 364 Germans, the British market is down by 11.3 percent to 329 Britons, Portugal is up 363.7 percent to 51 Portuguese, Belgium is up 58.9 percent to 205 Belgians and Austria is up 66.7 percent to 75 Austrians.

Scandinavian countries have lost growth steam this year with the exception of Finland. Sweden is down 43.8 percent to 228 Swedes that arrived in Aruba in April 2006, Norway is down 57.3 percent to 23 Norwegians, Denmark is down 6.8 percent to 55 Danes and Finland is up 186.4 percent to 126 Finnish.





8-11-06

On 8-11 the MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA “Monterey Herald” reported:



Aruba an uneasy neighbor as Venezuela builds forces

ORANJESTAD, Aruba - On a clear day, you can see all the way from the southern side of Aruba to Venezuela - a fact that has rarely caused concern since the island became part of the Dutch kingdom in the 17th century.

But with a military buildup going on in Venezuela and U.S. warships recently engaged in large-scale exercises in nearby Caribbean waters, Aruba suddenly finds itself in the center of political tensions that some fear may turn into a military showdown.

"Little by little, we are more concerned," Agustin Vrolijk, Aruba's director of foreign affairs, told The Miami Herald.

He mentioned the recent purchases by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez of 100,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles, more than 30 Russian helicopters and the desire to manufacture Kalashnikovs to protect his country from a U.S. invasion - a possibility that Washington has strongly denied.

"Is all this only for defensive purposes?" Vrolijk asked.

Vrolijk's concerns are partly allayed by a long history of good relations between Venezuela and the so-called ABC islands - Aruba, Bonaire and CuraCao, all part of the kingdom of the Netherlands and protected by the Dutch armed forces. They have long maintained close commercial ties and have strategic partnerships to tackle issues like drug trafficking.

There are many Venezuelans living on Aruba, and most islanders speak some Spanish. There is also a Valero refinery that processes Venezuelan oil for sale on the East Coast of the United States, and the Dutch oil giant Shell is expanding its reach into Venezuela.

"We know that Aruba poses no threat to Venezuela, and we don't believe that Venezuela poses a threat to Aruba," Hinkinus Nijenhuis, the Dutch ambassador to Venezuela, told The Miami Herald in an interview in Caracas.

The U.S. government also has interests in the islands, maintaining military facilities in both Aruba and neighboring CuraCao. These facilities, known as Forward Operating Locations (FOL), support U.S. airplanes and occasionally ships that are fighting drug trafficking in the region. They are particularly useful because U.S. planes are no longer allowed to patrol in Venezuelan airspace.

Tensions between the islands and Venezuela appear to have grown as a result of the increasingly combative rhetoric between Washington and Caracas, and Venezuela's increased relations with its Caribbean neighbors. In addition to expanding relations with Cuba, Venezuela also has reached out to the rest of the islands with offers of discounted oil and refinery upgrades.

At the same time, Chavez has tried to isolate the U.S. government from the region, calling President Bush "Mister Danger" and saying repeatedly that Washington has designs to invade his country or even assassinate him. With this in mind, Chavez has ramped up his defenses.

For Chavez, the Dutch islands, which lie between 16 and 30 miles off the Venezuelan coast, would feature prominently in such an invasion plan. On the ABC News program "Nightline" last year, Chavez told Ted Koppel that a war game developed in Spain in 2001 simulated this invasion; one of the launching points for this simulated attack was an FOL near the target.

The United States has denied Chavez's claims but at the same time flexed its military muscle in the region. In April, as part of a large exercise, the U.S. Navy sent the aircraft carrier George Washington to Aruba and to CuraCao and St. Maarten, both part of the Netherlands Antilles.

"There's no other symbol of American power like the carrier that conveys our commitment to the region," Brig. Gen. Kenneth J. Glueck Jr., the Southern Command's chief of staff, told The Associated Press at the time.

A destroyer, frigate, cruiser and 60 airplanes joined the aircraft carrier in its tour through the Caribbean.

Tensions also rose after the Netherlands defense minister, Henk Kamp, told parliament in Amsterdam recently that Chavez had his sights set on the ABC islands. But he added that there was little to fear because of Venezuela's "second class" navy.

Chavez, a former army colonel, responded by calling Kamp "a pawn of Washington."
The Dutch government moved quickly to calm the storm, claiming that Kemp did not convey its feelings toward Venezuela. The Dutch also hosted two Venezuelan military officers during a military exercise of their own and recently sent a high-level delegation to Venezuela.

U.S. analysts like Daniel Erikson of the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington also downplay the recent rhetoric.

"This is very much the tempest in the teapot," Erikson said. "There is an unsettled climate around Venezuela's regional ambitions. ... But while there might be a nervousness there, I just don't see Venezuela having any serious designs on the Netherlands Antilles."

On Aruba, a tranquil, arid island of 80,000 people with a soft breeze and light blue waters, the mood is hardly tense. Tourists escape the news with pina coladas and grilled fish, while locals mostly laugh at the likelihood that Chavez would want to take over their lands.

"We talk about it, but we don't think they'll invade," said Luis Yarzagaray, a former Dutch marine who is now a private security officer.





On 8-11 CNNHN reported:



NANCY GRACE, HOST: Tonight: The family of Alabama teen Natalee Holloway, who vanished on her high school senior trip to Aruba, tries to fight back in the U.S. court of law. How did the prime suspect in the honor student's disappearance -- remember judge's son Joran van der Sloot? -- how did he manage to destroy what could be Holloway's final shot at justice? And he did it in an American courtroom.
And tonight, a 16-year-old straight-A student, Chanel Petro-Nixon, found dead, thrown away like garbage on a neighborhood street. Weeks have passed, no clues, silent witnesses. Tonight, we continue our search for answers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BETH HOLLOWAY TWITTY, NATALEE HOLLOWAY'S MOTHER: We really began to get discouraged that -- you know, that this will -- 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 -- it's difficult to have that hope that, you know, we will get to the bottom of it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Good evening, everybody. I'm Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us tonight. Tonight, two missing girls on different sides of the world, both American honor students. Why has the one shot at justice for Natalee Holloway been swatted down in a court of law right here on U.S. soil?

Out to Jim Moret, chief correspondent with "Inside Edition." Jim, what happened?

JIM MORET, "INSIDE EDITION": Well, basically Natalee's family filed a civil lawsuit in New York against Joran van der Sloot, the prime suspect in this case, and his father, Paul, claiming that Joran imprisoned and sexually assaulted their daughter, and also that Paul enabled his son's delinquent behavior.

Basically, what happened is the judge said New York was the wrong place to file this lawsuit. The exact words were, "It's an inconvenient place to file the lawsuit." Joran, you may recall, said that there was no nexus, there was no connection between New York, Natalee's disappearance and any of the activities in Aruba. And basically, the judge agreed, saying the case is therefore dismissed.

But there was another action in another court, Nancy, that in Aruba. An Aruba court awarded Paul van der Sloot -- that's Paul's father, who was at the time a judge in training -- awarded him roughly $30,000, saying that he was detained and arrested without cause. And that obviously is another slap in the face of Natalee's folks. However, the prosecution in Aruba is going to appeal that decision.

GRACE: OK, let me get this straight, Joran van der Sloot says he was arrested -- oh, there's a nice shot of his father, his backside anyway. I've seen that plenty. Joran van der Sloot is complaining that there was no cause to arrest him? Explain that again?

MORET: Well, Joran van der Sloot is saying that New York -- through his attorney, saying New York was the wrong place to bring this case. All of the activities that were alleged happened in Aruba. Joran is not a U.S. citizen. Natalee did not live in New York. Therefore, it was the wrong place to bring this case.

Natalee's family brought the case in New York because they said that a number of witnesses lived in and around New York, it was a convenient location to bring this lawsuit. And also, they claim to have another woman who was allegedly assaulted by Joran van der Sloot, and she was only going to testify in New York. But basically, the judge didn't agree with any of those claims.

GRACE: Take a listen to what judge's son Joran van der Sloot had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you have sex with her that night?

JORAN VAN DER SLOOT , SUSPECT: First of all, that's none of your business.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's just a question.

VAN DER SLOOT: Yes, but it's absolutely none of your business.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, what -- I mean, did anything else happen that night?

VAN DER SLOOT: No. Well, yes, I kissed with her. But neither me, Deepak or Satish ever had sex with her. And no one ever said otherwise.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How do you leave a girl on a beach?

VAN DER SLOOT: I told her I had to go home, I had school the next day, and I thought maybe she would understand. She told me, no, she wanted me to stay there with her because the next day, she was leaving and she wanted to stay there the whole night. I told her, no, I had to go. I even lifted her up to carry her back to her hotel, and she told me put her down. I left her there. I sat down next to her, talked to her a while. If I'd have that moment back, I would have made sure she got back to her hotel safely. But I can't change that now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: It's Trial 101: A court must have jurisdiction. For a case to be tried in a particular courtroom, that court must have jurisdiction over the subject matter, the content of the case. For instance, you don't file a bankruptcy case in misdemeanor crime court. And you've got to have jurisdiction over the person.

So let's go out to Randy Zellin, defense attorney. Randy, explain to us the judge's ruling.

RANDY ZELLIN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, there are actually three concepts here, Nancy. Justice Kapnick's decision really spoke to the very specific issue of whether or not New York was the right place for this case to be tried. And what the court looks at -- the court looks at the parties. None of the parties were from New York. The court looks at where this place -- where the incident took place. It took place in Aruba. The court looks at where the witnesses are. The witnesses in this case are going to be in Aruba. They're going to be in all different places, but not in New York.

So the court says, Wait a second what is New York's stake in this proceeding? What does New York have to do with this proceeding? And at the end of the day, Justice Kapnick decided that, first of all, this case should be litigated someplace else, like in Aruba. The witnesses would be in Aruba. There's no reason to burden New York with this litigation. And for the convenience of the parties, the hardship on the defendant, where the witnesses are going to be, and the fact that New York has no stake in this action, Justice Kapnick decided that while justice could be served, it should not be served in New York.

GRACE: I want to go out now to special guest Beth Twitty, now joining us. This is Natalee's mom. Beth, thank you for being with us. It seems that no matter how hard you struggle for justice in your daughter's disappearance, you get swatted down every which way you turn, now including an American court. Beth, what did you want to gain in this lawsuit?

