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
2-1-07
On 2-1 “Playfuls.com” reported:
Dutch Police Uncover Largest Ever Ecstasy Lab
Dutch police have uncovered the largest ecstasy manufacturing laboratory ever found in the Netherlands, the prosecutor's office in the city of Haarlem said Wednesday.
Police found the lab during a raid on a shed in an industrial part of the city on Tuesday evening. They arrested four people.
Two machines capable of churning out more than 100,000 tablets an hour were found.
Police believe on the basis of the remains found on the premises that the factory had already made between 6 and 8 million ecstasy tablets.
The operation was so large that dismantling it was expected to continue into Thursday, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office said.
The area was cordoned off, as the chemicals used are potentially explosive.
The prosecutor's office spokeswoman said the lab appeared to be even larger than one found in November 2005. That operation was said at the time to be the largest ever found in Europe.
On 2-1 ARUBAAN’s news-source “Caribbean net news” reported:
Caribbean Star Airlines announces cutbacks
Thursday, February 1, 2007
ST JOHN'S, Antigua: Caribbean Star Airlines Ltd. has announced a new series of cutbacks, including staff reductions and the closure of all four of the airline's city ticket offices across the region. The changes will become effective as of February 1, 2007.
Caribbean Star trimmed its fleet by four aircraft on January 15, 2007 and reduced its flight operations to better correspond with the smaller fleet size. As a result, Caribbean Star will reduce its staff of 470 employees by a corresponding number, approximately 40%. The last day of employment for affected staff is January 31, 2007, though salaries will continue to be paid and benefits provided through the end of February 2007.
Effective February 1, 2007 all Caribbean Star city ticket offices will close. Caribbean Star has a total of four city ticket offices, two in Antigua and one each in Barbados and St Kitts.
Caribbean Star Airlines Ltd. was incorporated in Antigua in January 2000 and offers scheduled intra-regional passenger air transportation and cargo services within the eastern and southern Caribbean. Effective February 1, 2007, Caribbean Star and LIAT will enter into a commercial alliance whereby the flight operations of both carriers will be combined.
2-2-07
On 2-2 the “Aruban Boycott Blogspot” reported:
U.S. ISSUES NO WARNINGS ABOUT CARRIBEAN CRIME--YET AUSTRALIA DOES!
(Source)--Sydney - The Australian government has warned fans attending the Cricket World Cup about high crime rates in the area and told them not to turn up drunk for their flights. The foreign affairs department said in an official travel advisory that fans needed to be aware of safety issues at the World Cup, to be hosted by six Caribbean nations from March 13 until April 28.
"In some parts of the Caribbean, violent crime, including armed robbery, kidnapping and murder is common," the advisory said. "Violent crime is often gang-related and perpetrators may be armed. There is also a high rate of petty crime, including pickpocketing and bag snatching. Walking after dark, including on beaches, can be dangerous due to the increased risk of robbery and assault.
"Crime, including sexual assault and robbery, has also occurred after travellers have accepted spiked food or drink."
On 2-2 ARUBAAN’s news-source “Amigoe.com” reported:
OM will not prosecute minister
ORENJESTAD – The Aruban minister Ramon Lee of labour, Culture, and Sport (MEP) will not be indicted for rape, announced the Public Prosecutor (OM) close to noon.
It appears that the alleged victim had already dropped the charges in a letter dated December 20th. She did this, because she wants peace and quiet for herself and for her family. On November 11th, she reported that she was forced to have intercourse with the minister in her home. She says that dropping the charges doesn’t mean that she denies that it happened; neither will the OM stop the investigations. The Justice department can still decide to prosecute, unless there is sufficient convincing evidence. This is not the case here, said the OM.
Lee was interrogates twice as a suspect and admitted that he had intercourse with her, but that it was consensual.
2-3-07
On 2-3 ARUBAAN’s news-source “Tradewinds Times” reported:
AA To Cancel Boston-Aruba Route As Of May 1st 2007
ORANJESTAD-The recent expansion announcements of JetBlue and Delta Airlines on the New York City-Aruba route, is bad news for American Airlines (AA). The year 2006 was overall good for AA, but the carrier is particularly concerned about destination Aruba said Ineke Lampe, Country Manager of AA for Aruba.
AA has five daily flights to Aruba. They include two daily flights from Miami, one from San Juan, one from Boston and one from New York JFK. AA will cancel the Boston-Aruba route as of May 1st 2007, due to a very low load factor on the flights. AA has flown Boston to Aruba on a daily basis for the past two years, but the route is not generating any profit, except for the month July said Lampe.
The New York-Aruba route and the San Juan-Aruba route are in jeopardy as well. The number of passengers on board AA fell substantially since JetBlue began service from New York JFK airport to Aruba. JetBlue beat AA as the leading carrier, bringing most tourists from JFK airport to Aruba in December 2006.
The demand from San Juan has lowered in the past years due to the increase in direct flights from other cities in the U.S. to Aruba. San Juan was an important hub in the past, at a time when Aruba did not had many direct flights from U.S. cities.
Every additional flight on the route is going to be a problem said Lampe. If existing flights on the route are not full and flights are being added, the load factor will fall automatically. Therefore there is a possibility that AA will consider cancelling both the San Juan-Aruba route as well as the New York-Aruba route.
On 2-3 ARUBAAN’s news-source “Amigoe.com” reported
(Thank You and Hat Tip to “PearlinUSA” for the following translation)
tidbit of article in amigoe.com dutch version (unable to access full article)
Aruba
Days without cruising ships subscriber Article ORANJESTAD
- in January, whereas the hoogseizoen is, several days on which none cruising chip in the port lay there, have been. This was on 4,.19,.22 and 29 January the case. February provides none improves picture on, thus René Zaandam fear (Democracia Real). He makes himself large ensure over the coming layer season and are frightened that considerable smaller income will be generated.
3 Feb, 2007, 17.35 (GMT -04:00)
On 2-3 ARUBAAN’s news-source “Amigoe.com” reported:
Opposition parties agree to a man: ‘Minister Lee has to resign’
ORANJESTAD – AVP as well as RED are of the opinion that minister Ramon Lee (MEP) must resign. AVP is also of the opinion that the Public Prosecutor didn’t act right by not prosecuting Lee, and Rudy Lampe (RED) says that the Catholic Church failed in this.
Demanding a minister to resign is according to Lampe in order. “People must make distinction between two things: has the minister handled incorrectly and with this, aggrieved the community materially, then he must definitely resign; is it a matter that concerns his private life, then it is for him to decide whether he resigns or not.
Lampe cited the Monica Lewinsky case, where the former American President Bill Clinton did not step down ultimately, in spite of having had sexual contact during working hours. “In this case it was a private matter of the president and the deposition procedure was not pursued.”
ABUSE OF POWER
Lampe is of the opinion that in Lee’s case, the minister has abused his position by having sex with E.L. “This is a matter of courting the favours of a subservient. The victim works for the government and had asked for a transfer. The minister’s first visit to her house is already a matter of sexual contact. In this case, the matter is abuse of power and cannot be compared with the Lewinsky-case.”
On 2-3 the “USA Today” reported:
Funds frozen in Net bet operation
By Jon Swartz
USA Today
SAN FRANCISCO - The federal crackdown on online gambling has tied up the funds of thousands of U.S. patrons of two of the largest services.
The crackdown on BetOnSports, which no longer takes sports wagers from the United States, and Neteller, an Internet payment service popular among gamblers, is intended to put a dent in the $10.6 billion industry.
And it has: Following federal charges against executives from both companies, dozens of the more than 2,300 Web sites that service online gambling have stopped taking U.S. wagers.
Still, the actions against Bet-OnSports and Neteller have left the online accounts of their U.S. customers frozen until legal issues are resolved.
"The truth is that the money is in limbo and the companies are not required to refund any money until a successful prosecution or settlement takes place," says Michael Tew, principal of gaming consultant CapitalHQ. "This could take years." Funds from other gambling sites are not tied up, Tew and others say.
Most U.S. customers of Bet-OnSports have been waiting to cash out money in their accounts since July, when a federal grand jury issued a 22-count indictment charging CEO David Carruthers with racketeering, conspiracy and fraud. BetOnSports handled $1.77 billion in bets during its 2005 fiscal year, with more than 90 percent of wagers from the United States. An attorney representing the company declined to comment.
Neteller founders Stephen Lawrence and John Lefebvre were arrested in January on a charge of conspiracy to transfer funds with the intent to promote illegal gambling.
Though money-transfer companies such as Neteller do business with financial institutions and merchants, many also allow gambling companies to transfer money collected from U.S. gamblers to bank accounts outside the United States. Neteller last month closed its U.S. Internet gambling services, erasing about two-thirds of its business.
Neteller offers few instructions for customers trying to cash out their accounts. "We are working to resolve all withdrawal issues, but in the meantime we continue to maintain these funds in trust on your behalf," says a posting on the company's Web site.
Neteller declined to comment. The company processed more than $7 billion in online gambling transactions in its 2005 fiscal year. FBI Agent Neil Donovan says funds from Neteller are being held in court as potential evidence. Some customers may get their money back, but he did not provide a timetable.
A law signed by President Bush in October bans the use of credit cards, checks and electronic fund transfers for Internet gaming. U.S. residents place more than half of all bets to major offshore casinos.
BetOnSports has settled civil charges with the Justice Department but not criminal charges. Carruthers' case is separate.
2-4-07
On 2-4 the “Aruba Boycott blogspot” reported:
FAILURE TO PROSECUTE - PART 4
*Another wonderful post from our Natalee's Freebirds!
Was it Apathy? Was it Incompetence? Was it a lack of resources?
Or was it something more sinister and appalling? Was this case handled so poorly because everyone involved in this case - from ALE, the prosecutor's office, and the government - had already been given their marching orders from the powers that be?
Had they already been told that Natalee would remain "disappeared" because that result would be better on their tourism than a kidnapped, raped and murdered American tourist?
Or had they been told by the powers that be to sweep this victim under the rug in an attempt to avoid any close scrutiny that might reveal drug activity or money laundering on Aruba?
Or were they given the directive not to take this case seriously to cover up the involvement of one of the powers that be in Natalee's demise?
MISSING SUSPECT/WITNESS STATEMENTS
"The level of ineptness, the level of omissions of things, blatantly orchestrated errors... just was incredible," Holloway's mother, Beth Holloway Twitty, told CBS last week.
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/08/22/Worldandnation/From_paradise_to_para.shtml
01. JORAN VAN DER SLOOT - WALKED HOME
David Kock, Jossy Mansur and Gerold Dompig have all stated in press conferences and interviews that Joran van der Sloot has made a declaration to investigators that he walked home. Where is this declaration/ProcesVerbaal?
02. MICKEY JOHN/DEEPAK KALPOE - CONVERSATION WHILE DETAINED
On June 29, 2005 Mickey John, one of the security guards, claimed in an interview with Greta that he had a conversation with Deepak Kalpoe while they were both detained. Deepak apparently related that Paulus van der Sloot was involved in the collaboration of the Holiday Inn fabrication. This fabrication implied that Deepak, Satish and Joran dropped Natalee Holloway off at the entrance/lobby of the hotel and she was then approached by a security guard. It is reasonable to assume, that following this revelation on the Greta interview, investigators would have been anxious to interrogate both Deepak Kalpoe and Mickey John. As of yet no official witness statement has been released that pertains to this alleged conversation.
03. BOETI
The official witness statement of Boeti - a beach bum - a brother-in-law to Gerold Dompig - has yet to emerge. Boeti told police that he observed the security guards going in and out of Natalee's room at the Holiday Inn. The statement that Boeti gave to authorities which implicated the security guard should comprise part of the Natalee Holloway file.
04. ROBERT WERNER - HEADMASTER
Jug Twitty and some friends were told by Robert Werner, Joran's headmaster at the International School, that Joran did admit that Natalee fell and hurt her head while swimming. This account was never implied in any of the revealed statements of Joran, Deepak and Satish. Where is Robert Werner's official witness statement? The Aruban attorney representing Natalee's family questioned in a letter to the prosecutor as to why Robert Werner had not been interrogated. No official witness statement of Jug Twitty has emerged in regard to this conversation with Robert Werner. Where are the official statements of the friends who were with Jug and were privy to Werner's words?
05. GEOFFREY VAN CROMVOIRT
In the middle of April, 2006 investigators released nineteen year old Geoffrey van Cromvoirt after more than a week in detention claiming the grounds of suspicion related to drug dealing and criminal offenses in connection to Natalee's dissappearance no longer existed. However, at the time of his release, Cromvoirt remained a suspect. Deputy police chief Gerold Dompig claimed that Cromvoirt was detained as a result of a false accusation by his son, Michael. Nevertheless, an official suspect statement by Cromvoirt has yet to emerge.
06. CARLOS, THE COLUMBIAN
In March, 2006 Carlos, the Columbian, who was in Aruba illegally contacted Natalee's family through Art Wood with the claim that on the morning of May 30, 2005 he observed activity on the Mariott Beach that involved both Joran and Natalee. He claimed to have given the prosescutor forensic evidence (cloth) to back up his claim. This witness was detained for two months prior to being deported. Where is Carlos' official witness statement?
07. JORAN VAN DER SLOOT - SECURITY GUARDS
Joran states in his official witness statement of June 9, 2005 that it was Deepak and Satish who implicated a security guard. He implies that he played no role in regards to this aspect of the Holiday Inn fabrication. However, Joran stated to Greta that he supported Deepak and Satish regarding the security guard account and several official sources have confirmed that the reason the security guards were detained was because the "three" suspects implicated them. Joran's missing May 31, 2005 witness statement may clear up this confusion.
08. NADIRA RAMIREZ
Nadira Ramirez, the mother of Deepak and Satish Kalpoe, claimed to Greta that she was told by her sons that during the drive back from the lighthouse an intoxicated Natalee expressed her desire to be taken back to the Holiday Inn. Also, the time Nadira claimed on the Dr. Phil show that her sons returned home on the morning of May 30, 2006 conflicted with their official witness and suspect statements. The yet to be revealed official witness statement of Nadira Ramirez would prove to be a very interesting read.
09. A.B.
On April 22, 2006, a twenty year old man with the initials A.B. was detained by Aruban police and interrogated for six hours prior to being released. An official statement of A.B. has yet to be revealed.
10. MAX ARENDS
The official witness statement of Joran's friend, Maximillian Arends, which was taken on June 17, 2005 is not among the revealed witness/suspect statements. Max is also a student at the International School which Joran also attends. Should we give the ALE the benefits of the doubt that it can be found in the Natalee Holloway case file?
11. BUS DRIVER
According to Dave Holloway, on Monday, May 30, 2005 Joran was allegedly dropped off at the main highway near Lorenzo's home where he was picked up by the school bus. Was the bus driver interrogated? Is there an official witness statement given by the bus driver included in the Natalee Holloway case file?
12. SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS
Girls came forward to Aruban authorities as well as the family's Aruban attorney and reported that they had been drugged/sexually assaulted by Joran van der Sloot. What was done with these official declarations by these girls?
13. DEEPAK'S FRIEND
According to Beth, Deepak panicked when he heard the gardener's testimony to the judge. He contacted a friend and requested that she provide an alibi. The friend contacted the FBI. Standard procedures would dictate that the Aruban investigators took an official witness statement from this girl. This, in turn, would suggest that it would comprise part of the Natalee Holloway case file along with a copy of the FBI report.
14. HOLIDAY INN SECURITY GUARD
The attorney of one of the security guards stated that she read the statement of the guard who was on duty at the Holiday Inn on the morning of May 30, 2005. This guard claims that Natalee Holloway never returned to the hotel. The statement of this guard should comprise part of the Natalee Holloway case file.
15. FLOR METZ
In Joran's official June 9, 2005 declaration to interrogators he states that he had contacted Flor Metz as well as Deepak Kalpoe on the evening of May 29, 2005 after making the decision that he would go to Carlos 'N Charlies'. A statement taken from Flor Metz by interrogators which confirms Joran's words surely must be a part of the Natalee Holloway file.
16. CAB DRIVER
A cab driver made a statement to police that he overheard an intoxicated Natalee Holloway talking about a Dutch boy she was in love with. Aruban police state that Natalee's friends were interviewed and confirmed the cab driver's account as well as provided a description and details. Should it be assumed that that the statements of the cab driver and friends regarding this Dutch boy would be in the Natalee Holloway case file?
17. JULIA RENFRO - HOLIDAY INN WORKER
Gerald Dompig states that Julia Renfro and a worker at the Holiday Inn provided declarations that state that Beth Twitty told them that she had received a call from Natalee while in Aruba indicating that she had fallen in love with a blue-eyed Dutch Boy. Beth Twitty denies that she had any communication with Natalee while she was in Aruba. The statements of Julia Renfro, the Holiday Inn worker and Beth Twitty regarding this issue should certainly comprise part of the Natalee Holloway case file. Also the Twitty's communication records surely were requested by the Natalee Holloway investigative team?
Natalee and her family deserve justice, and we will not let up until they have it.
More From Natalee's Freebirds:
Failure to prosecute 1
Failure to prosecute 2
Failure to prosecute 3
ADDITIONAL STORIES:
http://arubanboycott.blogspot.com/2006/12/more-from-natalees-freebirds.html
http://arubanboycott.blogspot.com/2007/01/confessions-of-predator.html
http://arubanboycott.blogspot.com/2007/01/aruba-gives-criminals-special-treatment.html
http://arubanboycott.blogspot.com/2007/01/23-different-ways.html
On 2-4 “Zoltan Zion” reported:
Open Letter to Prime Minister Oduber
As the clock ticks down on the Natalee Holloway investigation, the clock tics down on you Sir- Mr. Oduber.
Tic Toc Tic Toc.
As you and your government count the hours until Aruba is free from the so-called Natalee Holloway investigation, America is counting also. In fact, it is not the American citizenry that is counting, but the US Federal Government. The same Government you recently tried to buy a favorable rating from through Jack Abramoff.
Mr. Oduber, you are right to be concerned. You should be very concerned. The US Federal Government is building a huge case against you and your corrupt Government. The name Manuel Noriega I'm sure just hit your small mind like another fake bust in the Free Trade Zone.
And it should. You have a lot of problems and they go way beyond the Natalee Holloway case. You know it and I know it. In fact, Former President Bill Clinton knows it and has told all he knows and has made no secret as to what exactly he knows. You have no friends in America any longer.
Years of looking the other way while America is trying to rid it's streets of Cocaine, Crack and the violence it brings are over. Someone is always held responsible. It's your turn.
I would tell you to pick up the phone an make a call, but that is not necessary, as you have written warning. A common courtesy that the Justice Department provides most under investigation.
I know during that Clinton Era you were able to convince many that you were a valuable ally. You were quite convincing. Those days are over Sir and you have no clout left.
America may seem preoccupied with a war in Iraq and an up-coming strike on Iran, but America always has time to make sure it's own hemisphere is healthy. You have created an imbalance that is not healthy for America. Threatening to unleash 'your militia' on your own people is not a good start.
You see Sir, you created your own dilemma. You could have laid low and under the radar, but you decided to flex a muscle made out of rubber. You could have ordered the case of Natalee Holloway solved and cast the light somewhere else. You choose to enter the lime-light, and you will pay. No one ever heard of you before Natalee Holloway, and maybe that was the problem. You seem to be a man that has become so full of himself that your $68,000.oo a month salary on the backs of the common Arubans has some how inflated your ego to a point of no return.
Everything was going well after 9-11 and visitors were finally returning to Aruba and putting aside the fear of flying and getting stripped searched to visit your island, when you decided to roll the dice. You thought that you could have it all. Coke shipments and tourism. Well, no country can have it all, as you will soon find out. Guns and Butter.
Mr. Oduber, Aruba was never more than a place to get away. It was never a major player other than a strategic point for the war on the drugs with the Colombians. When you decided to become an ally of the very forces that propped you up, you sealed your fate. Just as Noriega did.
When you decided that the FARC and Chavez were potential allies, you alienated all you had.
America just took one Dictator down. What makes you think that you have a more valuable relationship than one that was a strategic point for the Middle East?
Mr. Oduber, Manuel Noriega will be vacating his cell in June after 18 years, just in time for a new resident.
Cards are played everyday, you must live with your hand.
2-5-07
On 2-5 “Boycott Watch.org” reported:
Aruba Taking Action To Counter Their Boycott
Summary: Status Update: Aruba is taking action to lure more tourists to their island after the boycott inspired by the disappearance of Natalee Holloway has dramatically affected their economy.
The boycott of Aruba triggered by the lack of action, or incompetence of Aruban officials as some may say, surrounding the disappearance of Natalee Holloway is being countered by Aruba.
Over the past few months, at least one hotel in Aruba has been sold, which indicates that investors saw bargains, probably because soft sales lowered property values. Over the past few months, Aruba has been investing heavily into enticements to lure cruise lines into making Aruba a port of call, which has the effect of bringing in tourism dollars less hotel stays, as those vacationers can sleep in their ship-board rooms. The cruise-lines are bringing people into Aruba who would otherwise not pick Aruba as a primary vacation destination, but will go there if it happens to be one of several ports of call.
While this has brought dollars into restaurants and souvenir shops, some of which sell Arubas secondary industry items being creams and lotions, it has not increased hotel nights, which is a major revenue stream for Arubas economy. To solve this problem, Aruba is now building up hotel-based tourism using their tried and true marketing techniques to increase hotel nights, rather than creating new marketing concepts and logos.
Over the past few months, Boycott Watch has been contacted by several Arubans, including one tourism official, all making the same claim that the hotel sale and increased television advertisements indicate the boycott is over, to which Boycott Watch has responded by correcting them - investment is not an indication that the boycott is over, rather investor speculation and advertisement respectively, thus indicating some people think the boycott has reached its peak or that the Aruba economy has hit bottom and that Aruba is looking toward a brighter future.
The most recent economic numbers we have seen back that up, and at the same time we at Boycott Watch would not be surprised if the boycott of Aruba, which has had a definite effect on their economy, is waning, particularly because Natalee Holloway is no longer in the news every day. Considering, however, the high profile of this case, there are certainly many people who will not visit Aruba if not in memory of Natalee Holloway, in fear of their own personal safety considering the poor self-image Aruba created for itself.
Aruba has been hurt by the boycott against them, and while they are working to recover from the boycott, it remains to be seen if the tourism numbers ever return to its former glory. While some people will continue to boycott Aruba indefinitely, any natural growth of business may mask the boycott, but it will be seen as a stunt in growth. Additionally, while the economic pains Aruba has seen nowhere compare to the pain Natalee's family continues to feel, the boycott accomplished its goal of telling Aruba that Americans stand with Natalee Holloway's family.
Previous Boycott Watch.org articles regarding Aruba:
Aruba Tourism Continues To Fall - Boycott Stronger Then Ever 11-14-06
http://www.boycottwatch.org/misc/aruba4.htm
The Other Aruba Cover-up 06-15-06
http://www.boycottwatch.org/misc/aruba3.htm
Alabama Gov. Bob Riley Calls For a Boycott of Aruba 11-10-05
http://www.boycottwatch.org/misc/aruba2.htm
Missing Girl in Aruba sparks boycott of the vacation island 06-27-05
http://www.boycottwatch.org/misc/aruba1.htm
On 2-5 ARUBAAN’s news-source “Amigoe.com” reported:
Illegal dump Moko is burning since Friday morning
While the illegal dump is heavily smouldering, Atco is dumping. The fire department told the owner to cover the fire with sand, but according to the neighbours, Atco was carrying very flammable pallet residue.
ORANJESTAD – Just what the neighbours were afraid of, the fire that started in the 20 meters deep pit of waste cannot be extinguished. The fire department and the police cannot do anything other than monitor the fire. They advised the owner on Saturday to take measures. The stench and smoke is unbearable for the neighbours. Several of them have already been evacuated to family or friends.
On Friday evening around sunset, the fire department received reporting that there was fire on the illegal dump Monk. At that time, the fire department could already smell that something was smouldering. The fire caused considerable smoke developments and due to the hard wind, the fire could be smelled in big parts of Noord.
It was already too dark when the fire department reached the site on Friday evening. The fire could have been extinguished with a whole lot of water, but because it was too dark and the grounds around the pit was too dangerous for heavy equipment, the fire brigade returned to their station without being able to do anything.
They didn’t think that the fire was an immediate danger to the buildings in the area and besides, they didn’t have enough water to really put the fire out. The pit is deep and it contains about 20 meter of waste,which was smouldering. Fire like this can take weeks before it is extinguished.
The fire brigade came back on Saturday morning. The rain and hard wind didn’t help any. It only stirred up more smoke. They ordered the owner to take measures and pour sand over the fire. The owner promised to do this and would involve Atco, a permanent customer on this dump.
Surprisingly, instead of bringing sand, Atco came with three trucks full of pallet residue. The drivers were ordered by their boss to empty the trucks. They didn’t know more. Atco was not available for comments on Monday morning.
The situation was worse on Sunday. Several neighbours that could no longer stand the smell went elsewhere; away from the smoke. Also on Sunday did the fire department monitor the fire. They did this with a helicopter. The wisp of smoke was gigantic, but there was no danger for the neighbouring buildings. On Monday morning the environmental police wasn’t even aware of problems on Monk. They promised to get informed as soon as possible and figure out what legal steps can be taken against the owner and users of the illegal dump.
The neighbours instituted legal proceedings against the owner to force him to take measures. They also want to make the owner and users liable for all the consequences of this fire and smoke development. The fire department didn’t determine how the air quality in the wisp of smoke is.
**NOTE** this moko is one of the moko’s that was searched for NATALEE’s remains.
2-6-07
On 2-6 the “Aruban Boycott Blogspot” reported:
MARKETING, PROPAGANDA...USE IT ALL YOU WANT, WE AREN'T STUPID
T4N EXPOSES THE TRUTH FOR NATALEE
Researchers at T4N have exclusively uncovered information that Aruba hired a professional media consultant group headquartered in California by the name of Strategic Media Design Group to begin a campaign to attack the character of Natalee Holloway and her family.
There has been an ongoing battle of political parties in Aruba since the late 80's. The MEP party was founded and led by Betico Croes. Robert Dilella who presided over the Strategic Media Design Group based in California convinced the MEP Party he could utilize use his company's award winning skills and re-establish the MEP Party in Aruba. When election results were tallied the regain of political control by the MEP Party surfaced unmistakably. Dilella had kept his promise.
