The Real Aruba Truth

She Went to Aruba- Will You?

2008-03-18T05:53:00.000-07:00

"She" is, of course, Natalee Holloway, the Alabama honors high-school graduate who went to Aruba in May 2005 on a class trip. On the last night of the trip, she and other students went to Carlos 'n' Charlies, a bar where Aruban police say drugging of drinks is known to occur. She left with three Aruban residents. One, Joran van der Sloot, had spent days with her tour group, falsely saying he was a visiting Dutch tourist. (A hotel manager later identified him as a known predator who targeted American tourist girls.) He and his companions, Deepak and Satish Kalpoe, drove Natalee away, alone.

Natalee's disappearance, and her family's quest for the truth, have drawn media coverage and
worldwide interest ever since. The case was revived in January, when a series of 'sting' videotapes by a Dutch TV crime reporter showed Joran confiding that he was with Natalee when she suddenly passed out on the beach. He said he panicked and, without knowing if she were still alive, called "Daury," a "friend" who dumped her body at sea.

Joran said he wasn't bothered by what happened.

"I was even able to sleep that night. I just went home and went to bed." He later said his story was a lie given under the influence of marijuana. On February 15, 2008, an appeals court of three judges upheld an earlier ruling that the tapes did not provide enough new evidence to re-arrest him, even though this was the first time that he acknowledged knowing about Natalee's fate.

Joran and the Kalpoes have given well over 20 versions of what happened. Their first story --
they dropped Natalee off at her hotel and saw two security guards take her away -- was disproven by Beth Holloway. The guards, who were never associated with Natalee in any way, were swiftly arrested on no evidence except this lie from the three people last seen in Natalee's company. The three were not arrested until 11 days after Natalee vanished. Aruba police had a warrant to search the entire van der Sloot property, but Dutch judge Bob Wit met them and limited the search to Joran's apartment. On June 10, 2005, Aruba officially announced that Natalee was dead and that one suspecthad confessed ... only to withdraw the announcement
and cite "a disinformation campaign."

Why should Americans avoid Aruba?

Paulus van der Sloot, Joran's father, a lawyer who aspired to be a judge, is believed to have used his contacts in Aruba's government and law enforcement to destroy evidence and obstruct the investigation. In her book, Beth Holloway Twitty quoted a former head of Aruba tourism as outright admitting that there was a cover-up. More evidence supports this argument than
we can put here. After nearly three years, there are no answers. Will you visit a country that winks at the disappearance of American tourists, even though our tourism provides 80% of its income? Do you want to prop up this banana republic with your money?

How can I learn more about this case?

The Natalee Holloway mystery may be the most intensively covered missing-person case in history, and is abundantly documented. Even a basic timeline would require not a handout, but a volume. People interested in doing more research into the case, reviewing the timeline, or just following the news and comments on it are invited to visit these Web sites. There are many more, but these are some of the key ones and offer links to others:

www.scaredmonkeys.com
www.arubanboycott.blogspot.com
www.arubassilence@bravehost.com
www.therealarubatruth.blogspot.com

The two books by Natalee's parents are Dave Holloway's "Aruba: the Tragic Untold Story of Natalee Holloway and Corruption in Paradise," and Beth Holloway's "Loving Natalee." These are
indispensable reading. Also see the blog of Dutch crime reporter Peter deVries:
http://www.peterrdevries.com/

Texas Equusearch, a volunteer search and rescue group, has been searching the waters off Aruba for Natalee's body since mid-November 2007. The search relies on volunteer help and is financed by private donations. Aruba and the Netherlands provide no funds for this search, which costs an estimated $50,000 a day.
Read about it on http://www.nholloway.blogspot.com/

What can I do to help this victimized family?

Nelson Oduber, prime minister of Aruba, recently admitted on Dutch TV that his country has lost tens of millions of dollars in tourist revenue owing to the boycott (Aruba previously denied any impact). The boycott is working, but Natalee's family still deserves the truth!
We are volunteers who want justice, and who believe the boycott is our best leverage on Aruba.
(We also think Natalee's case has revealed that Aruba is not a fit destination.)

Please consider these measures:

*Boycott Aruba. Heed our motto: "No justice for Natalee, no tourists for Aruba."
*Tell your views to:

Aruba Tourism Authority,
100 Plaza Dr., Secaucus, NJ 07094

*Embassy of the Netherlands, 4200 Linnean
Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20008

*Ask your legislators why our government will not speak out against Aruba, three years later.

*Join our e-mailing list at JusticeforNatalee@gmail.com to learn of future events.

If "we the people" do not demand justice, nobody will. Join our boycott of Aruba.

***

Folks, that text will be on flyers that we will be giving out at the Houston Travel Show held at the George R Brown Convention Center on March 29-30, 2008. I will definitely be there, and we should have plenty of media attention thanks to local stations that have been sympathetic to Natalee's case in the past.

New Protests Coming Up This Month

2008-02-09T12:25:00.000-08:00

This time the protesters have anti-Aruba freebies to hand out: I'm told that totes, pens, and magnets will be available...and I do believe that the organizers will be handing out Boycott Aruba on Spring Break fliers, too.

The first protest will be at the Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center in Boston (200 Seaport Blvd) on February 22-24, 2008. The second will be in New York City at the Jacob. K. Javits Convention Center (655 W. 34th Street) the following weekend.

Please note that the ATA is a presenting sponsor of the Boston show. It is very important that we embarrass them in Boston!

Let me remind people of a few things, both in the U.S. and Aruba:

~ Nobody can stop us from protesting, not today, not ten years from now. Unlike Aruba, where polis dispersed a labor protest just last year, the U.S. is a free country where peaceful demonstrations are commonplace and a protected right;

~ Nobody can make Americans come to Aruba as opposed to the many other Caribbean islands that are exactly the same as Aruba (except those other places are cheaper and less desolate);

~ Joran may be persona non grata in Aruba now, and his father may possibly lose a lot of his
"Dutch privilege" committee positions in Aruba, but that doesn't help Natalee's family;

~ the Aruban people have still fail to hold their government responsible for the fact that corrupt, privileged Dutch scumbags still run the country and are still doing their part to protect their equally corrupt Dutch friends;

~ In fact, nothing has changed in Aruba. The same corrupt Dutch and the same corrupt MEP
are in charge, and the short-sighted and failed 'status aparte' treaty with Mother
Netherlands still allows for this corruption to continue unchallenged;

~ Aruba is still a hub for drug trafficking, offshore money laundering, and human trafficking;

~ Aruba's ruling party, the MEP, is still politically close to Venzuelan 'President' Hugo Chavez, the most outspoken anti-American Communist dictator in South America;

~ Key people who were aware of Natalee's disappearance in the first 48 hours, namely Gerold
Dompig, Dennis Jacobs, and Jan van der Straaten, have never been questioned by Dutch
authorities or investigated for any wrongdoing;

~ All of this has harmed the average Aruban far more than the fatcat hotel and casino owners,
the politicians, and the Netherlands. And yet the people who have the most to lose are still too blind to realize how crappy their elected officials are, and unwilling to do anything but cry, cry, cry;

~ We still don't know what happened to Natalee, by whose hand, or if it is even possible
to find this out and provide meaningful justice.

Finally, I have a message for poor, suicidal little innocent as a newborn weasel Joran: if you're not man enough to own up for what you did, at least to Natalee's family for their sake, then maybe it would be best for everyone if you weren't here....

Get Used to Zero Growth, Aruba!

2007-12-20T12:14:00.000-08:00

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20071220/D8TLBQ9G0.html

What a sham by the so-called 'professionals' the Dutch sent. The Dutch have no problem lying to the family and Americans, either. "We can prosecute without a body! We can prosecute without a body! We can prosecute without a body! Oh, no...we really can't" But I guess we shouldn't have expected the apple to fall far from the tree... why should the Netherlands care when they have status aparte to hide behind? "Not our fault. We can't help. Status aparte, sorry!"