TWITTY: Well, Nancy, first, I'd like to say that, you know, it's not just Natalee and it's not just Natalee's last shot at justice. What we have, Nancy, we have millions and millions and millions of Americans who travel internationally every year. And what we are learning from Natalee is that, you know, the challenges that you will face should you find a loved one a victim of a crime in a foreign country. Your United States constitutional rights do not apply in other countries, and it's been a hard life lesson for us to learn. There is no recourse. We faced jurisdictional issues, extradition every -- every step of the way. And it's just hard to know the right turns to make. I mean, we're doing the best that we can to see what can be done for an American citizen who's a victim of a crime in a foreign country.

GRACE: You know, Beth, I feel so frustrated and kind of defeated for you because there is no doubt in my mind that the answer to what happened to Natalee Holloway lies with those three, Joran van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers. I don't know what exactly happened, but I know that they know the answer.

TWITTY: Well, we know these are the original three suspects into her disappearance, and we are on the right track to pursue that, you know, but it's just hard to find the venue. It's just hard to know -- as I said, you know, there's just not a handbook on this. And we're doing the best we can and trying to get to that information and all those documents, the complete dossier. We -- you know, we've had the hardest time just getting a handle on the investigation. We've tried every angle that we know, Nancy.

GRACE: Why are you so convinced, Beth, that these guys know what happened to your girl?

TWITTY: Well, the facts still remain that those are the last suspects known to be seen with Natalee alive. And everybody knows of their repeated lies that they told the authorities, even their father, Paulus van der Sloot. That's why he was arrested. There was a reason that he was arrested in Natalee's disappearance. It was not unwarranted whatsoever.

And you know -- and being dismissed in New York, it was on a procedure ruling. Here again, jurisdiction. We have faced that issue since May 30 of 2005. Jurisdiction and extradition have hit us in the face every time.

GRACE: Do you remember when you were with me here in our Manhattan studio, and you told me that in a statement, Joran van der Sloot, the judge's son, could describe the underwear and the body of Natalee Holloway?

TWITTY: Oh, absolutely, Nancy. That's in one of the statements that he gave to the Aruban officials on the first day that he was arrested.

GRACE: OK, wait! Wa-wa-wait! To Lida Rodriguez-Taseff, defense attorney. So defend Joran van der Sloot, you would have me believe that he's the last one seen with the girl. She's never seen again. He's with her by his own admission around 1:00 or 2:00 o'clock in the morning. And he can tell authorities what her underwear looked like. So I'm supposed to believe that these two had consensual sex out on the beach, and then somebody else came along and murdered her? Is that the best you can give me, Lida?

LIDA RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Look, Nancy, I'm not trying to give you that. And that's not what the issue was in the New York court...

GRACE: I asked you a question! I'm asking you the defense of this guy, Joran van der Sloot.

RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: Well, so far, the Aruban authorities claim that they have no bases to hold him, that other than him being there and him seeing her, that they have no evidence that he committed this crime. They have no body. They have no evidence that he actually committed this murder. They even say that they have no evidence that she's even dead, even though out of the other side of their mouth, they say, Well, she's probably buried somewhere. So there is...

GRACE: OK. All right.

RODRIGUEZ-TASEFF: Right now, there's nothing.

GRACE: Lida, I appreciate you giving it the old college try.

Beth Twitty, when you hear these answers, they just go around and around and -- do you just want to just grab somebody?

TWITTY: No, Nancy. You know, the facts speak volumes. And we don't even have to defend them -- defend it because, you know, the facts are there, by all the suspects` own admissions, by the repeated lies and constant, you know, coercion to cover up. So you know, Nancy, I know that it doesn't...

GRACE: How do you stay so calm? You know, years and years after being a crime victim, I'm still stunned at the meanness of criminal defendants, how they can do what they do and go on about their lives. And to see the justice system play into it makes them complicit in this!

TWITTY: Well, what I see, Nancy, we know it's too late for Natalee. We know it's too late for the family. But Nancy, it's not to late for millions and millions of other Americans who have that sobering thought when they're traveling internationally that, you know, we need some type of rights or recourse. I mean, I guess we're the living proof of, you know, what doesn't work. But I felt as if we would be remiss in not just trying every angle possible. I mean, it's a larger picture than just Natalee now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VAN DER SLOOT: I had stuff to drink, too. But now I don't respect that the Aruban authorities tried to pin it that it was a rape case. She wanted to go with me. I wanted to go with her. It was totally consensual. I had something to drink, and she had something to drink.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I think if you can explain to people what really happened and you were really forthcoming, the more forthcoming you are, the more chance there is of you to get on with your life and...

VAN DER SLOOT: I will. One day, I will explain exactly what happened. But right now, I don't -- I don't feel ready to do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRACE: Welcome back, everybody. All of us have suffered pain of one sort, but losing your child, your precious daughter, your honor student on her way to med school -- that's one pain I've never felt. And now to have the court seemingly complicit in no justice? August 3, it was reported that judge Paul van der Sloot, the father of the prime suspect in the disappearance in Natalee Holloway's case, an American Alabama beauty, was awarded nearly $30,000 by an Aruban court for his inconvenience at getting arrested. That's why we're showing you his backside tonight!

To Jim Moret. Jim, please explain to me why he gets $30,000 American, and Natalee's mom can't even get into a courtroom to find out what happened to her girl.

MORET: You know, it's inconceivable to me, and I'll tell you why, because the authorities in Aruba say that the investigation continues and by all accounts, Joran van der Sloot, Paul's son, and the Kalpoe brothers, are still the three main suspects. And Paul was arrested, you may recall, because it was believed or suspected that he was somehow helping his son after the fact.

He was able to successfully argue to an Aruban court that he was detained and arrested without cause, that there was no reason for his arrest, that he was falsely arrested. And as you say, the court awarded him $30,000. Now, the prosecutor in Aruba isn't just sitting by because they realize that this is ridiculous, as well, and they're appealing this decision.

But Nancy, I can't think of any rational reason with an open case, with the man's son still the prime suspect, why he would be awarded $30,000 for false arrest. I cannot argue any scenario where that would make sense.

GRACE: You know what, Jim? Jim is not just chief correspondent at "Inside Edition," he's an officer of court, like myself. Both of us lawyers. For a lot of us, the court system is what we hold onto, what we believe in when everything else goes to hell. And when you see the court system, in my mind, mishandling a case -- yes, I understand about jurisdiction. I understand why the New York judge did what he did, Jim. But to give Paulus van der Sloot $30,000, and they can't even give Beth Twitty a straight answer about her girl? It just seems like we've gone into Wonderland, and the court system is upside down!

Beth Twitty, what is your reaction to learning that the prime suspect's father got $30,000 damages? And you know the day after Natalee went missing, where was he? Was he out trying to find Natalee? Was he combing the beach? Was he with the search teams? Oh, no! He was in his backyard, around his nice swimming pool, meeting with a bunch of defense attorneys. Isn't that right, Beth?

TWITTY: Oh, absolutely. It is correct, Nancy. And you know, we really weren't surprised that they awarded Paulus this money. We go back and we remember that Paulus van der Sloot and Antonio Carlo have been connected since the very beginning and really just kind of running the show. I mean, the defense attorneys seemed to be running the show in Aruba last summer. So it doesn't surprise us at all that he would prevail again here.

GRACE: Take a listen to what prime suspect Joran van der Sloot had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What would you do now?

VAN DER SLOOT: I would have just stayed home that night. I wouldn't have even gone out. It was Natalee who asked me to go out with her. It was her that asked me to come to the club. It was her that was yelling at me to go dance with her, and I said -- and I went to go drink something with my friends.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you that irresistible? I mean, is that what...

VAN DER SLOOT: No. I don't know. That's not -- that's absolutely not what it's about. I don't know. When her parents showed up at my door with her picture, I didn't even know who Natalee Holloway was. I didn't even know her name.

She was drunk. I had stuff to drink, too. But now I don't respect that the Aruban authorities tried to pin it that it was a rape case. She wanted to go with me. I wanted to go with her. It was totally consensual. I had something to drink, and she had something to drink.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think if you can explain to people what really happened and you were really forthcoming, the more forthcoming you are, the more chance there is of you to get on with your life.

VAN DER SLOOT: I will. One day I will explain what happened. But right now, I don't -- I don't feel ready to do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: OK, technical legal term. That is a crock of BS, OK? I want to tell the truth, but just not right now.

We'll all be right back with some disturbing news that Joran van der Sloot is back at it again.

But I want to tell you about tonight's "Case Alert." The aunt of Dateline NBC anchor Stone Phillips vanishes without a trace, an 81-year-old lady, Doris Phillips, missing from her own home, Ellis County, Texas, for two weeks. Phillips's car remains in her driveway. Tonight, no clues. If you can help, please call Ellis County Police, 972-825-4901.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVE HOLLOWAY, NATALEE'S FATHER: You just got to go back to the original statements. You know, these kids came up with -- or concocted the story about the Holiday Inn. That was untrue. And then you had lie after lie after lie after lie.

VAN DER SLOOT: I knew her for one night. I feel horrible that I even went out that night without my father knowing. I should have just stayed home and this wouldn't have happened to me, it would have happened to another person. I just try to look at it that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, maybe even with the wrong people. And I just hope that the truth comes out, that just comes some clarity in this case.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But do you understand? I mean, how can a girl just disappear?

VAN DER SLOOT: I don't know. I think that's the million-dollar question.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Yes, Joran, how could a girl, an American girl, just disappear, and you're the last one with her, and you admit to authorities you can describe the underwear she was wearing that night and her body, what it looked like without clothes on? So I'm supposed to believe that you had sex with the girl on the beach and you just left her there, and somebody else came along and kidnapped or killed her. OK.

Back to Jim Moret, joining us, chief correspondent with "Inside Edition." Jim, I understand, disturbingly, that Joran van der Sloot has learned nothing and is once again up to his old antics on a beachside, yes?

MORET: Well, you're absolutely right. And to listen to those statements, you'd think that he was the victim in this case. You know, a lot of people thought that he would return to Holland...