(PHOTO of ROBERT N. DILELLA here )
What was the marketing concept behind the success of his company? It was psychological warfare. Character assassinations and scapegoating were two of the tactics that were proven to be more successful. The key was to produce propaganda lies at such a rate that it created confusion. The confusion would become so mind boggling that evidently people could not discern between a truth and untruth in reference to the politicians and political views.
Eventually no one would know who, what, when or where who said it, why they said it and for what reason they said it. This tactic would eventually change truths into lies and lies into truths. A chain of communication was devised by which to project the dis-information just as the same with how gossip is spread. "Word of Mouth" is an established marketing tactic commonly used in promotion of a product. It can work the same in spreading information or disinformation in target marketing.
In the case of Natalee Ann Holloway. She became the target and so did her family.
DiLella was on scene in Aruba as early as June 11, 2005 only 12 days after Natalee's disappearance. An Aruban gossip columnist who writes for Bati Bleki at Visitaruba.com named Rona Coster had this to say about DiLella after his June visit.
"Friday, I met Bob DiLella, of Sherwood News, in Aruba, a spin doctor here to help us sort things out. It is partially your fault, he said. When reporters asked you about crime statistics and other serious matters you answered: look at the ocean how blue, and the weather so nice! Issues have to be dealt with, a responsible spokesperson must assume center stage for the purpose of communicating well-packaged information, you must be honest and forthcoming, not just appalled, outraged and confused".
Aruba is not a first for Robert DiLella. He began his career on a part time basis which eventually evolved into full time. Previously Dilella has been involved in political campaigns in other US states such as Tennessee, Michigan, Nevada, Georgia, Nevada and Virginia.
He then landed the position of "Director" at a South Carolina based advertising and public relations firm by the name of Cook Reuf and Associates (CRA). Advertising and public relations are a specialty of CRA.
Part II
Robert DiLella developed and provided services to politicians and corporations in several southern states while working out of his Washington D.C. office. Those states included New Mexico, Delaware, New Jersey, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina.
DiLella then decided to launch his own business into the arena with the start up of Strategic Media Design Group (SMDG) in 1987. Stephen Cohen, Suzanne Dalton and Robert Colella became his partners at the SMDG Group.
(PHOTO of RONA COSTER here )
Stephen Cohen brought to SMDG experience as a crisis manager and Journalist. Previously he had worked in a high profile news position at CBS, one of the largest broadcasting companies within the U.S.
(PHOTO of STEVE COHEN here )
At the same time Cohen was news director of both WCBS TV and KCBS TV. He continued to climb the corporate ladder to Vice President and General Manager of WCAU TV in Philadelphia. Electronic journalism became "state of the art" in the media industry. Cohen used his knowledge and skills to develop electronic journalism for some of the top journalist's seen on TV. today.
Court TV. is the brainchild of Stephen Cohen. As a visionary he is credited with launching the Court TV. network. Some of the cases that he has covered include Rodney King, William Kennedy Smith, Michael Jackson, O. J. Simpson, Scott Peterson and many more high profile cases. In the world of politics, the media coverage of Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill were covered with live feeds by Court TV. during their confirmation hearings.
Court TV. has grown from an idea into a well developed, ever expanding place to turn your dial for instant media and crisis coverage. Recently, it has been announced that a two hour segment documentary will soon be aired on Natalee Holloway.
Stephen Cohen has worked as a consultant for other industries in need of help in the area of image and crisis. His work involving development of media opportunities in China for investors, opening of new markets for film production in Beijing and created new network cable concepts for emerging media interests have all proven positive results. In Aruba his advice and experience have proven its self. He successfully implemented crisis management and assisted in the creation of a planned approach to protect economic interests while dealing with outside media pressures.
Cohen's background includes three degrees, including a B.S. in Education, a Master’s in Modern History, and an M.A. in Journalism. On numerous occasions he has been cited with awards in journalism that include Emmy’s for excellence in television journalism.
To be continued in Part III
On 2-6 the “Aruban Boycott Blogspot” reported:
OLD STORY--SAME OL' SITUATION
Some words from Aruba's ex-Prime Minister, Jan Eman:
"Aruba's geographical position is a blessing and a curse at the same time"," says Ex-Prime Minister Jan (Henny) H. Eman, alluding to the pleasant climate which attract thousands of tourists each year, and the unpleasant closeness of the Colombian and Venezuelan northern shores which makes it vulnerable for drug-traffickers.
According to Eman, Aruba is burdened with the problem of other nations: "The drug trade is not Aruba's primary responsibility. The market is in Europe and the United States. It is not our fault they (How about Aruba controlling their own borders? It's always the blame game with these people...) cannot control their borders, that Aruba is used as a transit point".
"The US Government is not as dismissive as Mr Eman. Within three years Aruba rose from a 'medium risk' to a 'high risk' country in the State Department's annual International Narcotics Control Strategy Report. The island is used as a base for bulk transhipment of cocaine to the US and Europe, through its Free Trade Zone.
Off-shore corporate banking facilities, the casino/resort complexes, high volume tourism (not anymore!), and a stable currency all make Aruba attractive to money laundering organizations. Eman considers these reports as too negative and suggests that Aruba is in good company since ""the US and Holland rank number one on the list as well". (Hidden excuse: Well, it's ok if others do it!)
"The US is concerned about credible reports that some members of the Aruban government met regularly with individuals associated with drug trafficking and money laundering syndicates.
In spite of, or perhaps because of, the denials by Aruba officials, the US remains convinced that entrenched money laundering organizations direct large cash deposits into land development and other construction projects on the island."
The Netherlands is equally worried. ""I think we are going to loose it on Aruba"," Arthur Docters van Leeuwen, the Dutch Attorney General, said about the counter-narcotics efforts on the island. Aruba is in the hands of some powerful families and Holland can't do anything about it, due to constitutional restraints.
The reasons for Docters' pessimism were revealed when a confidential report on the Aruban Security Service – the Veiligheidsdienst Aruba (VDA) – leaked in the Dutch press. In October 1994 its director Martien Ras had sounded the alarm-bell. He had written to Docters, then chief of the Dutch security service, that democratically elected officials promoted the interests of private business-men to such an extent that Aruba's democratic institutions were in danger.
Both the Dutch security service and the American CIA had assisted Ras with his investigations. Ras wrote to Docters because Eman – freshly re-elected as Prime Minister – demanded to see the VDA-files about Aruban entrepreneurs who Ras suspected of money laundering and linked to drug traffickers. The Dutch rapidly removed the files, but Ras had to quit his job. Since then he Ras has lived in hiding somewhere in Holland. His interim successor, a Dutch intelligence officer, confirmed his conclusions.
December 1996 President Clinton put Aruba on the list of Major Illicit Drug-transit Countries.
On 2-6 the “Aruban Boycott Blogspot” reported:
WANT TO SCREW THE LITTLE GUY? ASK BONO OR MICK...
Celebrity royalties flow into Dutch tax shelters
Rolling Stones and others find a haven in Netherlands
AMSTERDAM: Last spring, Keith Richards, the craggy-faced and hard- partying lead guitarist for the Rolling Stones, fell from a tree at a beach resort in Fiji, slamming his head against the tree trunk on his way down. After emergency surgery in New Zealand, Richards, 62, survived his plunge.
What two of the other members of the Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts, apparently learned was that Richards's near-death experience meant it was time to think about their heirs. For that, the aging rockers turned to a reclusive Dutch accountant, Johannes Favie, whose company, Promogroup, has helped them minimize their tax bills for more than 30 years. (The fourth Rolling Stone, Ron Wood, handles his finances without Promogroup.)
And so, last August, according to details disclosed in documents maintained by the Handelsregister, the trade registry of the Netherlands, Promogroup helped the three performers set up a pair of private Dutch foundations that will allow them to transfer assets tax-free to heirs when they die.
What exactly are "tax shelters"?
Other Dutch shelters that Promogroup has arranged for the three have already paid off handsomely: over the past 20 years, according to Dutch documents, the musicians have paid just $7.2 million in taxes on earnings of $450 million that they have channeled through Amsterdam — a tax rate of about 1.5 percent, compared with the British rate of 40 percent.
The Rolling Stones are not the only celebrities sheltering income in the Netherlands. The rock powerhouse U2 has transferred lucrative assets to Amsterdam, as have other pop singers and well-known athletes, all of whom have used or continue to take advantage of the Netherlands' tax shelters, according to a Dutch tax lawyer who requested anonymity because of client confidentiality agreements.
Entertainment companies and others that benefit handsomely from Dutch shelters include EMI, the record label, and CKX, the entertainment company that owns stakes in "American Idol," the Elvis Presley estate and the soccer pin- up idol David Beckham.
When it comes to attracting celebrity wealth seeking shelter from taxes, the Cayman Islands and other classic Caribbean tax havens are receding in favor, according to tax experts here and overseas.
DIRTY DEEDS DONE DIRT CHEAP...
While old-school, offshore tax havens — the warm ones with tropical fish, off-the-shelf holding companies with post-office-box addresses and scant regulation or transparency — still attract money, they are largely patronized, tax lawyers and entertainment bankers say, by hedge funds and private equity firms looking to protect lush trading profits from taxes.
But for earnings derived from intellectual property like royalties, the Netherlands has become a tax shelter of choice. With celebrities lending their names and images to clothing lines, licensing their hit songs to corporate sponsors, seeking roles in Hollywood and engaging in other ventures that generate significant taxable income, the Dutch system, which does not tax royalties, offers a nifty shelter.
As they flock to Amsterdam, celebrities are taking a leaf out of the playbook of major corporations that also use Dutch tax shelters to help reduce or eliminate royalty taxes on patents, another form of intellectual property. "The Caribbeans are thinking about trading profits, not royalties, so the smaller European countries like Holland have had to be creative, tax-wise," said David Pullman, an investment banker in New York who caters to entertainers and athletes. "They are going for the high- end stuff and don't want to be seen as shady like some Caribbean haven."
Many of the world's multinational corporations, like Coca-Cola, Nike, Ikea (Dutch owned company) and Gucci, have set up holding companies here in recent years to take advantage of tax shelters nearly identical to the ones the Rolling Stones and U2 use. An additional draw is the Dutch Finance Ministry's recent willingness to issue advance rulings that effectively bless the tax shelters, a fast-track process that has lured companies and individuals.
Sun Microsystems, the U.S.-based software and computer manufacturer, operates Dutch holding companies and is candid about why it does so. Until recently, on the Web site of the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency, www.nfia.com, Sun offered the following blurb about the country's accommodating tax laws:
"Let's face it: ask foreign companies why they're really located here, and nearly everyone will reply that it's because of the favorable tax ruling. The combination of this with the country's political stability, well-trained labor force, their linguistic skills and international attitude as well as the stable infrastructure for roads and telecommunications — this is why we're here."
A Sun spokeswoman declined to comment. The Netherlands is home to almost 20,000 "mailbox companies," Dutch shorthand for corporate shells set up by foreign companies and wealthy foreigners who use them to reduce taxes on royalties, dividends and interest payments, according to a report issued in November by SOMO, the Dutch initials for the Center for Research on Multinational Corporations, a nonprofit group in Amsterdam that monitors business practices of large companies. Globally, 1,165 companies use Dutch tax shelters to reduce or eliminate taxes on royalties and patents, according to SOMO.
Like the Rolling Stones, U2 has become sophisticated about finding overseas shelters for its money. When Ireland announced last spring that it would sharply curtail a tax break for musicians, painters, writers and sculptors, the shift posed a financial threat to U2, which had Ireland as its financial power base for nearly three decades.
The Dublin-born- and-bred rockers built their fortune on hit songs and, in part, on Irish laws that forgive taxes due on royalties. As of last year, U2 had amassed a net worth of €629 million, or $908 million, according to the annual "Rich List" of top earners in The Sunday Times of London. Royalties are the income that artists and athletes earn from recordings, performances, trademarks, brands, patents, copyrights, film rights, product endorsements, videos, films and the ever-extending commercialization of those assets — in short, the major portion of an artist's or athlete's income.
The Dutch shelter is simple: royalties that flow into or out of a Dutch holding company are exempt from taxes. Although the nominal corporate tax rate in the Netherlands is around 30 percent, analysts say domestic tax shelters bring that rate down substantially. "For 90 percent of the people who do this, the motivation for using these structures is tax minimization, or avoidance," said Ton Smit, a tax lawyer at Tax Consultants International in Rotterdam, a firm that caters to celebrities, athletes and multinational corporations seeking to minimize their taxes.
On 2-6 the “Aruban Boycott Blogspot” reported:
ROYAL CARIBBEAN SINKS
MIAMI - Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., the world's second-largest cruise line, on Monday posted a fourth-quarter profit from year-ago loss, on lower cruise costs (Operative words: LOWER CRUISE COSTS) and increased revenue.
But Royal Caribbean shares sank more than 5 percent, largely based on company statements that its bookings so far in the busy January-to-March wave season were not encouraging, analysts said.
…Shares fell $2.33, or 5.1 percent, to close at $43.51 on the New York Stock Exchange. Joe Hovorka, an analyst with Raymond James & Associates, said the stock likely was falling because of a continued weakness in the Caribbean market that has lasted more than a year.
…Hovorka said sluggishness with Caribbean tourism is being seen throughout the leisure industry. "There's a broader weakness in discretionary spending for consumers" in the Caribbean, which is seen as an entry level cruise market, Hovorka said.
…For the first quarter of 2007, the company currently forecasts net yields will decrease in a range around 3 percent compared to the first quarter of last year. Royal Caribbean said its net cruise costs on a per available passenger-cruise-days basis will increase 4 to 5 percent...
Read Entire Article Here
On 2-6 ARUBAAN’s news-source “Amigoe.com” reported:
Parliamentary party-leader MEP about Lee: ‘I would resign’
ORANJESTAD – “If I am caught in such situation, I would turn in my resignation”, reacted parliamentary party-leader Ady Thijsen (MEP) in a personal capacity on his fellow party member minister Ramon Lee that heard last week that he will not be prosecuted for rape.
The MEP has not taken up an official stand yet about the position of the minister of Labour, Culture, and Sport. The decision of the Public Prosecutor (OM) not to prosecute in this case, means that there is no basis for a charge of rape, says Thijsen. But that doesn’t mean that the minister can just continue with his work. “The problem is the society. The Aruban community does not accept what the minister had done to that woman. As minister, he is a role model.”
The opposition parties have already pressed for the minister to resign last week. RED is of the opinion that the minister is guilty of abuse of power. Thijsen indicated that not only the opposition has criticized the minister, but also people within the MEP. “The minister has to draw his own conclusions, but also the MEP has to assume her responsibility in this case. If the minister does not resign, we will have to make a decision, which can be positive or negative.”
Thijsen is of the opinion that even thought the minister is not prosecuted, the heavy criticism in the society will indeed interfere with his work. He indicated that the position of Minister Lee has not yet been discussed within the MEP.
On 2-6 the “Scared Monkeys” blog reported:
This is Healthy … For Arubans and Tourist Alike, Illegal Dump Moko Burning
I guess one would say that there is no EPA on the island of Aruba. A burning illegal dump burning beneath the surface could not be extinguished. What a pleasant thought the ground is burning and even more pleasant smell for those in the vicinity. The ATAHA claims they are concerned about the litter, really? Aruba knows of its illegal dumps but does nothing about it. Seems to be a running theme.
On Monday morning the environmental police wasn’t even aware of problems on Moko.
They praise their white sandy beaches, but have no explanation for their #98 ranking on the National Geographic list of cleanest countries in the world.
Just what the neighbours were afraid of, the fire that started in the 20 meters deep pit of waste cannot be extinguished. The fire department and the police cannot do anything other than monitor the fire. They advised the owner on Saturday to take measures. The stench and smoke is unbearable for the neighbours. Several of them have already been evacuated to family or friends.
On Friday evening around sunset, the fire department received reporting that there was fire on the illegal dump Moko. At that time, the fire department could already smell that something was smoldering. The fire caused considerable smoke developments and due to the hard wind, the fire could be smelled in big parts of Noord. (Amigoe)
Does it ever dawn on anyone in Aruba the contaminants that they put into the air or is it simply and out of sight out of mind situation as the wind blows the problem away? Even on a selfish and capitalistic approach, does the ATA ever give it a second thought about how air quality could be affecting tourism? How about the illegal dumping into the ground? Does anyone in Aruba care what they are doing to their own island? With the Valero oil refinery on one part of the island and illegal dumps burning at others, must make for a nice and healthy vacation.
The situation was worse on Sunday. Several neighbours that could no longer stand the smell went elsewhere; away from the smoke.
Remember what Muller, former director of the Portuguese Service for Tourism, told Jan van Nes, chairman of the ATSA prior to the Queens visit last November.
“that compared with his last visit to Aruba, the island is quite filthy”.
Much like when Rome burned, Nero sat by an watched. In this case as the illegal dump burned, ATCO continued to dump.
While the illegal dump is heavily shouldering, Atco is dumping. The fire department told the owner to cover the fire with sand, but according to the neighbours, Atco was carrying very flammable pallet residue.
Surprisingly, instead of bringing sand, Atco came with three trucks full of pallet residue. The drivers were ordered by their boss to empty the trucks. They didn’t know more. Atco was not available for comments on Monday morning.
Amigoe, February 6, 2007: Illegal dump Moko is burning since Friday morning
While the illegal dump is heavily smouldering, Atco is dumping. The fire department told the owner to cover the fire with sand, but according to the neighbours, Atco was carrying very flammable pallet residue.
ORANJESTAD – Just what the neighbours were afraid of, the fire that started in the 20 meters deep pit of waste cannot be extinguished. The fire department and the police cannot do anything other than monitor the fire. They advised the owner on Saturday to take measures. The stench and smoke is unbearable for the neighbours. Several of them have already been evacuated to family or friends.
On Friday evening around sunset, the fire department received reporting that there was fire on the illegal dump Monk. At that time, the fire department could already smell that something was smouldering. The fire caused considerable smoke developments and due to the hard wind, the fire could be smelled in big parts of Noord.
It was already too dark when the fire department reached the site on Friday evening. The fire could have been extinguished with a whole lot of water, but because it was too dark and the grounds around the pit was too dangerous for heavy equipment, the fire brigade returned to their station without being able to do anything.
They didn’t think that the fire was an immediate danger to the buildings in the area and besides, they didn’t have enough water to really put the fire out. The pit is deep and it contains about 20 meter of waste,which was smouldering. Fire like this can take weeks before it is extinguished.
The fire brigade came back on Saturday morning. The rain and hard wind didn’t help any. It only stirred up more smoke. They ordered the owner to take measures and pour sand over the fire. The owner promised to do this and would involve Atco, a permanent customer on this dump.
Surprisingly, instead of bringing sand, Atco came with three trucks full of pallet residue. The drivers were ordered by their boss to empty the trucks. They didn’t know more. Atco was not available for comments on Monday morning.
The situation was worse on Sunday. Several neighbours that could no longer stand the smell went elsewhere; away from the smoke. Also on Sunday did the fire department monitor the fire. They did this with a helicopter. The wisp of smoke was gigantic, but there was no danger for the neighbouring buildings. On Monday morning the environmental police wasn’t even aware of problems on Monk. They promised to get informed as soon as possible and figure out what legal steps can be taken against the owner and users of the illegal dump.
The neighbours instituted legal proceedings against the owner to force him to take measures. They also want to make the owner and users liable for all the consequences of this fire and smoke development. The fire department didn’t determine how the air quality in the wisp of smoke is.
2-7-07
On 2-7 “Freedom of Blog” identity “MF” reported, “Next week the judges of the appeal court will be on the island and will give a decision on the amount that is due to PvdS. That's on Feb 13, 2007.”
On 2-7 the DUBLIN, IRELAND “Irish Examiner” reported:
Ecstasy haul taped to air traveller's thighs
Ecstasy worth around €100,000 has been found taped to the body of a man at Dublin Airport, it was revealed today.
Customs officers discovered the illegal drug concealed in two packages taped to the inner thighs of a 29-year-old man who arrived on a flight from Amsterdam on Monday last.
The man originally from Aruba in the Caribbean, who now holds a Dutch passport, was questioned by the Garda Drugs Unit based in Santry.
Customs said the man had appeared in court and investigations were ongoing.
The drug MDMA, which goes by the street name ecstasy, acts as a stimulant and psychedelic drug giving an energising effect.
On 2-7 the ST. LUCIA “St. Lucia Star” reported:
CWC visitors warned about Caribbean crime!
By Eliza Francis
Mia Mottley is the Caribbean’s defense secretary. Over the past few months she’s been traversing the region to determine its security readiness prior to the hosting of next month’s ICC Cricket World Cup 2007. She’s determined that the event is kept free of disgruntled people looking to use the Caribbean to make political statements and staunchly defends security steps taken by regional governments—the Caricom visa and upgrades in air and sea ports security measures included.
At a press conference in St Lucia last month Mottley said while the region was not known for acts of terrorism, several of the cricket playing nations participating in CWC 2007 were either directly or indirectly related to the global fight. The Caribbean, she said, must not be seen as an easy target. But damage to the region’s reputation is clearly not restricted only to acts of terrorism, as highlighted by a January 6, 2007 travel bulletin issued for Australian visitors.
Caribbean citizens may find themselves to be the greatest threat to hosting “the best world cup ever.” While the regional press corps is often bombarded for reporting on matters of crime in their individual states, foreign journalists and government officials feel no qualms about focussing on the issue. After several incidents where visitors were attacked by locals, the US and Canada embassies have had to caution their citizens visting islands in the Caribbean.
The Australian authorities are taking a proactive approach. Under the heading Planning your visit to the Cricket World Cup: Safety and Security, Crime they advise: “In some parts of the Caribbean, violent crime, including armed robbery, kidnapping and murder, is common. Violent crime is often gang-related and perpetrators may be armed. There is also a high rate of petty crime, including pick pocketing and bag snatching. “Walking after dark, including on beaches, can be dangerous due to the increased risk of robbery and assault. Crime, including sexual assault and robbery, has also occurred after travelers have accepted ‘spiked’ food or drink.”
The Aussies have also been advised not to carry large amounts of cash when travelling and to refrain from tempting thieves with expensive watches, jewelry and cameras. Health matters and the visitors from down under have been informed that “the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Caribbean is severe.”“HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 15 and 44,” reads the bulletin, adding that, “most HIV transmission in the Caribbean region is through heterosexual intercourse.”The prospective visitors are also told that medical facilities in many of the locations hosting the CWC are limited and may not meet Australian standards, suggesting that in serious medical emergencies they may have to be airlifted to the US.”
There is also another side to this coin and Australian visitors have been put on alert about their behavior while enjoying the world’s third largest sporting event.“When you are in the Caribbean, be aware that local laws and penalties, including ones that appear harsh by Australian standards, do apply to you. If you are arrested or jailed, the Australian Government will do what it can to help you but we can’t get you out of trouble or out of jail. “Serious crimes, such as murder, may attract the death penalty. Penalties for drug offences are severe and possession of even small quantities of illegal drugs, including marijuana, may lead to imprisonment. Travelers are thoroughly screened for drug possession on departure from Jamaica. Homosexual acts are illegal.
“Public nudity in non-designated areas and indecent language can lead to arrest. It is illegal to buy, sell or wear camouflage style clothing.”Meanwhile, US residents planning to attend CWC 2007 matches or who will be in the region during the event have been advised to “use caution and stay alert to their surroundings at all times” because “as security increases in and around event venues, terrorists may shift their focus to more unprotected locations such as open public spaces, hotels, buses and other transportation systems, churches, restaurants, and other sites.”While the US has acknowledged that while there have been no credible terrorist threats to the Cricket World Cup, the threat from international terrorist groups at major public events is always a principal concern.
On 2-7 WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY reported:
Beth Twitty to discuss spring break safety with Wake Forest students
Beth Twitty, the mother of Natalee Holloway, will speak to Wake Forest students about spring break safety at 7 p.m. Feb. 28 in Pugh Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.
Holloway disappeared in May 2005 while on a senior graduation trip to Aruba. Her disappearance generated a six-month national media sensation. Holloway remains officially missing to this day, although Aruban authorities believe she is dead.
Twitty is a special needs teacher who is committed to sharing her daughter’s story and educating high school and college students on personal safety. She has vowed never to give up searching for her daughter or quit seeking justice for her.
In response to her daughter’s disappearance, Twitty established the International Safe Travels Foundation to educate and inform the public about safe international travel. Her nationwide safety campaign, SAFE TRAVELS, is endorsed by the National Sheriffs’ Association and the National Association of School Resource Officers.
The lecture is sponsored by the Wake Forest Student Union. For more information, call (336) 758-5697.
On 2-7 ARUBAAN’s news-source “Amigoe.com” reported:
Government personnel costs have to drop drastically
The number of civil servants has increased enormously since 1986; especially the public order and safety sector grew the most.
ORANJESTAD – In order to create a balance in the government receipts and expenditure in 2009, the current increase in personnel costs has to drop with more than 60 percent, and the debt quote has to drop to about 40 percent of the gross domestic product (BBP). Those are the most important conclusions of the national committee public finances that were presented in a final report to the minister today.
The minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Nilo Swaen (MEP) established this committee last year in May to assist him in his policy and ambitions in the field of government finances. The committee consists of the Aruban Investment Bank (AIB Bank) with representatives of the ministry, the Central Bank Aruba (CBA), Social Economic Council (SER) and a government official of the Dutch ministry of Finance.
PERSONNEL
The report shows that especially the high personnel costs is driving the government expenditures up. The committee has compared these with other countries and it appears that Aruba has the highest expenditures in government personnel, namely 2760 dollars per head of population against an average of 1400 dollars (12.5 percent of the BBP). Besides, the costs have increased with 10 percent in the past five years. The number of civil servants has increased from 2778 to 6576* since the status aparte of 1986. It grew the most in the sectors public order and safety, and education in the period 1986-2005 (58.4 percent).
CONTAIN
The committee concluded that the government has to contain the growth of the personnel costs, from the current 6.3 percent to a maximum of 3 percent on annual basis. The committee also recommends a core task analysis. The government has already primed this project and it is expected to be finished off in July. The government must not hire extra personnel until this analysis is done, says the committee.
Other than a core task analysis, the government can also use other instruments to restrict the growth of the personnel costs, like cutting back the fringe benefits and a more efficient management.