Guess what, Aruba? The damage has been done by your own government's ineptitude and your own indifference. But if you want to keep blaming the media and the family, then go right ahead and dig your grave deeper. Show Americans what whiny, irresponsible, heartless crybabies you are. You're not the victims- Natalee Holloway, her family, and justice are.

The damage is done, Aruba. This one's gonna hurt you for a long, long time...and for choosing the almighty dollar and not justice, you deserve it. For never forcing the government you re-elected months after Natalee disappeared to a higher standard, you deserve it.

You chose to sleep with the Devil- now live with it. And pray that someone does the right thing and brings closure, or at least vengeance, to this family.

As for the boycott efforts: we're mad, we're dedicated, and nobody can stop us. And one of the men who supported the boycott formally is running for President....

Holloway Investigation Closed- But They're REALLY Sorry About This!

2007-12-18T09:45:00.000-08:00

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20071218/D8TJVTTG0.html

They have not exhausted their resources, of course. They have not started a new kidnapping investigation. They have not turned over evidence to the FBI or included the FBI in any meaningful way. They have not included 'third parties' in the investigation that the suspects implicated (according to Mos himself). Until we get these things- the boycott marches on!

Sadly for Arubans, the gov't will not do any of these things. Here's why...

The FBI would soon see that the so-called evidence is bogus and amounts to one person's word against another's- no forensic evidence, no electronic evidence, no evidence that isn't highly suspicious if it exists at all. I bet if Dave were to ask those same FBI agents that told him Natalee was probably dead what they thought now, they would have something much different to say. These third parties Mos mentioned then conveniently forgot about are all protected by the corrupt officials as well- and they are the real keys to solving this, not the three delivery boy scapegoats. And the real culprits are way more influential than J2K. A kidnapping investigation would not only be way too close to the truth for comfort, but it will also prolong negative publicity. Think this couldn't have happened to Natalee? Let me remind you that one island over on lovely and equally crime-ridden Curacao, Amy Bradley disappeared almost 10 years ago. Funny how a girl who fell overboard a cruise ship to her death is still on the FBI's missing persons list, and has been spotted in brothels across the Caribbean since then... its funny that she is known to have been accosted by Arubans who invited her to C&Cs before she disappeared.

And we have to ask ourselves, why did the gov't think a negative economic growth in 2006 was worth the risk to protect the suspects, when they could've let Natalee's family find her, take her home, and everything would blow over and be forgotten? Folks, I urge you to look up 'Rebecca Middleton' and examine her case with this one- and look at the differences.

This in no way absolves Aruba or stops the boycott. There are other things Aruba is fully able to do according to Dutch and international conventions- such as sharing evidence with the family (possible now that the case is closed; the family simply needs to petition for access in international court). The U.S. State Department is also authorized to- and must by law- get involved if as few as 5,000 American citizens petition for this. And our boycott efforts are not dependant on Dave Holloway or Beth Reynolds in any way whatsoever.

I e-mailed all my boycott supporters and organizers, saying that it is high time we got organized and planned a long-tern boycott effort. In 15 minutes they all answered back with a resounding "Hell yeah!" So, as a start, look for my bogus Aruba Travel and Tourism blog to be up soon- and look for an official boycott website by others as well.

D-Day Letter to Aruba

2007-12-01T13:26:00.000-08:00

I sent this to Diario Aruba as a response to Jossy Mansur's 11/30/2007 editorial. I do not expect it to be published simply because the Aruban government finds ways to make it hard on the press when it publishes anything critical:

“Hello Jossy,

Let me assure you of a few things as an American, as one who is very well-informed about the Holloway disappearance, and is a tourism professional with a degree in recreation and tourism:

First, as much as Arubans loyal to the government (among others in the world) like to think, Americans are not stupid. We know that Joe Tacopina is just another sleazy defense lawyer, and that he is paid to make guilty men look innocent. Your readers may not be aware of this, but in America lawyers are almost universally hated- especially defense attorneys. When he or his Aruban counterparts paint Joran to be some kind of innocent victim, he is only hardening our hearts against Joran and the island that sheltered him.

Second, regardless of what evidence the prosecution has or will present to the judges for a trial, Americans expect justice. I do not blame anyone but the suspects for failing to come clean and allow Dave Holloway to at least find his daughter for closure’s sake, but as a travel and tourism professional I can tell you that Aruba must provide justice for this family and for the missing girl. If it does not, the ATA may as well write the U.S. and Canada off as a loss, and start courting the Venezuelan tourists that Nels Oduber seems to hold so dearly. Sadly, the average Venezuelan have nearly as much disposable income as the average American…

This is the American attitude: we do not owe Aruba anything. We feel betrayed that we provided so much of our income to Aruban families and the government, and yet that government cannot thank us with even one prosecution. One betrayal like most Americans feel over this issue is enough to erase any number of years of safe tourism to the island. I am not saying that is fair- but that is how things are in the typical American mind. I know that Dave Holloway does not support a boycott and does not wish to harm innocent Arubans, but we do not take orders from Dave Holloway. We make our own decisions to stay away from Aruba.

Mr. Mansur, I will make a prediction: if there is no conviction handed down from Aruba’s courts regarding the missing Holloway girl, Aruba’s tourism will not return to 2005 levels for at least 10 years, and I cannot hazard a guess as to if it will ever grow much beyond that. There are many other factors that make this negative publicity even worse, such as rising fuel prices, tightening travel and restrictions in the U.S. (the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico are already advertising ‘no passport fees’ on their television ads), and the very competitive nature of Caribbean tourism. In the last three issues of two prominent travel magazines, Travel Age West and Travel + Leisure, I found only two very small ads for Aruba. I see one airing of Aruba commercials on the Travel Channel per night, on most nights.

The interest just is not there anymore, and these travel and tourism outlets have no interest in advertising what travel agents aren’t selling.

Of course the Aruban government is lying about the losses to sedate the voters, but local newspapers and international groups have figures that reveal these lies for what they are. We will see how much tourism has really dropped before the next elections- I am sure the MEP’s opposition will gladly share all of the truth with voters then.

I am sorry, but the truth is Aruba must provide justice for Natalee Holloway. Americans are simply sick and tired of excuses and mistakes, and ‘Sorry, we did our best’ will not be enough ot bring us back. Honestly, I’m not sure if we ever will come back.

Your Friend,

Dan in Tx”

Pennsylvaina Boycott Protest

2007-11-21T15:03:00.000-08:00

Two of the Boycott Aruba faithful sent me this report of the recent Pennsylvania protests. I quote e-mails verbatim (with permission):

"

We had six participants at the maximum. Four of us post on Scared Monkeys as follows: 10061906, NM, Elaine, and Richard. JusticeforNatalee and her husband dropped in; she had taken part in the "original" Boston protest, and we were all pleased that she joined us. None of the rest of us had ever met, but we all worked together effectively.

Arrangements had been made with security, who gave us a place to stand near a main entrance to the convention center. This place had a huge parking lot, so it wasn't like the Boston event, where everyone had to pass by us. As there was at least one other main entrance, a number of people might have not seen us.

Also, the traffic pattern in the huge parking lot was chaotic at the best. Anyone who pulled over to take our pamphlets, read our signs, or to just take a look risked incurring an accident. I think that a post in front of an entrance would have been safer for everyone.

Still and all, these were the arrangements that security at the event gave us. As in Boston, we were not allowed to hand out literature within the convention center, or to wear "protest clothing" inside.

Thanks to Jamie of Alabama, we had received a number of her beautiful signs and sweatshirts. Vicki in Florida deserves lots of credit for supervising all of these things with her usual efficiency and spreading the word to everyone.

The main point that's worth making is that (as far as I know) we heard NOT ONE PRO-ARUBA COMMENT. Not everyone who came to talk with us criticized Aruba, but many did. A number of people signalled their support of us, and (I think) more people here, than in Boston, took some trouble to tell us that they agreed with us in wanting to boycott Aruba.