GRACE: Yes, how dare he was saying he with the wrong people! Is he saying that Natalee is the wrong kind of person to hang around with, the honor student who wanted to be a doctor to help other people, her?

MORET: Well, that's exactly what he's saying.

GRACE: Oh!

MORET: He's saying that she approached him. She pushed him to go out for a drink. She approached him to take her out. It's really sickening.

But what's worse, frankly -- you know, when he went back to Holland to go to school, a lot of people thought he would never return. But just a few weeks ago, "Inside Edition" talked to a woman, an American who was traveling to Aruba on vacation, and she saw something that she couldn't believe. She saw Joran van der Sloot on the beach at the hotel where Natalee had stayed, at the Holiday Inn, with his arms around a young blond woman. And a lot of people at the beach were thinking, Could that possibly be him? She whipped out her camera. She took photos. And indeed, it is - - it was Joran van der Sloot.

So he went right back to the very scene where all of this horrible, horrible stuff happened, and he's back there basically flaunting his appearance in Aruba. He knew that...

GRACE: With a young blond American girl, right?

MORET: He knew that people were taking pictures. That's right, a young, blond American -- well, we don't know if she was American. We believe she was American. But he was with a young blond tourist. And he knew that people were buzzing about the fact that he was there, and he seemed that he wasn't fazed at all.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A series of pictures you're going to see now are photos of Joran being served as he walked out of immigration. Now, when the plane arrived, there was about a two-hour delay before he came out. The INS, the Immigration Services, had grabbed him. He must have been on some kind of watch list. Eventually, they released him to come out. As the doors opened, this young man -- I didn't know who he was -- runs over to him and throws a coat over his head.

And at this time, I went up to, I told him, Look, I'm going to serve you with official court documents, a summons and complaint. This is an official service. Of course, in serving the summons and complaint, you have to put the papers out. If they don't want to take them -- you touch them -- I ended up putting the papers right into his jacket. At which time, I followed Joran and he threw the papers out, crumpled them up and threw them on the ground. And I continued to follow him, as you can see in these pictures, into a taxicab, which he went and took off.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JERRY WAGSCHAL, "A CURRENT AFFAIR" PRODUCER: How do you leave a girl on the beach?

JORAN VAN DER SLOOT , LAST SEEN WITH NATALEE HOLLOWAY: Well, I told her I had to go home. I had school the next day. And I thought maybe she'd understand. She told me, no, she wanted me to stay there with her because the next day she was leaving and she wanted to stay there the whole night.

I told her, no, I had to go. I even lifted her up to carry her back to her hotel, and she told me to put her down. I left her there. I sat down next to her, talked to her a while, and I called Deepak to ask him if he could come pick me up, which Deepak didn't do, but...

WAGSCHAL: Was she angry?

VAN DER SLOOT: She wasn't angry. If anything, she was probably more, you know, upset that I was leaving her there. And I don't know what reaction she had. I don't know.

At the time, I didn't feel it was a bad idea. At the time, I really didn't. It didn't seem wrong. It didn't seem -- of course, now I look back at it, and I think (bleep) I'm an (bleep). What did I do? But there's nothing I can do about it now. If I could have that moment back, I would have made sure she got back to her hotel safely. But I can't change that now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Right. OK. Prime suspect Joran van der Sloot trying to explain his actions the night Alabama honor student Natalee Holloway went missing. Her family has been swatted down again in their search for justice, this time by an American court.

Out to psychoanalyst Bethany Marshall joining us from L.A. Bethany, when you hear, as Jim Moret has just told us, that Joran van der Sloot is right back at it again...

BETHANY MARSHALL, PSYCHOANALYST: Right.

GRACE: ... the same hotel, the same beach, a young blonde teenage girl, it's as if nothing happened, as if Natalee's death and disappearance never happened.

MARSHALL: Three things come to mind. First of all, what it's like for you, Nancy, working in the criminal justice system, because you've seen criminals come in and out, go in and out of the courts and the jails, and they keep repeating the same crimes, right, because they really don't have a conscious.

In fact, I've heard the analogy of Swiss cheese, that these guys, their consciences, it's like Swiss cheese, it's full of holes. So when they do something wrong, they don't feel they've done something wrong.

The other thing is, in these interviews, he has a very haughty, arrogant, condescending attitude towards Natalee, as if it's her fault. There's really a blaming-the-victim stance. And I think the final thing is these perpetrators always feel persecuted. And here Paulus wants to be paid by the Aruban government because he was falsely imprisoned, and there's this attitude on the part of this family that they've been persecuted, when, in fact, a crime was perpetrated on another poor, innocent victim.

GRACE: You know, Bethany, it's amazing to me that, with all of the mystery and all the circumstances surrounding Natalee's disappearance, he and his family act like nothing happened. They've never tried to help find Natalee. They've never just sat down and talked to Natalee's parents.

It makes me think, what are they trying to hide? And when we just played that sound of Joran van der Sloot going, "I want to tell the truth, I really do, but not right now, maybe later," what a crock of B.S.

MARSHALL: Well, again, they feel persecuted by Natalee and Natalee's family. They feel as if something has been done to them. And this feeling is so strong and so pervasive, they don't really care about Natalee or the Holloways. They really just don't care; it's that basic.

GRACE: Joining us now by phone, in addition to Beth Twitty who is Natalee's mom, Dave Holloway, Natalee's dad. Dave, it's nice to hear your voice. Thank you for being with us.

DAVE HOLLOWAY, NATALEE HOLLOWAY'S FATHER: Thank you, Nancy.

GRACE: You know, I was just on the phone an hour ago with my dad. And he was talking about the show, and what we were going to cover, and about Natalee. And when I hung up with him, I was thinking about what it would be like not to be able to speak to him. And I just wonder, as the days pass by and it seems that even American courts are part of not seeking justice, how you keep going.

HOLLOWAY: I tell you, you've got to have a strong faith in God and a close-knit family, Nancy, and the desire not to give up and continue to seek justice for your daughter.

GRACE: Dave, what do you make of Judge Paulus van der Sloot getting about $30,000 damages for his inconvenience when they can't get an answer to Natalee's disappearance?

HOLLOWAY: You know, sometimes I wonder if a lot of this is driven by their tourism. You know, tourism is down 20 to 25 percent on the island just because of the actions they've taken on this case. And the appeal, I sometimes wonder if that was just to counteract a possible decline and further people not wanting to go to the island, so...

GRACE: Well, it has certainly affected me. I would take a Greyhound bus down to Macon, Georgia, before I'd take a first-class ticket to Aruba. No way. Forget about it.

And, Dave, when you hear about van der Sloot right back out at the same pool, at the same hotel, on the same beach, romancing another young blonde, who startlingly looks like Natalee, very much like Natalee, it's just got to leave you floored.

HOLLOWAY: You know, I look at that, and I agree with what Bethany had commented. I think he has some guarantees and some guarantees that he'll never be brought back.

You know, the judge confirmed that back in September, released him, and he does not have to talk to the Police anymore. And that was one reason we filed the lawsuit was to maybe get him back in and get a statement under oath that -- that door has been closed on us.

But I always go back to the original Police statements. They took witness statements from all three of these kids the following day Natalee disappeared, and there were some discrepancies in them. And I keep going back to that, because they immediately arrested two innocent security guards, and then, 10 days later, they finally arrested the suspects.

But here's what they did: They had the opportunity to sanitize the car. They had the opportunity to dispose of any and all evidence. They were coached by Paul van der Sloot. And Deepak, I read a statement just yesterday that Deepak indicated that he would have to stand up to 116 days in jail, and if there was no body, there was no case.

They obtained lawyers or were assisted in obtaining lawyers. They secured alibis. And then, for nine or 10 days, they practiced, practiced and practiced their story.

GRACE: Final thought, Beth?

TWITTY: Nancy, Dave is so right. And do you know that the only thing that they were able to find in Deepak's car was cleaning fluid. So they sanitized the car like just crazy, Nancy.





8-14-06

On 8-14 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:



Population grows with immigrants

ARUBA – Aruba had 102.149 inhabitants last year. This is the first time that the island has exceeded the 100.000 inhabitants. 1234 Babies were born in 2005 and 482 people died. The increased number of inhabitants has to do with immigrants that establish in Aruba. Arubaans, Antilleans, European Dutch natives, and Colombians form part of the biggest groups of (re)-immigrants. Last year, 3756 immigrants came to Aruba. Almost 1500 people decided to emigrate. Aruba also has other population groups, namely from Venezuela, Dominican Republic, United States, Philippines, Suriname, Jamaica and Peru.

In 2005, Aruba had 568 inhabitants per square kilometer; in 1972, this was 323; in 1993, 426; and in 1998, 501.

In 2005, Aruba had 102.000 inhabitants, of which 53.000 females, and almost 49.000 males.

In 2005, 1234 babies were born, of which 11 percent of teenage mothers. Of the born babies, 50 percent of the parents are not married and the youngest mother was 14 and the oldest mothers are between 45 and 49.

In 2005, there were 1170 marriages, and 445 divorces.

CBS publishes every year the Statistic Yearbook that contains relevant year statistics from other publications of several departments within the CBS and from government instances and other organizations. The information in the yearbook is used to develop plans on policy level.





8-15-06

On 8-15 the “Scared Monkeys blog" reported that along with a cover-letter signed by “Aruba Tourism Authority” manager, MYRNA JANSEN, a visitor’s satisfaction survey was sent from ARUBA to NATALEE’s mother, Mrs. BETH HOLLOWAY-TWITTY:



Aruba Adds Insult to Injury by sending Beth Twitty a Visitor Survey after Natalee Vanishes

Talk about adding insult to injury. Talk about bad form. Talk about not having a clue to take Beth Twitty’s name off a mailing list to ask how her stay in Aruba was. Aruba, have a heart. Exactly how do you not preempt this stock letter from going out to the mother who’s daughter went missing on your island? Are you people serious? We are beginning to wonder if there is anything you get right. It is astonishing that at this point and time, after all that has gone on, Aruba would further rub salt in the wounds. What a tourism PR department you people have.

Let us give you the short version of how this might be answered. I lost my daughter on Aruba and you covered up a crime. Other than that, everything was fine … GEEZ.