Also the government debt has increased considerably in the past five years. The 38.4 debt quote in 2000 increased to 46.1 percent BBP in 2005. The debt increased from 1.3 milliard florins to 1.9 milliards. The committee recommends taking the government debt back to a maximum of 40 percent of the BBP. Despite the government debt and the expenditures for personnel, the total spending of the government remained stable in the past six years, about 18 percent of the BBP, but it is still higher compared to other countries.
*NOTE: after NATALEE was vanished in 2005, government sources publicly stated there were only 4000 government employees, not the 6576 claimed in this article
On 2-7 the “Aruban Boycott blogspot” reported:
EASY RIDER SPEAKS OUT!
**This was given to me from "EasyRiders's" column:
Spin Cycle - Round and Round We Go
"The Prime Minister went to the public to say that the person and/or newspaper that keeps the Natalee Holloway case alive are traitors to Aruba!"
The mission was clear and the purpose succinct. Stop media access to the island. Stop it now! Dilella and Cohen began their campaign by encouraging the increase of satellite uplinks from $800.00 to $4,000.00. The next move was to encumber the movement of electronic equipment through the airport. Every item was to be weighed, examined and weighed again. Movement through Aeropuerto Internacional became so inhibited that it became pointless to try and bring camera equipment.
It was media shut-down and the island bought it lock, stock and barrel. What a horrendous mistake!
Eyewitness accounts place Robert DiLella in Aruba only days after Natalee's disappearance. He met with his primary Aruban clients, Nelson Oduber and the Aruba Hotel & Tourism Association. With his guidance, the Strategic Communications Task Force was formed. Its sole purpose was to control media coverage of the Natalee Holloway case. The spin cycle officially began!
SMDG offers two services to its clientele, political campaign management and crisis intervention. The former boasts an array of political characters from assemblymen to senators. Their strategy runs the gauntlet, but most importantly they claim specialty in political "attack" campaigns. The following is a snapshot of SMDG's client list:
POLITICAL CLIENTS:
Rob Andrews.............................. Congressman, NJ
Sharon Bock............................... Clerk Circuit Court, Palm Beach, FL
William Brooks........................... Palm Beach Town Council, FL
Blondell Reynolds Brown.......... City Council Philadelphia, PA
John Burzichelli.......................... State Assemblyman, NJ
Wayne Bryant..............................State Senator, NJ
Glenn Cunningham................... State Senator, NJ
Mandy Dawson........................... State Senator, FL
Josephus Eggellettion............... Broward County Commission, FL
Lois Frankel ............................... Mayor West Palm Beach, FL
Chaka Fattah ............................. Congressman, PA
Doug Fisher ............................... State Assemblyman, NJ
Kristen Jacobs .......................... Broward County Commission, FL
Ken Jenne .................................. Sheriff Broward County, FL
Charlotte Rodstrom .................. Fort Lauderdale City Commission, FL
Laura Johnson ........................... Palm Beach County Circuit Court Judge, FL
Joseph Roberts .......................... State Assemblyman, NJ
Sandi Love .................................. Mayor Gloucester Twp., NJ
Lou Manzo .................................. State Assemblyman, NJ
Lori Moseley ............................... Mayor Miramar, FL
Nelson Oduber ........................... Prime Minister, Aruba
Nilsa Cruz-Perez ....................... State Assemblywoman, NJ
Alvin Penn .................................. State Senator, CT
Gisele Pollack ............................. Broward County Circuit Court Judge, FL
Miguel Pourier .......................... Prime Minister, Curacao
John Rayson .............................. Mayor Pompano Beach, FL
Stacy Ritter ............................... State Representative, FL
Andrew Siegel ........................... Broward County Circuit Court Judge, FL
Steve Sweeney .......................... State Senator, NJ
Jack Seiler .................................. State Representative, FL
Lois Wexler ................................ Broward County Commission, FL
CORPORATE CLIENTS:
Aruba Hotel & Tourism Association
Center for International Studies
China Cable Consortium
DNN - Dyson News Network Real Estate TV
Guondong Trade Group - China
Blue Water Wind Inc.
Bill Johnson & Associates
Palm Beach Civic Association
Rutgers University
Wiznet Corporation
DiLella along with Stephen Cohen met with AHTA and ATA and urged them to form the Strategic Communications Task Force in June of 2005. The task force included many notables in Aruba. Most were connected to tourism and politics. The membership list is telling:
Steering Committee of the Strategic Communications Task Force:
Myrna Jansen, chairperson ..... Aruba Tourism Authority
Serge Mansur, chairperson ...... Aruba Trade & Industry Association
Jorge Pesquera, chairperson ... Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association
Edwin Roos ................................ Chamber of Commerce
Jaap Beaujon .............................. Advisor
Agustin Vrolijk ........................... Department of Foreign Affairs
Frits Israel .................................. Aruba Tourism Authority
Gina Lopez-Gnecco ................... Aruba Tourism Authority
Rob Smith ................................... Aruba Hospitality & Security Foundation
Additional members:
Greg Peterson ............................. Aruba Trade & Industry Association
Olindo Koolman ........................... Former Governor of Aruba
Alfonso Riverol ............................ Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association
Andy Osbourne ........................... Aruba Timeshare Association
Jan van Nes ................................. Aruba Timeshare Association
Bill Carson .................................... Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association
Erik Brete ..................................... Liaison to the office of the Prime Minister
Henry Baarh ................................ Minister Plenipotentiary Washington
John Merryweather ................... Former Government Official
Tamara Waldron ........................ Ministry of Tourism and Transportation
Ruben Trappenberg .................. Aruba Airport Authority
Contributing participants:
Helen Bautista ........................... Fitzgerald and Co.
Kelly Marshal ............................ Fitzgerald and Co.
Florence Quinn .......................... Quinn and Co.
The preceding list contains many of the movers and shakers of the island of Aruba. Each one of them turned a blind eye toward the crime against Natalee Holloway and focused upon preserving a false image of the island. It was a very foolish tactic, but they were led down the garden path by a couple of American clowns with academic credentials.
How important is Dilella in all of this mis-information campaign? He was so key that George (Jug) Twitty cc'd him when he sent his letter to Governor Bob Riley.
On 2-7 ARUBAAN’s news-source “Tradewinds Times” reported:
Airport surprized by AA's move to cancel Boston route
ORANJESTAD-American Airlines (AA) intention to cancel the Boston-Aruba route as of May 1st 2007 has surprized Aruba Airport Authority. Spokesperson for Aruba Airport Authority, Ruben Trappenberg said that the high passenger load factor on AA flights between Boston and Aruba does not justify the suspension of flights as of May 1st. The airport is aware that the Boston route is operated seasonally by AA. The route is serviced from the end of the year until the middle of Spring, AA has done so last year and the year before, said Trappenberg.
Aruba Airport Authority does not know if the cancellation as of May 1st is seasonal or definitive. The airport will try to find another carrier to service Boston if AA decides to stop operating the route. The demand from Boston is great and continues to grow, the passenger load factor on the route is proof said Trappenberg.
The news of a possible cancellation of the New York-Aruba route by AA also surprized the Airport Authority. The possible cancellation has to do with aggressive competition from other carriers flying on that same route. One of the air carriers, JetBlue, began operating the route with daily flights 5 months ago. JetBlue recent announcement of two daily flights from JFK airport has AA concerned.
On 2-7 identity “Lazlo” reported that the NATALEE HOLLOWAY-ARUBA Police vanishing files has now arrived in ROTTERDAM, HOLLAND for additional DUTCH Police reviews and followup actions.
2-8-07
On 2-8 the “Aruban Boycott blogspot” reported:
TRUTH FOR NATALEE PART III
T4N EXPOSES THE TRUTH FOR NATALEE - Part III
Immediately after the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, Aruba was besieged by print media and television reporters from the U.S. and other countries. They all had the same goal, to obtain any and all information about the pretty teen from Alabama who went missing while on her graduation trip in May of 2005.
The Prime Minister of Aruba realized the media’s frenzy for information and pictures. He expressed great concern over the short and long term effects on Aruba. First and foremost, his interest was in preserving Aruba’s reputation so that it’s tourism would not suffer. It certainly was not Natalee’s whereabouts nor her fate on which he was focused. This was illustrated when he recently stated, “any reporter or media that keeps the story alive in reference to Natalee was a traitor to Aruba.” This was a selfish, cruel, heartless thing to say but his allegiance was in protecting the Island of Aruba.
Robert DiLella and Stephen Cohen through their company, SMDG, specialize in offering services to political candidates, corporations, governments, and high profile individuals. The marketing specialty of political “attack” campaigns is a signature characteristic of SMDG. These are televised and published advertisements attacking other candidates that invariably pop up during elections. Also and otherwise known as “smear campaigns.” According to their website, SMDG offers a unique, action oriented crisis management consultancy.
In June of 2005, Robert DiLella and Stephen Cohen met with the Aruba Tourism Hotel Authority (ATHA) and the Aruban Tourism Authority (ATA) in order to create the Strategic Communications Task Force (SCTF). SCTF’s mission was to control the media coverage of the Natalee Holloway case. Members of the Steering Committee for this Task Force included many of the Island’s most influential people who were all heavily invested in Government or tourism. This fact goes a long way toward tying up loose ends in relevance to the dissemination of information in Natalee’s case and the attack on the media.
DiLella and Cohen went to work immediately taking action in their efforts to restrain the media wildfire that had besieged Aruba. First, they decided to drastically increase the fee charged to news organizations for using Aruba’s satellite uplink facilities. Secondly, a decision was made and acted upon to place stringent restrictions on the flow of media equipment coming into the island airport. The idea was to control all the electronic equipment belonging to foreign media representatives and journalists.
In controlling the flow of electronic equipment, the operators would have less to work with, making it harder and in some cases impossible to report Natalee’s story. The plot to stop access to media equipment caused havoc and delay and resulted in success for SDMG. There was a noticeable decrease in journalists and media passing through the airport gates. After all, how could you report a story without your equipment? Journalists and media representatives were watched by ALE and others. At one point, an arrest warrant was issued for the very well known US FOX Television Reporter, Greta Van Susteren.
In hindsight, it is clear this plan was implemented to minimize the journalistic and media coverage of Natalee’s case. Crisis management was in full force and control on the Island of Aruba. The Natalee Holloway raging wildfire was soon to be reduced to a smolder.
SMDG’s campaign to propagate misinformation existed with the Natalee Holloway case from almost the beginning. The world watching the search for Natalee had not a clue as to what was going on until many months later when the collateral damage was realized as a result of the decision to disregard justice and protect tourism.
Tourism is the main pillar of the Aruban economy according to the Aruba Tourism Authority. The whereabouts or well being of “just one missing girl” who had visited the island to them was not a priority. What should it matter about “just one” girl? “Tourists come to the island everyday,” “maybe she ran away.” Sound familiar? More examples of the Aruban P.R. campaign to weaken Natalee’s case along with concern for her.
On August 4, 2005, George “Jug” Twitty sent a letter to Alabama Governor Bob Riley asking him not to continue with plans to introduce a resolution to boycott travel to Aruba. Jug Twitty sent a carbon copy of his letter to DiLella. Twitty must have realized the weight carried by DiLella’s firm.
He also recognized the misinformation campaign that had begun and the interference it was introducing in the search for information about Natalee’s disappearance. Jug is a smart man who very soon into Natalee’s disappearance apparently realized the dissemination of information and its source. He also realized that no one was ever going to get anywhere with the Aruban Government. They were not willing to be honest about documents and information concerning Natalee and he knew this.
Dave Holloway, Natalee’s father, dealt with Aruba one day at a time with the dissemination of information he was given. When he was asked, “How much money do you have,” it shocked him that Aruban Law Enforcement (ALE) would ask him such a question. To him, this question indicated it would take money to buy information in reference to his daughter’s disappearance. Was Aruban law enforcement basically indicating that if her father wanted her back or to obtain information as to her whereabouts, it would depend on how much money he had?
In presenting the facts, one can draw their on conclusions of relevance.
To be continued in Part IV
See additional information at the TFN Site
2-9-07
On 2-9 ARUBAAN’s news-source “Tradewinds Times” reported about another ARUBA tourists safety issue:
The face of HIV in Aruba
ORANJESTAD-The Aruba Red Cross launched an awareness campaign named "Faces" in the fight against HIV and AIDS. There are 133 people living with HIV (Human Immune Virus) the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) on the island, said Greg Peterson chairman of Aruba Red Cross.
The goal of the campaign "Faces" is to break the taboo on HIV/AIDS and other STD'S (Sexual Transmitted Diseases), and to start a discussion at school, home and in the community on how to prevent oneself from being infected. The campaign is mainly focused on the youth, on how to take responsibility towards themselves and others by practising safe sex.
The campaign is brought forward by television and radio commercials. Television commercials illustrate the faces of teenagers and the number of people they have slept with. Teenagers are known to be very sexually active during the present Carnival season and the coming Easter camping season, it is the reason for a more aggressive awareness approach said Peterson.
The youngest victim of STD in Aruba is just 13 years of age according to the Department of Contagious Diseases. There were 154 children born on the island from teenage mothers during 2006, there were 982 teenage pregnancies between the year 2000 and 2006.
On 2-9 the “Aruban Boycott blog” reported:
NATALEE'S FREEBIRDS--PREMEDITATION?
VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS -
PREMEDITATED STALKING OF AN AMERICAN TEENAGER
"WE ARE INCLINED TO BELIEVE"....THIS WAS PREMEDITATED
In media interviews Joran van Der Sloot maintains he never noticed Natalee Holloway until the night of her disappearance, yet witness statements by Mountain Brook students testify that he had been hanging around the group at the hotel during the week. Joran van Der Sloot would have no reason to lie about this, unless he had been stalking the teenager for a very specific purpose.
Joran van der Sloot also maintains he had no intention of going to Carlos & Charlies that night, yet his telephone conversations to friends indicate otherwise. Was Joran van der Sloot planning to attend Carlos & Charlies' all along? Was the underlying plan to pick up a pretty girl from the MB group who would be leaving for the States the next morning, the one he had been stalking for several days prior?
Joran van der Sloot - Greta Interview
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,186581,00.html
March 1, 2005
VAN DER SLOOT: Interested? No, not really. I was more talking — the girl that was sitting next to me, I was — I thought she was pretty and I was talking to her. And when I went — what the point was for going to Carlos 'n Charlie's was I wanted to actually meet up with her.
VAN DER SLOOT: And I remember afterwards going into — right behind that casino is a little bar, and I remember watching — walking in there. And there was a baseball game on TV, and again, the group of girls was sitting there. And they said, Oh, yes, don't forget to come out tonight. And I told them that on Sunday, it wasn't a good night to go out. It wasn't fun. It wasn't — and — but they said, You know, if you want to come, come. And I ended up deciding that, yes, I might as well go and have fun.
Jamie Carrasquilla - Official Witness Statement - June 17, 2005
On May 29th 2005, between the hours of 16.00 and 19.00 (4:00 pm - 7:00 pm), I was called by Joran on my mobile phone with the phone number. Joran had asked me whether I wanted to go out with him that night. He told me that a few American girls would go to "Carlos & Charlies" and whether I wanted to meet up with him there.
Natalee and her family deserve justice - and we will not let up until they have it!
Natalee's Freebirds
2-13-07
On 2-13 ARUBAAN‘s news-source “Amigoe.com” reported:
(Thank You and Hat Tip to “MF”)
In search of Natalee Holloway - American film crew with eleven on Aruba
ORANJESTAD - an American television crew of eleven people has stayed since yesterday on Aruba to make before prerecordings of the last spots which Natalee Holloway have visited before she disappeared without a trace. The prerecordings are for the programme Haunting Evidence in which three paranormal begaafden try solve crime.
Aruba Tourism Authority (ATA) is informed. A spokesman tells that they had got previous year a e-mail of the American producer. In this ATA were asked for information on local film facilities and customs authorities regulations. When the producer by the end of announced himself December, ATA decided after internal consultation with the minister that they would grant to no more collaboration. The reason is that for us the question no longer plays. Moreover it goes a type tabloid-tv, there we do not sit, thus wait for the spokesman. ATA have, however, the eigenaren of Carlos n Charlies and other managers, where the disappeared teenager for last has been seen, brought of the television prerecordings.
ATA emphasise that the Public Prosecution Service can be only asked for an official point of view concerning course of the matter. The new head commissioner peter white has been designated as official spokesman. "everyone is further free its give opinion in the programme, but that is no official comment, but a personal opinion", thus Ata-woordvoerder.
2-14-07
On 2-14 the “Scared Monkeys” blog reported:
Nothing For You Paulus van der Sloot Says Supreme Court
Paulus van der Sloots attempts to get “restitution” for being detained in the Natalee Holloway disappearance has been shot down by the Supreme Court in Aruba. Initially Paulus had been given financial compensation for being detained by a lower court, but that was overuled yesterday by the Supreme Court.
The reasons given we that there was a valid reason for his arrest. Paulus claimed that he had been unlawfully detained. However as those who follow the case of Natalee Holloway’s disappearance know full well, his detention was a very pertinent to the investigation as Paulus has been placed picking up his son Joran at a McDonalds the night of Natalee’s disappearance.
This is a very good sign that Paulus van der Sloot has been denied any ill gotten compensation.
Original Story:
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o100/klaasen3/Diario021407.jpg
On 2-14 the “Aruban Boycott Blogspot” reported:
"WE ARE INCLINED TO BELIEVE..."--NATALEE'S FREEBIRDS
VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS
PREMEDITATED STALKING OF AN AMERICAN TEENAGER
"WE ARE INCLINED TO BELIEVE.......THIS WAS PREMEDITATED"
PART 2-
Joran van der Sloot creates a false identity
and lies about when he met Natalee
In Part 1 we established the fact that Joran van der Sloot lied about his actions leading up to going to Carlos & Charlies the night Natalee Holloway disappeared. In an interview with Greta Van Susteren, Joran lied about having no intentions of going to the bar that night, but had actually called a friend earlier in the afternoon telling him the American girls were going to be there and asking him to join him.
In Part 2 we expose more lies. Joran told many media sources he had not met Natalee until that night, when in fact he had been hanging around the teen’s hotel during the week according to statements by Natalee's friends, and Aruban officials. In these days he had lied to the Mountain Brook teens, telling them he was a tourist on Aruba, was 19 years old, and plays soccer in Holland.
Why would Joran van der Sloot make up a false identity? Why would Joran lie about himself and stalk Natalee for days prior to the night she disappeared?
Joran van der Sloot creates a false identity:
Greta Van Susteren: Do you remember any conversation at all you had with him, like even if it was like about chips, or anything at all?
Ruth McVey: Only that he said that he was 19 and played soccer at a school in Holland.
On the Record w/ Greta - "Wall of Hope" Interview
http://scrux.com/natalee/mbinterview.htm
Joran van der Sloot claims he only met Natalee that night:
VAN DER SLOOT: I remember — I remember when I first saw her. I went there, I went to the casino, the Excelsior casino at the Holiday Inn, to play a free poker tournament. I remember walking in there and sitting at a — playing a — first playing a poker tournament, then afterwards, when I was done, going to a blackjack table and sitting down. And I remember her and her friends coming up to the table. They sat down. They wanted to play blackjack.
On the Record w/ Greta
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,186581,00.html
When in fact he had been hanging around the teen’s hotel during the week:
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Natalee Holloway case's main suspect, Joran van der Sloot, was no stranger to the Mountain Brook group. He'd been hanging out with them all week, according to one of Holloway's friends, NBC 13 reported.
NBC 13 Birmingham- June 27, 2005
http://www.nbc13.com/news/4658874/detail.html
O'REILLY: Had you seen her with this guy before, before this night?
JORDAN: No, but he was in our casino a lot.
O'REILLY: Now, did you know van der Sloot? Did -- how did you know who he was?
KISSEL: I didn't know him, but I had seen -- he had been around the hotel and the casino with her and with her friends, her closer friends, just hanging out around the hotel for the last few days, two or three days.
Bill O'Reilly Fox news
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,159764,00.html
FBI 302 of Lee Ashford Broughton:
While at the casino, Broughton and Holloway came across Joran Last Name Unknown (LNU). Holloway had met Joran LNU earlier in the day on the beach.
Bryan Reynolds, Mountain Brook student:
Reynolds said he saw the suspects hanging out at the Holiday Inn where the Mountain Brook High School graduates stayed in Oranjestad. When Holloway went missing, Reynolds said they were the first people he considered as potential suspects. "That was the first people who came to mind," said Reynolds, who said Holloway is one of his best friends.
http://www.postherald.com/me061005.shtml
GRETA VAN SUSTEREN: But you weren't here, so how would you be in a position to even know who this young man was?
BETH TWITTY: Through some of her classmates. And this young man had spent time with these children. He had been with them for a couple of days. They knew this young man. They knew his first name. They had spent hours with him. So it wasn't a secret. It wasn't a secret who she left with.
On the Record- with Greta Van Susteren
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,159779,00.html
BETH TWITTY – Well the night that Natalee disappeared really was no different than any other night that the students had been on that island. It just happened to be that it was their last night and they had been around Joran van der Sloot now for a period of about two days and have spent many hours with him at the casino and just around the Holiday Inn and it was their last night I think there was some unique circumstances that were going on that night the established closed earlier than what it normally does.
Tyra Banks Show- May 3, 2006
http://arubanboycott.blogspot.com/2006/05/recap-of-tyra-banks-show-with-beth-and.html
Police say Joran met Holloway at a casino two days before her disappearance.
Decatur Daily News
http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/050624/suspect.shtml
Police Chief Jan Van der Straten says
Joran had met Natalee before that day:
HARRIS: Police say Joran met Natalee at a Holiday Inn where she was staying.
JAN VAN DER STRATEN, ARUBA POLICE COMMISSIONER: They met each other in the casino...
QUESTION: That day? Or a previous day? Or...
VAN DER STRATEN: The day before.
CNN Headline News
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0507/14/pzn.01.html
Deputy Police Chief Jan van der Straten said Holloway met van der Sloot in the casino attached to her hotel two days before she disappeared.
CNN Headline News- June 10th 2005
http://www.scaredmonkeys.com/2005/06/10/natalee-holloway-june-10th-2005/
Natalee and her family deserve justice
and we will not let up until they have it!
Natalee's Freebirds
Click here for a Recap: Part 1
On 2-14 ARUBAAN’s news-source “Amigoe.com” reported:
DA looses case against Diario again
Theresa Croes-Fernandes Pedra
ORANJESTAD – The District Attorney (DA) has also lost the case against morning paper Diario in the court of appeals. She brought charges against Diario and two AVP-politicians, Arthur Dowers and Mike Eman, for defamation.
The Court gave verdict in an appeal that DA Theresa Croes-Fernandes Pedra had filed against the acquittal of Diario. The articles that Diario had placed rephrased the opinion of the two politicians, about the OM and the DA not being able to supervise the public administration, because they have insufficient independency and distance.
The DA wanted the Court of First Instance to sentence that she pertinently felt offended by the statements in Diario and that the newspaper will have to rectify. She lost that case and also the appeal; the politicians were already acquitted in January, because the judge decided that the politicians’ opinions were political.
With regard to Diario, the judge decided that reporting political opinion is part of the press-freedom. In the appeal case against Diario, the Court decided to maintain the verdict in the lawsuit. The DA lost the appeal and has to pay for the legal costs of the defendants.
On 2-14 ARUBAAN’s news-source “Amigoe.com” reported:
‘Relieved’ DA retires
ORANJESTAD – After a decision in her benefit on a dispute about her pension scheme, District Attorney (DA) Theresa Croes-Fernandes Pedra will retire on January 1st, 2008.
Attorney General Nico Jörg will temporarily take her place till September 2008, when a new DA is appointed. In an interview with Amigoe, the DA said that she is relieved.
Two years ago she mentioned already that she wanted to stop working, but she stayed on to avoid a break in pension contributions. Before she became a DA five years ago, she was a judge in the Joint Court of Justice. During those years, she was required to take part in the Antillean pension fund; much against her will, because she wanted to stay with the Aruban pension fund, where she has been saving for her pension when she was still working for the Aruban government. “The legal position of the members of the Public Prosecution (OM) is linked to that of the judges. Some people do not want the Aruban judges to get a better position than the judges from Curacao, due to the fact that our judges can take part in the Aruban pension fund.” She ultimately received her own scheme, whereby she can retire after 13 years of ‘obstacles’.
By 2-14 former ARUBA prosecution spokesperson MARIAINE CROES had started working for the “Valero Oil Company” refinery in ARUBA. Additionally, Current ARUBA Police Chief PETER DE WITTE is reported to now be the only spokesperson about the case.
On 2-14 the “Central Bank of Aruba” reported:
I. Main economic indicators
Monetary developments
In December 2006, money supply grew by Afl. 11.1 million or 0.4 percent to Afl. 2,491.6
million. This expansion was the result of an Afl. 77.8 million increase in net domestic
assets, which was largely offset by an Afl. 66.7 million net outflow of funds to abroad.
Consequently, net foreign assets decreased to Afl. 651.3 million at end-December 2006, but was still Afl. 53.4 million or 8.9 percent higher than in the corresponding month a year earlier (see tables 1, 2, and 3).
The increase in net domestic assets was mainly caused by an Afl. 49.8 million increase in net claims of the banking sector on the public sector, following a decrease in government’s deposits with the banking system, reflecting largely the annual debt service payment to the Dutch government. In addition, claims on the private sector rose by Afl. 23.9 million, attributed primarily to increases in loans to enterprises and housing mortgages of Afl. 18.7 million (1.8 percent) and Afl. 3.0 million (0.4 percent), respectively. In contrast, consumer credit fell by Afl. 1.6 million (0.3 percent).
Changes in the money supply in December 2006:
In Afl. Million
1. Net foreign assets -66.7
2. Net domestic assets +77.8
a. Net claims on the public sector +49.8
b. Loans to enterprises +18.7
c. Consumer credit -1.6
d. Housing mortgages +3.0
e. Other claims by the banking sector +3.9
f. Non-credit-related balance sheet items +4.1
3. Net change in money supply +11.1
( “+”=increase / “-”=decrease)
During 2006, money supply grew by Afl. 64.8 million or 2.7 percent, following increases
in both net foreign and domestic assets of Afl. 53.4 million (8.9 percent) and Afl. 11.4
million (0.6 percent), respectively. Loans to enterprises, housing mortgages, and consumer credit grew by Afl. 59.7 million (6.2 percent), Afl. 43.1 million (6.1 percent), and Afl. 5.5 million (1.0 percent), respectively. In contrast, the financial transactions of the government caused an Afl. 48.1 million decrease in money supply.