We also heard some interesting remarks. One woman said that she goes to this same travel show every year to tell Aruba that she had no plans to return. She said that he had to cancel one planned trip, and had to forfeit a deposit of $150. When she called to ask if she could get it back, she said, Aruba began a pattern of what she called harrassment ... making nuisance calls to her from Aruba, threatening, and being generally offensive. She said that she had complained to the FBI about it.

Five or six travel agents took our literature and expressed sympathy. Two of them told us that the Aruban 'delegation' was annoying all of the other participants; they were loud, noisy, and generally were unpopular and clashed with the others there.

Some of us went into the travel show arena (in 'civilian' clothes, of course), and their reports confirmed what we were told by some other people: Aruba had more floor space than any other delegation at the event, and yet its booths were getting very little interest. This is a subjective opinion, of course, but the consensus was that almost nobody seemed interested in finding out information on Aruba.

One woman who had taken our literature earlier in the day told us that the Aruban booths were nearly deserted, and that she was there when one couple wandered over. One of the workers there began giving them 'sales talk,' and she intervened, telling the couple "Don't go to Aruba, it isn't even safe. Go ask those people outside (meaning us), and they'll tell you all about it."

She said that the worker for Aruba just gaped at her. Later on, she said, the couple went over to her privately and said they had decided not to go to Aruba.

(Incidentally, except for two or three 'exotic dancers,' the staff at the Aruban booths were not Aruban. They appeared to be from a U.S. travel agency. One of us, 10061096, said he thought that even the dancers seemed to be depressed by the lack of activity at the Aruban exhibit.)

Yet another person said she had a timeshare in Aruba but would never use it again.

One woman and her daughter strolled over to us, said that they had heard about Natalee, and on the basis of what they heard would never go to Aruba.

As in Boston, some people asked whether Natalee had been found yet. But I think that most people who reacted to our signs and literature remembered the case, and many said they thought there had been some sort of cover-up. Certainly the broad details were remembered, and many recognized Natalee's picture. We got quite a number of gestures of support for our cause, and most people who responded seemed to agree that a boycott was a good idea. Some of them mentioned that they had read the book by Beth, Dave, or both.

At the Valley Forge protest, we received at least three offers of donations. One woman who drove up in her car pulled over to see what we were about, scanned the handouts, pulled out a $5 bill and thrust it at us! (In about 20 seconds after pulling over.)

We were startled, or at least I was, but we decided to decline all donations to avoid any imputations of "impure motives."

Some people asked if we were related to Natalee's family. We said (as we did at Boston) that we were not affiliated with the family in any way ... were not paid by them, or even asked by them, to appear at these events, and did not speak for them or represent them.

We said that we were simply regular Americans who were irate at what Aruba has done (and not done), disgusted that our government has not stood up for Americans abroad, and that we are simply doing what we think is both prudent and morally right ... urging people not to go to Aruba, and to spread Natalee's story.

Finally, one more thing. There has been a lot of talk that the publicity given Natalee's case represents a kind of "rich white girl syndrome." Without addressing this, let me say that from what I saw, many of the people at the Valley Forge event who expressed support, and who praised us, were black. I hope that settles that issue.

(Many of them also were travel agents. As I said before, two travel agents who took part in the actual travel show said that the people representing Aruba left a bad taste in everyone's mouth, so to speak.)

Think of it: Aruba had six booths, representing more floor space than any other participant ... and yet, from what we were told and from what some of us saw, they were getting NO INTEREST."

ALERT: Scam in Progress

2007-08-31T17:59:00.000-07:00

One of the Boston Five (the people who organized the first protest against the ATA in Boston, and incidentally are still planning protests for the six other conventions Aruba will be at this year) had an e-mail contact account that was hacked less than a week ago. The scam message coming from this 'hijacked' e-mail reads thus:

"How are you doing today? I am sorry i didn't inform you about my traveling to Africa for a program called "Empowering Youth to Fight Racism HIV/AIDS, Poverty and Lack of Education, the program is taking place in three major countries in Africa which is Ghana , South Africa and Nigeria . It as been a very sad and bad moment for me, the present condition that i found myself is very hard for me to explain. I am really stranded in Nigeria, because I forgot my little bag in the Taxi where my money, passport, documents and other valuable things were kept on my way to the Hotel am staying, I am facing a hard time here because i have no money on me. I am now owning a hotel bill of $ 1550 and they wanted me to pay the bill soon else they will have to seize my bag and hand me over to the Hotel Management., I need this help from you urgently to help me back home, I need you to help me with the hotel bill and i will also need $1600 to feed and help myself back home so please can you help me with a sum of $3500 to sort out my problems here? I need this help so much and on time because i am in a terrible and tight situation here, I don't even have money to feed myself for a day which means i had been starving so please understand how urgent i needed your help. I am sending you this e-mail from the city Library and I only have 30 min, I will appreciate what so ever you can afford to send me for now and I promise to pay back your money as soon as i return home so please let me know on time so that i can forward you the details you need to transfer the money through Money Gram or Western Union.

Really hope to read from you soon"

Folks, THIS IS A SCAM. None of it is true, and in fact the same message is probably used to swindle money through a variety of hacked or bogus accounts.

The owner reported that the account had been taken over by hackers and the password changed to Google and the appropriate authorities. DO NOT respond or even open anything from volunteersfornatalee@gmail.com!

As soon as the boycotters have an alternate contact I will post it.

How You can Help

2007-07-15T02:32:00.000-07:00

For a long time now I've seen Natalee supporters asking myself and others, "How can we help? What else is there to do? What can we do?" The truth is, there are a lot of quick, dirty, inexpensive things that everyday Joes and Janes like you and I can do to keep pressure on Aruba until Natalee is found.

* Visit travel and tourism blogs and simply state that because of how Aruban authorities deliberately and continually mismanaged the investigation, possibly beyond recovery, you will never visit Aruba. Its very important when you do post that you make it known who the blame lies on (the MEP and ALE). There are already people doing this on MSN, Yahoo!, and AOL message boards.

Other topics you might want to mention are:
- past corruption (the Caruna-Cuntreras scandal and how organized crime got a toehold in Aruba under- guess whose administration- the MEP's), drug trafficking through the island, concerns of corruption from Dutch officials (like former Dutch Attorney General Arthur Doctors van Leeuwen, who said, "I think we are going to lose it (the drug war) on Aruba" or former Aruban Security Service director Martien ras, who wrote to van Leeuwen suggesting that organized crime had such an influence on Aruban politics that democracy itself was in jeopardy).
- the fact that Aruba has not released complete crime statistics since 1997;
- the many instances of questionable investigative strategies on the ALE's part , beginning with an 11-day lag before arresting the last three people Natalee was known to be with (despite numerous witnesses who named said suspects). It certainly didn't end with that slip-up....
- mention the fact that, despite the many incentives offered by Aruba in a (hopefully futile) effort to recover, Aruba is still one of the most expensive Caribbean destinations for Americans to visit and yet offers nothing unique to tourists;
- mention how current Aruban Prime Minister Nel Oduber bragged about Aruba's political closeness with anti-American dictator Hugo Chavez of Venezuela (incidentally, Venezuela is only about 15 miles from Aruba, and the majority of drugs shipped from Aruba come from there buond for the U.S. and Europe);
- mention past anti - money laundering and anti- drug trafficking treaties between the U.S. under the Clinton administration and Caribbean islands that Aruba did not sign onto;
- if you've been to Aruba in the past and had a bad experience, by all means post those!

There's a lot of really ugly things like that you can post to keep travelers away from Aruba. Just make sure your facts and your sources are straight!

* Buy a 'Boycott Aruba' bumper sticker and display it proudly. cafepress.com has tons of boycott Aruba merchandise.