Just how do you think Beth Twitty will answer these questions?

a. Overall great experience. Is there a category worse than poor seeing that Natalee Holloway went missing, was most likely sexually assaulted and the investigation was a cover up?

b. Has great beaches. You mean the great beaches that Joran van der Sloot claimed to have left Natalee Holloway on and abandoned her? Or the beaches where the suspects have allegedly claimed to have buried her?

d. Is Safe and Secure. I guess we can guess how Beth Twitty would answer this one. It would read, see Safe Travels.

f. Has friendly local people. Like those 3 friendly suspects that left with Natalee Holloway, sexually assaulted her, were last seen with her and lied about having ever dropped her off where she was staying.

l. Has great night life. Yes, Carlos n’ Charlie’s is a killer time.





On 8-15 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:



KLM is going to reduce her flights to the Antilles

CURACAO – Airline Company KLM is planning to reduce the number of flights between the Netherlands and the Neth.Antilles and Aruba, starting next year. KLM has decided on this in connection with the increased competition on the route.

The website www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl and the Wereldomroep (World Service) announced this. “We always encouraged competition", says KLM-spokesperson Bart Koster. “But when because of this, we start coping with empty seats, it’s going to affect the available capacity.” KLM is planning to abandon the system, where extra flights are put in during busy periods. The company is working on a more established pattern for the entire year.

KLM-manager Wim Iserief confirmed to the Amigoe that as part of this, a delegation of the KLM visited the islands last week. He cannot dwell on that subject as yet, because the summer schedule for 2007 is being finalized at the head quarters. “Nothing will change this winter. Next year’s prognosis for Curacao looks good.”

ArkeFly increases her frequency this coming fall to four flights per week. In two months, also Martinair starts with two weekly flights to Curacao. The competition will create more empty seats in the Boeing 747 of the KLM. Other than cutting back on the frequency, KLM will also make more direct flights with an MD-11 instead of a much bigger Boeing.

According to Luchtvaartnieuw.nl, instead of extra flights during busy periods, KLM is working on a permanent flight schedule for the entire year. Also, the airline company does no longer want intermediate landings on the islands; they want to start at non-stop flights to the Caribbean and South America.

Currently, KLM flies 12 times a week to South America, with a stop in Bonaire. “The passengers do not need stop-overs”, says Iserief. KLM disposes since last year of the Boeing 777 that can fly non-stop from Amsterdam to Ecuador and Peru.





On 8-15 the ST. MAARTEN “Daily Herald” reported:



St. Maarten is model in Brazil tourism benchmarking project

MAHO--St. Maarten is viewed by Brazil tourism officials as a model sand, sun and sea destination from with they can learn to improve this sector of Brazil’s tourism. A sixteen-person delegation is here gathering information and carrying out site inspection at small hotels as part of this US $2 million Brazil government project.

This tourism benchmarking project started about a year ago with international research to determine what travellers looked for when they chose Brazil as a vacation destination. These findings revealed high interest in eco-tourism, culture, incentive travel, adventure, and sun and sand, Brazilian Tour Operators Association President Jose Zuquim told The Daily Herald Tuesday.

This information prompted the Brazilian Excellence in Tourism project that aims to train entrepreneurs to host and cater to the needs to visitors. For each traveller interest identified in the study, a delegation comprising entrepreneurs in the field were selected to travel to a matching destination and gather information and training.

Last year, teams visited New Zealand, which is considered one of the best destinations for adventure seekers, Peru and Costa Rica for eco-tourism, Spain for Culture, Argentina for fishing and Mexico for diving, amongst other places.

Zuquim said St. Maarten had been chosen for the benchmark sand and sun destination as “it has sustainable tourism and provides a good quality of service.” The island’s diversity, with “several different experiences in one location,” was also attractive for the Brazilians.

The Brazilian entrepreneurs, tourism officials and representatives of the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau Mercosur office in Brazil, who are on a seven-day trip, met with tour operators such as St. Maarten Heineken Regatta and AquaMania, Director of Tourism Regina LaBega, Edward Dest of the bureau, and Bernard Hunt of Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, amongst others.

The knowledge and insight gained by the visiting group will be used to train and inform other Brazilian entrepreneurs in the field. The visiting entrepreneurs are bound by a government contract to share their knowledge to better the tourism product in their communities on their return to Brazil.

Once the entire benchmarking project is completed, a DVD, brochure and book will be created for training and information. St. Maarten will benefit, as these training tools will showcase this island as a model destination.

Brazilian Tourist Board Product and Segmentation Manager Vitor Iglezias said the project was important to the Brazilian government as it helped to get knowledge to better the tourism product directly to communities across the vast eight-million-square-kilometre South American country.

Aside from the overseas benchmarking trips, there are also information and training exchanges within the country whereby entrepreneurs of different regions visit and observe how business is carried out in other parts of the country.

The delegation thanked the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau for its support and commitment to the Excellence in Tourism Project. The people who shared their knowledge were also commended for their support.

St. Maarten is a well known tourist destination in Brazil. There are efforts by local tourism officials to attract a scheduled flight from the South American country to St, Maarten. There is a charter flight linking the two destinations. This market is important because it can help the island become a year-round destination, as Brazilians mostly travel in the off-season months May to November.





On 8-15 a celebrity-like-paparazzi-treatment photo with a written caption of Prime Murder Suspect JORAN VAN DER SLOOT is decided to be publicized within ARUBAAN's news-source “Bon Dia.” The photo reveals Prime Murder Suspect JORAN VAN DER SLOOT smiling while he was recently singing karaoke with several drinking and smoking persons within an ARUBAN bar.


8-16-06

On 8-16 the ARUBAAN's news-source “Caribbean Net News” reported:



HIV positive Caribbean women

Wednesday, August 16, 2006
by Dr Sonjia Kenya

HIV and AIDS are quickly becoming an epidemic in the Caribbean and women are the primary targets.
In 2005, about 27,000 people contracted AIDS in the Caribbean, making it the leading cause of death among adults between 15 and 44 years old.

More than 330,000 people in the Caribbean are infected with HIV and women are contracting the disease at far greater rates than men. Most new cases of HIV result from heterosexual intercourse, indicating that women are having intimate relations with men who are infected but may not know their disease status.

Since medication for HIV and AIDS have improved, infected individuals can live a long, healthy life.

However, the Caribbean is known to stigmatise HIV positive people, causing many to ignore their disease status or refuse to seek treatment.

To avoid negative responses from their communities and access better medications, many Caribbean people with AIDS relocate to the United States or other countries.

To publicise the plight of Caribbean women living with AIDS as well as describe the quality of life for HIV positive Caribbean females who chose to leave their country, we have initiated an ongoing series of interviews with HIV positive females.

Our first featured woman is 34 years old, married, from Jamaica and diagnosed with HIV in 1993 who lives in the United States.

She said she contracted the virus through heterosexual contact and added that she did receive education about and information about HIV.

Explaining her family's reaction she said the majority of them know.

"At first my mom was disappointed but after the initial shock that was it."

She has three boys, none of whom have the virus and they know about their mom's condition.

"I told them because there can be an emergency situation in which they would need to know. They are a part of my life and it is very important for them to know. They are ages 19, 15, and 12 years old," she said.

Sadly our interviewee said that she did not believe she could live in the Caribbean being HIV positive.

"I went there on my job to deal with discrimination and isolation and it wasn't a pretty sight," she said.

"We did network with the black gay men, they also deal with positive people in the Caribbean and how they deal with their issue, the support there and the health care system. We did a summit in Jamaica where there were different Caribbean countries. We had Guyana, Trinidad, Barbados, the Greater Antilles, Virgin Islands and the Bahamas.

"It was different people coming from different places. It was last year.

"We traded information about how it's affecting the Caribbean populations. So when we went down there I got a chance to go into the field with nurses and give food packages and see first hand how people with HIV are treated." She explained that some mothers are put out of their communities and children are treated differently in the schools.

"It's Jazz (Jamaica AIDS support). I think they collaborate with Black Gay Mans Association but I know they get funding from the states and it's also funded by the Jamaican government" she said.

She also noted that the standard of care in the region fell far short of that in the US.

"Here you have access to medications. In Jamaica if you don't have the money you don't have access to care. In Jamaica, it's a financial issue not a healthcare issue. There is no Medicaid, ADAP or health plus or something like that," she said.

"In Jamaica it's if you have the money, you know what I mean. Most Jamaicans they network; like they get to travel and come up here and network with health care programs and navigate the system, like the programme that I was working with.

"They set it up where government funded programmes such as through GMHC, CAMBA, or places that funds undocumented people. Then the agency sets it up so that when they return home they can get the medication through the pharmacy back home. They don't have to live here all they have to be is positive and even visiting. Not many Jamaicans know about this.

The interviewee said that she lives as normal a family life as possible.

"I go to church and I don't think about it on a daily basis. I'm aware of it, it's there. I've been positive since 1993 so I mean 11 years past and I'm not on medications. So, it's not like I'm taking medication daily where I have to remember so it doesn't affect me in that negative sense. For instance, when I am intimate with my husband, then we take precautions so therefore you know that you are and you have do what you need to do," she explained.

Speaking about the prevalence and contraction of the disease she blamed the Caribbean culture.

"A lot of Jamaican men or Caribbean men don't believe in condoms.

Also, a lot of them truly don't believe in one partner either, they have wifey and sweetheart and so forth so they do their thing and a lot of times they think it's not going to happen to me. I think that's one of the biggest thing, the macho-ness of a man, he's not thinking about I am the one discharging inside of a woman and that a woman is more prone to getting disease. They are not thinking about that," she said.

"Caribbean women in relationship don't normally hmmm, how can I say this, they don't argue their health issue. They are not going to say you man this is my body and you can't mistreat it.
"For the women, it's a financial thing, it's a one man thing, and they look at the idea of relationship.

Then there are the women here, liberated in America, doing her own thing and it's her own choice, she is not dependent on a man. Two different point's of view. It's not easy to get a job to support yourself in Jamaica.

"Here you can get a Macdonald's job or any kind of job to support yourself. Not that you don't have educated women back home who can hold their own and is educated but at the same time the system is different. You more depend on a male back home because of the system and how far one income will stretch.