Tourism **
In the first eleven months of 2006, stay-over visitors and total nights spent on the island
shrank cumulatively by 6.8 percent and 5.1 percent, respectively. In November 2006, the number of stay-over visitors and their nights spent on the island went up by 4.4 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively, compared to the corresponding month in 2005. Data on the occupancy rate indicate a decrease of 2.9 percentage points to 76.6 percent in November 2006, compared to a year earlier. However, a 1.3 percentage point s increase was recorded in December 2006, compared to December 2005, bringing the occupancy rate for that month to 75.7 percent. The average occupancy rate for the year 2006, compared to 2005, fell by 4.6 percentage points to 77.1 percent. The number of cruise passenger arrivals and 2 ship calls rose by, respectively, 2.4 percent and 27.5 percent in December 2006. For 2006 as a whole, the number of cruise passengers grew by 7.0 percent to 591,474, the highest number ever recorded.
Inflation
In December 2006, the consumer price index went up by 2.5 percent compared to the
corresponding month a year earlier. The annual average inflation rate for 2006 reached 3.6 percent, which is 0.2 percentage point higher than that for 2005 (see Annex A for a brief description of the calculation methods of inflation and table 12). This inflation rate is 0.4 percentage point higher than the annual average inflation rate for the United States in the corresponding period.
II. Operations of the Bank
On January 26, 2007 Afl. 23 million in three- month treasury bills were rolled over at an
average price of Afl. 98.93 per Afl. 100 nominal with a yield of 4.35 percent per annum
compared to 4.46 percent for the previous October 2006 issue.
**NOTE “Carnival Cruise Lines” has already discontinued one of its 2006 cruise ships to ARUBA that contributed 144,000 tourists per year and $150,000,000 per year in tourism….Additionally, “Carnival” is reported to be considering canceling another cruise ship from porting in ARUBA, which would be another 144,000 tourists lost from “Central Bank of Aruba” statistics and another $150,000,000 per year in lost ARUBA tourism.
2-15-07
On 2-15 the “Connecting-the-Dots” blog reported:
Has The Tide Turned?
This blog does not purport to be of the “breaking news” variety, but more a periodic journal. However, new developments have surfaced in the past few days that deserve acknowledgment. Paulus van der Sloot did not prevail in his quest for the monetary damages he proclaimed were caused by his incarceration during the summer of 2005.
Three Dutch judges made the ruling that the incarceration was understandable and acceptable based upon information obtained shortly after the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. Judge Mezas, Judge De Kerpel-van de Poel, and Judge Mijnssen, all members of the Joint Superior Court of Justice of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, declared that sufficient evidence was gathered prior to the arrest and detention was justified.
The following is an article that appeared in the morning edition of DIARIO, February 15, 2007. The English translation was kindly provided to me by the Managing Director, Jossy M. Mansur:
**********************
New information coming out of the Superior Court of Justice
PAUL VAN DER SLOOT HAD TWO PERSONAL CONTACTS WITH NATALEE THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED
ORANJESTAD (AAN) On the 13th of February 2007, the Superior Court dictated sentence against Paul van der Sloot in the case that he appealed with regards to the damages that his person as well as his family members asked for, seeing that in the Primary Court (Court of First Instance) Paul van der Sloot alone (no one else in his family) got a reward of 40,000 guilders for damages and 1500 guilders to cover the costs of the lawyers, court clerks, etc.
The sentence of the Superior Court fell like a bomb on Paul van der Sloot and his defense attorney because, according to the attorney, the Court made use of information’s that do not agree with the truth.
The Court dictated that Paul van der Sloot fetched Joran and Natalee at the McDonald Palm Beach branch and took the two of them to the Holiday Inn, according to declarations by witnesses and also information’s obtained from a phone tap carried out by the police.
Until recently, this key information was not known in the press and apparently only by the Police and Dept. of Justice.
The whole case of the disappearance of Natalee Holloway gets a different twist now that the information has come out from no less than the Superior Court, and in which mention is made of the declarations of witnesses and a phone tap that show or give an indication that Paul van der Sloot had on two occasions personal contact with Natalee during the night that she disappeared.
Mention is made that, according to one or more official reports of the phone tap and also the declaration of Paul van der Sloot himself, that Paul fetched Joran and Natalee at McDonald and took them to the Holiday Inn.
Based on this information, the judicial authorities and the police had at that time a justified basis to arrest Paul van der Sloot based on different suspicions.
According to the Superior Court, Paul van der Sloot himself is guilty, he made possible or caused (depends how every one interprets the grammar in the sentence of the Court’s) himself to be arrested and that Aruba cannot be held responsible for the damages that he suffered and for which he was demanding damages, which he won in First Instance, but appealed to get more, and now has lost everything.
In the sentence there are various points and aspects that brought a different view on the Natalee Holloway case and that in the coming days will be analyzed, but the most important information is the matter of fetching Natalee and Joran at the McDonald, Palm Beach, and also that Paul had on two occasions personal contacts with Natalee on the night that she disappeared.
The cardinal question now is: what did the police authorities hear on the tapped phone of Paul van der Sloot, and the next question is hotter still: at what time, under what circumstances, and where did Paul van der Sloot as the father of Joran van der Sloot have contacts with Natalee Holloway the night she disappeared?
If the Superior Court says that in the official report mention is made that Paul van der Sloot fetched Joran and Natalee on the aforementioned night at McDonald Palm Beach, that is the first contact, but where did the second contact take place?
On the night of the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, Paul van der Sloot met again with Natalee after he left Joran with Natalee at the Holiday Inn? If that is the case, then where and at what time did Natalee disappear that night?
In the declarations of Joran and the Kalpoe brothers there was a heated discussion amongst them, with formal denials as to whether they went with Natalee to the house of Paul van der Sloot on the night of her disappearance
.
That’s why it is important to get clarity on the two occasions that Paul van der Sloot had personal contacts with Natalee on the night in question and where and under what circumstances they occurred.
The lawyer for Paul van der Sloot denies that Paul declared that he fetched Joran and Natalee at McDonald Palm Beach, and that he had contacts with Natalee the night she disappeared, but the Superior Court of Justice based its sentence on the information presented by the interim Attorney General of Aruba.
Now, who is lying and who is telling the truth?
On 2-15 DUTCH news-source “Expatica” reported:
No damages in Holloway case
15 February 2007
AMSTERDAM – Paul van der Sloot, father of the main suspect in the Natalee Holloway case, has not been awarded any damages by the court in Aruba. The decision cannot be appealed.
Paul van der Sloot was himself detained from 23 June until 26 June 2005 in connection with the disappearance of American high school student Natalee Holloway. The examining magistrate decided at the time that there was not enough evidence of involvement in the case.
The father of Joran, who is still a suspect in the case, based his claim for damages on this decision from the magistrate. Last year the court initially ruled that he should be granted damages of 40,000 Aruban guilders (18,000 euro).
The court has now ruled that his arrest at the time was “without grounds but not unjustified.” “So he will not be getting anything,” summarised lawyer Arie Swaen.
Eighteen-year-old Holloway disappeared after a night out on 30 May 2005. She left a nightclub with three young men and was never found. The police have arrested ten people since her disappearance but all have since been released.
There was much criticism from the US about how Aruban authorities handled the case. The Netherlands has led the investigation since September and made officers of the national police corps available to the effort.
On 2-15 the “Aruban Dirty Police” blogspot reported:
Paulus van der Sloot Killed Natalee Holloway
(PHOTO here of Former Murder Suspect PAULUS VAN DER SLOOT sitting at the “Excelsior Casino” blackjack table next to NATALEE ANN HOLLOWAY)
To all those naysayers, it is him.
“With attention to the lying declarations that the son of Paulus, Joran Andreas Petrus van der Sloot (hereafter Joran) gave about his last contact on the 30th of May 2005 with the disappeared Natalee Holloway, the suspicion is not unreasonable that he made himself guilty of a conduct that can be qualified as murder, manslaughter, or kidnapping that resulted in death.
The possible involvement of Paulus with that could then be deducted from the file with the official reports of witnesses, amongst which two people suggested a contact existed between Paulus and Natalee Holloway the night of her disappearance, and a taped report (that was given by the Prosecutor in her final note 1 to the Court). The taped information and his declaration that he picked up Joran and Natalee by the McDonalds Palm Beach and brought them to the Holiday Inn, are clearly understood by the Dept. of Justice, and could in the judgement of this Superior Court, be considered as an indication of the involvement of Paulus in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway.”
On 2-15 the “Aruban Boycott Blogspot” reported:
PAULUS AND NATALEE...THERE'S MORE TO HIS INVOLVEMENT
Natalee's Last Night and Paulus van der Sloot
(PHOTO here from the “Excelsior Casino” security camera video of NATALEE sitting next to a man who resembles Former Murder Suspect PAULUS VAN DER SLOOT the same night she vanished)
**Thank you for the translation by MF at FOB
The following is a literal translation (from Diario paper) as it appears in the sentencing of the Superior Court for Paulus van der Sloot. "With attention to the lying declarations that the son of Paulus, Joran Andreas Petrus van der Sloot (hereafter Joran) gave about his last contact on the 30th of May 2005 with the disappeared Natalee Holloway, the suspicion is not unreasonable that he made himself guilty of a conduct that can be qualified as murder, manslaughter, or kidnapping that resulted in death.
The possible involvement of Paulus with that could then be deducted from the file with the official reports of witnesses, amongst which two people suggested a contact existed between Paulus and Natalee Holloway the night of her disappearance, and a taped report (that was given by the Prosecutor in her final note 1 to the Court).
The taped information and his declaration that he picked up Joran and Natalee by the McDonalds Palm Beach and brought them to the Holiday Inn, are clearly understood by the Dept. of Justice, and could in the judgment of this Superior Court, be considered as an indication of the involvement of Paulus in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway."
(PHOTO here of Former Murder Suspect PAULUS VAN DER SLOOT’s red jeep being towed by ARUBA Police on June 15, 2005)
Yes, in the decision that the Court made, it was also mentioned that there were a couple of witnesses that saw Paulus in company of Joran and Natalee (in the jeep). Yes, those witnesses told the ALE and Prosecutor's Office that Paulus van der Sloot was seen picking up Joran (around 11:00 p.m.) and Natalee at McDonald's and giving them a ride to Holiday Inn, a few hundred feet down the road.
(PHOTO here from the “Excelsior Casino” security camera video of NATALEE speaking with the man next to her who resembles Former Murder Suspect PAULUS VAN DER SLOOT the same night she vanished)
The telephone information was in relation to a tap that was done on the family in which the ALE and prosecutor concluded that it might have been possible that PvdS had contacts with Natalee before she disappeared, maybe even twice... but that was when he was detained and could not substantiate that. They only had the statements.
On 2-15 “Zolton Zion” reported:
Karin Proves Me Right!
Karin Jansen has done the unthinkable.
She has proven me correct.
For any still on the fence about what the Natalee Holloway case was always about, it should be very clear now. It was always about Paulus van der Sloot.
According to information discovered by Diario in the case of Natalee Holloway, Ms. Jansen has left a dossier of evidence behind. (NOT part of the 400 KGs. of documents sent to the Netherlands for analysis.) In the dossier is a statement / declaration / tape indicating two people overheard Paulus van der Sloot admit he picked up Joran AND NATALEE HOLLOWAY AT 4 AM and NOT 11 AM at the Palm Beach McDonald's as he contended he was mistakenly overheard as he gave a statement outside his home in the early hours of the investigation into the disappearance of Natalee Holloway.
According to Diario, the individuals are Arubans and would not have a language barrier.
Now I could write here about what a total and complete failure Paulus van der Sloot is, but that has all been documented and discussed to the point that there isn't much more that can be said about a man with no soul that hasn't been said again and again.
So, how do I come to the conclusion that this is all about Paulus van der Sloot?
First of all, that is Paulus van der Sloot on the casino video. He is engaging Natalee Holloway in some type of disarming small talk. Natalee, while talking to Paulus, points toward Joran as if to say, 'Oh that's your son?' Now why would she point in the direction of Joran as if not to acknowledge it is Paulus van der Sloot's son? Ed Kissel's statement indicates the MB students had seen Joran around the Holiday Inn, and according to other statements Joran had met Natalee before the night at the casino.
People playing cards often engage in talk with other players. There is nothing unusual about that. From what has been seen of the casino video, neither Natalee or Paulus are playing cards, but seem to just be observing others. Whether more of that video exists has yet to be seen. Also, not seen is the entry and exit times of both Paulus and Joran van der Sloot. Such a segment has been made public of Natalee Holloway's entry and exit. Her time-line is in the casino has been established. Paulus seems to have some desire to engage a teenager in conversation. That is the odd part. Why is a middle aged man engaging Natalee Holloway is a conversation? Is this middle aged man so attention deprived he needs reassurance from an 18 year old?
I have noticed that two important facts have been overlooked by virtually everyone.
First, if Paulus did in fact pick up Joran and Natalee at 4 AM, his whereabouts are unaccounted for from the time he is spotted on that casino video and 4 AM. Where was Paulus this entire time?
Second, According to Joran, he snuck out of his home at 11 PM, yet was not picked up until 12:15 - 12:25 AM by the Kalpoe's. Where was Joran from the time he left the casino and 12:15 - 12:25 AM? I doubt he is sitting in his front yard waiting for the Kalpoe's to arrive. If Paulus van der Sloot is not home, as he claims, it is unlikely that Joran snuck out at all, and could have been out and about from the time he exits the casino and wherever the Kalpoe's actually pick him up.
You have two of the main suspects with unaccounted for time. According to Joran, Paulus went home to feed a brother dinner . As with everything Joran has said, you can bet that is a lie also. He has no credibility. Early reports have Paulus van der Sloot returning from Holland via Curacao to Aruba alone. The other children traveled with Anita van der Sloot when she returned on Wednesday.
Gardener kills alibi.
The Gardener spotted three people in the vehicle of Deepak Kalpoe. Joran van der Sloot was seated in the driver seat, while Deepak Kalpoe was seated in the front passenger seat. The third person in the back seat was unable to be identified by the Gardener. The Gardener has given sworn testimony as to what he saw and to date has not been dis-credited. In fact, he along with the Jogger are the only two witnesses that I find credible at this time. Neither wavered from the original account. Although both appear to be no where in sight and seem to have been deported.
The Gardener spotted those three in the Aruba Racquet club area between 2:30 AM and 3 AM. The Jogger places them in the vicinity at roughly the same time.
Now even on the magical land of Aruba where statements and evidence vanish like a Adam Steinfeld Production, a suspect can not be in two places at once. It's physically impossible. Joran and Deepak were not at the van der Sloot home when Natalee placed the call where she states, 'I don't know these guys / people.'
3 AM call Aruban Time or 4 AM Alabama Time. One hour difference for Central Time only and NOT Daylight Savings Time.
If Joran and Deepak are not at the home when the call is made, only one person has admitted to being in the home during those hours. That person is Paulus van der Sloot. According to Paulus van der Sloot, he slept through the night, and did not make any phone calls. We later learned that Paulus van der Sloot was not telling the truth here either. He later admitted to Van Tuys that he may have made some call(s) between 2 AM and 7 AM. Paulus van der Sloot contradicted his own statement again and blew his own credibility.
We also later discovered, that Paulus van der Sloot was up that night looking up the effects of drugs and alcohol on teenagers. And let's not forget, the ever incriminating, search for attorneys during the same night. Searching for one or the other itself is not a nail in the coffin, but the two together allow a reasonable person to conclude that a problem with drugs and / or alcohol exist and an attorney is now needed. The time had passed for an ambulance by his actions.
Paulus van der Sloot - "If Natalee is never found," Paul says, "it will always, always hit our lives, not only the lives of the Holloways, but also our lives."
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/08/30/earlyshow/main802484.shtml
Why would the lives of the van der Sloot's be effected if they have nothing to hide and are in fact innocent?
In the above statement Paulus van der Sloot gives you a detailed look at his psyche. He never helped look for Natalee. He obstructed the investigation from the first moments. He fought to have the FBI excluded from the search for Natalee. FBI divers were not permitted to search along the coast.
It was Paulus all along. Karin had the initial charges correct. What happened afterward is becoming more clear everyday.
On 2-15 DUTCH news-source “Expatica” reported:
No Damages in Holloway Case
15 February 2007
AMSTERDAM – Paul van der Sloot, father of the main suspect in the Natalee Holloway case, has not been awarded any damages by the court in Aruba. The decision cannot be appealed.
Paul van der Sloot was himself detained from 23 June until 26 June 2005 in connection with the disappearance of American high school student Natalee Holloway. The examining magistrate decided at the time that there was not enough evidence of involvement in the case.
The father of Joran, who is still a suspect in the case, based his claim for damages on this decision from the magistrate. Last year the court initially ruled that he should be granted damages of 40,000 Aruban guilders (18,000 euro).
The court has now ruled that his arrest at the time was “without grounds but not unjustified.” “So he will not be getting anything,” summarised lawyer Arie Swaen.
Eighteen-year-old Holloway disappeared after a night out on 30 May 2005. She left a nightclub with three young men and was never found. The police have arrested ten people since her disappearance but all have since been released.
There was much criticism from the US about how Aruban authorities handled the case. The Netherlands has led the investigation since September and made officers of the national police corps available to the effort.
On 2-15 JOSSY MANSUR stated to the “Scared Monkeys Radio”
(AUDIO available here )
On 2-15 the NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK “New York Post” reported:
10 HRS. ON JETGLUE
FLIERS GET FROZEN IN PLACE ON JFK TARMAC
By JEREMY OLSHAN, TOM LIDDY and HASANI GITTENS
Were you on the plane? Had you been, what would you have done? Tell us by clicking 'Discussion Board' below the photo.
We've heard of jet lag, but this was ridiculous.
Hundreds of JetBlue passengers at Kennedy Airport yesterday spent the most romantic day of the year trapped on at least seven planes stuck on the ground - some for more than 10 hours.
JetBlue blamed the incredible Valentine's Day delays on the weather. Empty jets were frozen to the ground, blocking the gates to inbound flights. Departing flights that did escape were unable to get airborne because conditions suddenly changed - and their gates had been filled by other airplanes.
Stuck passengers, in many cases, were tantalizingly close to the terminal, which they viewed longingly through the plane windows.
Young newlyweds Cheryl and Seth Chesner, of The Bronx, were following up their December wedding with a honeymoon in Aruba - but that was put on ice by the debacle.
"We just sat on the plane for 10 hours," said Cheryl, 26.
"They told us we were first on the runway, we were taxiing to leave, then they told us the airport was closed."
That was after boarding at about 8 a.m., then waiting three hours for the plane to be de-iced.
"It took another seven hours to get us back to the gate - and we get out and it's total chaos," Cheryl said.
Departing flights to Aruba, Phoenix and Cancun sat on the runway alongside newly arrived planes from Houston, Austin, Fort Myers, Fla., and Nashville for most of the day - as stir-crazy passengers sustained themselves on salty snacks handed out by airline staffers.
"They had nothing but pretzels and peanuts to give people, and soft drinks," said John Farrell, 48, of Brooklyn, who was on a Fort Myers flight that landed at 10 a.m. but didn't unload until 6:50 p.m.
"They actually had liquor as well, but they wouldn't dispense it. They said it was against regulations."
He said one woman on his flight broke down about three hours into the wait, had a panic attack and locked herself in a bathroom for more than an hour.
"She was just sobbing. She was inconsolable," said Farrell, a real-estate executive who lost a day's work as flight attendants joked about the overtime they'd make, he said.
"You gotta realize the frustration - you can look out the window and you can see, there's the gate, if you let us off the plane we can walk there," said Farrell.
Other passengers complained of long lines to smelly bathrooms, TVs that stopped working after a few hours and, of all things, heat.
"We had no A/C, they had to open the door every 20 minutes just so we could get fresh air," said Sean Corrinet, 29, who was on the Cancun flight. "People took off their coats. We were sitting in our T-shirts."
Officials at JetBlue, which prides itself on being the customer-friendly airline, were tight-lipped about the exact nature of the problem and the flights involved.
As of last night, the company had issued an apology statement saying that "approximately 10 flights were significantly delayed at JFK."
JetBlue cancelled all other inbound flights to keep the problem from getting worse, but did not notify the Port Authority until 3 p.m., officials said.
"As soon as we were contacted, we made our police and medical services available," said PA spokesman Pasquale DiFulco.
Some 250 JetBlue flights were cancelled nationwide yesterday.
Other airlines had delays and cancellations because of the weather yesterday, but none had passengers stuck on ice for so long.
JetBlue promised to refund customers, and offered free round-trip tickets, but that did little to comfort the Chesners, who were out about $3,000 in hotel costs, and others whose Valentine's plans were ruined.
Tyson Williams, 25, of Bed-Stuy, was on the 8:30 a.m. flight to Phoenix to see his girlfriend.
"We were supposed to go out to dinner. We had a room all rented," he said. "It messed up my whole weekend. We were supposed to drive out to L.A. - that's not happening."
Pals Adele Shami, 30, and Francine Harari, 29, of Brooklyn, saw their flight to Cancun go nowhere.
"It was like the day-care center from hell," said Harari of the child-filled plane.
"They shoulda’ liquored us up."
When they finally got off the plane at about 4:30 p.m., they got no help, they said.
"We almost killed one of the workers here because he couldn't tell us anything," Shami said. "It was like an angry mob."
Douglas Perard, 44, came in on an 11 a.m. flight from Houston just to give his mother, Annmarie, in Queens a special Valentine's gift: himself, wrapped in a bow.
"I came here to spend Valentine's Day with my mom, but Valentine's Day is over," he said after deplaning at about 7 p.m.
"It's been a nightmare."
2-16-07
The Natalee Holloway Foundation
We are now approaching two years since the disappearance of our daughter, Natalee Holloway. I expect there will be many new developments in our case, prior to May 30th 2007. I continue to remain positive and confident there will soon be resolution.
During this brief pause, I want to express my great appreciation for the tremendous support of the many dedicated persons who have provided untold time and effort to our cause.
Over the past year, several individuals and myself developed a non-profit organization. The primary purpose of this foundation is to assist other families that need assistance in location and/or recovery of missing/endangered family members.
Although we are committed to seeking justice and resolution for our daughter, we also desire to reach out and assist others who are also in dire need of assistance and support. We are all here to help.
For more information, please contact Debbie or our website at NataleeHollowayFoundation.net.
Again, thanks for all your kindness and support. We need every one's input and support to help this organization grow.
Thank you!
Dave, Robin and the Board of Directors
Contact Us
Should you wish to contact us via email, please click the following link, or complete the form below.
dave@nataleehollowayfoundation.net
Address
Dave Holloway
PO Box 4363
Meridian, MS 39304
On 2-16 DUTCH news-source “Expatica” reported:
Dutch Police Founded by the SS?
16 February 2007
AMSTERDAM — A German war criminal founded the Dutch police system in its present-day form, reads the new "History of the Dutch Police" by Cyrille Fijnaut of Tilburg University.
The Second World War played an important role in the history of the Dutch police, Fijnaut told De Volkskrant.
Ever since the mid-19th century, there have been many arguments about what the national police should be like, and it was the German occupation forces in the 1940s that gave the Dutch police its permanent structure. The Higher SS and Polizei Führer Hans Rauter simply put an end to the divided opinions on the matter. After the war, the Dutch authorities decided to keep Rauter's model.
This decision has been criticised for a long time, since the Dutch police were anything but innocent during the war years. Of the 16,500 police agents active in 1944, seven thousand were accused of collaboration after the liberation and two thousand were fired.
The police still suffers from the stains on its reputation when its role in the persecution of Jews is brought up, Fijnaut says.
The new coalition thinks it has provided for all the necessary reforms to the police, but at the presentation of the new accord last Tuesday Minister of Interior Johan Remkes said it was "inevitable" that the police would have to be reorganised again in a decade.
On 2-16 the NEW YORK CITY “New York Post” reported:
BILLABLE HERO
February 16, 2007 -- DEFENSE lawyer Joe Tacopina will be featured in a six-page profile in GQ under the headline, "1 800 Save My Ass." The story by Lisa DePaulo begins: "Murder Suspected of murdering that blond girl in Aruba? Having some problems with your appointment as homeland-security chief? Made the mistake of having sex with Christie Brinkley's husband? Call Joe Tacopina, the best-dressed, smoothest-talking, hardest-working criminal-defense attorney going, and for a mere $750 an hour, everything will be okay."
On 2-16 DUTCH news-source “Brabants Dagblad” reported
Van der Sloot Gets No Compensation
Friday 16 February 2007 - PINE BOSCH - the apprehension of Paul van der Sloot because of the vanishing of the American Natalee Holloway on Aruba was “unfounded, but not unlawful.” For this reason former judge-in-training gets no damages. Arubaanse has stipulated that Court of Justice in the profession against the amount earlier assigned.
In June 2005 van der Sloot, originating from the Brabantine Boxtel, was arrested concerning the disappearance of the American student, Natalee Holloway, and his son, Joran, also became a suspect. After three days he was released, because the involvement of the father had not been proven. Then a detriment-claim was submitted by van der Sloot, nowadays a lawyer on Aruba, which the court awarded for an amount of 17,600 euro.
Arubaanse court judges however ruled that there is no right to indemnity because his adjournment was not unlawful. The study into the disappearance of the American little girl runs still.
In the appendix spectrum tomorrow an interview with Paul van der Sloot.
On 2-16 DUTCH news-source “Brabants Dagblad” reported:
Damages Rejected in Holloway Matter
ORANJESTAD (DUTCH PRESS AGENCY) - the father of the head murder suspect in the Natalee Holloway case Paul of van der Sloot, gets no damages from Aruba. Aruba has stipulated that in court. Against the pronouncement no appeal is possible.
(PHOTO here of Former Murder Suspect PAULUS VAN DER SLOOT and his wife, ANITA, during their FOX News Interview of June 22, 2005)
Paul van der Sloot was under arrest 23 June up to and including 26 June 2005 concerning the disappeared American student Natalee Holloway on Aruba. The judge decided then that there was insufficient proof of his of involvement at the matter.