* For you creative kinds, make a video and tell us why you will not be going to Aruba and who you blame for Natalee's disappearance. Post to youtube.com - its free, and it will show up on Google videos, too. Again, this is a great way for people who have been to Aruba and had a bad experience to help!

* Write your local Congressperson and State Representative and tell them why you are concerned with the investigation, why the government should be doing more to pressure the Netherlands to clean up Aruba's corruption (drug trade, money laundering, and more).

* Write the U.S. State Department and ask them to get involved politically in any way possible. An international lawyer tells me that if the State Department gets at least 5,000 letters from the public expressing concern about the same subject they are required to officially address it with the foreign parties in question.

* Buy a copy of Dave Holloway's book from Amazon.com- they cost less than $12 a copy, and the proceeds go to the Natalee Holloway Foundation, a non-profit organization Dave Holloway founded to help other missing Americans overseas (Federal law prohibits him from using foundation money to look for his own daughter...). Call your local library when you're done and ask if they have a copy. If not...donate yours.

* Send a copy of Dave's book to your local Representative or Congressperson. Ask them to read it and donate it as well.

* Post 'boycott Aruba' flyers around travel agencies and especially around Aruba Tourism Authority field offices in Weehauken NJ, the Woodlands TX, Chicago IL, Ft. Lauderdale FL, and Atlanta GA. Make sure your local laws allow this, but in many places you are allowed to post small flyers in public rights-of-way and public utilities (like light- and telephone poles) without permit- and it is usually illegal for anyone else but city employees to remove them if posted properly!

* Another good way to put those little flyers to use is to leave a few in the magazines you find in the dentist's office, the barbershop / salon, the doctor's office, etc. Target any travel magazines you find especially- and rip out any Aruba ads you find too!

* Send letters to the Dutch Embassy to the U.S. , the Aruba Tourism Authority, and the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association and simply state, "No justice for Natalee = no tourism!" They'll know which Natalee you mean...

* Many people who have been to Aruba looking for Natalee (Dave Holloway, Texas Equusearch members, Art Wood, the late Jamie Skeeters to name a few) have said that the Arubans all seem afraid of something. Hell, even some TV psychic picked that up! So Arubans: if you know something about this case that could solve it, there is a way you can safely tell what you know: write it down or type it out, seal it in a security envelope, and give it to an American tourist (assuming you can find one). Tell them that it can help Natalee's case and ask that they send it to Dave Holloway or America's Most Wanted- not the FBI (they are bound by law to turn it over to the ALE), and certainly not the Aruban authorities of any kind! Then walk away. Quickly.

* Look through magazines, travel blogs, etc. and send anything negative you find about Aruba to lionhunter053005@yahoo.com for rapid redistribution throughout the internet. Make sure you include the exact source, date, and author of the article!

* Leave a prayer request for natalee and her family in your church's offering plate. Some of us believe Natalee may be alive and findable (I am firmly of this opinion, sadly more than her own parents), some believe she is gone and want justice for her and closure for her family. Just pray your heart's wishes for this family.

* Write the major networks (ABC, NBC, FOX, and especially CBS since they hyped Aruba up so much on the 07/12/07 edition of the Early Show). Tell them that they may be sleeping with the Devil but you haven't forgotten Natalee and that they couldn't pay you to go to Aruba! Suggest to them that they concentrate on the many equally charming but safer, less corrupt places like Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, Barbados....

* Post business card-sized 'Boycott Aruba' flyers under windshield wipers in parking lots. People do this all the time for comemrcial profit, why not do it for selfless reasons too?

* Buy an Aruba flag. Destroy and desecrate it (don't be unsanitary, though) and mail it to the Aruban government. Let them know why you did it.

* Write to the U.S. businesses that have ventures in Aruba (McDonald's, Holiday Inn, and the supposedly patritotic Wal-Mart to name a few). Tell them that their Aruba branches will not be seeing any of your money- and why.

* Call or send a letter to the ATA or AHATA expressing your displeasure with their government and make sure you tell them why you won't ever set foot in Aruba. Don't e-mail them; deleting an e-mail is easy, but it takes time and costs these people money to talk on the phone or open a letter.

* There are several international pen pal websites out there. Get a pen pal from Aruba, the Netherlands, or Curacao (remember Aruba and Curacao are very close and pretty much the same community). Tell them exactly who you are boycotting Aruba and what us Americans expect if they want us to come back.

* Contact your local VFW Hall and ask if they would pass this list on to their members for anyone who is interested. Veterans of all people should be concerned with corrupt foreign governments and victimized Americans seeking justice.

* If you have a property line that fronts a busy street or highway, post a big 'boycott Aruba' message (if you have a chain-link fence you can easily do this with paper cups). People near airports, cruise ship docks, and theme parks- we really need you for this one!

* Finally, join a group that deals with justice for Americans overseas, traveler safety, victims rights, or the like. Possibilities include the Natalee Holloway Foundation (Dave Holloway's foundation), the International Safe Travels Foundation (Beth Twitty's foundation), the International Cruise Victims, and Texas Equusearch. There's other people to help besides Natalee, after all...

New Orleans Protest - Day by Day

2007-07-01T14:54:00.000-07:00

The people who were at the ATA-cosponsored New Orleans travel conference this past weekend to protest Aruba were kind enough to e-mail me updates day by day. The organizer and ringleader of this particular protest I do not feel comfortable naming until I check with her, but here's the posts I got this past weekend:

Day One (June 29, 2007)

"There was good exposure for the cause today in New Orleans! Although some protestors were unable to come, last minute, and there are just 3 of us, the banners and signs are being noticed and are as well placed as possible. We can only place signs on public property and Hilton Hotel security made us take down a banner they thought was too close to their property. The World Trade Center made us move signs in their lawn, near the sidewalk. Otherwise, there were no problems.

People were walking up to us and talking about the case, asking questions. Some were arrogant or rude and refused to take the nice brochures we were passing out. Others seemed extremely interested in the case and very sympathetic to Natalee’s family. Several even made it a point to tell us THEY are not going to Aruba!

Among the most interesting people we spoke with was a travel agent from Ontario who has 5 children and who showed a great deal of interest in this case. Another man, a Native American, works in the Caribbean as a boat captain, and he was VERY angry about the anti-American sentiment he encounters that when he goes to countries in the Caribbean…and about Natalee’s case.

Overall, the reception was good and we found many of those who passed by very, very caring and very sympathetic toward Natalee's family. We were impressed and pleased. There are other New Orleans tourists besides the travel agents who are passing by and talking to us.

We’ll be going back tomorrow and Sunday to continue our protest..."

I will be posting more as they arrive; hopefully the organizers will send us an overall report this coming week. In the meantime, Scared Monkeys has some photos up:

http://www.scaredmonkeys.net/viewtopic.php?t=1003&start=140

New Protest Against Aruba this Month!

2007-06-17T16:10:00.000-07:00

My buddy Richard- one of the Boston Five and a very avid anti-Aruba protest organizer, asked me (among other blog owners) to let you all know that there is a travel agent conference in New Orleans June 27-July 1. It is ony open to travel agents...but anyone can protest. Considering the ATA is a sponsor, I think we should....even if Nawlins needs every little bit of business like this it can get still!

You can e-mail Richard at volunteersfornatalee@gmail.com; he will be happy to provide details for anyone who would like to join. My understanding is it will be held at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Center on Poydras Street.

FYI

2007-04-14T12:16:00.001-07:00

http://www.carlolawoffice.com/attorneys/index.html

Protest Aruba in Boston this Weekend!

2007-03-19T16:50:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine who has been involved in helping find Natalee for a long time now has a word to share with you:

On March 23-25, The Boston Globe is holding a travel show in Boston at which Aruba Tourism Authority will be a major sponsor. This notice is to let you know that some people will be there to remind participants that the Natalee Holloway case remains open and to urge people not to travel to Aruba until the case is resolved.