She noted that her own HIV diagnosis did not prevent her from reaching goals but said she was motivated even more to achieve what she wants.

"I take a step back and look at what I really want. It brings my life back into focus where as before it was like I have tomorrow, next week, next year. Time is the essence. I got to focus now and I got to get what I need done now because I don't know what tomorrow may bring," she said.

"Right now, I am not working but I want to go back into the field of social work, in the same line of work with HIV positive people in the system.

Speaking of the fear that is associated with the virus in the community at large she said she didn't like the word fear.
"I don't call them fears but more concerns. Fear is a powerful word, which is very crippling. I don't like the word fear. My concern is I wanted another child. After 11 years I am now working on that with my partner and it's like more of collaboration. It's not one sided where I wanted it one time and he didn't," she said.

"You still have to think about the reality of things. The what ifs. What if the child was to born positive?

Hmm...how we would deal with that? What would be our preparation for that child? How would the other children deal with it? Just regular people issues you know when it comes to children and the concerns of their future. Even with my children right now, what would happen to them? You know; every mothers fears."

She said too there were many challenges dealing with Caribbean women who are HIV-positive and living in medically underserved communities.

"They can overlook small issues. If the doctor can't give the care needed then that person is not going to go back," she said.

"Confidentiality is a major issue with women from the Caribbean. If you walk into the doctor's office and the doctor is someone I know, then I am not going to disclose nothing to you because now I have to think about who you know that I know.

"Also, if a family member knows you, you might disclose something unintentionally that family member I am not yet ready to disclose. e.g. Guess who I saw in my office today. In America, if you go to an American doctor and you disclose to your status to them, they are not looking down on you but, if you go to a Caribbean doctor it's like how you get this? or they pass judgment."

Offering advice to healthcare providers to improve health-seeking behaviors she spoke about a comfortable environment.
"One that is trustworthy, where you don't feel stigmatised. You don't want to be looked upon differently whether you are paying the same amount of money or not as the next person. You want to feel like a person or a human being," she said.

This interview was conducted by Lisa Matthews as part of a collaborative research study with Dr. Sonjia Kenya. Mrs. Matthews is a doctoral student at Columbia University in New York which is Dr. Kenya's alma mater. sonjiakenya@aol.com





On October 1, 2006 DAVE HOLLOWAY stated to the “C-Band Talk Network”:
(audio available when you click here)



And, that's happened before in the past--I understand that another girl went missing about a year before Natalee disappeared, and that was confirmed by one of the police officers in a recent search that we had going on about a month, a month-and-a-half ago. [circa August 16, 2006; my insertion]
They indicated that another girl went missing on the island about a year ago, and they didn’t--weren‘t able to spend a whole lot of time on that case, and, they were still “looking into it,” as well.





On 8-16 “About Crime.com” reported:



Characteristics of the Psychopathic Personality

From Charles Montaldo,
Your Guide to Crime / Punishment.

Stay up to date!

Psychopathic Behavior

The study of the psychopath reveals an individual who is incapable of feeling guilt, remorse or empathy for their actions. They are generally cunning, manipulative and know the difference between right and wrong but dismiss it as applying to them.
They are incapable of normal emotions such as love, generally react without considering the consequences of their actions and show extreme egocentric and narcissistic behavior.

Common Characteristics Among Psychopaths

The following characteristics of a psychopath, defined by Hervery M. Cleckley in 1941 in the book Mask of Sanity include:

Superficial charm and average intelligence.
Absence of delusions and other signs of irrational thinking.
Absence of nervousness or neurotic manifestations.
Unreliability.
Untruthfulness and insincerity.
Lack of remorse or shame.
Antisocial behavior without apparent compunction.
Poor judgement and failure to learn from experience.
Pathological egocentricity and incapacity to love.
General poverty in major affective reactions.
Specific loss of insight.
Unresponsiveness in general interpersonal relations.
Fantastic and uninviting behavior with drink, and sometimes without.
Suicide threats rarely carried out.
Sex life impersonal, trivial, and poorly integrated.
Failure to follow any life plan.

Conventional Treatment Empowers the Psychopath

There are different degrees of psychopathic behavior and different types including the sexual psychopath and the work psychopath. Most studies indicate that there are no conventional methods available which cures psychopathic behavior. On the contrary, when conventional methods have been used, the psychopath becomes empowered, and reacts by improving their cunning, manipulative methods and their ability to conceal their true personality, even from trained eyes.

Since the psychopath has no real emotions, they develop their own personality throughout their life by mimicking those around them. Their inability to control inappropriate outburst of anger and hostility often results in loss of jobs, disassociation with friends and family and divorce. This in itself is filtered by the psychopath into a justification process for more aggressive behavior.

Because of their inability to gauge when their actions are being perceived as dishonest, deceitful or dangerous, they also fail to accept that there are consequences for their actions. They always maintain a belief that they can outwit those who pursue them and that they will never be caught. Once caught, they believe they will find a way back out.

Books About the Study of Psychopathic Behavior

Snakes In A Suit
Author: Robert D. Hare, Paul Babiak
The Psychopath: Theory, Research, and Practice
Author: John C. Yuille, Hugues Herve
Psychopath: Emotion and the Brain
Author: James Blair, Karina Peschardt, Derek Robert Mitchell
Without Conscience
Author: Robert D. Hare





8-17-06

On 8-17 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:



Peter de Witte new chief of Police Aruba

ARUBA -- Peter de Witte, acting director of the Coastguard of the Neth.Antilles and Aruba will become the new chief of Police. Effective January 1st, 2007 he will formally succeed chief of Police Ronny Bernadina, but he will start working on November 1st.
His assignment is for a maximum of three years. He will have to make a clean sweep in the Police organization. His appointment developed from a cooperation between the Police Corps of Aruba (KPA) and the Corps of national Police service (KPLD) in the Netherlands. A protocol was created for this that Prime Minister Nelson Oduber (MEP), Justice-minister Rudy Croes (MEP) and the Dutch ministers of Home Affairs and Governmental Renewal and Kingdom Relations will sign in the Netherlands late September. De Witte will temporarily take service with KPLD and is assigned to the Aruban Police corps. After the three years, he will be replaced by a new local chief of Police. He will be assisted by three local experts, including a district attorney, an expert in the field of personnel, and a person from the Police corps.





On 8-17 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:



MEP won’t tolerate any longer

ARUBA – The MEP has used unusual strong words to warn the AVP that it does no longer tolerate the fact that the opposition party is inciting the population to demonstrations and the unions to organize strikes when the Parliament is handling the sales tax BBQ. If and when it comes to demonstrations and strikes, the MEP will summon her militants to turn the tide and protect the democracy and the constitutional state.

According to MEP Since AVP has landed in the opposition, this party, together with part of Ahata, Atia, and the Chamber of Commerce, has been causing damage to the National Government. The AVP has penetrated deep into the social partners with the purpose to paralyze the National Government with strikes, protest actions, and accusations, in order to blame the MEP of everything.”

MEP says that AVP is working with a strategy to destabilize the country by creating chaos and try to overthrow the democratically elected government. “They don’t care whether this country is in a bad position or not, as long as they get back in office.”
MEP says that they are totally aware of AVP’s strategy and also which entrepreneurs are involved. “Do not confuse our kindness and toleration with weakness, because we warn the population that it will work out differently this time.”





8-21-06

On 8-21 the WASHINGTON D.C. “Washington Post” reported:



Warming Will Shift Tourism To North

Vancouver, British Columbia, and Bangor, Maine, seem unlikely to replace Vera Cruz, Mexico, or the Bahamas as sun-and-fun destinations for international tourists.

But they just might - thanks to global warming.

An international team of economists predicts that by the end of the century, the expected rise in temperature will make many current tourist hot spots a bit too toasty, while making some currently chilly places warm enough to entice fair-weather travelers.

The U.S. is predicted to be one of the winners, with international tourism increasing an estimated 13.7 percent over what it would be if the world weren't warming, said researchers Andrea Bigano of the Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei in Milan, Italy, Jacqueline M. Hamilton of Hamburg University, and Richard S.J. Tol of the Economic and Social Research Institute in Dublin, Ireland.

"Climate change would shift patterns of tourism towards higher altitudes and latitudes," they wrote. "Tourism may double in colder countries and fall by 20 percent in warmer countries. ... For some countries international tourism may treble whereas for others it may be cut in half."

The biggest winners: Canada, which they predict will experience a 220 percent increase in international arrivals by 2100; Russia (174 percent); and Mongolia (122 percent). The biggest losers: Mauritania, where they say arrivals will drop by 60 percent; Mali (minus-59 percent); and Bahrain (minus-58 percent). "Currently popular destinations that are high up there include Macau (minus-48 percent), Aruba (minus-42 percent) and Jamaica (minus-39 percent)," Tol said.

The researchers used a mathematical model that predicts tourist flows to and from 207 countries based on characteristics known to affect leisure travel. The factors included population growth, the economy and temperature. Then they plugged in estimates that global warming will cause the world's temperature to rise about three degrees Celsius by 2100, or about five degrees Fahrenheit, to see its effect on tourism.





On 8-22 ARUBAAN's news-source “Diario” reported:



Another Attempted Rape Case On Aruba

A 36 ye old British woman with the B.J.L.B. reported an attempted "violation" upon her
person at about 8:15 am Monday morning by a man of 5' 9" height, grey eyes and brown
hair.

The woman was able to fight off the purported attacker and told the Police that in the
struggle she had marked the mans face with scratches.

This is reported to have occurred in the area of the fisherman huts.

Diario is calling on the people at the High Rise hotel - some who claim to have heard
and or seen the attack to come forward with information to avoid another story that
could harm tourism.





8-23-06

On 8-23 FOX News GRETA VAN SUSTEREN wrote in her “Gretawire” blog, “In case you wonder if I have simply dropped the Natalee Holloway case, the answer is no. I want to end this story, but I would like to complete it if possible. I am in constant contact with our show's many sources, including Natalee's family and all the lawyers for the many people involved in the story.”