On this basis the father of Joran, still suspected in the matter, decided to claim on an insurance. Previous year assigned to the judge in first construction him still damages of 40,000 Aruba guilder (18,000 euro).
The court judges now however that its adjournment has appeared then, “’unfounded but not unlawful,’ and he gets therefore nothing on the request'', summarised lawyer Arie Swaen.
2-17-07
On 2-17 DUTCH news-source “BN DeStem” reported:
(Thank You and Hat Tip to “Lover”)
The Holloway nightmare of van der Sloot
The Holloway case
(“The Holloway case” is linked to a second Natalee Holloway related article http://www.bndestem.nl/weekend/article1121756.ece that is also translated below)
Saturday February 17th
Son Valentijn did not welcome the arrival of me, a journalist. "Dad, haven't you got better things to do on a Sunday afternoon, because there is a chance that you will say things you are going to regret or that will be twisted and turned around," that was what Valentijn had just said to his father Paul van der Sloot (54) in a very paternal way.
(linked photo #1 of the $1,000,000 REWARD poster, with the caption "For the safe return of Natalee Holloway a reward of a million dollar was offered")
(linked photo #2 showing the van der Sloot's just moments after Prime Murder Suspect JORAN VAN DER SLOOT was released from prison by Cohen, with the photo captioned "Father Paul (left), mother Anita and zoon Joran van der Sloot")
(linked photo #3 showing the cover of the "London Globe" with a photo of Natalee, a large steel shanked knife, a fish/crab cage of tight wire mesh, and the caption, "FOUND! THE KNIFE THAT KILLED NATALEE PLUS the cage where she was stashed")
And yes, he too had doubted until the last moment whether or not he should call and cancel. On that internal discussion, that gnawing dilemma, he returns repeatedly. What to do? Do they as a family try, as normally as possible and far away from the media, to get on with their lives? Or should they speak out? "Perhaps, just perhaps," reasons van der Sloot sr. as to why he had not canceled, "maybe something positive will come out of all the negative. Maybe people going through something like this themselves will learn from our experiences because crisis-situations seem very alike."
But the crisis situation in which the van der Sloot family is in since Natalee Holloway mysteriously disappeared on May 30th of 2005, is truly very bizarre indeed. The American girl was celebrating a graduation party with her fellow student on "One Happy Island". van der Sloot was subsequently held for three days on the police station, his son was in jail until early September, because of suspicion of involvement in the disappearance of the American girl.
Now it is quiet around the bungalow in Montana. The sons Valentijn (17) and Sebastian (12) are with friends. van der Sloots wife Anita is in the Netherlands to support Joran, who is suffering from mono (Mononucleosis), with the release of his book that is due out in April. We too are writing some things down. If you write things down, you have to deal with it and that is something that we are hard at work to do. You think that writing things down will give it a place. It is difficult get closure on something like this. I hope that the final verdict in the lawsuit for compensation will be something like closure for me.
That is possible now: last week the judge ruled that Paul van der Sloot was indeed held without justification, but he did not award him any compensation for it.
Wouldn't it have been better to release just one book, with all of your stories in it?
"Yes, that would have been something that I would have preferred, but Joran was already in contact with the publisher. He doesn't sugar-coat his actions in the book. It is good that he is doing this, but it also comes with lots of tension for him. For example, How will people react to it? Can he get his message across?".
But that is nothing compared to the fear and the tension of when Joran was arrested.
"All those weeks I was very calm. You move above the situation so to speak. The situation itself was so bizarre. Almost like being in trance, a sort of state meditation. You keep being able to organize things, and it was indeed very important during that time to be there for each other and to organize things".
How was it to be confined to your house due to a horde of media representatives that had posted themselves outside of your front-door?
"I had been at home from the beginning, I was unable to continue my legal work at the courthouse. With the president of the Court I had agreed that I would take a leave of absence to make sure there was not even the appearance of conflict of interest. Anita did not miss a day of schoolwork at the school she works on. Everyday we went to Joran at the police. A lot of support came from the people where we live, from acquaintances and friends. They tried to shield us from the media-assault. Valentijn and Sebastian went to friends in the States. There they were safely taken in and protected from everything. We had tried from the beginning to always look on the positive side of things. The family bond grew stronger and stronger".
Are you filled with feelings of animosity towards the media, the big American stations and the journalists who followed every move you made?
"No, it is more that we wonder: how could this have happened? And especially sadness and feelings of anger. The journalists we came into contact with, all had their own agendas. They were out for the easy story and failed to do any research".
"Especially when Joran got out, it became intense. He, even though we had advised him not to, did not avoid the media. He did not really do badly with the interviews, but then it was put through a spin cycle that the end result did not reflect what was said.".
"We had also not realized that it was a hype in the Netherlands too. We were startled by the fact that we were met by a horde of journalists when we arrived at Schiphol. Even now strange things happen. Peter R. de Vries stood on the doorstep of the house without any notification. You are being treated like public property. The media are trying to create an image of good and evil. You see yourself back through the eyes of the media and they portray you a person that is nothing like you. Most people realize that and see through it, others are not able to fully do that and they see that image at least as partly real. It is very difficult to stay authentic.".
On the internet you have been completely dissected.. Dozens of pictures of Joran and your entire family. All kinds of details of his and your life.
"The internet is a source of information, but also a gutter. Anything is possible, everything is allowed. And the media are open to it, they use things from it. First you are shocked and feel powerless. But is all belongs to this false reality we have rolled into".
There were more players in the Holloway case than the media. The Public Prosecution office, the Aruban government and Natalee's parents.
The public prosecutions office had a complete tunnel vision and become totally frustrated. The ease with which Joran was badmouthed! The ease with which police officers kept making comments! Police Chief Dompig who goes around saying: ‘The boys are as guilty as hell’. Words that were easily lapped up by the hungry media. Friends of Joran were arrested for no other reason then being a friend of Joran. That of all things hurt me most. In the beginning Joran was not questioned enough, only a few times. If the police had pressed on at that time, Joran would have told the real story much sooner".
"The police was busy with the media, the prosecution office had completely lost the plot. In the beginning I had pleaded with the police to question Joran, to make sure no details would get lost. It is startling that the Prosecution Office completely lost control of the handing the investigation. The Prosecution Office's image had become more important than the case itself. Especially Joran's life was very interesting and all kinds of things were completely thrown onto the streets".
Also by Natalee's parents?
"The first thing that you want to do is give support to the parents. However you look at it, Joran left their daughter on the beach, and for that we feel responsible. A contact like that has not taken place, even though one could have been there for each other. We would have so much wanted to support them. But it was made impossible for us. They got the media involved the very first evening".
"In the end they too got caught in the media web. We really tried to get in touch with them, but they were absolutely not interested in that. They frustrated the investigation and have been very unfair to Joran and the entire island. As parents of a missing child you get a lot of leeway, but they needlessly hurt a lot of people. And that too, will not bring back their daughter."
Still the case keeps surrounded by something. What exactly happened on that beach?
Her disappearance remains a mystery.
"As long as it is not exactly clear what happened to her, the case is not done. Joran didn't immediately come out with the real story. That is something he now really regrets. That he did this is explainable by the fact that Natalee family came on strong towards him from the get go, but it was wrong, and inexcusable. The Dutch police is looking at the case now as a 'cold case'. I expect the Prosecution Office will close the dossier in June. But somehow I hope that an independent spirit is still looking into this case and that he will solve the case".
Joran has become a famous citizen of the world. Someone googling his name on the net will get 100,000 'hits'. Has that made him feel important?
"Joran wants to live a normal life as a student. But the whole case did have an enormous impact on him. On all kinds of aspects of his life. The normal conflicts you have as a parent of a seventeen year old teen have been made impossible. We think it would be a good thing if he would take a year off and go to Africa to be a volunteer. Then he can truly life anonymously. He, like many other young people in the world, does not know what real poverty is. He can find out what that is in the developing world.".
"What hurts a lot has been the character assassination of Joran. All his teenage secrets were blown out of all proportions and used to from a certain image. But on the whole, he is doing well. He is incredibly strong. He wants to keep studying and has built up a new social life for him. He was really well received by everyone at the school in Arnhem. On that school there are people who did not let the media frenzy influence them and who were willing to give Joran a chance without any hesitation. On the first day of school Joran told his story in class. Once they tried to get him in the Netherlands. That was our worst fear, that this media frenzy would lead to attacks on him by someone that was mentally unstable. Luckily it did not go any further than some pushing and pulling.
And the father, how is it for him to get back to his life on Aruba?
"When this happened I was in the middle of a change. In 2004-2005 I had been working in Den Bosch as a judge in training for civil court. I had worked very hard there and had learned a lot, but when the end of my training period loomed, I got the feeling that I was not yet ready for being a judge. I have now been working in a small lawyer firm for about a year. I feel at home there. As a lawyer you are almost like a life-line for the people and I can relate to that, I have experienced how it is on their side.".
"I mostly do corporate cases and mediation, but also criminal and civil cases. I have had the experience to see all sides of the legal world. Government, Public Prosecution office, judge and I have also been a suspect. Because of that completely absurd and illogical behavior of the Public Prosecution office, I have had fears for a while at least. Fears like: "Maybe the fools will come and arrest me, Anita or one of the children again".
Regardless of everything that has happened, does your future still lie on Aruba?
"We feel a connection to Aruba. We have immediately tried to get on with our life here and to not let us get sidetracked by it. So far we have been doing pretty good on that front. A few times I have had to fend off an annoying American from getting to us. A lot of Arubans support us. Many Arubans live very pure, have their own life-wisdoms and do not get mislead by the media. Aruba is a tight community with a great feeling of togetherness. In that way all of this negativity that gets heaped on oneself, at some point becomes the starting point for beautiful new experiences."
(the second article; translated by “Babelfish“)
http://www.bndestem.nl/weekend/article1121756.ece
The matter Holloway
The Holloway nightmare (links back to the above article about Former Murder Suspect PAULUS VAN DER SLOOT)
Saturday 17 February 2007 - Natalee Holloway (18 years) disappeared in the night of 30 May 2005 during a school travel on Aruba. Suspiciously Joran van der Sloot became (then 17) and the two brothers Kalpoe. They saw Holloway last, but contradict each other still concerning what happened there. According to Joran he will not have left behind the little girl on the range, far from its hotel.
Joran van der Sloot zat after the disappearance of the American studente 90 days permanently, the brothers Kalpoe 20 days. They become still suspected, but the research lies virtually quiet. According to the expectations they are in June suspected finished. Father Paul van der Sloot some have been held days for verhoor.
Disappearance developed within some days into world news by a combination of factors: medium influence by the family Holloway, the circumstances among which the little girl has disappeared, the riddles around disappearance and the look figure war between American nieuwszenders.
Arubaanse, American and Dutch police force - and justice people and several voluntary zoekploegen have tried success without solve the mysterie. Dutch F16’s have supported the search.
Aruba is mainly dependent on American tourists. By the affair Holloway the number of charges has decreased.
On Aruba and in the US several procedures have been tightened. The parents of Natalee submitted a civil charge against Joran in the US unfruitfully and are against the brothers Kalpoe now busy. For their part a procedure against the American talkshowhost Dr. Phil and has tightened those the American sender CBS.
On 2-17 “Zoltan Zion” reported:
I have my EYE on Paulus
The push to exonerate Paulus van der Sloots enters the home stretch. The spin to make Paulus van der Sloot appear to be something he is certainly not moves into overdrive with interviews in Holland as Mr. van der Sloot continues to lie.
As the Dutch and Aruban Authorities negotiate their way through the mine field of the last few months of the Natalee Holloway investigation even the most ardent of van der Sloot supporters has never said that Paulus van der Sloot is NOT guilty of the crimes against Natalee Holloway.
This person has repeatedly stated there is no evidence to tie Joran van der Sloot to the disappearance of Natalee Holloway.
Interesting that this person has said nothing about the guilt or innocence of Paulus.
Who is this person I speak of?
Yes, Attorney Joseph Tacopina.
Mr. Tacopina was hired to represent Joran and Paulus van der Sloot in the New York Civil Suit that was eventually dismissed for Lack of Convenience.
Many find Mr. Tacopina abrasive, in need of a class on self-control and hardly a Victims Rights Advocate for his flip flop on the Natalee Holloway case while representing the Family of Emette St. Guillen. Interesting he did not choose to represent Defendant Littlejohn, and he relegated himself to a position of Public Relations in that case. Why would Ms. Guillen need a public relations director? This seems odd considering that this does not seem to be a specialty of Mr. Tacopina or his law firm. Attorneys generally represent either the Defendant or the Plaintiff.
Rarely does a high profile attorney such as Mr. Tacopina represent the Aggrieved in a murder case. That is the Prosecutor's job.
Defense Attorneys are not hired to advocate for one causes or another. They are hired to represent the accused and get the best overall outcome given the charges leveled.
Even Mr. Tacopina's critics will never say that he is not a terrific attorney. He is a very good attorney. In fact he is so good and so competent that he would never hitch his wagon to Paulus van der Sloot alone.
While the New York Civil Suit was dismissed for Lack of Convenience, the merits of case have NOT been argued and those issues remain on the table. Those issues will see their day in a real Court of Law in the future.
Mr. Tacopina is indeed clever and very bright. In fact, he was very careful to make sure he did not open his mouth about Paulus van der Sloot. In doing so, he knew he would be forced to make false statements and risk opening a can of worms that could certainly spiral out of control. It would always be better to spin what you can carefully craft into a message than what you know will risk implying your other client's guilt. Somethings are just never discussed. If someone mentions Paulus van der Sloot, change the subject.
Mr. Tacopina was able to control his message with threats to the MSM about defamation lawsuits. He warned Greta Van Sustern ON AIR that a certain line of questioning would bring a harsh rebuke and possibly 'other' consequences. Apparently Mrs. Van Susteren had been warned before and tried to put Mr. Tacopina on the spot.
Nice Job. Control the message at all costs.
It was unfortunate that Mrs. Van Susteren was not savvy enough to recognize that simply speaking about the facts, would never bring a lawsuit whether Mr. Tacopina liked it or not.
When an attorney goes on the AIR to put a positive spin on his client's situation, he must also recognize that a competent attorney MAY dispute those 'facts' as stated by the Defense Attorney. Simply telling someone to shut-up, is not professional and certainly not winning hearts or changing minds about Joran or Paulus van der Sloot.
Paulus 'No Corpse - No case' van der Sloot, created his own problems. He was a Justice Department employee and Judge in Training who certainly knew the Laws of the Land. He choose to ignore the Laws he was sworn to uphold. Paulus van der Sloot choose to elevate himself to where the Laws were for others and NOT him or his family.
Shouldn't a Polis Officer, Judge, Ministry Official or even the Prime Minister, be held to a higher standard? When they break the Law, shouldn't there be a completely transparent investigation to re-assure the populace that, as Aruban Prime Minister Nelson Oduber said, "No one is above the Law on Aruba."
The last 21 months have set a bad overall precedent on Aruba. The population of Aruba has questions, and they deserve answers as to what happened to Natalee Holloway and the corrupt investigation that took place.
Although Mr. van der Sloot is indeed a very suspicious individual in his own right, he could not have accomplished this cover-up on his own. He had help. He had access to case files on his son, and many of those files seem to be missing from the case load.
Mr. van der Sloot admitted he was a close associate of former Lead Prosecutor Ms. Karin Jansen. That alone should have moved the investigation in a different direction and brought in independent analysis from Holland from day one.
Mr. van der Sloot : "I will do anything to protect my son."
Mr. van der Sloot : "I picked Joran up at the McDonald's at 4 am."
Mr. van der Sloot : "I picked up Joran at the McDonald's at 11pm."
Mr. van der Sloot : "I picked up Joran AND NATALEE at the McDonald's at 4 am."
Mr. van der Sloot : "Good luck with that."
Mr. van der Sloot : "No Corpse No Case."
Mickey John : "yeah he (Deepak Kalpoe) said, the Dutch guy and his FATHER came up with the story."
Deepak Kalpoe : "Your own FATHER, unbelievable."
Anita van der Sloot : "and he (Joran) said, 'This wouldn't have happened if you were home.'"
Karen Jansen : "he was being held on suspicion of complicity to pre-meditated murder, complicity to kidnapping and murder and kidnapping."
Police Commissioner Jan Van Der Straten : "the arrest came after one of the three jailed youths named a fourth person in the case."
Mr. van der Sloot you created you own problems when you decided you were above the law, and that you were more important than Natalee Holloway and her Family.
Mr. van der Sloot, while you attempt to cast the blame for Natalee Holloway's disappearance on Natalee herself, her parents, the Mountain Brook students, the Kalpoes without your son, a beach troll, a blue eyed Dutch boy, card dealers and players, sex traffickers, drug lords, mafioso's, cartels, I know exactly who to look at.
On 2-17 ARUBAAN’s news-source “Amigoe.com” reported:
Minimum punishment from 20 to 30 years
ORANJESTAD – On February 16th, Minister Rudy Croes was presented with the draft proposal for the amendment and renewal of the Criminal Code. He established a committee for this, and one of the many amendments that the committee proposes is increasing the highest maximum imprisonment from 20 to 30 years. Especially the sanctions need amendments to make sure that the judges give equivalent punishments within the Kingdom.
The committee ‘amendment of the code’ has gone into the amendments that are necessary to modernize the Criminal Code of Aruba and examined whether the emphasis that Aruba puts in her codes, fit within the limit of the concordance, or whether there is comparableness within the Kingdom.
A great deal of the committee’s work is assessing the punishments that judges can impose. Because the difference between the highest maximum provisional punishment (currently 20 years, in practice 13 years, editor) and life in prison are considered too small, the committee proposes to fill this so-called ‘punishment gap’, by increasing the limit to 30 years as an alternative to life in prison.
Another big amendment is the introduction of the detention system. This measure does not exist in the codes of the Caribbean kingdom islands yet, but it is needed and the legal practice is dying for it. With a detention system, the person that used violence is declared irresponsible. This became real when a disturbed- and retarded person committed a crime and was sentenced to life in prison, because there was no other safe alternative.
The committee acknowledges that this is going to cost a lot of money, because a closed and secured building and professional personnel are needed. The committee proposes to have the other Kingdom islands and states share the costs.
2-19-07
BRIDGEWATER, VIRGINIA “Bridgewater College” reported that BETH HOLLOWAY-TWITTY will be speaking there on February 26, 2007:
Monday, February 26, 7:30 pm - Cole Hall
Beth Holloway Twitty
Safe Travels
Beth knew after the devastating loss of her daughter, Natalee Holloway, in Aruba she had to get an important message out to young adults about their personal safety. She will be here to present her nationwide safety campaign called “Safe Travels.” This tragic story became the leading news mystery for nearly six months, and continues to make headlines today. Beth has vowed never to give up searching for her daughter, and never to quit seeking justice for her. She is a dedicated teacher committed to sharing Natalee’s story and delivering a message about personal safety to high school and college students. She established the International Safe Travels Foundation as the vehicle to achieve this, as well as to educate and inform the public about safe international travel. The foundation and the Safe Travels Student Safety Campaign are endorsed by the National Sheriffs’ Association.
On 2-19 the BUFFALO, NEW YORK “The Buffalo News” reported:
Lawyer admits stealing more than $20 million
WHITE PLAINS (AP) - A lawyer pleaded guilty to stealing more than $20 million from a bank and at least one client, spending the loot on vacation homes, a wedding and generous salaries for his employees, authorities said.
Under a deal with prosecutors, Anthony Bellettieri, 53, faces more than a decade in prison after admitting in federal court to bank and mail fraud dating to at least 2003.
Bellettieri, a real estate lawyer, stole the funds through check kiting - taking money from his law firm's escrow account and writing checks on another account to cover the escrow account's losses.
According to J.P. Morgan Chase, the primary victim, the tactic worked partly because he used checks with a printed error. The scheme fell apart after the bank issued correct checks in November.
Prosecutor Cynthia Keefe Dunne said the stolen money paid for, among other things, a swimming pool at Bellettieri's Pleasantville home, a family wedding, high salaries for the law firm's workers and condos in Miami Beach and Aruba.
2-20-07
On 2-20 “Blogs For Natalee” identity “Rammstein” reported within the thread entitled, “225 + 120 Un-accounted for Minutes by Murder Suspects on 5-31-05”
Well any statement they made as witnesses automatically fall under suspect statements as soon as people go from being witnesses to being seen as suspects (if I am not mistaken).
On 2-20 “Blogs For Natalee” identity “Nuntukamen” reported about Former Murder Suspect PAULUS VAN DER SLOOT‘s activities during May 31, 2005 within the thread entitled, “225 + 120 Un-accounted for Minutes by Murder Suspects on 5-31-05”:
me, also, and it just seems to stick out like a sore thumb that he drives there, nearly an hour there and back, but doesn't finish the errand and instead returns later in the day, when he just so happens to have the name of a bank employee he spoke with to prove he was there...
With reference to the above bank employee, in Paulus' statement of June 23, 2005, he states he spoke with Ruth Dijkhoff. I found an obituary for a Ruth Gisela Dijkhoff-Holtmann who passed away on June 18, 2005. Wonder if this is the same woman? If so, she isn't around to prove he was there? A dead witness is no witness.
On 2-20 the “Strange occurrences on a tropical isle” blog reported:
The Strange Case of Natalee Holloway
In spite of all of the emotions that so many people have committed to this case and irrespective of how each group has locked in on their opinions, no one really knows what happened, although many have speculated and even accused without having enough information to base their conclusions. It was a fairly typical high school class trip to a caribbean destination where a wild, let it all hang loose, party atmosphere was expected and delivered.
Generally, we can assume that there was immoderate drinking going on by many of the students. Most likely, Natalee was impaired that evening (not a surprise for such a teen-aged party atmosphere, end of school vacation). It’s obvious that she should not have left a nightclub (known for its aggressive locals) with anyone other than her school friends, that’s a given. Conversely, and most importantly, a local gentleman should have been expected to have “opted out” on the chance to take an intoxicated girl (who he really didn’t know) anywhere after midnight and especially not out on a “date,” unless his intentions were to have easy sex (something he later acknowledged). It wasn’t gentlemanly, but, it happened and, even though that behavior was not appropriate, it isn’t criminal.
What happened for the next three hours is the subject of all of the speculation. Had there simply been a routine and consistent explanation by the three young Arubans who gave her that ride, all we would really know now is that that girl missed her flight home the next morning after an uneventful evening. She would have become just another of the tens of thousands of people who are mysteriously “missing” all over the world. But, it didn’t happened that way. Instead the 17 year old Dutch boy, who accompanied her from the club and the two brothers, 18 and 21, who provided the transportation that night, chose to tell a rather convoluted lie to mislead her family and investigators away from where they now say Natalee was last seen. When that lie was eventually exposed (by the video camera recording at her hotel) they offered the other explanation; that she was left in a beach location where there are no surveillance cameras. No other witnesses to those events have come forward or have been discovered . Nothing is known to substantiate the second explanation other than cell phone records indicating that the participants were in the general area during the times they say. No forensic evidence as been found anywhere that would suggest foul play. There is no proof that a crime has been committed or that Natalee is not still alive, other than the lack of any proof that she was seen subsequently or that anyone meeting her description departed the island by conventional means.
It was the lie heard round the world. That seemingly simple lie, complicated by the deliberate action of the three young men to maintain that very confusing (and nonsensical, if the second story is indeed the truth) deception for 9 days, while police, family and volunteers were conducting frantic efforts to find her that caused immediate suspicions and accusations from many sectors, including the police, the prosecution, family members and numerous participants on blogs and internet discussion boards. Those suspicions have continued for months and now approaching two years and for many have grown as they have pondered even the most minute circumstances surrounding this mysterious disappearance.
The police say they knew about the hotel video evidence (that they didn’t drop Natalee off at her hotel that night as they said they did), but they allowed the young men to assume that their deception had been successful so they could be watched and activities monitored. And assuming that the first lie had fooled everyone, the three then maintained that lie for day after day (keeping her last location a secret, something vital to any missing person investigation), while the family of the missing girl, along with the US FBI, local Aruban police and thousands of volunteers combed the island looking for her. Joran nevervolunteered or participated in any of the searches, although one of the young men (Deepak Kalpoe) while not telling where she was last seen, did accompany the police in an (obviously insincere) effort to examine places where she might have gone (after being dropped off at her hotel, which didn’t happen).
Although we know that the three guys were back at their respective homes from about three onward, no answers have been uncovered to confirm where they went or what they did during the approximately two and a half hours which are unaccounted for by any evidence (other than their revised alibi). Behavior of those who had opportunity to commit a crime after the time when the crime would have occurred is often used by investigators and eventually by prosecutors to see if anything is done which would be incriminatory. Behavior consistent with a person’s normal routine is often considered exonerating, while inconsistent actions to what would be reasonably expected are many times considered evidentiary. Based on some severe guidelines, courts throughout the world (we have references in US and UK law).have allowed such, “after the opportunity” behavior to have be considered a evidence of guilt or complicity in a crime. This is often referred to as any behavior which would describe “consciousness of guilt,” of which the most common is fleeing to avoid arrest and similarly fleeing to avoid a court appearance. Any behavior following a suspected crime by those who might be considered suspects can be examined in relation to consciousness of guilt or alternatively, is what transpired indicative of what would reasonably expected to have been done by an innocent person.
Sometimes, of course, a guilty person will take deliberate action following a normal routine so as not to attract attention and likewise an innocent person might do things that seem extraordinary and not routing simply by coincidence or happenstance and are not indicative of their guilt.
a. Telling an exculpatory story which was a lie, when the ultimate story is also exculpatory and there is lacking a logical or reasonable explanation for having lied when the corrected version provides no greater degree of suspicion.
b. taking actions to establish an alibi by purposeful and deliberate communication by getting someone to substantiate their story.
c. Acting in a fashion inconsistent with what could have been reasonably expected in the hours following the opportunity to have committed the crime.
A. He says he was too embarrassed to have admitted, he left a drunk girl alone at 2 am. This is his explanation for the first lie. The other young me, explained that they were “covering” for their friend who wanted to tell the first like. Both are actually plausible especially on an island where thousands of teenagers, simply “party too hearty” and often are don’t drag back to their classmates for several days.