For more information, or if you are interested in participating, please contact VolunteersforNatalee@gmail.com.

We believe that Aruban government and law enforcement elements are engaged in a cover-up to protect certain persons from prosecution and punishment. We believe this is intolerable, and that the only tool we have to help the Holloway Twitty family find justice is to encourage the public to speak out.

Even Aruba admits that boycott efforts to date have had an effect. We cannot force Aruba to do the right thing, but we can and will urge people to stay away. One lost tourist in Aruba is more than enough; let's do our part to make sure there are no more.

No justice for Natalee ... no tourists for Aruba. Join us in Boston! Speak up for Natalee!

(All people involved in this campaign are volunteers. We have no connection with Natalee's family, were not paid or asked to do this and receive no contributions from them.)

I'm sure the hater blogs will be going berzerk over this, so let me try to make it worse for them:

- the organizer has formal approval from the Boston Port Authority to hold this protest (that's called freedom of speech, Aruba);

- the organizer has helpers distributing this announcement to sympathetic blogs and posting it on travel and tourism websites and message boards;

- the organizer has permission from said authority to hand out literature at the doors, and he has literature ready to go;

- the organizer has a press release ready nad has started to distribute it to media outlets.

I wish I could be there.

Oduber and the MEP: Our Common Enemy

2006-10-26T19:53:00.000-07:00

Looks like the MEP's refusal to conduct an honest, competent, and transparent investigation into Natalee's disappearance has caused the loss of nearly 4 million USD so far - and that is the conservative number from what I can gather from this study! Apparently it may be twice this much...

I can't help but wonder: are Arubans that easy to fool, that cowardly, or that complacent? Maybe a little of all of the above?

Tourism Losses in Aruba to December 31, 2006.

Changes in Aruba Tourism by Month
2004-2006
(in total visitors per month, to nearest hundred)

Month	2004 (1)	2005	% Change	2006	%Change
Jan	57,300	65,700 (1)	+1.15	58,900 (4)	-10.30
Feb	61,600	59,600 (1)	-3.25	53,500 (4)	-10.30
Mar	58,300	65,400 (1)	+1.22	58,700 (4)	-10.30
Apr	67,000	65,900 (1)	-1.64	59,100 (4)	-10.30
May	57,200	25,600 (1)	-44.75	23,300 (4)	-9.00
Jun	53,900	48,800 (6)	-9.45	39,100 (2)	-8.80
Jul	69,900	67,500 (5)	-3.50	61,400 (7)	-9.00
Aug	68,300	65,900 (5)	-3.50	60,000 (7)	-9.00
Sep	52,600	50,800 (5)	-3.50	46,200 (7)	-9.00
Oct	62,500	37,500 (3)	-40.00	34,100 (7)	-9.00
Nov	58,600	52,300 (8)	-10.72	47,600 (7)	-9.00
Dec	61,100	54,600 (8)	-10.72	49,700 (7)	-9.00

Totals	728,300	659,600		591,600

% change 2004-2005: -9.44% (-68,700 tourists from 2004)
% change 2005-2006: -10.30% (-68,000 additional tourists from 2005)

Loss of revenue, 2005 (est): $1,793,000
Loss of revenue, 2006 (est): $1,774,800
Loss of revenue since June 1, 2005: $3,567,800 from hotel and lodging industry alone

Loss of jobs, 2005 (est): 78
Loss of jobs, 2006 (est): 80
Loss of jobs since June 1, 2005: 158

( 1 ) 2004 data provided by Caribbean Tourism Association.
( 2 ) -8.8% loss reported by Central Bank of Aruba.
( 3 ) 40% loss from previous October as reported by Central Bank of Aruba.
( 4 ) 10.3% loss first half of 2006 as reported by Central Bureau of Statistics / Central Bank of Aruba
( 5 ) 3.5% loss from 3rd quarter 2004 as reported by AM Digital, 10/28/05.
( 6 ) projected losses based on average changes in first quarter 2005.
( 7 ) projected losses based on average changes from June 2005 to June 2006 (last available data).
( 8 ) projected losses based on average changes from previous months of 2005.

Methodology:

Assumed: Normal average occupancy rate of hotels in Aruba is 82.2% (Jan 2004 – May 2005 monthly average according to the Central Bank of Aruba)

Assumed: 21% of Aruba’s tourists on average arrive by airline flight as opposed to by cruise ship. This indicates a minimal loss of cruise line passengers at the rate of airline passenger losses / 5. For example, a 20% drop in airline passengers alone suggests an accompanying loss to cruise line passengers of 5% (assuming the rate of loss is equal; it may be higher or lower).

Note that anecdotal evidence from Aruba suggests that the overall loss may be as much as twice as great as this study indicates. Anecdotal evidence from Aruba also suggests that the reporting authorities of Aruba have included in their own numbers only those hotels that remain at least 70% full – thus artificially inflating their figures.

Note that 2005 data was obtained by reducing 2004 figures in the same month according to reports from those sources listed above. Where monthly reports from Aruban sources were missing, the nearest month’s figures were carried over (either positive or negative).

Note that, in an effort to obtain fair and impartial results, every effort was made to err in favor of Aruba.

Note that loss of jobs assumes that the average Aruban earns $21,800 USD a year (source: CIA Factbook on Aruba, 2004). This number was obtained on the assumption that the easiest way for a hotel to minimize its loss is by reducing payroll, and thus yearly losses divided by average assumed income yields quoted results.

Note that this study only includes losses from hotel and lodging interests in Aruba.

Note that neither the Aruba Tourism Authority, the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association, nor the Central Bank of Aruba has released complete tourism figures since May 2005 – the month Natalee Holloway disappeared.

The Day I Met Dave Holloway

2006-05-24T16:24:00.000-07:00

I did get to meet Dave finally - here's a brief account of the event for anyone who is curious.

The event was the first annual Movers and Shankers golf tournament for Texas Equusearch, held at Longwood Golf Club in Cypress, Texas (northwest of Houston). I got there at the golf course around 7:15 A.M. and helped set up the silent auction display table. While I was busy doing that Dave showed up around 7:45 and dropped off some Natalee books for the silent auction and live auction (a note about that: the personalized, signed copy Dave put on live auction brought in $350. Dave wasn't lying when he said he could keep looking for 40 more years, Jacobs). Anyway, he was only there briefly and then he was off to get ready to play some golf (Dave and his partner and Tim Miller and his partner were in the first foursome). So I helped set the refreshment carts up and then me and a partner took off on a golf cart for a few hours delivering drinks and selling raffle tickets and mulligan tickets. We ran into Dave and Tim later on the course- Dave bought four raffle tickets and Tim bought two raffles and two mulligans. Funny thing about that- Tim actually won one of the raffle items but of course declined it so someone else could win.

I ran a few errands after we came in to the clubhouse to switch off, and after I got back I helped set up the banquet room, got changed into more presentable clothes, and right after that Dave and Tim came in. I introduced myself to Dave but didn't have time to say much before they were off again. When the golfers all came in we had the luncheon (box lunches- subs and chips and cookies). My architectural services only netted $100 (which means somebody got a STEAL) but I think the auctioneer didn't chat it up enough and people didn't really know what they were bidding on. It might do better on a long-term silent auction through the TES website, I'm thinking. Tim and Dave spoke only very briefly but I know Dave had more TV interviews to do and Tim and some others were going to Oklahoma to look for missing 9 year old Colt Clark today (05/24).

While I was waiting for the golfers to arrive for the banquet I talked to Meghan Palmer, the woman who came up with the idea of Water With a Mission- the idea of putting missing persons' photos straight off the Missing and Exploited Children website onto water bottles. Her company is Aqua Prima ( http://www.acquaprima.com/ or http://www.acquaprima.com/katy_courier.htm). She told me she thinks her idea was subliminal but I think it was Divine- it sure sounds like an angel whispered that into her ear!