On 8-23 the “International Safe Travels Foundation” # HYPERLINK "http://www.internationalsafetravelsfoundation.org/MS/MS10/vB_PAGE/20060518135823/nova.doc"reported:



TWITTY FEATURED SPEAKER AT NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR VICTIM ASSISTANCE ANNUAL CONFERENCE

ORLANDO, Fl. – August 23, 2006 – More than 1,200 members of the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA) were present for Beth Twitty’s tribute to her daughter Natalee Holloway at the 32nd annual conference in Orlando, Florida.

According to one attendee, “it was the most beautiful speech. She made all of us understand what her family has been through and explained how we need changes in handling the kind of thing that happened to Natalee.” Twitty briefly described the university study that will be announced soon which will delve into the issues of travel safety, and she discussed the need for legislation to address the circumstances of being an American victim in a foreign country. “These are my two long-range goals,” Twitty said. “Education and legislation. We need international victim assistance.”

The National Organization for Victim Assistance is a private, non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization of victim and witness assistance programs and practitioners, criminal justice agencies and professionals, mental health professionals, researchers, former victims and survivors, and others committed to the recognition and implementation of victim rights and services. NOVA’s mission is to promote rights and services for victims of crime and crisis.

According to conference organizer Kathy King of the Orlando Attorney General’s office “having Beth here to deliver her tribute to Natalee was wonderful. She did a beautiful job.”

Twitty plans to pursue her mission to define a way to establish a level of cooperation between U.S. and foreign law enforcement agencies to assist American victims of crime in foreign countries. “The FBI wanted to help us find Natalee, but their hands were tied,” she said. “If they had been allowed to actually work with the Aruban investigators we might have an answer today.”

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





On 8-23 ARUBAAN's news-source “Tradewinds Times” reported:



Aruban beaten to death in The Netherlands

No Need For Excessive Beating

August 23rd 2006, The Netherlands.

ROTTERDAM-The successful Bavaria City Racing event that was held in
the Dutch city of Rotterdam last Sunday, is overshadowed by the death of
a 26-year old Aruban spectator. According to the Dutch newspaper "De
Telegraaf", the 26-year old was severely beaten by guards of the security
firm, International Security Agency (ISA). ISA was hired by the
organization to maintain order during the event.

The Aruban had difficulty breathing after he was escorted by the guards
and entered in a coma at the hospital where he remained in the intensive
care unit. Doctors pronounced the 26-year old dead on Tuesday evening
due to severe internal injuries received on the head.

Six guards of the security firm were detained on Sunday for
manslaughter according to "De Telegraaf". On Wednesday a seventh
security guard is detained, and the six guards previously detained were
released.

Hans Holtman spokesperson for ISA, says that the Aruban attended the
event with a group of friends in the VIP Village. There was an argument
between the group and a few of the spectators in the VIP Village, that
ended in pushing and a small fight. The guards intervened and asked the
group including the 26-year old to behave. But the 26-year old did not
calm down and was asked by the guards to leave the VIP Village, which
he refused to do according to the “De Telegraaf” article. The guards were
forced to escort the young male out of the VIP section said Holtman.

Outside the VIP village the young male had problems breathing and had
to be transported to the hospital. According to Holtman one of his security
men was hit in the nose by the group. On Wednesday "the cause of
death report" issued by the hospital concluded that the 26-year old died
of severe internal injuries received on the head. The death report is an
indication that more has happened with the 26-year old than what is being
told by the security firm.

Eyewitnesses gave different accounts on what happened that Sunday.
Some eyewitness say that the guards have used excessive force and
severely beaten the 26-yeard old. Others say that the group did not
behave and that there was alcohol abuse.

At present one security guard is detained and will be charged by the
Public Attorney Office for manslaughter. Rotterdam Police Department is
investigating the case to determine the exact cause of what happened.
Holtman says that ISA will cooperate 100 percent with the investigation.
The death of the Aruban is also a terrible experience for all those
involved said Holtman.

A few hundred people including friends and family members marched
against pointless violence on Wednesday. The march ended at the VIP
village, the scene where he was beaten last Sunday. There the multitude
of people prayed, and a few speakers criticized the use of excessive force
by the security guards. The scene is dominated by flowers, candles,
torches and Aruban flags.

The organization behind Bavaria City Racing is saddened by the death of
the Aruban. They will await the full investigation report from the police
before giving comment on the case. Based on the report, the organization
will see how to proceed with the security of the event in the future.





8-24-06

On 8-24 a DUTCH news-sourced reported:



The Netherlands is sending a group of
Officers to re-take the Holloway Case

The Netherlands will soon send a group of officials on own expenses to investigate the
Natalee Holloway case. The KPLD, on request of the Minister of Justice Rudy Croes,
will help Aruba with the case of the American teenager. Croes has also asked the
Interpol to review the dossier.

Holloway disappeared during on a school trip more than a year ago. All that time, the
case has been worked on, without any trace of the girl. Last week, Croes has sent a letter
to Den Haag to request some assistance. He hopes that with the police assistance, a
faster resolution to this unsolved mystery can be achieved. "Aruba feels for the parents
and the family, even though the negative campaign that has been used against the
island", wrote Croes in the letter.

The request was sent to the Minister Johan Remkes of National Affairs and the Minister
or Kingdom relations, Atzo Nicolai (who is currently in Aruba). The KPLD will get as per
the request the complete investigation in their hands. Police officers fro the Netherlands
will come to Aruba specially to investigate this case. The Netherlands will also cover all
the expenses regarding the agents' costs and stay. They will also get their own office
where they will work from. The agents are allowed to carry and use their fire arms and will
have all necessary jurisdiction to investigate. They will get all the necessary information
from the Holloway dossier and access to all databases.

In the letter, Minister Croes promised that the Dutch agents will get all the cooperation
from the investigating-team and the management. Also in the letter it appears that the
Minister also made an official request to the Interpol to review the dossier. "As requested
by the PG, the Interpol is asked to try to get hold of the not yet released informations by
the FBI", wrote the Minister.

The Prosecutors Office confirms that they are aware of the request, but categorically
denied that this came from the PG Theresa Croes, but from the Minister himself. He
could have asked for assistance from the Interpol during his last visit to the headquarter
in Lyon, France back in July.

The Prosecutors Office is aware of the cooperation between the LE of the Netherlands
and Aruba and informs that this is worked out on the LE level and there was no request
made from the Office. "The investigation in the Holloway case is still open. If the Dutch
Police can give any assistance the are certainly welcome, according to Mariaine Croes.





On 8-24 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 very brief search on January 16, 2006 near the “California lighthouse” was performed by a group dominated by 50 Police-work-Inexperienced ARUBAN Police academy cadets, none of whom had even graduated yet.


On 8-24 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported another ARUBA tourists safety issue:



Information request on attackers

ARUBA – The Police is asking witnesses to come forward and help with tracking the two men down that attacked a woman in Wayaca last Monday, demanding her to give them her husband’s gun, who is a Police officer.

The assault took place between 14:40 and 15:00. The men broke into the house, put a knife to the woman’s throat and asked her for her husband’s gun. The woman said that she didn’t know where her husband keeps his gun. The attackers finally left with a golden necklace, two ear-rings, and a white mobile telephone. According to the information the Police gave, the attackers were two Latin American men, slim, and were about 1.80 to 1.85 meters tall. Both were dressed in jeans and the one wore a white shirt and the other a green. One of the attackers has black shoulder length hair and the other is bold. They fled in the direction of Santa Martha, one on foot and the other on a silver coloured mountain bike. Anybody that has more information on these two, please get in contact with the Police.





….and yet another tourists safety issue on another DUTCH island….this one involving the murder of a priest….

On 8-24 ARUBAAN's news-source "Amigoe.com" reported:



Autopsy Father Montoya revealed suffocation

CURACAO – Autopsy has revealed this morning that Father Alejandro Montoya of the Bonam Church died from suffocation. That is definitely a crime and there are no suspects yet.

In the interest of the investigation, the authorities do not want to release any details, only that they are going all-out on solving this case. “We are on top of it. You better believe it”, said police commissioner Marlon Wernet. “And all tips from the community are extremely welcome. It doesn’t matter how little the information is.”

Montoya was found in his bed under a blanket yesterday morning, with a pillow next to his head, his hands tied up and his mouth taped up, even though the latter is not confirmed nor denied. The police found several tracks that are now being analyzed. The assault itself had probably taken place in the evening. Shortly after the body was found, the police also found Montoya’s car on Seru Cocori and confiscated it for investigation of the tracks. The authorities released Montoya’s body after the autopsy. There will be a memorial service for him this coming Saturday. The body will afterwards be flown to his native country Colombia to be buried.





8-25-06

On 8-25 DUTCH news-sourced “Expatica” reported:



Aruba asks Dutch to take lead in Holloway case

AMSTERDAM — Aruba has asked the Netherlands to take over the leadership of the stalled investigation into the disappearance of US school graduate Natalee Holloway.

Dutch minister Atzo Nicolaï has indicated a willingness to help the investigation. "But we still have to look at the precise agreements under which we would work," he said on Thursday.

Nicolaï (Government Reform and Kingdom Relations) made his comments at the end of his official visit to the autonomous Dutch island in the Caribbean. The request for assistance was made by Aruban Justice Minister Rudy Croes.

Aruba has been battered by negative publicity in the US for over a year since Holloway, 18, vanished on the night of 30 May 2005. She was on holiday with friends to celebrate their graduation and was last seen leaving a local tourist venue with three youths.

Police on Aruba arrested a total of 10 people so far in the investigation but all have been released. Dutch teenager Joran van der Sloot, one of the youths with Holloway on the night she disappeared, was the main suspect for many months. He continues to deny harming her in any way.

Holloway's family doesn't believe him. Her mother Beth Twitty has led a chorus of criticism from the US of the way the local authorities have handled the case. There have even been calls for Americans to boycott the popular tourist destination.

Repeated searches of the island have failed to find any trace of her, though Investigators said early on they believed she is dead. At one stage Dutch F-16 jets, fitted with special cameras, were used in a futile attempt to find her remains.

Aruba's new request goes much further as it proposes giving Dutch officers investigative powers and their own office. They would also be allowed to carry weapons. Croes wants the Dutch national Police service KLPD to lead the investigation.

Dutch Interior Minister Johan Remkes, who is responsible for the Police, will discuss the matter further when he visits Aruba next week.