B. A young man with school the next day who has to make a school bus at 6:30, arrives home at 3:00 am and stays on the computer until 4:30 visiting pornography sites. This could be explained by his sexual frustration (had anticipated sex but didn’t get it) and explained by his lack of parental supervision. His mother was normally home, but since only his father was there, he had no one to monitor his activities. Had he visited sites describing tide movements or sites describing body decomposition rates, or how deep graves have to be dug to prevent accidental exhumation that would have been easily considered “consciousness of guilt.”
C. Allowing the security guards to be kept incarcerated. This actually speaks to the innocence of Joran and the Kalpoes. An innocent Joran (and Kalpoes) telling a lie to avoid embarrassment doesn’t know what happened to her after she was last seen on the beach, still intoxicated. It seems plausible that she might have been happened on by some out of work security guards, unrelated to the Holiday Inn, and who were known drug dealers to have done her in. An innocent Joran might have thought they had the right people, especially if the stories were circulating that Natalee and her fellow students had traded cameras and other valuables with these same guards for drugs.
On 2-20 the “Joran Did It” blog reported:
The Mind of a Criminal
Joran van der Sloot, has a book coming out in the Spring. It is supposed to be his version of what happened in the case of Natalee Holloway. It will be full of lies, as he is a known liar. I will not buy it, and would only suggest it to anyone who would like to see "inside" of the mind of a criminal.
2-21-07
On 2-21 “Blogs For Natalee” identity “Strider” reported, “Not trying to veer too much off topic here, but several weeks after Natalee went missing I was at a conference in DC and ended up meeting and becoming friends with a girl from Curacao. Turns out she and JVDS used to be friends. She informed me that he did drink and did do drugs but not around her.”
On 2-21 “Zolton Zion” reported:
The Pain Continues
As we move into the final three months of the Natalee Holloway investigation, the pain felt by Natalee's parents is just as great as it was on the day she disappeared and became a CRIME VICTIM on Aruba. As we all know, Natalee did not simply vanish into thin air, as some on Aruba would like you to believe. Natalee became a crime victim of Paulus and Joran van der Sloot simply because the world's worst parents had no idea what to do with a freaking sociopath. And apparently still have no clue.
Mother of the Year (NOT!), admitted that Joran should have been interrogated and thrown in jail if he did anything to 'The GIRL'. Well, we're all still waiting for that criminal to have his day in court and be tried and convicted.
The World's Worst Father, (by a long shot by the way), started the chain of events that led to the situation that the Holloway's, Twitty's and the rest of us that care are still facing. And for that he takes no responsibility. Paulus van der Sloot is the main reason why some people should never, ever have children. Slime bag hardly describes Mr. van der Sloot. Of the 600,000 words in the English language, I can think of many that describe Mr. van der Sloot, however none will be complimentary.
Mr. van der Sloot : 'I could tell what happened, but too many people will be hurt.'
WTF???? Who are these people you reference here? and why the hell aren't you in jail for that statement alone?
Mr. van der Sloot admits he knows what happened, but is still not in jail, and has been released from suspect status. If that isn't a WTF moment, I don't know what is.
Mr. van der Sloot is NOT worried about hurting Natalee's Family. He is doing that on a daily basis, and will continue until someone with a set of BALLS puts their foot down on this travesty called an investigation. So, who is Mr. van der Sloot worried about hurting? The People of Aruba? Doubtful, he doesn't care about them. He has caused irreparable damage that could take 50 years to undo. So who does Mr. van der Sloot hold in such high esteem that he is so concerned that their 'feelings' or reputations could suffer? Do tell Mr. van der Sloot, do tell.
It was apparent from the very beginning, Mr. van der Sloot did not care one iota for the welfare of Natalee Holloway. He did not care that a family was searching the island for their 'missing' daughter, he cared so little that he never even made an attempt to help. Mr. van der Sloot prevented a complete search of the island to protect himself. It's all so clear now. Not only does he NOT help, he hinders.
Mr. van der Sloot, blocks access to his home through relationships with fellow Judges, he destroys evidence, he destroys case files on his son and himself, and is an over-all nightmare for anyone trying to get Justice for a Family member.
Yep, you're one sick twisted animal Mr. van der Sloot.
Joran van der Sloot is a chip off the old block. Like father like son.
Joran says he will 'tell the truth someday, just not right now.'
So here we also have a the prime suspect in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway stating that he knows what happened and he is still not in jail. Again WTF!
How Paulus and Joran van der Sloot have managed to remain free is causing anyone with even a small modicum of decency to question everything Dutch and Aruban. If this is not a cover-up, then it is the greatest set of coincidences in the history of the world.
I am not buying that Paulus and Joran van der Sloot are innocent. I am not buying that they are 'VICTIMS' of a larger conspiracy to frame them. I am also not buying that the van der Sloot's will ever tell anything resembling the TRUTH. The TRUTH is for suckers according to these two depraved hellions.
So the pain continues for a Family trying to get the answers they deserve. The pain of not knowing what became of Natalee continues. As the pain continues, so does the search for answers.
We have Truth and Justice on our side. The van der Sloot's, the Dutch and Aruba only have lies and deceit.
I already know who will win this battle.
On 2-21 “Eyes For Lies” reported:
Dateline: To Catch a Predator
Have you seen the series produced by Dateline NBC: To catch a predator? It's a difficult show to watch, but also a show you don't want to turn away from. The realization that we have that many sexual predators openly approaching strangers houses in city after city after it is widely known that the show is traveling around the country is mind boggling.
We are facing an epidemic in sexual compulsive behavior where predators feel they can safely and privately lure their victims without anyone knowing -- and it is clear they are getting away with it more than any of us would ever like to know.
If only we could profile these guys -- so we could look out for them. But sadly, if you have watched this show, there is no profile that fits these guys. They come from all walks-of-life.
I thought it would be interesting to review the red flags I spot in cases where we are unsure someone is lying -- to a case where we know for sure someone is lying.
(VIDEO here of a sexual predator caught in lies)
What is interesting about this guy is he doesn't do any of the classic liar signs that most people look for during most of his lies. He doesn't shift his eyes, he doesn't look away -- he looks straight into Chris Hansen's eyes. But he does give off classic "thinking clues" in his lies. He is thinking as he talks and it clearly shows. When we tell the truth --we don't have to think about it. We intuitively know what we did. When we lie, we have to think about it. It's not a guarantee that someone is lying - - but if someone continually does it over and over -- your red flags will pile up into an undeniable outcome.
At time marker 3:24, the predator says: "I'm sorry, I'm not here to really do anything, though." What is interesting is his use of words: I'm not here to 'really' do anything 'though'. Notice the choice of words shows his own self-doubt. When we are confident and telling the truth, we don't speak like this. This is a classic thinking-on-the-spot lie.
Time Marker 2:58: (Predator denying he knew victim was 13) "You know, it was due...I was actually home at that time, really drunk. I probably didn't even pay attention." Again, classic thinking-on-the-spot red flag. Stuttering in his speech, fragmented sentence and the weak conviction of "I probably didn't even...". When we tell the truth, we are certain. We don't "probably", "maybe", "really", "perhaps" excuse ourselves.
When Chris Hansen says that the girl was really 13, the predator says "Wow". What is scary about this is it hints that he may be accomplished at deception. He quickly fakes an expression with the hopes of fooling you. This response alone and out of context might fool most people. I maybe no exception -- though the guy is subdued over all -- and that is a red flag. If you were truly honest in this situation, I would expect fire and fury if you realized what you were being accused of. I would not expect such a dull, and dead -- lack-of-emotions response.
Time Marker 2:46: Chris Hansen asks, "And how old are you?" The perpetrator says "I'm twen...ty...(he looks off to his left and pauses)...actually twenty-eight. Yeah."
Yeah? He is answering his own question!! That's not normal behavior. Clearly, here you can see this is a thinking clue. He is trying to decide how old he is and once he decided, he answers himself. Oops! Do you answer yourself by accident ever? Whenever someone can't answer a basic question like that on the spot-- it's likely a red flag (though of course not always).
Time Marker 1:43: The perpetrator says, "I mean look at me. Do you think I would do something like that? I'm very professional." Here this man is playing on your doubts and he obviously has had practice doing it. This in itself is a red flag because of the tone he is using. He is trying to be all soft and sweet and kind -- playing on Chris Hansen's emotions (whereas an honest man would be mad, angry, frustrated anything but kind and soft) .
Most people hate to accuse other people of lying -- and this guy knows that if he connects with you emotionally and gets your sympathy -- he'll win you over. If he shows you he is soft, kind and patient -- you won't believe he is deceptive. He may be able to change your mind. He's definitely done this before.
Furthermore, do you notice he has no emotions? He doesn't act any different when he is trying to be nice earlier compared to when he is being accused of lying? His emotions are baseline. That is always a red flag. Your emotions should match your situation and when they don't -- red flag!
Time Marker 1:11: Later with an investigator, the perpetrator continues to insist he believed the girl was 19. "I was drinking at that time, and I didn't really....um....you know, pay attention while she's 13...like I mean, if I was awake and I had known, I would not be here."
Classic thinking-on-your-feet lie. Classic Joran van der Sloot behavior, isn't it? This predator's sentence is fragmented, doesn't make logical sense, and is inconsistent. First he says he was drunk, then he says he wasn't awake. Which is it? Earlier he told us he didn't come here for that -- but then he says if he had known her age -- he wouldn't be here. Two different stories! Inconsistencies in fact. You really have to watch the little details. These are what will point out a liar quickly and swiftly even if you missed all the other red flags. And facts won't make you doubt your emotions. They either match or they don't. It's black and white.
This perpetrator continues on -- still believing he is going to convince someone that he is a good guy - even after all of the evidence against him. He doesn't give it up. He continues to defend himself in a mild manner. It likely means he has convinced other people before successfully that he is honest when in fact he is not. This hints at how it is likely this guy is accomplished at deception.
On 2-21 the “Connecting-the-Dots” blog reported:
CTV’s Haunting Evidence
The program premiers around the 20th of June with a trip to Aruba, according to Carla Baron and her associates. Hauntingly, the premier is almost a month to day, after the anniversary of Natalee’s disappearance. Does Carla Baron know something? Or, is it pure coincidence that her program makes its debut a month after Natalee walked out of Carlos-n-Charlie's?
Yours truly made contact with Carla Baron, but I learned little more than the premier date. In essence, Carla Baron said she was under contract with Court TV and could not give details about an investigation before the program aired. She went on to say that she felt it less than productive to speak with me, because she didn't know me, or recognize my little blog. Of course, I can understand her feelings, but turn-about is fair play, right? I don't really know her either.
Just who is Carla Baron and what is her success rate? Fair questions, I would presume...
http://www.iigwest.com/carla_report.html
2-22-07
On 2-22 “Strategy Page.com” reported:
Mighty Venezuela Looks for Justice
February 22, 2007: Venezuela is rearming, mainly via six billion dollars worth of Russian weapons. Officials insist that claimed the stuff is needed to protect the country from an American invasion. But for the last two years, Venezuelan officials, including the country's demagogic president, Hugo Chavez, have made numerous public statements about the "reunification" of the islands of the Dutch West Indies (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaτao) with Venezuela. Added to that there is the ancient claim on most of neighboring Guyana, some disputed Colombian territorial waters, and very flimsy claims on Caribbean islands like Trinidad and Tobago.
There has been some actions as well. Venezuelan violations of Dutch air space and territorial waters, including illegal over flights by military aircraft, have occurred with some frequency. In addition, Venezuelan authorities have urged residents of the islands to form "Bolivarian" cells, in support of eventual "reunification."
The Netherlands responded by reinforcing their West Indian garrison (with consists of a small naval contingent, a battalion of infantry, and some helicopters) with a flight of F-16s. The Dutch government also took the matter up with the European Union, and Britain (given that some other territories on which Venezuela is laying claims, such as Trinidad, Tobago and Guyana, are members of the British Commonwealth) and France (which also has overseas territories in the Caribbean).
No sane man would try to use force to settle these territorial disputes. But Chavez has been doing some pretty insane things inside Venezuela lately. He's been trashing the economy (like price controls that force farmers to either do illegal deals on the black market, or go out of business, and forcing foreign companies to sell their Venezuelan assets to the government at a fraction of their cost.) In a similar situation of mad desperation, the Argentinean military dictatorship tried to grab the Falkland islands from Britain in 1982.
Going after Guyana would not only bring the British in, but probably the United States as well. That's because over a quarter million Guyanese live New York City, and senator Hillary Clinton would feel obliged to answer pleas from her constituents to do something. The population of Guyana itself is only 750,000, but the country is the size of Great Britain. The 60 percent of Guyana Venezuela claims is thinly populated, and many of those people have long been pro-Venezuelan. Still, Chavez would stir up a hornets nest going after Guyana.
Taking a grab for the Dutch islands would also be troublesome. Even if Venezuela follows thru and gets those nine Russian submarines, taking and holding these islands would bring forth a military response from the United States and Europe. Any halfway competent staff officer could point out to Chavez the high degree of risk in going after Guyana or Aruba (which does have a lot of oil). But Chavez has been blowing off competent advice of late, and is wary of his own military. He's replacing a lot of trained officers with yes-men. It may be time to expect the unexpected.
On 2-22 ARUBAAN’s news-source “Amigoe.com” reported:
Prices increased due to bbo
ORANJESTAD – The Central Bureau for Statistics (CBS) calculated a price increase of 2.6 percent between December 31st, 2006 and January 31st, 2007. The prices have partly increased due to the introduction of the new turnover tax (bbo).
The price increase was in all sectors: clothing and shoes, 6.3 percent; living, an average of 1.6 percent (interior decoration, 3.4 percent, household services, 2.7 percent, household goods, 2.2 percent); food, 5.3 percent (cereal products, 4 percent, potatoes, vegetables, and fruit, 3 percent); and beverages and stimulants, 1.8 percent.
The consumer index figure (cpi) went up with 2.6 percent in January to 123.6, compared with December 120.4. CBS mentioned that the high fuel price had a big influence on the increase of the cpi in January. The increase of the cpi for January 2005 to January 2006 was 4.8 percent; for January 2005 to January 2007, the increase was 3.7 percent.
On 2-22 “Zoltan Zion” reported:
Eunuch lsland
Aruba is truly the Isle of the Eunuchs. Not one person with a set of BALLS. Not one!
On Aruba, every time you turn around someone is getting a certificate for taking the garbage out or showing up for work on time. (by the way, both of those endeavors require a graduate degree from Collegio Arubano.)
The stock of Tiaras is at an all time low after this month's Carnival. I have received information that next year's Carnival will feature tiaras for both eunuchs and women. An order of almost 75,000 tiaras has already been placed to ensure they will arrive in time for next year's Carnival. Steve Cohen has generously decided to foot the bill.
BIG PIMPIN'
Certificates and tiaras to boost the over all atmosphere and moral on Aruba. That along with threats from the Prime Minister to 'unleash his militia' on his own people have everyone on Aruba drooling over of champagne nights and caviar dreams. (Said with dripping sarcasm.)
Tourism is way way down, and is not coming back any time soon, if ever. So the Aruban Authorities have come up with an ingenious plan to use hypnosis so the locals believe all is well. What's next? burning down the Diario and shutting off the internet? I would not put that past Mr. Nelson Oduber, after all he controls all communications on Eunuch Island.
No one talks on Aruba. As we all know, they all know each other, but dont know each other. After 21 months of reaching out to the people on Aruba for information about what happened to Natalee Holloway, no one will volunteer information as to what happened. That of course includes the incentive of 250 Thousand Dollars for the whereabouts of Natalee Holloway and 1 MILLION Dollars for her safe return. And still no one talks. Cops ask for money for information instead of DOING THE RIGHT THING and the Aruban Authorities offer no hope that they will ever re-detain the four main suspects.
Who knows what happened to Natalee?
1. Nelson Oduber - He's not talking and worried he's gonna be in a US Federal Lock Up. He had the nerve to say he wants the Natalee Holloway Investigation to go away already. Real compassionate human being here huh? How can an investigation that never really got started be shut down? Seems simple minded.
2. Rudy Croes - He's not talking and worried he's gonna have human trafficking charges leveled against him.
3. Karin Jansen - She's not talking to anyone, that includes Natalee's Family and Family Attorney John Q. Kelly.
4. Gerold Dompig - He talks and talks and talks, but no one can figure out what the hell he's talking about. Mr. Dompig contradicted himself so often he had a gag order placed on him. Too bad he did not tell what he REALLY knew when he had the chance.
5. Jan Van Der Straaten - If anyone truly knows what happened, it's this human debris. As you all know, Mr. Van Der Straaten is no Victim's Rights Advocate and leaves a Family to twist in the wind while his buddy - Paulus van der Sloot jerks everyone else around.
6. Dutch Investigators / Interrogators (otherwise known as The Kid Glove Love Squad.) They know exactly who CONFESSED. Yet it takes a re-examination in Holland of all the information? It's quite clear that the Dutch have a stake in this case by their deafening silence.
7. Dolph Richardson - New Lead Investigator and Polis Chief. He's not new on the Force, just new to taking the helm of this cover-up.
8. Edwin 'Papito' Commencia - High Commissioner and Founder of the Body Squad. Carribean Man of Mystery or Misery, depends on how you look at this guy. He was on the case from day one and certainly knows the TRUTH.
Eight people / entities right there that know what happened to Natalee and not one does anything about it. No one has the GUTS to do the RIGHT thing.
Whatever it is Aruba is hiding, we will find it, uncover it and expose it to the world.
On 2-22 the “Aruba Boycott Blogspot” reported:
NATALEE'S FREEBIRDS--PREMEDITATION? PART III
**Another wonderful post coming from Natalee's Freebirds...thank you!
VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS - PREMEDITATED STALKING OF AN AMERICAN TEENAGER
WE ARE INCLINED TO BELIEVE....THIS WAS PREMEDITATED PART 3
The night Natalee Holloway disappears Joran van der Sloot portrays behavior common to sexual predators who drug their victims.
Joran van der Sloot told a bold faced lie about Natalee prior to the night she disappeared and it is documented that he had a pre-meditated plan to go to Carlos & Charlie’s that night, and he had used a false identity with the Mountain Brook students to further his web of deception.
It is well-documented that Joran van Der Sloot showed up at the bar 30 minutes before closing time. Is it typical of Predators to keep their exposure among others to a minimum prior to containing their target?
Joran and Kalpoe brothers coordinated their leaving Carlos & Charlie’s with Natalee by using their cell phones, as the Kalpoe brothers statements reveal. Why would they need to communicate by telephone just to all get in the car (which they knew was parked behind the building so no need to find the car) to leave Carlos & Charlie’s? Why didn't the three of them just meet in the bar, coordinate their exit with Natalee, and all four walk out together?
This gives indication of a plan in which the predators single out a female and make the American tourist think she is going back to the same hotel as the other tourist, in this case Joran van der Sloot, sharing a taxi cab ride. Even Deepak’s statement said it was not the first time he had taken tourists back to the Holiday Inn.
Joran van Der Sloot knew this would be Natalee's last night on the island. It is fairly common for sexual predators to administer date rape drugs to female victims on their last night of vacation because they will be confused the next morning and have to rush to catch their planes back home.
Dave Holloway was told immediately to go down to Carlos n’ Charlie’s, have a beer and wait for his daughter to show back up, but to keep his drink covered, as the locals tend to drug drinks in that bar – which indicates even the cops in Aruba know of this taking place with the tourists on their island by locals.
Every indication demonstrates this was a pattern Joran had used many times before. In one of his interviews Joran van Der Sloot told Greta Van Susteren he had done this with female tourists 20 times before.
Done what? Drugged and raped young American tourists without consequences?
Joran van der Sloot said he and the Kalpoes rarely if ever went out two nights in a row. Satish Kalpoe indicated that Joran and Deepak were together three nights in a row: the night before Natalee went missing, the night Natalee went missing, and the night after she went missing.
Predator behavior is to plan, execute the plan, and when something bad happened this time – they covered-up what went terribly wrong to Natalee Holloway. Joran van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers show up at Carlos & Charlies 30-45 minutes before closing time.
On the record with Greta Van Susteren, Fox news: Joran and the Kalpoe brothers do not associate while in Carlos & Charlies, allowing the three to distance themselves from each other in order to play out their exit strategy with a “taxi”:
ABRAMS: And let's be clear. You're talking about the chief suspect, Joran van der Sloot, and you've been looking for any sort of as you say, predatory past. So what happened? Someone just came up to you?
TWITTY: Well yes, I had a beautiful 18-year-old blond-headed girl from New Jersey and you know was able to recant an encounter that she had with Joran van der Sloot, Deepak Kalpoe and Satish Kalpoe during the month of April '05.
TWITTY: You know it's interesting how he is able to try to work his way in and connect and establish himself in that—in Carlos N' Charlie's, was walking her around and these other tourists and was able to point out Satish and Deepak Kalpoe. They were sitting ironically in the same corner, the same stools that they were seated at in the picture that's been all over international media, so that must be their spot that they wait while Joran is working.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8838598
Meanwhile, the Kalpoes were coordinating their plan to pose as taxi drivers for Joran and Natalee on their cell phones:
Satish June 11, 2005 police statement- I saw that my brother had called me. I know that my brother didn't have any more credit on his mobile phone and had called him back. My brother answered his phone and asked where we were. I told him that we were still inside Carlos & Charlies. He had told me that he was already at his car. I told him that we would come to where he was. I said to Joran that my brother was already at the car and if we were leaving, because Carlos & Charlies was about to close. Joran said that it was OK that we would be leaving and that the girl would be coming with us.
Deepak June 11, 2005 police statement- I walked to the parking lot where my car was parked. When I arrived at my car I sat on the ground next to my car, because my brother had the keys. I then called my brother on his mobile phone. I had almost no more minutes on my pre-paid phone so I called him in a way that produces what in English is called a “miss call”. After that my brother phoned me back, I asked him where they were and he said they were still inside and that he would come. After a while Satish came walking, I asked him where Joran was and he said that Joran was still inside.
Joran van der Sloot says he'd done this 20 times before and nothing ever went wrong:
On the Record, Greta Van Susteren- March 3rd, 2006 http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,186707,00.html
VAN DER SLOOT: And you're like, you know, what, you know what are you doing? Because it was — it was a normal — it was a normal thing for us to do, you know, go to our friends, go to the beach, talk to American tourists, you know, then go out with them and have a good time and, you know, nothing — nothing ever bad has ever happened. I mean it's happened probably 20, 20 times nothing has ever gone wrong.
Joran says it was highly unusual that he and the Kalpoes would ever go out two nights in a row. However, Satish Kalpoe's statement indicates Joran and Deepak were together three nights in a row:
VAN DER SLOOT: Two nights in a row? Never, really, because he works a lot and — yes.
VAN SUSTEREN: When you met up with him on the night of the 29th, the night going into Natalee's disappearance, when was the most recent time before that that you'd spent time with him?
VAN DER SLOOT: The most recent time before that?
VAN SUSTEREN: Yes.
VAN DER SLOOT: I don't remember exactly when it was.
VAN SUSTEREN: More than a week or two weeks? Any idea?
VAN DER SLOOT: No, it was probably a week.
Satish 2nd police statement on June 10, 2005:
Question: Where had the three of you gone on the night from Saturday night to Sunday night on May 28th 2005?
S. KALPOE: We had gone to Carlos & Charlies.
Q: Was it just the three of you who had gone to Carlos & Charlies on Saturday May 28th 2005?
S. KALPOE: Yes, it was just the three of us that went to Carlos & Charlies.
Natalee and her family deserve justice - and we won't let up until they have it!
--Natalee's Freebirds
2-23-07
On 2-23-07 the MONROE, GEORGIA, "Walton Tribune" reported:
Reiterating the point of message
By Sharon Swanepoel
The Loganville Tribune
Published February 23, 2007
The closing of Braxton’s will forever change one of the constants of Main Street in Loganville. No doubt most residents, especially those who have lived in Loganville all or most of their lives, will miss the familiar landmark enormously.
It is a poignant reflection of the changing times and will be especially hard for those who can’t help but resist change. Unfortunately change is a very real part of life and how we deal with it can be the difference in whether or not our lives continue to be pleasurable.
Now if the building can somehow be converted to a theater, which many are pushing for the closing of Braxton’s could actually turn into something positive for everybody in the community. I know it will be an expensive endeavor — but having seen what can be done in this community in just three days with the home for Jeff and Kat Orr, I’m sure it could be accomplished if everybody got together to make it a true “community” theater.
Now I would like to follow up on a column I wrote last week about the dangers of the date rape drug. It certainly got more attention than I expected and for that I am very grateful. As difficult as it was for me to write the column, I couldn’t in good conscience be aware of it and not put out a warning to whomever I could possibly reach.
If I later heard of someone going missing in the area, I would always wonder if something like what happened to Natalee Holloway had happened here and I had been aware of the criminal behavior and not ever put the word out.
One of the responses I got was from a member of a national resource center working on the Holloway case. He did point out I had misspelled her name in my column, so for that I apologize — Natalee Holloway is the correct spelling. Besides thanking me for bringing attention to the crimes perpetrated by the use of the date rape drug, a subject that is still surrounded by much ignorance, he told me one of the players involved in the Natalee Holloway case has left Aruba and now attends a high school right here in Gwinnett County.
Sadly it is the ignorant belief that a rape victim actually brought it on herself that often allows these criminals to avoid prosecution. There is still a fear on the part of victims to come forward because there are those, not surprisingly often males who obviously hanker back to the cavemen days, who actually believe this type of behavior isn’t criminal.
It is — that’s why our jails house rapists — not their victims.
Anyone researching the dangers of the date rape drug will find out its use is highly illegal and its dangers can be far reaching. So again I would like to warn anyone who might go outside of the home to a bar, restaurant or even a McDonald’s and orders a drink — alcoholic or otherwise — do not leave it unattended or in the custody of anyone you do not completely trust.
There are people, some right here, who will take advantage of every possible opportunity to commit horrendous crimes even at the risk of fatal consequences — and sadly there are still those who fail to see the criminality in this type of behavior.
This is a serious warning and hopefully no attempt to pervert the truth will dilute the message.
On 2-23 DAVE HOLLOWAY stated to the “Scared Monkeys Radio”
(AUDIO link here )
On 2-23 ARUBAAN’s news-source reported:
Fire arms act passed
ORANJESTAD – AVP’s amendment didn’t make it during the handling of the bill for amending the Fire Arms Ordinance (1998) that was passed yesterday. The new Fire Arms Act passed with the annotation that it needs to be evaluated within one year to see whether it works.