I did get to talk to Dave for maybe 5 minutes, just said hi again, told him several times how glad I was to finally meet him, listened to him and a couple of TES guys talk about Guido's release (none of them seemed the least bit surprised), and he was kind enough to sign my Natalee book (I'll start reading it tonight) and my Purpose Driven Life. One thing I did learn about Dave- given his composure during the banquet and speech and talking about G.W.'s expected release he is one incredibly strong man. Funny how Aruba was worried about Beth and thought Dave was a pushover they could 'divide and conquer' but I do believe Dave is at least as determined as Bethy. Robin and the girls weren't there- Dave told me one of Robin's friends was getting married so she was at the wedding and another friend of hers lives in Houston as well so the girls went to visit her too.

Karen Martin, the lady in charge of the fundraiser, said that TES made between 15 and 20 thousand dollars between the entry fees, sponsors, ticket sales, and donations- several people dropped by just to drop off checks. I would say it was a big success for a first-time major fundraiser though- and they are planning another fundraiser in the fall and the second annual next year. And yes ALL the money went to TES, not a penny to Dave...let's quash ugly, hatemongering rumors before they start.

Interesting Rumors

2006-05-16T10:38:00.000-07:00

Here's some interesting rumors I've heard lately...well, actually two of these I've been able to confirm. I am trying to confirm the rest as quickly as I can! Can you guess which two are verified as true?

1. A website at www.realarubajustice.ru was up from 03/01 to 03/04. It had news photos of Paulus, Joran, the Kalpoes, and Steve Croes, and each had a bounty: $20,000 U.S. for Paulus DEAD, $30,000 for K2 and Steve Croes DEAD, and $100,000 for Joran DEAD. The website was traced to Bialystok, Poland (the .ru is domain suffix for Russian websites).

2. Joe Mammana has taken some of his wealth and invested it in stocks so that he has a steady supply of money to pay his PIs for investigating and watching the van der Sloots.

3. Some of Holloway-Twitty supporters are raising money to buy and donate a copy of Dave's book to the public library of each state capitol in the U.S.

4. Joe Mammana is going to buy some of Dave's books, get them autographed, and auction them off to help Dave get his Natalee Holloway Foundation off the ground financially (the foundation is non-profit but this qualifies as a donation).

5. There is an upcoming America's Most Wanted that will be all about Natalee and her family's efforts, ordeal, and future plans. I understand it will air Memorial Day weekend.

6. One group of concerned Americans are investigating the legalities and lawfulness of encouraging an all-out political revolution and governmental overthrow in Aruba from the U.S.

Dave's Book Tour and a Bonus!

2006-04-10T18:28:00.000-07:00

Dave Holloway Book Tour

Monday 04/10 - Good Morning America - ABC
7:00 am Eastern

Monday 04/10 - Mike Gallagher Show
Time: 12:25 am Eastern
http://www.mikeonline.com/pg/jsp/general/affiliates.jsp

Monday 04/10 - Lars Larson Show
Time: 6:00 pm
http://www.larslarson.com/Stations/default.aspx

Monday 04/10 - On the Record w/ Greta - Fox News
Time: 10:00 pm Eastern
Replay: 3:00 am Eastern
_____________________

Tuesday 04/11 - Larry King Live - CNN
Time: 9:00 pm Eastern
_____________________

Wednesday 04/12 - Fox News Live - Fox News
Time: 9:45 am Eastern

Wednesday 04/12 - Live & Direct w/Rita Cosby - MSNBC
Time: 9:00 pm Eastern
Replay: 1:00 am Eastern
_____________________

Thursday 04/13 - Fox & Friends - Fox News
Time: 8:20 am Eastern

Thursday 04/13 - WOR Radio - The Joan Hamburg Program
Time: 10:05 am Eastern
http://www.wor710.com/listen.shtml

Thursday 04/13 - 700 WLW - Bill Cunningham Show
Time: 12:30 pm
http://www.700wlw.com/pages/streaming.html

Thursday 04/13 - Mark Snyder Show
Time: 1:00 pm Eastern

Thursday 04/13 - Abrams Report - MSNBC
Time: 4:00 pm & 6:00 pm Eastern

Thursday 04/13 - Catherine Crier Live - Court TV
Time: 5:00 pm Eastern

Thursday 04/13 - Nancy Grace - CNN Headline News
Time: 8:00 pm Eastern
Replay: 10:00 pm Eastern & 1:00 am Eastern
_____________________

Friday 04/14 - Launch Network Radio Tour
Time: 8:20 am Eastern

Friday 04/14 - Rocket & Teresa KMXV
Time: 10:30 am Eastern
http://www.mix93.com/frames/index.asp?home/home.asp

Friday 04/14 - The Chet Curtis Report / NECN
Time: 12:45 pm Eastern
http://www.boston.com/news/necn/Shows/chet/

Friday 04/14 - Carl Wiglesworth Show KAHL
Time: 1:30 pm Eastern

Friday 04/14 - Fox News Channel "Line Up"
Time: 2:30 pm Eastern

Friday 04/14 - Hannity & Colmes - Fox News
Time: 9:00 pm Eastern
Replay: 2:00 am Eastern
_____________________

Monday 04/17 - Morning Zone - KGAB Cheyenne Radio
Time: 9:35 am Eastern
http://www.kgab.com/pages/listenlive.html
_____________________

Tuesday 04/18 - 55KRC Morning Show
Time: 7:05 am Eastern
http://radio.findanisp.com/radio-show.php?showid=789

Tuesday 04/18 - Mancow Muller Show
Time: 8:10 am Eastern
_____________________

Wednesday 04/19 - ABC Radio Tour
Time: 7:40 am Eastern

An excerpt from Dave's book is at http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Books/story?id=1819038&page=1 (Courtesy of ABC News and www.scaredmonkeys.com)

BONUS: Reasons Why Natalee Didn't Run Away
(or, Reasons Why ALE are all Morons)

1. Natalee was 18 when she disappeared- she was by U.S. law a consenting adult with free will. Adults don't have to run away, they can go where they damn well want!

2. Why would someone run away from a foriegn country or to a foriegn country where they have no friends, no family, no money, no cell phone, and didn't even know the language or culture?

3. Wait a minute- didn't Janssen insist early in the investiagtion that Natalee couldn't have left the island without her passport? And not long ago Dompig said the radar was foolproof (of course he was contradicting himself and lying anyway)? So where did she run away to, and how? Are we to believe she is still hiding out successfully on an island where everyone knows who she is, what she is worth, and where everyone knows everyone else?

4. With the exception of some disagreement about her choice of friends, there is nothing that suggests that Natalee was 'abused' or unhappy at home. Even if she was...see #1.

5. The FBI has already told Beth and Dave that Natalee does not fit the profile of a runaway. But I guess Janssen, who can't even make up her mind if a passport is necessary to enter or leave Aruba, knows more than an investigative agency that has been around since 1908.
Hmm...how did the Italian boy kidnapped from Aruba in 1998, Gianni Ferrara, make it off the island to Venezuela? I guess he had his passport! And how do all those immigrants from South America that Aruba complains about get there? Do they have passports?

Idiots. Aruba deserves everything it gets. The people with the fat wallets say so.

Drug Dealers, Mobsters, and Pimps, Oh My!

2006-03-27T20:04:00.001-08:00

Well...not so much pimps as the other two. I hope this doesn't disappoint- but keep in mind this is only about half of the articles about drug trade and money laundering in Aruba that I've collected.

Associated Press article, October 10, 1997

Accused Aruban drug smugglers face extradition to U.S. (excerpt)

Two members of a powerful Aruban banking family face extradition to the United States on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering.

Extradition is a touchy political issue on this Dutch Caribbean island. And the case against the Mansur family is believed to have contributed to the collapse of the coalition government last month.