On 8-25 FOX News reported:



Report: Aruba Officials Want Dutch to Take Over Holloway Case

ORANJESTAD, Aruba — Aruban authorities want Dutch Police to take over the investigation of the disappearance of American teenager Natalee Holloway, who vanished in the Caribbean island more than one year ago, a local newspaper reported Friday.

Aruba's Justice Minister Rudy Croes sent a letter last week to Netherlands' Internal Affairs Minister Johan Remkes and to another Dutch official asking the Dutch Police to handle the case since, saying little progress had been made, the Solo di Pueblo newspaper reported.

If Dutch Police take over the investigation, they would have access to all case files and their own office. They could also carry their weapons, said the newspaper, which didn't cite where it got the information from.

FOXNews CountryWatch: Netherlands

Remkes will visit the Dutch Caribbean islands, including Aruba, next week, authorities said in the Netherlands.

Telephone calls placed to Croes' office for comment Friday went unanswered.

Holloway vanished on May 30, 2005, the last night of a high school graduation trip to Aruba. Then 18, the native of Mountain Brook, Ala., was last seen leaving a bar with three young men.

Authorities have arrested eight people in connection with her disappearance and then released them for lack of evidence.

Hundreds of volunteers, Dutch Marines, the local coast guard, the FBI and others have scoured the island's dunes, beaches and trash dumps in the search for Holloway. Scuba divers and sonar-equipped coast guard ships have also examined the seabed offshore.





On 8-25 FOX News reported:
(Thank You and Hat Tip to “Andie”)



JAMIE COLBY, GUEST HOST: It has been more than a year since Natalee Holloway took a trip to Aruba and vanished. There have been many arrests in the case and much speculation about what happened to Natalee, and why she hasn't been found. Now Aruban authorities are saying they are ready to hand over the investigation.
Who will take over?
Here, with more, Jossy Mansur, the managing editor of “The Diario,” an Aruban newspaper. Jossy, what is the latest?

JOSSY MANSUR, MANAGING EDITOR “DIARIO”: Well, the latest is in a recent visit a few days ago [from] the [Dutch] Minister of Inter-relations Nicolaï--and the Minister of the Justice of Aruba asked him---requested----made an official request-----for Holland to practically take over the case and handle it from then on----from here on.

COLBY: What is the message here? Is it that they came in and looked at things and they are dissatisfied, and they think they have to get involved? Are the Aruban authorities worried about tourism going forward that it looks bad that they haven't solved the case? What do you think?

MANSUR: I think that all of those factors in one way or another integrated will give us the answer. They will ask Holland, and Holland is willing--initially---after they have discussed the details----to send a specialized team that will work independently from the Aruban Police force. They will have their own site. They will be allowed to carry arms, which is unusual within Aruba--on Aruba, and they will be given a free hand to carry weapons--whatever they think is appropriate---to go for the solution of the case. This is a specialized team that handles “cold cases” in Holland.

COLBY: I was curious about that--they have the authority to carry a weapon---why do you think that is necessary, Jossy, in this case?

MANSUR: Because if they go after some suspects that may be dangerous. I don't know whether that is a fact or not, but in such cases they are allowed to carry weapons. They have to defend themselves from whatever.

COLBY: Do the people of Aruba remember this case and Natalee? Are they still searching? Are posters still up?

MANSUR: I don't think posters are still up, but they are still searching. You have sporadic searches going on all the time. I even hear that “EquuSearch” might be coming back to Aruba in the near future. It hasn't stopped. I mean, the only reason that the case hasn't moved forward at the pace it should have been is that for lack of manpower the Police have taken away all the overtime and everything else that was beneficial for the Police officers, and, they don't have the necessary manpower or time or ability to go on with the case the way they did in the beginning.

COLBY: Alright, and that brings us to tonight's breaking news that the Dutch authorities are coming in. Jossy, thanks.





8-26-06

On 8-26 DAVE HOLLOWAY stated to FOX News “Hannity & Colmes” (6m50s VIDEO)

On 8-26 PATRICK HURLEY wrote:



Robin Holloway: Natalee's Step Angel!

By Patrick Hurley
Aug. 26, 2006

There is a reason why Dave Holloway is able to face life again after the tragic loss of his
daughter in Aruba. There is a reason why the pressure is still on the authorities in
Holland to solve this case. There is a reason why Beth is not the only female relative of
Natalee's who has a backbone and enough spunk to make a van der Sloot or a Kalpoe
cringe with just a glare...

The reason has a name.

Robin Holloway.

It was hard enough for her to step in as the new mom when Dave and Beth Holloway
divorced when Natalee was in elementary school. But, she did it. Along the way, she
gave Dave a fresh beginning to his life along with two more daughters. She made him
emotionally believe again after a rough ending to his first marriage and she became
one of Natalee's best friends because they were so much alike. Stubborn, hard-headed,
independent, looking to fit in, wanting to accomplish great things and as pretty as a
magnolia on Easter Sunday. A couple of blondes who had a fiery spirit and a cracklin'
sense of humor. Dave loved his new wife and his little girl with every emotion he had in
him. Life was good again.

And then on May 30, 2005, everything changed. Natalee went missing in Aruba. Dave
again felt an unimaginable loss that only one who has had a child violently taken from
them can possibly understand. Numbly, he went to Aruba time and time again. When
he was home, he spent almost every waking moment on the telephone and on his
computer. He was a father consumed with getting his daughter back. At the very least,
he just wanted answers...

Robin Holloway who loved her step daughter as much as Dave loved his child, was
devastated, too. But, she had another problem. She not only lost Natalee, she was
without the man she loved, too. Although it was understandable, because he had one
objective in mind, it still hurts to be a wife who not only feels helpless that she cannot
bring her husband's daughter back but sadly, she cannot have the same husband she
fell in love with, either. However, Robin Holloway is an extraordinary woman. She never
complained, she never felt sorry for herself, she never got angry, she never stopped
loving the man she took an oath with because she had made a promise to her
Heavenly Father, "Do you take this man....for better or worse?" She said, "Yes, I will,"
then and she said it during the most horrific year of their marriage. She still says it today.

Everyone is aware of Beth and Jug Twitty. Dave Holloway has been on television
numerous times. Natalee's sweet countenance has been plastered everywhere during the
massive search that has typified this tragedy.

But, there is a mother and a wife in Meridian, Mississippi, who has quietly gone about
the business of raising two precious girls and nurturing and devoting herself to one
hurting husband. In addition, she has become a tigress for truth. She has confronted
everyone from those who have badly botched the case in Aruba to the three boys who
continue to lie and stonewall about the truth concerning Natalee's demise. She has
gone out of her way to work with the bloggers who make up the main support groups
online in their efforts to find out what happened that fateful night. She has used her
resources to dig into possible underground links to solve this case, sometimes
angering those who think they have all the answers to the crime. Through it all, Robin
Holloway has kept her sense of humor, maintained her integrity, fought hard for the step
daughter she loves and remained committed to her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. She
is the Angel that Natalee always had from the moment they laid eyes on each other.
She is the behind the scenes Angel of this entire case.

Sometimes people do not realize that the person who is trying to love and support the one
who has lost the most has the hardest emotional task of all.

If you ever have the privilege of talking to Robin Holloway, you would immediately feel
comfortable. You would sense that she was more interested in you than some of your
closest friends. You would smile at her self-deprecating sense of humor and you would
admire her toughness, whether you agreed with her or not. Because this tragedy is not
about those of us who write or seek the truth, it is about the Holloway family. We all
need to remember that. Whatever they want to do in their efforts to find Natalee, we
need to honor them.

Robin is charismatic, friendly, charming, kind, gracious, smart as a whip, hilarious and
truthful. In fact, if you want to know what she is really like I will tell you the person she
reminds me of the most...

Natalee Holloway.

That is probably the main reason that Dave Holloway is smiling again and getting on with
his life. He has a daughter he will never forget and a beautiful wife who will never forget
to love him.

Always.

Patrick Hurley





8-27-06

On 8-27 “Pray For Natalee” identity “PearlInUSA” reported:



www.amigoe.com dutch vs. ... babelfish translation

ORANJESTAD - although the number of tourists in the first five has walked back months of 2006 with 10.65 percent at respect of same the period previous year, does not want hear minister Briesen (MEP) of tourism and transport of a crisis. The real crisis occurred in 2001,; after the terrorist attacks on 11 September. The bewindsman said face the future with faith. He bases that faith among others on ready coming the renovated Allegro hotel, the construction of Riu stop ace and the arrival of Ritz Carlton hotel.

There are however external factors which we do not have in the hand. The Natalee Holloway-affaire are of it an example, but also hurricanes, the economic situation in the United States, the last developments in United Kingdom and the olieprijs can play our parten.

Myrna Jansen-Feliciano, director of Aruba Tourism Authority (ATA), explain as a result of the publication of the statistics over the month of May, which the reverse gear over twelve months 7 amounted to per cent. She attributes the fact other countries in the region in the same period could which realise increase, to stronger competition, the availability of more chambers and more plane Len. To roar joins to this end to that the turnover by chamber has increased in last year, however, with three per cent and the average kamerprijs even with eighteen per cent. The hotels have to according to him thus no complain reason. The increase in the Caribbean area amounted to 0.5 per cent concerning the last twelve months. When Cancun and the alligator islands because of hurricane damage and Aruba with the holloway impact consideration is left, the rest of the Caribbean area ends up on an increase of no less than 7.2 percent. By several modernisation projects less chambers were available on Aruba in the same period seven per cent.

From provisional figures of Aruba Airport Authority (AAA) becomes clear that the fall of the number of arriving passengers in the months of June and July still perseveres, but that the figures less are dramatic than in the previous months. In June 2006 visitors indeed less came (in sum 56.335) to than in June 2005 (59,632), but more than in the same month in the top year 2004 (53,908).

For the autumn campaign in the United States 3.7 million dollar has been taken off. With the campaign the image of Aruba hopes ATA repair. Ahata also contributes to this campaign. The largest part of the budget (52 per cent) is spent on publicity on the national nets of the cable stations.