Parliament member Marlon Werleman (MEP) proposed earlier to postpone the handling of the bill, so that his party can study the amendment. He said that the amendment went too far for the MEP. “We didn’t want to extend the range so far that the balance between civil rights and measures against the use of fire arms can get lost. You cannot compare Aruba’s situation with that of Curacao for example, where the use of fire arms has become a much bigger problem.” He couldn’t give the exact figures, but he emphasized that the number of incidents with fire arms in Curacao are many times higher than in Aruba. The Parliament is unanimous on the high number of illegal weapons in Aruba and that something has to be done.
The bill was adopted with 20 votes from MEP, AVP, and RED. MPA was not present. AVP’s amendment to further enlarge the preventive authorities of the police was rejected with 12 votes (MEP and RED) versus 8 (AVP).
On 2-23 the “Scared Monkeys” blog reported:
Does Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez have his Eye on Aruba? Talk about bad for their Economy
Does Hugo Chavez want to reunify the islands of The Dutch West Indies, including Aruba? Will it be called Venezaruba? What is to stand in his way? The irrational and socialist actions of Hugo Chavez lately make one think that anything is possible when it comes to this demagogue.
With Chavez’s socialist economic and land grab by his government one would begin to worry what Hugo’s intentions are in the Caribbean. Aruba, being a stones throw from Venezuela could be a prime and easy target. Talk about bad for one’s tourist economy and private investment. Remember how quickly Cuba changed from a tourist hot spot to economic disaster. For those that say it could never happen. Would anyone put anything past the insanity of a dictator like Hugo Chavez and what he is capable of?
If anyone wants to wonder why the US government never got more involved in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway and why they did not take Aruba to task, they need only to look to the unstable leader of Venezuela for their answer. Hugo’s actions directly affect American’s homeland security decisions.
(“Aruba Today” article scan about CHAVEZ, here )
2-24-07
On 2-24 “Playfuls.com” reported:
Dutch Police Seal Off Street On Mistaking Own Transmitter For Bomb
Bomb disposal experts were called in and a street sealed off in the Dutch city of Enschede when police took one of their own covert transmitters for a bomb, police reported Wednesday.
The emergency, during which residents along Raiffeisen Street were confined to their homes, lasted two hours on Monday before officers discovered their mistake.
The device had been attached to the underside of the car of a 42-year-old Enschede man suspected of committing a violent crime.
On discovering the device he notified the police, saying he suspected it was a bomb.
"The police officers conducting the investigation were not in the know and did not want to take any chances," a spokesman said.
The suspect was informed on Tuesday that the device had been fitted to his car in order to monitor his movements.
On 2-24 the “Daily Colonial” reported:
Keeping spring break safe
Posted Saturday, February 24 2007 03:57:45 am
By Lainie Frost
Spring break is supposed to be a time for rest, relaxation and, for many college students, a week’s worth of partying. When so many people are going to extremes, there are ways you can make sure to stay safe.
An obvious place to start is by not falling victim to alcohol abuse.
“During spring break, the average male reported drinking 18 drinks per day and the average woman reported 10 drinks per day,” according to AlcoholPolicyMD.org. “More than half of all men and more than 40 percent of all women drank until they became sick or passed out at least once.”
With so many students traveling to exotic destinations, binge drinking is not the only concern a college student should have. Incidents like Natalee Holloway’s disappearance in Aruba only two years ago serve as a reminder that young adults’ personal safety is at risk – especially when coupled with inebriation.
“Be careful who you might leave a public place with,” said GW Nurse Practitioner Susan Haney.
Not everyone headed to a warm vacation locale is planning to engage in non-stop drinking or partying, however.
“Partying is always a key for a good time, but simply for the sake of relaxation I [would] wind down and try to relax more. Sleeping on the beach is a change of scenery for the fourth floor of Gelman,” said Greg Rosen ’10. His spring break plans include going to Florida with a friend to see a New York Mets spring training game in Port St. Lucie, and visit his grandmother.
Haney also suggests getting proper immunization prior to traveling abroad and advised visiting the Center for Disease Control website for immunization education of spring break destinations. In addition cautions against dehydration by drinking plenty of water and Gatorade to replenish lost electrolytes from sweating.
“Overall watch your exposure to the sun. We see some seriously bad sun burns when people travel to these tropical destinations. Avoid the sun at the hottest part of the day between 11 and 2 because the sun is much less dangerous,” Haney said. “[During break] be a friend to people when you are in situations where someone has had too much to drink. Stay in groups and in public places.”
On 2-24 ARUBAAN’s news-source “Amigoe.com” reported another tourists safety-related issue:
Illegal Person with Tuberculosis
ORANJESTAD – Last Thursday, Bon Dia reported that an illegal person was detected with tuberculosis. It appears that the man was here for quite some time already. He is now in isolation. Tuberculosis was detected in the Horacio Oduber Hospital, but because the hospital didn’t have space for quarantine, the man was taken elsewhere.
They first tried to deport the man, but none of the airline companies would take the man as a passenger. Besides, a deportation would be illegal, because patients infected with open or active tuberculosis can infect great numbers of people with the disease. Amigoe could not confirm whether the man has indeed open tuberculosis. The Infectious Diseases Service, the department of the Public health Administration that maintains the infectious diseases registration, only said that there was a reporting and that it is being investigated. The head of department is out sick and not available for comments. If it is a case of open tuberculosis, everybody that has been in direct contact with the man, must be examined for possible contamination. Patients with open tuberculosis can spread the bacteria by coughing, singing, or talking.
On 2-24 “Zoltan Zion” reported:
Psychics and Psychos
I have been reading about the British Government's recent revelations that they initiated a program using 'psychics' to find Bin Laden. The program's costs were roughly $18,000 or £35,000. The program never really got off the ground because the participants collectively scored only a 28% success rate. The testing only asked the 'psychics' to identify the contents of an envelope and not the actual coordinates identifying Bin Laden's whereabouts. Governmental conclusion - this stuff is unreliable and not worth the effort of entertaining such nonsense. Finally someone got it exactly RIGHT.
Throughout the Natalee Holloway case Psychics, Intuitives, Remote Viewers, and Out Of Body whatchamacallits have said Natalee is both alive and dead. Can both sides be correct? Of course not. Right there is ample evidence that this 'alternative' methodology is not at all accurate.
I have heard Natalee is buried under a 'Star', in the port area near a buoy, in a pet cemetery, in the old golf course, and in the old Arawak Indian cemetery.
I have also heard that Natalee is alive. She is in Aseribo, Barranquilla, San Paolo, and in the United States.
Although I do not believe Natalee is alive, I do know that she is a very recognizable person due to the world wide media attention her case has garnered and if she were alive, someone would have recognized her and told the proper authorities and the Holloway's or Twitty's.
I believe that some psychics are in fact truly gifted. There is so much about the human brain that is unknown to science. I have seen television programs like 'Psychic Detectives' and I am impressed with some of the results that have occurred. To completely dismiss this as something that can NOT be developed in the future would be naive.
I also believe that some of these people are truly deranged and dangerous. Take Ms. Sylvia Brown for instance. She told a nationwide audience that Shawn Hornbeck was dead. Ms. Brown went to say in the presence of Mr. Hornbeck's parents, (Pam and Craig Akers) their son "is no longer with us" but she had the impression his body was in a wooded area about 20 miles southwest of Richwoods. She said it would be near two large, jagged boulders that seem out of place in that area.
http://www.stopsylviabrowne.com/articles/montel_shawnhornbeck.shtml
I do not know enough about Ms. Brown to make a total and complete judgment on her 'career'. I do know this, she is dangerous. I know enough about the human condition to know that it is shenanigans like these that can cause long term problems for people searching for their missing loved ones. To the Acker's credit, they never gave up hope that Shawn was alive and as we all know, Shawn is back where he belongs, with his family.
To the Holloway's and Twitty's credit they have never placed too much credence in this alternative methodology. I know that they did listen, but after hearing so many differing points of view and none that seemed to overlap, they basically stopped all inter-action. You would certainly think that if two 'real' psychics did have information in the case, it would over-lap and draw the attention of the Family. That did not occur.
I have been interested in clandestine programs as long as I can remember. Remote Viewing (RV), Star Wars, Experimental Aircraft and basically anything that seems as if there could be a backing that comes from science. All new technology starts out as a dream. Ask Mr. Bill Gates, Mr. Larry Ellison, Dr. Jonas Salk, or Dr. Robert Jarvik. Most just never make it past the experimental stage. Which is where this mind bending methodology has remained for over 75 years.
I first heard about Remote Viewing during the 1980's at the end of the Cold War. It was used to determine if RV's could look into meetings of High Ranking Kremlin Officials to see if information could be gleaned from across the world. As we all know now, it was not as successful as the good ole cat and mouse used for centuries and was eventually abandoned. I do understand there was some success and to say that the program was a total failure would not be accurate. The success could be accounted for by shear coincidence.
21 months have passed since Natalee became a CRIME VICTIM on Aruba and recently a new 'psychic' has decided to weigh in. I am highly skeptical that any new information will be produced and it seems like a ploy to use the CRIME against Natalee to further a career.
The TRUTH is on Aruba on Montanja 19. I'm not a psychic and I know that. My success rate remains at an astonishing 100 percent.
Anyone NOT looking at the van der Sloot's as the prime suspects is trying obfuscate the issues and derail the case. The TRUTH is known to the ALE. They just don't like that TRUTH.
2-25-07
On 2-25 “Blogs For Natalee” Identity “PearlinUSA” reported about the recent decision to not give Former Murder Suspect PAULUS VAN DER SLOOT any money because of his June 2005 arrest and detention after NATALEE HOLLOWAY vanished:
Three Dutch judges made the ruling that the incarceration was understandable and acceptable based upon information obtained shortly after the disappearance of Natalee Holloway.
Judge Mezas,
Judge De Kerpel-van de Poel, and
Judge Mijnssen,
all members of the Joint Superior Court of Justice of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, declared that sufficient evidence was gathered prior to the arrest and detention was justified
On 2-25 the “Scared Monkeys” blog reported:
Twins Baseball Pitcher Sidney Ponson … “he stayed away from his biggest problem, Aruba.”
So what does Sidney Ponson know that the rest of of us should? Aruba is his biggest problem. This is hardly an endorsement for the ATA. We have never seen this quote on all the Aruban travel brochures. How can an island relatively so small be such a distraction and problem? A rather telling comment indeed.
Sidney Ponson stated that this off season he stayed away from his biggest problem, Aruba. What he meant is that in Aruba he knows many people and the lifestyle he lives by in Aruba is not the best for a Major League pitcher trying to revive his career. (Aruba Zone)
Sidney Ponson time line
Sidney Ponson according to all accounts has been given one last shot to make the best of a once promising career. Ponson has decided to give up his past destructive life style. Its a make it or break it year. The destructive life style Ponson refers to … Aruba?
He’s fresh off an offseason in which he lost weight, had minor elbow surgery, got engaged and, most important, decided to ditch the destructive lifestyle that derailed his once-promising career.
“As soon as the offseason came, I put it behind me,” Ponson said. “You have to leave the bad habits in the past. It’s a clean slate. My personal life is (in order). You guys know what happened in the past, and I’m not going to do that again. I’m not going to put my mom and family and friends through that, and especially the organization.”
It’s worth noting that Ponson has made similar promises before, only to backslide into his bad habits. For instance, Ponson said he was a changed man after spending 11 days in jail in his native Aruba stemming from a Christmas Day 2004 altercation with a judge on a beach. But Ponson’s life went into a tailspin after that. (Pioneer Press)
This is the effect that Aruba has on an individual?
Swearing to never embarrass his friends, family or employer again, Ponson spent only three weeks in tiny Aruba — where he is a knight and a national celebrity — this winter instead of his usual six. He got engaged. And he tried to stay out of trouble by hanging out at his home in Fort Lauderdale. (West Central Tribune)
On 2-25 the “Strategy Page” reported:
The Dutch Defend Their World Empire
February 25, 2007: If Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez made a grab for the Dutch West Indies (specifically the islands of Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire), could the Dutch really do anything about it? The Dutch military is no slouch, having performed peacekeeping missions in the Balkans and has served alongside the U.S. military in Iraq. However, these have been relatively small contingents of land forces as opposed to a major naval-air campaign, which reclaiming those Caribbean islands would entail (see the British effort to reclaim the Falklands in 1982).
The Royal Netherlands Navy is small, but has very good ships. This force carries a lengthy tradition going back centuries, a tradition that includes beating the British at sea many times. Their new De Zeven Provincien-class destroyers are good ships armed with SM-2MR and Evolved Sea Sparrow surface-to-air missiles and Harpoon anti-ship missiles. The eight Karel Doorman-class frigates are also very good vessels as well, armed with Sea Sparrows and Harpoons. There is also a landing platform dock amphibious vessel, the Rotterdam, with a second vessel, the Johan Van Witt, being built. The Royal Netherlands Air Force is also potent, but primarily designed for a war in Europe. It consists of 108 F-16As with a mid-life upgrade, making them very capable against aerial opponents. This is the bulk of their combat power. They have 30 AH-64D Longbow Apaches being delivered, and only three KDC-10F aerial refueling aircraft (comparable to the KC-10) for their entire force. This is a force that has a lot of teeth, but very little tail.
In the event that Venezuela should seize Aruba, Curacao, and/or Bonaire, Chavez will have a lot of places in Venezuela for his Air Force to reach the Dutch islands. The nearest Dutch territory is St. Marteen, which is anywhere from 844 (to Bonaire) to 965 (to Aruba) kilometers from the combat zone. The F-16's range is 2642 kilometers, but that figure is misleading. Combat eats up fuel very rapidly (often due to the use of afterburners), and as a result, the potential combat zone, even with aerial refueling, is at the edge of the F-16's combat radius (usually a third of the aircraft's range – in this case, 880 kilometers). Drop tanks could extend the range, but that means giving up some payload. This is a situation much like what the Luftwaffe faced in 1940 in the Battle of Britain, only this time, it would be an inability to provide sustained air cover for naval vessels as opposed to the inability to properly escort strike aircraft. As Admiral Sir Thomas Phillips, commander of Force Z (HMS Prince of Wales and Repulse), found out in 1941, a naval force sailing under hostile skies has an exciting and short life.
The present Dutch deployment (a battalion of troops and a flight of F-16s over three islands) is small, and a bluff. If Venezuela calls the bluff, the Dutch are in trouble. Even if the Dutch forces were reinforced to include a battalion on each island, and a full squadron of F-16s, they are outnumbered by a potential invasion force. Venezuela has four battalions in their marine corps, plus an airborne regiment and a paratroop regiment. The local F-16s would be outnumbered by the Venezuelan Air Force, which has 15 Mirage 5s, 18 F-16As, and 18 F-5As, with 24 Su-30s on order. Reports of a Venezuelan purchase of MiG-29s appear to have fallen through. The Venezuelan Navy, with six Lupo-class frigates and two Type 209 submarines (plus nine Kilo-class submarines on order), could also create problems for any Dutch effort to recapture the islands.
The Dutch submarine force of four Walrus-class diesel-electric submarines could, in theory, try to interdict Venezuelan oil exports, but they are subject to limitations. The primary limitation is their diesel-electric powerplant, which provides a top speed of 39 kilometers per hour. These subs have a range of 18,520 kilometers, but that is at a speed of 16.7 kilometers per hour. In theory, the range is sufficient, since the distance from Rotterdam to Aruba is 7,860 kilometers. Thus while a Walrus-class sub could hang off Venezuela's major oil export centers, it would soon have to leave its station to return to base and refuel. Any blockade of Venezuela's ports would be more about making Lloyd's of London skittish enough to pull coverage from any ship entering or leaving the ports. Actual damage would be a lot less than imagined due to the strain of operating diesel-electric submarines across the Atlantic, and the very limited time on station, particularly after a speed run. Again, the major question could be whether St. Marteen would be a place where the Dutch could refuel and re-arm submarines.
The Dutch problem can best be described with the words, "not enough". Not enough forces to successfully repel an invasion of Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire; not enough naval power to carry out operations to retake the islands; their fighters do not have enough range; and not enough logistical support to support an operation. They certainly lack the ability to retake the islands on their own should the "Greater Venezuela" rhetoric from the Venezuelan dictator turn out to be for real. However, assistance from NATO allies, especially the United States and Britain, would give the Dutch an edge, and a clear shot at regaining their Caribbean islands.
2-26-07
On 2-26 the “Scared Monkeys” blog reported:
Aruba: ATM Fraud … Skimming Scam on Aruba
Coming soon to an Aruban bank near you, if it already hasn’t arrived … ATM fraud. Is there any form of crime that does not exist on this small island? After all there is barely 100,000 people that live there.
ORANJESTAD — The commercial banks in Aruba became the victims of skimming. The criminals have used this method in Curaçao to withdraw cash. It is not clear yet how much money they have taken out.
Earlier this week, the bankers of the Aruba Bankers Association (ABA) reported that money was taken out of their automated teller machines (AMT) with illegally copied bankcards.
Amigoe; February 26, 2007: Fraud with ATM’s
ABA-chairman Menelio Loefstok in his office on the fourth floor of the Banco di Caribe-building. Next week he will deliberate with other bankers on the fraud committed with ATM’s in Aruba.
ORANJESTAD — The commercial banks in Aruba became the victims of skimming. The criminals have used this method in Curaçao to withdraw cash. It is not clear yet how much money they have taken out.
Earlier this week, the bankers of the Aruba Bankers Association (ABA) reported that money was taken out of their automated teller machines (AMT) with illegally copied bankcards.
ABA-chairman Menelio Loefstok wants to talk with the bankers of Arubabank, Caribbean Mercantile Bank (CMB), RBTT and Banco di Caribe about the occurrences and how to solve the problem for the banks as well as for the customer in concern. ABA is no umbrella organization that sets out the policy for the commercial banks. “All the banks are responsible for their service, which means that they have to decide what information they will give on skimming, and how. ABA cannot give details about the number of ‘adapted’ ATM’s or the number of duped account holders”, said Loefstok. He did say thought that all the four commercial banks became victims of fraud. He also said that the data obtained through skimming were sent to Canada, where they were used to take out money.
Amigoe disposes of information that the skimming took place in February at the ATM’s of RBTT and Arubabank in Pos Chiquito, Santa Cruz, and Seaport. Loefstok, who is chairman of ABA and general director of Banco di Caribe, confirmed that his bank has also become a victim of skimming. He is not sure whether this was also the case with CMB. It is certain though that there are CMB-customers whose bank cards were copied while withdrawing money from ATM’s of one of the other three banks. If CMB experienced skimming, is very remarkable, because late January, this bank has extra secured her 40 ATM’s with special software to especially counteract skimming. At that time, a spokesperson of CMB indicated that they have not noticed any cases of skimming in Aruba and if this form of fraud is committed on this island, it will be published right away. CMB was not available for comments yesterday afternoon. When Arubabank was asked for reaction, her PR-employee Shanoulle Bikker said that she will do that on Monday.
BLOCK
CMB approached the duped customers yesterday, telling them that fraud has been committed with their bankcards and their accounts have therefore been blocked. These customers could pick up a new bankcard that same afternoon. Banco di Caribe customers were very angry when they realized that their accounts were blocked and they didn’t know for what reason.
“All ATM transactions are registered. The bank can trace back the moment that skimming took place, and the customer accounts that have taken out money after that time are blocked as a precaution and new bankcards are created”, said Loefstok. He admitted that their customers were not yet informed of skimming and that it’s natural that the customers, whose accounts were blocked, reacted angrily.
A bank can detect skimming when the customer reports that money was erroneously withdrawn from his/her account, or if during the withdrawing of money, the ATM acts ‘strange’ and the customer informs the bank about it. “After such reporting, the bank in concern will investigate what had happened. If it turns out that money was taken out through skimming, that bank then can take action”, said Loefstok. He said that it is very much likely that the skimming has taken place in February or even before that, and that the banks have just detected it this week.
“It is therefore very important that account holders monitor their accounts and know what is being taken out.” In addition, the customers have to be attentive to indications that point at photocopier, like a double console. “With skimming, a fake console is stuck on top of the real one. Before using the console of the ATM, the person that is withdrawing money should run his/her fingers along the console and see if he/she can feel a thickening or double layer”, says Loefstok. He emphasized that ABA has warned against skimming on more than one occasion in the past months. They have pictured how a false ATM would look like. “We are doing everything possible to counteract skimming.” His advice is to use online banking as much as possible.
SKIMMING
With skimming, the data in the magnetic tape stripe of a bankcard is illegally copied. This happens by placing special equipment in the slot of the ATM. An unsuspecting person withdrawing money cannot see this. The PIN code of the bankcard in question is being ‘copied’ with the use of a small camera, by forging the console, or with other devious ways. It’s then child’s play for the criminals to withdraw money from the accounts by using the information they got.
On 2-26 ARUBAAN’s news-source “Amigoe.com” reported:
The story was completely made up
No Tuberculosis in Aruba
ORANJESTAD – Amigoe reported in his edition of last Saturday that tuberculosis-infection was detected in a man that has been straying illegally for quite some time in Aruba already. Amigoe got this article from Bon Dia. Spokesperson of Horacio Oduber Hospital (HOH), Bob Harms indicated this morning that the complete story is a concoction.
“None of our specialist knows anything about this. Besides, the hospital has a responsibility to maintain. When one of our lung specialists has a slight suspicion that a patient has open or active tuberculosis, that person is quarantined in the hospital, and not somewhere else. As a precaution, the patient will also receive treatment immediately.”
It takes a minimum of 8 days to diagnose tuberculosis, because it takes a lab test to confirm this.
That according to Bon Dia, the man was going to be deported, it also not true. Rudolf Kelly, head of Instituto Alarma y Seguridad Aruba (IASA), says that his department doesn’t know anything about the deportation an illegal person with tuberculosis. Kelly says that entire story is a hoax.
On 2-26 the NASSAU, BAHAMAS “Nassau Guardian” reported:
Bahamas could suffer Aruba's fate
By INDERIA SAUNDERS, Guardian Staff Reporter
inderia@nasguard.com
The fear that The Bahamas' reputation will be as severely dented as that of the island of Aruba, has prompted many concerned American citizens to bombard The Guardian with letters of warning.
In a period of four days, The Nassau Guardian was flooded with over one dozen letters from worried American citizens writing to voice their fears that the nation of sun, sand and sea may soon become a victim of the Anna Nicole Smith saga.
As the details involving Anna Nicole Smith's burial unfold, the scrutiny on The Bahamas and its involvement has also increased. In one letter, The Bahamas is strongly urged to remember that tourism from the United States is a "huge, huge" part of our economy.
"I sure do hope The Bahamas does not become the new Aruba in the eyes of the American tourists who frequent your nation," read a letter from Washington, DC resident Cameron Phillips. "That island suffered tremendously because of the appearance of obstruction of justice and corruption in the Natalee Holloway [disappearance] case."
In the case of Aruba, the disappearance of American teenager Natalee Holloway while she was on a class trip to the island, caused it's tourism sector to suffer a six percent decline in visitors to the island in 2006.
A number of negative travel campaigns surrounded the island after many in the US disapproved of the way the Aruban government conducted the investigation by not opening their legal system to the US laws.
Some of the letters sent to The Guardian addressed the issue of the Bahamian legal system, one even urging the government not to "cave in" to strong arm tactics while "the eyes of the world are on The Bahamas."
< BALANCE SNIPPED BECAUSE OF REFERENCE TO A REPEATEDLY, PSYCHOPATHICALLY, DEMONSTRATED HATE SITE >
On 2-26 the WAYNESBORO, VIRGINIA “The New Dominion” reported:
Twitty: ‘Nobody wants to have to react like we did’
Story by Chris Graham
Natalee Holloway would be a college sophomore now - spending the fall, winter and spring at the University of Alabama, and spending her summers abroad in the international-studies program that she was supposed to enroll in.
But Holloway never made it to Tuscaloosa - she was reported missing on a senior-week trip that she took to the Caribbean island of Aruba at the end of high school two years ago and is now presumed dead.
Her mother, Beth Twitty, was in the Shenandoah Valley tonight to talk about how Natalee’s May 30, 2005, disappearance has changed life for her and her family - and to talk up how others can prevent similar tragedies from striking their families.
“I encourage traveling abroad. Of course it can be wonderful and fulfilling. I encourage them to take advantage of every opportunity they have. It’s just about making a plan, getting educated, investigating the infrastructure of the country that you’re visiting, so that you can be proactive instead of reactive if something tragic should happen,” said Twitty, now the president of the International Safe Travels Foundation, a nonprofit that she founded last year.
Twitty spoke to students at Bridgewater College about the foundation and its mission - which is to educate Americans on the need to prepare themselves before they travel abroad.
“There is a need. There are 27 million Americans who travel internationally every year - and yes, it’s too late for Natalee, and yes, it’s too late for me, but it’s not too late for others,” Twitty said.
“We just want to keep that safety reminder out there for young adults - and travelers of all ages - to tell them that they need to get educated, make a plan. Nobody wants to have to react like we did,” Twitty said.
Twitty said she was not at all prepared for what might happen in advance of Natalee’s trip to Aruba.
“We didn’t do anything like we’re talking about now we know we should have done. Activating international calling - no, we did not do that. And you know what - sometimes I think about that, and I wonder if she’d had that installed on her cellphone if she could have called me, or if maybe she could have called a friend,” Twitty said.
“We didn’t know the police precincts. We didn’t have any addresses. We didn’t have the phone numbers. We relied on the embassy - and it took six days for the American embassy to respond. That’s too long when you have something tragic happen. We were just reactive in everything that we did,” Twitty said.
The case involving Natalee is still in something of a holding pattern.
“There’s really nothing to report as far as that goes right now. We’re just waiting on the May deadline for when the suspects were going to be brought to trial or released as suspects. There’s not any news right now,” said Twitty, who admitted that the lack of news is “frustrating.”
“Her case right now is in the Netherlands - they have taken it from Aruba. They had not been able to do anything,” Twitty said. “So right now, the investigators are not looking at any other suspects than the original three perpetrators. They are it. There is no one else. Right now we’re just looking to collect enough evidence to go forward with the trial. I can’t tell you whether that will happen or not.