Cousins Alex and Erick Mansur were arrested Oct. 3 along with Arubans David Cybul and Randy Habibe after a judge agreed to hear a U.S. extradition request. The four are charged with numerous counts of drug trafficking and money laundering.

In a move to block the extraditions, the Mansur family this week foreclosed on several loans outstanding to Prime Minister Henny Eman. He may be forced into bankruptcy and out of the running in the Dec. 14 general elections.

U.S. narcotics officials long have alleged that the Mansurs have ties to South American drug lords. Aruba is on the U.S. State Department list of leading money-laundering centers and the island, which lies about 20 miles off the north coast of Venezuela, is a haven for South American drug traffickers, according to the drug-fighting agency.

((Note: Since 1998 Aruba is considered a 'Tier Two' nation by the U.S. State Department in regards to money laundering and drug trafficking, having met the minimum standards for combating such))

Associated Press article, June 5 1998 (excerpt)

Aruban businessman pleads innocent in laundering, smuggling case

An Aruban businessman accused of reaching the heights of drug-money laundering by cleansing $ 800 million in profits pleaded innocent to charges carrying a possible life prison term.

After staying beyond the legal reach of the United States for five years, Randolph Habibe made his first appearance in a U.S. court Thursday thanks to a change in Aruban extradition rules last October.

Habibe acted as the chief financial officer of La Costa drug cartel based on Colombia's north coast, working as both smuggler and launderer with the Medellin and Cali cartels in the 1980s and early 1990s, U.S. investigators charge.

Aruba, a Dutch island 20 miles off the Venezuelan coast, is on a State Department list of leading money-laundering centers.

Inter Press Service/Global Information Network, March 25 1999 (excerpt)

CRIME-CARIBBEAN: "DIRTY MONEY" SCOURGE CONTINUES TO PLAGUE REGION

By Wesley Gibbings

Five years after the establishment of a regional secretariat to initiate Caribbean-wide action against money laundering, the scourge of "dirty money" continues to plague the region.

A number of regional territories have been classified as being "high," "medium high" and "medium" category money-laundering centers in studies conducted by the U.S. State Department.

Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles, for example, were described in a 1997 report as being "high priority" territories with money laundering organizations involved in multi-million dollar building and land development projects.

"Such transnational criminality undermines the legitimacy and viability of our institutions and has the potential to shred the democratic fabric of our society that we guard so jealously," he (Trinidad and Tobago foreign Affairs Minister Ralph Maraj) says.

It is widely-believed that money laundering activities have intensified within recent years and that a number of thriving businesses are being used to front those activities.

In The Bahamas, where officials long denied there was evidence of money laundering, strong legislation is now in place.

((Perhaps Aruba should follow the Bahamas' example and face the truth about their safe, happy island))

Canada NewsWire Ltd. December 20, 2005 (excerpt)

Key figure in International Organized Crime Group Extradited to the United States

A three and a half year police operation, Project OMERTA, took another step towards its completion today when Nunzio Larosa was extradited to the United States.

Larosa was investigated along with members of the Caruana criminal organization who have been convicted and sentenced for drug offences in Canada.

This criminal organization had been operating for more than 30 years in Canada, Venezuela, Aruba, the United States, Mexico, England, Italy, Switzerland, France, Germany, Spain, Thailand, and India. This group was responsible for major shipments of narcotics to both North America and Europe.

It laundered its own drug profits as well as providing money laundering services to other criminal organizations.

The National Post, October 12, 2004 (excerpt)

I have right to stay: convicted mobster

By Adrian Humphreys

TORONTO - A man billed as one of the world's most powerful Mafia bosses, who chose Canada as his base for an international drug trafficking empire described by a judge as being of "near staggering proportions," will stand today in an Ontario court and invoke the Canadian Charter of Rights to claim that extradition to his native Italy would deprive him of life, liberty and security.

In 1993, when police in Venezuela raided several of the Caruanas' homes and seized computer records, the documents suggested they had bought 60% of the total real estate on the island of Aruba, leading some to believe they were trying to build their own Mafia state.

((I wonder who filled the vacuum- Mansurs? Posners? The Cali cartel?))

http://news.caribseek.com/set-up/exec/view.cgi?archive=67&num=14291

Dutch Caribbean
By INCSR 2005

Posted: May 15, 2005 15:01 UTC

I. Summary

Aruba, the Netherlands Antilles, and the Netherlands together form the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The two Caribbean parts of the Kingdom have autonomy over their internal affairs, with the right to exercise independent decision making in a number of counternarcotics areas. The Government of the Netherlands (GON) is responsible for the defense and foreign affairs of all three parts of the Kingdom and assists the Government of Aruba (GOA) and the Government of the Netherlands Antilles (GONA) in their efforts to combat narcotics trafficking. The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention, and all three parts are subject to the Convention. Both Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles are active members of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF).

II. Status of Country

Netherlands Antilles

The islands of the Netherlands Antilles (NA) (Curacao, Aruba, and Bonaire off Venezuela and Saba, Saint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten east of the U.S. Virgin Islands) continue to serve as northbound transshipment points for cocaine and increasing amounts of heroin coming from South America; chiefly Colombia, Venezuela, and to a much lesser extent, Suriname. These shipments typically are transported to U.S. territory in the Caribbean by "go-fast" boats although use of fishing boats, freighters, and cruise ships is becoming more common. Direct transport to Europe, and at times to the U.S., is by "mules" (drug couriers) using commercial flights. Evidence in 2004 did not support a finding that drugs now entering the United States from the Netherlands Antilles are in an amount sufficient to have a significant effect on the United States, but the entire eastern and southern Caribbean is an area of U.S. concern. The DEA and local law enforcement saw continued go-fast boat traffic this year, much of which moved to Sint Maarten en route to Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands. Additionally, there was a marked increase in sailing vessels and larger vessels that were used to clandestinely move multi-hundred kilogram shipments of cocaine under the guise of recreational maritime traffic.

Officials at St. Maarten have taken this threat seriously by initiating joint U.S. cooperative investigations as well as adopting new law enforcement strategies to combat the problems.

The crime and homelessness stemming from drug abuse remained important concerns for the GONA. After Curacao experienced a stunning increase in drug-related homicides in 2002 with an additional moderate increase in 2003, reporting during 2004 saw a reduction of 45 percent to 13 total drug related homicides. This was attributed to successful regional enforcement operations, one of which was followed by a period of five weeks with no homicides.

Peru, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and other European markets topped the noteworthy list. These changes were paralleled by the GONA’s re-prioritization of the "Zero Tolerance" teams whose primary mission is to identify illegal immigrants to the islands and deport them. This was accompanied by the Minister of Justice’s arrangement with the Netherlands to support new law enforcement missions via loans to cover police overtime, prison reforms, and to station additional Dutch police in the Antilles. He continues to push initiatives such as improving intelligence networks, developing direct Antillean to other foreign country liaison, and acquiring tools like container scanning devices and ground based radar for the region.

Elected officials and all elements of the law enforcement and judicial community recognize that the NA, chiefly due to geography, faces a serious threat from drug trafficking. The police, who are understaffed and need additional training, have received some additional resources, including support from the National Guard. On March 12, 2004, the local parliament declared a state of emergency as it related to internal crime.

Aruba

Aruba is a transshipment point for increasing quantities of heroin, and to a lesser extent cocaine, moving north, mainly from Colombia, to the U.S. and secondarily to Europe. Drugs move north via cruise ships and the multiple daily flights to the U.S. and Europe.

The island attracts drug traffickers with its good infrastructure, excellent flight connections, and relatively light sentences for drug-related crimes served in prisons with relatively good living conditions. This problem is further promulgated by the Netherlands Antilles’ law enforcement successes in Curacao during 2004, which necessitated a change in route on the part of the traffickers in the region.