ATA expect further positive result of the learning conference the American touroperator GoGo tours and in January 2007 on Aruba Caribbean Marketplace to love Caribbean hotel Association (CHA). To roar repeated that is strived ATA privatise beginning 2007. In 1986, I stood with Rory eagle to the cradle of this initiative. Unfortunately is that when not picked up by consecutive governments. The bewindsman did not give to thereby too long stand still to want and ahead wants look at. When ATA have an independent status it is no longer only dependent on approved government budgets. ALL INCLUSIVE Had roar admit that to commit on Aruba suffers that from the fact more and more hotels so-called all offer packages, as a result of which tourists are less tended local visit restaurants to inclusive. He weet this taken to earlier political decisions. It produces Aruba taxes, however, more, but commits run turnover wrong. The same is considered to the establishment of a large number of restaurants compared with the hotels on palm Beach, as a consequence of which less visitors remove a taxi elsewhere on the island to eat to go.






8-28-06

On 8-28 the “Scared Monkeys blog" identity “msmarple” reported:



Okay, here's where we're trying to go. Just emailed this:

The Honorable Robert E. Sorenson
Consul General
P.O. Box 158
J.B. Gorsiraweg 1
Curacao – The Netherlands Antilles

Re.: Murder and Violent Crime on Aruba

Dear Mr. Sorenson:

I wrote to you on August 11, 2006 (regular mail to the above address). I want to boost my case by providing more information. As mentioned in the letter, I am recording violent incidents reported in non-English publications on Aruba.

(This is not easy. I don't speak Spanish, Dutch, or Papiamento.)

I've attached a Word document that provides details for most incidents. You can also go to the following link, which is an internet forum page that focuses on Murder & Crime on Aruba. I am "msmarple" there; most translations come from this resource:

http://www.scaredmonkeys.net/viewtopic.php?t=188&start=0

Found thus far in 2006:

Local female attacked by men wanting her husband’s gun (he’s a police officer)

Tourist female rape attempt

Local 16-yr-old female gang-raped at school; cell phone video placed on internet; parents not filing charges (?!?)

Tourist female bothered by “false police” wanting sex

Male corpse in water

Female corpse in trash pile

Local male murdered (with a machete in restaurant)

Local male murdered (assuming murdered - he was crucified, burned, otherwise mutilated, and overdosed)

Found thus far in 2005:

US ex-pat Harley-Davidson mechanic ruled a suicide

3 locals ruled suicides (including 2 security guards who separately jumped from the same building)

Local female stabbed by boyfriend

Local drug addict shot

Local man partially decapitated allegedly by wife or “companion”

7-yr-old boy’s body recovered (dug up from dunes/rocky area; taped by Aru-Bay 6/2005). An extremely odd incident.

Local “Rasta man” stabbed a local on beach

Natalee Holloway disappeared after leaving C&C's with 3 locals

Local male murdered near La Cabana

Brazilian male murdered by another Brazilian


We have less information for previous years, but are including all cases that we find. Of course we weren't pouring over Aruba publications until recently.

Mr. Sorenson, this starkly represents a difference between what is published for the sake of tourism, and what the reality is on the ground. "One murder in 20 years!" Or, "2.4 murders per year!" From the above list, there were at least six murders in 2005; at least three so far in 2006.

However, my intent is not to wrestle about the crime rate, but to emphasize that island officials are deliberately obscuring Aruba's crime statistics -- so that the tourists will keep coming.

An overwhelming number of these tourists are from the United States. We have the right to accurate information as we make our out-of-country travel decisions. The State Department is tasked with providing that information - as opposed to echoing local, skewed tourist industry figures.

I submit that manipulation of crime statistics is a serious problem for travelers considering Aruba - one that deserves as stern a travel warning as the U.S. State Department can provide.

Please visit both the internet site, and the attached document.

Thank you so much for your time.

( msmarple redacts name and contact info )

CC:

Senator Richard Shelby (Alabama)
David Wilkison, Associated Press Bureau Chief, District of Columbia U.S.
David Grossman, USAToday Travel Columnist





8-30-06

On 8-30 the “BBC Caribbean.com” reported:



Crime triggers fear of tourism backlash

St Lucian Prime Minister Kenny Anthony says he has requested the help of Scotland Yard in the investigation into the slaying of a British woman on the island.

British investigators were expected to join local efforts to solve the killing of sixty-one year old Patricia Ann Lee.

Her body was found at the bottom of a cliff in the northern part of the island last week.

Admitting that St Lucia was taking a hard knock from violent crime, Prime Minister Anthony said he'd seen a level of savagery that's unbelievable.

Reputations at stake

Dr Anthony said the cycle of violence in his country was causing a lot of grief, with St Lucia's reputation suffering as well.

Forensic Pathologist Stephen King said an autopsy showed Ms Lee died from a stab wound in the back.

And in Dutch St Maarten, Holland is placing special attention on a crime wave gripping its half of the island it shares with France.

It's putting in place a security plan for the territory.

One of the main concerns highlighted by Dutch Interior Affairs Minister Johan Remkes who has been visiting the Dutch Caribbean is the need for adequate staffing of the local police force.

Mr Remkes said however that Holland did not want to intervene directly as this is principally a matter for the government of the Netherlands Antilles.

A spate of crimes in Dutch St Maarten has been highlighted by several killings, robberies and other violent attacks including one on two homosexual American television producers.

Damage limitation

That high profile incident forced the St Maarten tourism authorities into quick damage control.

Several arrests were subsequently made and the matter is now in court.

The St Maarten police are also proposing to recruit officers from Suriname a former Dutch colony.

Twelve people have been killed so far for this year in St Maarten, a tourism dependent Dutch territory of 16 square miles with a resident population estimated to be over thirty thousand.

The security plan proposed for St Maarten is in addition to a general security plan for the Netherlands Antilles.

Aruba, another tourism dependent island, has had to mount a massive public relations drive following a campaign of negative publicity in the United States, waged by the mother of an American teenager, who has been missing on the island for over a year now.

Outside help

Holland is to take over the investigation into the disappearance of the American teenager, Natalie Holloway.
Aruba, like St Lucia and St Maarten derives most of its tourism from the United States.

Many other countries in the region have seen an upsurge in serious crimes and several have sought assistance from the United Kingdom and the United States in a bid to curb the trend.





8-31-06

On 8-31 the SELMA, ALABAMA “Selma Times” reported:



Embracing Hope

Beth Holloway Twitty speaks at Judson College

By Cassandra Mickens
The Selma Times-Journal

MARION - It's been more than a year since Beth Holloway Twitty last saw her daughter Natalee, who vanished during a post-high school graduation trip to Aruba in May 2005.

Standing before students, faculty and guests in Judson College's Ramsay-McCrummen Chapel Wednesday morning, Twitty and close family friend Donna Greene spoke of their unwavering faith in God and their hope in finding answers regarding Natalee's disappearance.

"There's really no way to describe the way I felt," recalled Twitty, who shared personal anecdotes with the audience. "For the first 118 hours when I was in Aruba, I didn't eat, I didn't sleep and I didn't bathe. I was just focused on finding Natalee."

Searching for answers and strength from her God, Twitty left her Aruba hotel just before dawn and hailed a cab. She asked the driver to take her to a church or chapel.

Traveling down a narrow road to a chapel on a hillside overlooking the sea, Twitty noticed a "beautiful, large white crosses along the way."

"As (the driver) approached the first cross, he pulled over. He asked me to get out of the cab and I made my way to the chapel," Twitty said.

"So I walked over to the first cross and clutching Natalee's picture I fell to my knees and I prayed harder than I'd ever prayed and I prayed louder and I was crying as I took the gravel from the Aruban soil and rubbed it against her picture and I just begged God to give her back."

"And I got up and made my way to next cross. And the next one. And the next one..."

As the cab driver slowly crept behind her, Twitty repeated her prayer at each cross along the road. When she approached the sixth cross, Twitty received an answer to her prayers. "The answer came in the form of a complete and overwhelming peace and the burden of not being able to provide or care for Natalee was lifted from my shoulders and I truly felt the weight lift," she said.

"In that instant, I knew Natalee was with God and I realized as soon as she got into the car with her abductors that the Heavenly Father wrapped his arms around her and carried her through whatever ordeal she encountered that night."

"And I thought about Natalee's personal relationship with her God and she knew him very well."

Greene, who was Natalee's bible study teacher, described the Mountain Brook teen as "compassionate, all inclusive and a person of excellence." Startled by the news of Natalee's disappearance, Greene was eased by a comforting thought.

"Natalee Holloway not only knows the Lord, she knows how to call upon Him," she said.

Greene specifically addressed the students of Judson, that nation's fifth oldest women's college. She encouraged students to make the most of every single moment, to make the most of their friendships, guard their hearts, guard their lives and refuse to settle for mediocrity.

Twitty, who is now a spokeswoman for the International Safe Travels Foundation, said she remains amazed by the outpouring of support from around the world and thanked those who continue to keep Natalee in their prayers. Twitty added that she has learned some valuable lessons this past year, two of which she shared with Judson students.

"First, I learned faith has no boundaries. It's doesn't matter your religious circumstances when it comes to reaching out to people in need. It doesn't matter which church or temple you attend when it comes to prayer," she said.

"What matters is that you express this love and that you share this hope and that you give comfort by asking God to bring peace to someone. People from all walks of faith have done this for me and it changed my life."

The second lesson Twitty shared with the audience is to never lose hope, "saying sometimes we forget to embrace it."

"My prayer for you is that you let hope find you today. It's there. It always is. Just let it in," she said.

"I don't know what happened to (Natalee). I don't where she is. I don't know if she's alive or not. It doesn't look good. But I do know this - the hope that filled her heart filled mine and I will press on."

Following the speech, Twitty and Greene greeted guests and autographed their new book titled "For Natalee." Book sale profits will go towards the International Safe Travels Foundation and the Natalee Holloway Trust Fund.

Judson students were visibly moved by Twitty and Greene's appearance.

"(Twitty) has a lot of faith," said freshman Sarah Tussey. "I'm sorry for her loss. I don't think I could do it. It would be so devastating."

"She's an inspiration," said Katie Gibson, also a freshman.

Freshman Amanda McKinney added, "She's such a great Christian role model. She keeps going no matter what to find her daughter."

"No parent should have to lose a child."