“We don’t have any communication with the investigating officials. That’s the most frustrating part of it,” Twitty said. “People just want to know what’s going on - the status, any new developments. And I can’t even tell them anything - because we have no communication. That’s what is the most challenging thing about this whole ordeal.”
On the Web
- www.internationalsafetravelsfoundation.org
Chris Graham is the executive editor of The New Dominion.
2-27-07
On 2-27 “Blogs For Natalee” identity “JusticeforNatalee” reported:
You are invited to a peaceful protest at the Boston Globe Travel Show.
Now is your chance to walk the walk
and stand up for NATALEE and JUSTICE!
Dates: Fri-Sun 3/23-3/25
Interested parties, please contact Debbie,
who will put you in touch with organizer.
…
Here is a link to the show:
http://www.bostonglobetravelshow.com/
Aruba will be a major player.
Hope to see you there!
Join us for a stand on justice
and some camaraderie.
For those who think you
live too far away:
Check out deals on Yahoo Travel.
Really cheap air fares. (as low as $45 each way)
Natalee Supporters: This is your big chance!
…
PM Debbie and she will put you in contact with the main organizer.
There will be handouts but we didn't think of having a Natalee booth.
Make sure you state that idea; we are open to suggestions.
On 2-27 the HARRISBURG, WEST VIRGINIA “Daily News” reported:
Missing Woman’s Mother Speaks At BC
Posted 2007-02-27
By Kelly Jasper
BRIDGEWATER — When Beth Holloway Twitty speaks, her voice doesn’t waver.
With the softness of a mother’s voice, she can talk of abduction, rape and murder, even when the victim of these crimes is her own daughter, Natalee.
The 18-year-old Birmingham, Ala., high school graduate and her family gained international attention when she went missing in Aruba in May 2005.
Natalee has never been found and Twitty says she can almost be certain her daughter is dead.
That summer of 2005, the Twitty family flew to Aruba, launched its own investigation.
They unearthed many leads, but none brought Natalee back. "It’s too late for Natalee," Twitty said.
She spoke to an audience at Bridgewater College, a crowd of students who filled Cole Hall’s auditorium and balcony to near capacity Monday night.
In her own words, Twitty recounted the nightmare she’s lived since her daughter disappeared.
Bridgewater is one of many stops Twitty will make on an ongoing national tour to promote her organization, the International Safe Travels Foundation.
She speaks to students, she says, because it’s the best way she knows to honor Natalee. She says for these students, she hopes it’s not too late.
Staying Safe
It sounds so simple, Twitty said. Don’t climb into cars with strangers. Don’t leave drinks unattended. Don’t get into situations where you lose the ability to defend yourself.
"We don’t teach you these rules to make you live in fear," Twitty told the audience. "We do it because this is not a safe world."
Twitty said she was confident she taught Natalee everything she needed to know about living in the world around her. She now knows, however, that her daughter was "too confident. She felt too safe," Twitty said. "She left her guard down for a moment and in that moment she vanished."
That moment has forever changed her family, Twitty said. Her presentation began with a slideshow of photos capturing life before Natalee disappeared. Broadcast images and news clippings interrupted the family photos. Photos from Aruba flashed across the screen as Twitty spoke.
She described the search for suspects, problems communicating in foreign languages and the lack of international cooperation that she says might have saved her daughter if only it kicked in sooner.
"The authorities just didn’t appear to be concerned that she was missing," Twitty said.
She recounted the times she cried, the ways she prayed and the first time she felt peace. Twitty slept only an hour or two that first week, never bathed and hardly ate.
"Days and nights blended together," she said.
One morning after she moved to Aruba to be closer to the investigation, Twitty said she couldn’t sleep and flagged a cab that took her to a small chapel.
At the foot of a cross, "clutching Natalee’s picture, I fell to my knees," Twitty said.
She begged God to give her Natalee back.
Instead, she said he gave her peace. "I knew that Natalee was with God," Twitty said.
For the first time, she said she realized Natalee was probably not alive, but that God cared for her through whatever ordeal she encountered that night.
Dawn broke that morning and Twitty, because the hope carried her, continued with the investigation.
And, in those dealings with police, in the times she spent combing that island, talking to drug lords and prostitutes, Twitty said she learned lessons she hopes to pass onto others. That’s why she said she came to Bridgewater.
International Travel
Twitty was slow and methodical as she urged students to consider the costs of international travel. She championed the experience and says doesn’t want to appear against trips overseas, but that young people must be warned of the risks.
"When you leave these borders, you leave behind all the privileges and rights we’re accustomed to," Twitty said.
That comes as news to many students, who said after the presentation that they were never aware of all the risks.
"We’re talking about going to Europe next year," said Bridgewater freshman Christy Sergi. "It makes me scared but now I know how to make better decisions."
Sergi said she hadn’t realized just how easy it would be to be abducted like Natalee had. "Anytime, anyplace, you have to be on the lookout," she said.
That’s just what Twitty said she hoped students learned.
"Here I am because everyone in this room knows that what happened to Natalee could happen to anyone in this room," she said.
Lauren Cox, another Bridgewater College freshman, sat in that audience.
She said Twitty’s words struck home.
"You see it on the news but it’s hard to know it’s real," Cox said. "I almost cried with her up there. I travel every year and I’m not careful.
"My mom told me the same things but I never listened and would go out drinking and get into cars with strangers," Cox said. "Never again."
Safe Travels
For more information on Beth Holloway Twitty’s International Safe Travels Foundation, log on to www.safetravelsfoundation.org
Contact Kelly Jasper at 574-6273 or kjasper@dnronline.com
On 2-27 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA “NBC” channel 4 reported:
Aruban Brothers Want Natalee Holloway Lawsuit Dismissed
LOS ANGELES -- A lawsuit filed in Los Angeles against two Aruban brothers by the parents of missing Alabama teen Natalee Holloway should be dismissed on grounds the case has no connection to California, the siblings' lawyers argue in court papers obtained Tuesday.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge George Wu will consider the motion brought on behalf of Deepak and Satish Kalpoe, but no date was immediately set. The next scheduled hearing in the case is April 2.
The brothers' attorney, Kristina M. Beck, filed court papers last Tuesday in support of the dismissal.
The Kalpoes and another Aruban resident, Joran van der Sloot, have been the subject of scrutiny by Aruban authorities and the U.S. media. All three were arrested in connection with the Holloway case and later released.
Beck's court papers state that an important ruling occurred Jan. 24, when another Los Angeles Superior Court judge, Edward A. Ferns, ruled that the wrongful death claim of the teen's parents against the Kalpoes is substantially different from the siblings' defamation case against "Dr. Phil" McGraw.
"These actions do not arise from the same or substantially identical transactions, happenings or events...," Ferns wrote, in ruling that both cases should not be kept before the same judge.
The Kalpoes sued McGraw and CBS Television on Dec. 13, alleging they were defamed in a Sept. 15, 2005, show dealing with the still-unsolved case. Although the Kalpoe brothers had been released from Aruban police custody, the "Dr. Phil" episode suggested they gave Holloway a date rape drug and had non- consensual group sex with her, according to their lawsuit.
The episode also implied the siblings helped kill Holloway and dispose of her body, according to the lawsuit.
The Kalpoes and van der Sloot have maintained that they were not involved in her disappearance and did not have sex with her.
In addition to defamation, the Kalpoes' suit alleges invasion of privacy, emotional distress, fraud, deceit and civil conspiracy.
Natalee Holloway's parents, Elizabeth Ann Twitty of Alabama and Dave E. Holloway of Mississippi, filed a wrongful death suit against the Kalpoes the next day, even though their daughter's body has never been found and Aruban authorities have not determined if she is dead or alive.
Natalee Holloway was vacationing with friends on the Caribbean island resort when the 18-year-old disappeared the night of May 30, 2005.
Twitty and Dave Holloway, who are divorced, maintain that by bringing an action against McGraw in Los Angeles, the Kalpoes voluntarily submitted themselves to the Los Angeles Superior Court jurisdiction.
But in her court papers, Beck argues that Twitty and Holloway are not part of the defamation case; that the alleged misconduct by the defendants in the lawsuits occurred in two entirely different locations -- Aruba and California; and that one suit involves wrongful death and the other defamation.
In support of her motion, Beck attached to her court papers a declaration by the Kalpoe brothers' mother, Kemwattie Ramirez, stating that her sons live with her in Aruba and have no ties to California.
"Neither Deepak nor Satish has ever traveled to California, or anywhere within the United States, for business or pleasure," according to their mother, who also said her sons have no business, employment of financial ties to California.
Twitty and Dave Holloway also filed a wrongful death suit last year in New York against van der Sloot and his father, but a judge there also threw it out for lack of jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, a motion is set before Judge Ferns on Thursday in the defamation case.
On 2-27 ARUBAAN’s news-source “Amigoe.com” reported:
Legal protection consolidated
ORANJESTAD – An amendment of the Sanction-ordinance that the Parliament passed unanimously last Friday states that the president of the Central Bank of Aruba must be heard first, before the Justice-minister takes measures to carry on sanction decisions that concern the financial traffic.****
The Sanction-ordinance is part of the draft-National Ordinance that is in relation to taking measures to pursue international obligations; in other words, combating terrorism worldwide. The Sanction-ordinance initially stated that when a legal body, a group of citizens, or in certain cases an individual citizen in Aruba is suspected of terrorism involvement, the Justice-minister can order to carry out a sanction decision and take measures. Last Friday, the AVP-parliamentary party proposed an amendment to change this. The Advisory Council and the Bar were associated with the judicial contents. Lawyer Ricardo Yarzagaray explained to Amigoe that the article in which the minister could have given that order was indeed very permissive, and entailed that the government and all parties concerned (like supervisors appointed by the minister, editor) were not liable for consequences of the sanction-measure. “Because the sanction-ordinance also included an indemnification clause stating that if the government was under the impression that it had handled in good faith, the citizen would not be entitled to receive compensation for damages.” The amendment that the MEP, AVP, and RED (MPA was not present) leaders signed last Friday, implies that when inter-regionally or internationally a reporting is received that a person is suspected of being financially involved with terrorism, the Justice-minister is allowed to decide on a sanction, but before carrying out that sanction decision (like blocking a bank account, editor), the president of the Central Bank must be heard first.
The same sanction-ordinance includes a new article that states that the rules in the sanction decision are only binding, assuming that the individual natural- and legal bodies, groups or entities, for whom the rules apply, are clearly describes as such that there won’t be doubts regarding their identities.
**** PERSONAL OBSERVATION…. In other words, when it comes to a terrorism suspect(s) and terrorism money, ARUBAN officials want to first hear from a “money man”---the president of the Aruba Central Bank----before ARUBAN officials want to hear from the “law man”----the Minister of Justice.
2-28-07
On 2-28 the MERIDIAN, MISSISSIPPI “Meridian Star” reported:
Brothers seek to dismiss lawsuit in Holloway case
Meridian Star
staff and wire
Dave Holloway said the two brothers who were former suspects in the disappearance of his daughter, Natalee, in Aruba are now attempting to “have their cake and eat it too.”
Deepak and Satish Kalpoe are seeking to dismiss a lawsuit brought against them by the teen’s parents because they say the case has no connection to California.
In court papers filed last week, the attorney for the Kalpoes argued the brothers are residents of Aruba and have no ties to California.
Dave Holloway, of Meridian, said it sounds like the brothers want to have everything go their way.
“They are the ones who first filed a lawsuit in California,” Holloway said Wednesday afternoon. “And now they say we can’t. Doesn’t make sense, does it.”
Beth Twitty and Dave Holloway chose the Los Angeles court after the Kalpoes sued the “Dr. Phil” talk show alleging libel and slander in the same venue.
The brother’s lawsuit alleges the show altered portions of a secretly recorded conversation between Deepak Kalpoe and a private investigator to “create false, incriminating, and defamatory statements that the plaintiffs engaged in criminal activity against Natalee Holloway.”
“It was our reasoning that if they can use the California court system to sue the show, then we could use it to sue them,” Dave Holloway said.
A judge ruled Jan. 24 the wrongful death suit was substantially different from the defamation suit and should not be presided by the same judge.
Natalee Holloway, a Mississippi native, was 18 when she disappeared on May 30, 2005, while on a trip to Aruba with fellow graduates of Mountain Brook High School in Alabama. She was last seen getting into a car with the Kalpoes and their friend, Joran van der Sloot.
Police spent months searching for the missing teen but the case did not lead to any criminal trial in Aruba.
“We are just trying to get some answers,” Dave Holloway said.
The ATLANTA, GEORGIA “Atlanta News” reported:
Natalee Holloway - Lightning Rod
After following the Natalee Holloway story for close to two years it is interesting that she is such a lightning rod for a group of people. I am not talking about the group that believes she was most likely raped and murdered on the island of Aruba but rather the group that vehemently defends Joran van der Sloot, Paulus van der Sloot, the Kalpoe Brothers, and the island of Aruba in general. This group defends the above group, all of whom at one time or another were questioned or held in custody on the island of Aruba with little regard to fact or common sense. This group defends Joran and his cohorts with a vigor and a venom I can not remember in another missing person's case. Whether you believe Joran and the gang are guilty of a crime or not is really insignificant. It would seem to me that everyone would want Natalee Holloway to be found, whether dead or alive, so that one, she could be reunited with her parents if she were alive, or two, at least have a proper burial if she were deceased. As well, all should want the guilty parties found and punished, if, in fact, there was a crime. At times I have seen Natalee depicted by this group of people as a drunk, a druggie, a young lady of questionable morals, and a tramp. I have seen her family depicted as media whores who have questionable intentions outside of finding their daughter. I have heard the family is in it for the money, they were trying to claim insurance, and on and on. This begs the question, why would Natalee or her family be the subject of any criticism at all? Whether the Holloway's are good people, I do not know, I do not know them, but I do know their daughter is missing and they have missed her on Christmas, thanksgiving, her birthday and most likely everyday. Joran, the Kalpoe's and the others if nothing else are still alive and with their families. I think it is sad, that even a small group of people would demonize a missing girl and her family. And to what gain? Some may say that this group of boys and their families have been treated unfairly and to that I would say, maybe they have, but they brought much if not all of it on themselves by if nothing else lying initially. The story of the Holiday Inn if nothing else took away valuable time and resources from the most crucial time when finding Natalee was possible if not likely. It saddens me that a missing girl and her family would be talked about even my a minority of people in such a manner. As a society, I wish we could all pull together in the common goal of finding Natalee and not in degrading her or her family. It reminds me of "A Time To Kill", when Jake Brigance is talking to the jury at the end of the movie and describes the rape and torture of a young black girl to an all white jury and then tells them "Now, imagine she is white". I would tell this group, now imagine, you talking about your own daughter, sister, close friend, cousin or someone else close to you when you speak of this girl and her family.
HARRISBURG, WEST VIRGINIA “ABC” TV “WHSV” channel 3 reported:
Beth Twitty Speaks
Reporter: Kelly Creswell
Email Address: kcreswell@whsv.com
(VIDEO here )
Beth Twitty addressed this very issue at Bridgewater College Monday night. The safe traveling tips Twitty gave come at a very important time for upcoming spring breakers. Beth Twitty has never given up hope for the search of her daughter. But as she continues to follow up on leads, Twitty has also become an advocate for safe travel, making sure young students are educated about where they are going so a bad situation doesn't happen.
Natalee Holloway's mother Beth Twitty encourages that students go after every opportunity they get and to travel abroad as much as possible.
“It's just about making a plan, getting educated, investigating the infrastructure of the country you're visiting, so you can just be proactive instead of reactive if something tragic should happen," says Beth Holloway Twitty.
Many students are familiar with Natalee's story, and with spring break a few days away this really hits home.
"That that can be me, it's not just anybody, I've gotten in a car with people I don't know and gotten back to campus, it's just the thing, and it can happen to anybody, not just a random person with blonde hair," says Hope Stanley, a Bridgewater student.
Twitty told students to never tell strangers what day they leave the country, and to make sure they never leave clubs alone.
"If I put myself in a situation like that I'm going to have to think back to what she said and that's going to impact my situation and my circumstances," says Stanley.
Twitty says it's too late for her family to be educated, but it's not too late for others.
"I just want people to just to make a plan and just be more prepared when you leave our borders," says Twitty.
Auburn University is working with curriculum in conjunction with the safe travel foundation, a foundation that Twitty is starting up to educate others about safe traveling.
If you would like to learn more about the foundation or safe traveling, you can log onto our Web site and click on the featured links section.
On 2-28 the “Scared Monkeys” blog reported:
Deepak Kalpoe: “All People Lie, Even Big People”
… Some More than Others
Deepak, why all the contradictions?
(“Scared Monkeys” VIDEO here )
She dressed like a slut and acted like one” (Deepak Kalpoe)
Really Deepak, how long have you had such anger against women?
“Neither Deepak nor Satish has ever traveled to California or anywhere in the United States for business or pleasure,” according to their mother.
However, as the Kalpoe’s mom, Nadira, has stated in the past … “ All people lie, even big people”.
On 2-28 the “Aruba Boycott Blogspot” reported:
NATALEE'S FREEBIRDS--PREMEDITATION? PART IV
VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS - PREMEDITATED STALKING OF AN AMERICAN TEENAGER
WE ARE INCLINED TO BELIEVE....THIS WAS PREMEDITATED PART 4
Predators are known for telling lies. Look no further than some of our other infamous killers. This predator, Joran, lied about not previously meeting Natalee, lied about his identity, and told numerous lies about how he got home the morning Natalee disappeared-- yet he says one day he will tell the truth.
Joran and the Kalpoe brothers initially told police investigators they dropped Holloway off at the Holiday Inn where she was staying, but ten days later after being arrested they all changed their stories.
Unfortunately, the investigation had been drastically compromised by the prosecutor and polis who had neglected to arrest these three - knowing these suspects had lied. The Polis knew the "witnesses" lied because within the first 24 hours the Holiday Inn security cameras showed no sign of the Alabama teen having been returned to the hotel.
After admitting he had lied about dropping Holloway off at the hotel, Joran said he left Natalee at the beach near the Marriot hotel, but he continued to lie about surrounding circumstances. Joran has told four different versions of how he got home that night:
The Kalpoes dropped him off at home and drove off with Natalee
He left her at the beach and walked home
Deepak picked him up from the beach near the Marriott
Satish picked him up from the beach
The Kalpoe brothers deny they ever picked Joran up from the beach. In fact, they state they went home, got on the computer and Satish went to bed because he had school the next day.
Why create the first lie if you are innocent?
Why lie about your identity?
Why the lie about when you met Natalee Holloway?
Police chief Gerold Dompig stated: “Joran van der Sloot "lies a lot" and it would take days to recount them all.”
The ‘A Current Affair' interview with Jerry Wagschal, showed Joran stating he would tell the truth one day. We are still waiting for the truth about what these criminals did to Natalee Holloway. Joran and his father know what they did to Natalee Holloway.
THE QUESTION ARISES AROUND THE WORLD AS TO WHY THE DUTCH GOVERNMENT, ARUBAN LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HAVE DONE NOTHING ABOUT IT?
Joran van der Sloot and the Kalpoe brothers originally told police they dropped Natalee Holloway off at the Holiday Inn into the custody of a black security guard:
They said they dropped her off at her hotel about 2 a.m. and last saw her being approached by a black man in a black security guard uniform before they drove off, a lawyer for the brothers has said.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,159327,00.html
VAN SUSTEREN: Did you actually say that to Deepak, or did you think that?
VAN DER SLOOT: And then that's when we — that's when we made up a story to say, you know, that we didn't — that we dropped her off at the Holiday Inn.
VAN SUSTEREN: Whose idea was it to make up the story, yours or Deepak's?
VAN DER SLOOT: It was — it was kind of both ours.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,186707,00.html
After the original Holiday Inn lie was debunked, van der Sloot said he left Holloway at the beach and told four different versions of how he got home.
1. Joran tells police he was dropped off at his house and the Kalpoe brothers, Deepak and Satish, drove off with Natalee Holloway:
One of the trio detained since June 9, the Dutch son of a judicial official, is now saying that his two Surinamese friends — who are brothers — dropped him off at his house after he exchanged e-mail addresses with Holloway and said goodnight, Lejuez said.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,159327,00.html
2. Joran tells police he left Natalee at the Marriot beach and walked home:
On the record, Greta Van Susteren Wednesday, August 24, 2005-
VAN SUSTEREN: What is it that the phone call at 2:40 in the morning between Joran and your client was about? What were they talking about?
KOCK: Of course, that was not with my client. But my client says that what he was saying was that he was walking home, that he left the girl on the beach and that he's walking home. And afterwards, the call after 3:00 o'clock was to actually call in and say that he got home. So you know, if you look at the distance that it would take you to walk, that also concurs a little bit with the elapsed time between the two phone calls.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,166635,00.html
Vanity Fair article, January 2, 2006
Under questioning, however, Joran did change his story. Instead of leaving Natalee at the Holiday Inn, he now said, the Kalpoes had dropped him and Natalee off at the beach beside the Marriott, a half-mile north of the Holiday Inn; the area is a lovers' lane of sorts. He said Natalee was so drunk she was drifting in and out of consciousness. Joran said he left her at the beach and walked home.
http://www.vanityfair.com/commentary/content/printables/060102roco01?print=true
3. Joran tells police Deepak Kalpoe picked him up at the beach near the Marriot:
Joran van der Sloot's June 14, 2005 statement to police investigators:
Deepak had said that I have left my shoes at the Marriott Hotel. Deepak told me not to worry, because he'd pick the shoes up tomorrow for me. I had left a pair of white with blue shoes of the brand "K-Swias" [sic], size "14" on the beach. These shoes I bought in the United States.
What I also could mention is that during the drive Deepak told me that he was free the next morning that he didn't have to go to work. I told Deepak that I did have school and that I was tired.
I was left on May 30th, around 3:45 am at my house by Deepak. During exiting the car I asked him if he was going to go online. Deepak told me yes. Furthermore I had told him that I would call him the next day. I had asked Deepak if he could pick up the shoes that I had left on the beach. Deepak told me that he would pick up the shoes immediately. Then Deepak drove away.
4. Joran tells police Satish Kalpoe picked him up at the beach near the Marriot:
Joran van Der Sloot's June 29, 2005 statement to Aruban police:
When I was picked by Satish around quarter to three (02:45am) I was barefoot. I went to sit in front, next to Satish. I don't exclude the possibility that I had sand on my feet. Definitely did white sand from my feet stay behind on the floormat of the Honda. I had left my shoes (sneakers) on the beach. I had told Satish where I had left my shoes (sneakers).
Joran van der Sloot says he knows the truth and will tell it one day at his bidding:
Joran van der Sloot interview with Carl Wagschal, A Current Affair:
WAGSCHAL: 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.
VAN DER SLOOT: One day, I will explain exactly what happened. But right now, I don`t -- I don`t feel ready to do that.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0509/28/ng.01.html
PERHAPS JORAN VAN DER SLOOT SAID IT BEST TO CHRIS CUOMO ON ABC PRIMETIME LIVE:
At the same time, he told "Primetime" that his version of events is hard to believe. When asked why, after all the lying he's done, his word should be credible, he said, "There's absolutely no reason to believe me." "I would probably not believe myself, no," he added.
Natalee and her family deserve justice - and we will not let up until they have it.
Natalee's Freebirds
On 2-28 WINSTON SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA “FOX” “WGHP” TV channel 8 reported:
Include Precaution in Spring Break Plans
By LEAH BENO
FOX8 News
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) -- Spring Break for Piedmont college students is right around the corner. Most students will focus on fun during their respite from classes. Beth Twitty said in addition, students need to think about what to do in case there is trouble.
Twitty has become an unwilling expert on spring break. Her daughter, Natalee Holloway disappeared during a trip to Aruba almost two years ago.
“Wherever the invitation comes, I will go,” said Twitty, who spoke with Wake Forest University students Wednesday night. She hopes her family’s experience will prevent something similar happening to anyone else.
“What you need to remember as I talk with you is that you could be Natalee and I could be your parent,” said Twitty, who continues to fight for answers in her daughter’s disappearance.
Twitty wants to inspire travelers to think of her and her daughter and the precautions they did not take.
Related Items
Link
Int’l Safe Travels Foundation Website
On 2-28 PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA “NBC” “WPXI” TV channel 11 reported:
Spring Break Warning: Take Extra Care In Caribbean
Government Warns Students About Vacation Danger Zones
Karen Welles, Target 11 Investigator
(article includes VIDEO)
PITTSBURGH -- Partying in paradise could quickly turn to problems much more serious than hangovers and sun burns.
Terrorism and crime are two major concerns for anyone traveling the next couple of months.
It's that time of year when college kids and adults head south for fun in the sun.
But this year, the state department is warning vacationers to be extra careful in the Caribbean.
The Cricket World Cup is being held in the Caribbean from March through April and the U.S. government is warning about a heightened threat of terrorist attacks.
"As security increases around event venues, terrorists may shift their focus to open public spaces, hotels, buses, churches and restaurants,"said State Department officials.
Pitt soccer players Carli Brill and Courtney Wrightson and their friends went to Key West, Fla., last year for spring break.
This year the pair wants to leave the country and is booked for Nassau in the Bahamas.
According to the state department, "Crime and violence have increasingly moved into tourist and residential areas there".
Brill said," I think we'll be fine. We'll just stick together."
Joann Cosentino, a travel agent at University Travel, said, "I always try to tell them, you know just play it smart. Don't wander off."
The U.S. government has warned "gang violence and shootings occur regularly in certain areas of Kingston and Montego bay."
Tourists are also targets of thieves and robbers. And the government warned, "The use of date-rape drugs has become more common at clubs and private parties."
Wrightson said, "My dad always tells me never leave your drink. If you leave it and go to the bathroom, don't drink it when you get back."
In Cancun, the U.S. government warned of "increased reports of crime, especially rape involving alcohol and the nightclub environment."
In Acapulco, "Drug-related violence has been increasing," according to U.S. officials.
With the disappearance of Natalie Holloway in Aruba, risk consultant Kevin Wilkes said spring break safety should be a real concern.
"She lowered her awareness level she lowered her inhibition," Wilkes said. "There was drinking involved she accepted a ride from stranger's--people who she had just met, and now, unfortunately, she's still missing."
For more information about crime in other countries and tips on how to protect yourself when you travel go U.S. State Department
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