While Aruba enjoys a low crime rate, reporting during 2004 indicates that prominent drug traffickers are establishing themselves sporadically on the island. Additionally, Arubans worry about the easy availability of inexpensive drugs. The most visible evidence of a drug abuse problem may be the homeless addicts, called "chollars" who number about 300 and whose photographs routinely appear in publications to increase public awareness to drug abuse and to stem an increase in crime.

((Hey Dompig- what does your brother-in-law 'Booty' do for a living?))

Drug abuse in Aruba remains a cause for concern. Personal use quantities of the various types of drugs are easily found within walking distance of Oranjestad’s cruise pier and are frequently peddled to cruise ship tourists. Over the last year, cruise lines that visit Aruba have instituted strict boarding/search policies for employees in order to thwart efforts of the traffickers to establish regular courier routes back to the United States. The expanding use of MDMA in clubs by young people attracts increasing attention. Private foundations on the island work on drug education and prevention and the Aruban government’s top counternarcotics official actively reaches out to U.S. sources for materials to use in his office’s prevention programs. The police also work in demand reduction programs for the schools and visit them regularly. The government has established an interagency commission to develop plans and programs to discourage youth from trafficking between the Netherlands and the U.S. The Government has been very clear that it intends to pursue a dynamic counternarcotics strategy in close cooperation with its regional and international partners.

In 2004, Aruban law enforcement officials continued to investigate and prosecute mid-level drug traffickers who supply drugs to the endless parade of "mules." During 2004, there were several instances where Aruban authorities cooperated with U.S. authorities to realize U.S. prosecutions of American citizens arrested in Aruba while attempting to return to the United States with drugs in multi-kilogram quantities. Aruba also devotes substantial time and effort to the identification of the person’s responsible for the importation of drugs to Aruba. During 2004, Aruba realized a successful investigation with Jamaican Police and U.S. authorities that targeted a substantial heroin trafficking organization.

The GOA hosts the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Bureau of Customs and Border Protection pre-inspection and pre-clearance personnel at Reina Beatrix airport. These officers occupy facilities financed and built by the GOA. DHS seizures of cocaine, heroin, and ecstasy were frequent in 2004. Drug smugglers arrested are either prosecuted in Aruba or returned to the U.S. for prosecution, if appropriate. Aruban jails remain critically overcrowded. The GOA established special cells in which to detain those suspected of ingesting drugs. Aruban officials regularly explore ways to capitalize on the presence of the FOL and pre-clearance personnel, seeking to use resident U.S. law enforcement expertise to improve local law enforcement capabilities.

Seizures. Available drug seizure statistics for calendar year 2004 are as follows:

Aruba seized 226.122 kilograms of cocaine, 16.901 kilograms of heroin, 91.838 kilograms of marijuana, 115 grams of hashish, and 1070 tablets of MDMA ("Ecstasy"), and 636 marijuana plants. Arrests: 222

http://gvnet.com/humantrafficking/Netherlands-2.htm

THE NETHERLANDS (TIER 1) [Extracted from U.S. State Dept Trafficking in Persons Report, June 2005]

The Netherlands is primarily a destination and transit country for trafficking of women and girls for the purpose of sexual exploitation; trafficking for labor exploitation exists to a lesser extent. Most victims are trafficked from Central and Eastern Europe, with some victims from Nigeria and Brazil. Reportedly, a significant percentage of the 25,000 individuals engaged in prostitution reportedly are trafficking victims. Internal trafficking of young, mostly foreign girls by Moroccan and Turkish pimps into sexual exploitation also occurs. The Netherlands Antilles, where the Netherlands exercises responsibility over visa issuance according to guidelines issued by the Netherlands Antilles, became more of a concern as a transit and destination for illegal migrants, some of whom may have been trafficked.

The Government of the Netherlands fully complies with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.

Protection In 2004, the Dutch government increased its funding for shelters assisting trafficking victims by 1.2 million Euros. Additionally, regional governments funded shelters, victim protection programs and local education programs. The Dutch Foundation Against Trafficking in Persons (STV), the national reporting center for registration and assistance for trafficking victims, registered 405 trafficking victims in 2004, an increase from 267 the previous year. Moreover, 185 trafficking victims received B-9 residency permits, an increase from 84 in 2003.

THE DUTCH CARIBBEAN AUTONOMOUS REGIONS Anecdotal reporting suggests that the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, autonomous regions within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, are transit and destination regions for trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation. Curacao and Saint Maarten, in particular, reportedly are destination islands for women trafficked for the sex trade from Columbia, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. In Curacao (and neighboring Aruba) observers estimate that 500 foreign women are in prostitution, some of whom may have been trafficked. There are also reports of children being trafficked for sexual exploitation as underage prostitutes, particularly from the Dominican Republic. In September 2004, Curacao prosecuted and sentenced two traffickers who trafficked children from Suriname to Curacao using fraudulent documents. Visas for Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles are issued by Dutch Embassies following review by Aruban or Netherlands Antilles' authorities. Visa controls were reportedly tightened in 2004. Also in 2004, the Dutch government provided 100,000 Euros to an IOM program focused on awareness raising, information dissemination and regional cooperation targeting officials from the Dutch Caribbean.

((American Amy Bradley disappeared from a cruise ship in Curacao in 1998- or if you believe the Curacao investigators, she 'fell overboard'. Amazing how many parallels Amy's disappearance and Natalee's have in common: pretty American girls who disappear without a trace while in the company of locals, they both disappeared from Dutch Caribbean territory, and in both cases the local authorities and government made only token attempts to solve their disappearances. And these are the places where we should spend our tourism money- places where the governments have a history of corruption, crime, and obviously do not care about the safety of their visitors?!))

http://www.greyhoundaction.org.uk/iUSAnews.html

Track under scrutiny for alleged mob link
Jim Baron
03/04/2005

PROVIDENCE -- Lincoln Park may have to shut down its racing simulcast arrangement with 10 gambling entities across the country that are named in a federal indictment tying them to the Gambino organized crime family.

Lincoln Park spokesman Michael Trainor said the track "is going to follow the direction of the DBR."

In January, federal prosecutors in New York issued an 88-count indictment charging 17 defendants with operating an illegal gambling business that, over the last four years, brokered more than $200 million in bets on horse racing and other sporting events.

Besides the Lakes Region race track, the other entities named in the indictment include Racing and Gaming Services (St. Kitts); Euro Track (Isle of Man); Tonkawa Indian Reservation (Oklahoma); Coeur d’Alene Casino (Idaho); International Racing Corp. (Curacao); Elite Turf Club (Curacao); Excelsior Casino (Aruba); Capital Sports Limited (Australia), and Darwin All Sports (Australia).

((Excelsior Casino- isn't that the one convicted Chicago mobster Michael Posner owns? I do believe it is! The same Michael Posner convicted of involvement in the Ferriola-Infelice mafia family's activities in Illinois: He (Rocky Infelice) also operated the Front Runner Messenger Service, a horse-betting parlor in Highwood belonging to Michael Posner, a protege of of Ferriola and a kingpin in Lake County mob vice operations. Source: http://www.ipsn.org/lolli1.html).


Appearing in the Trade Register of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in ARUBA since 22 JUNE 1998 under serial number 23398.0 is the company with the tradename:

EXCELSIOR CASINO N.V.

Business address	J.E. IRAUSQUIN BLVD. 230, NOORD
Legal form	LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
Name of the company	EXCELSIOR CASINO N.V.
Statutory seat	ARUBA
Date of incorporation	19 JUNE 1998

Authorized capital	ARUBAN FLORINS 100,000.00
Issued capital	ARUBAN FLORINS 20,000.00
Paid up capital	ARUBAN FLORINS 20,000.00
Fiscal year	01 JANUARY thru 31 DECEMBER

DIRECTORS - AUTHORIZED PERSONS AND CORPORATE BODIES - SUPERVISORY BOARD:

POSNER, WALTER BRETT;
Residing in	9 BANOCKBURN COURT , BANOCKBURN III, U.S.A.
Born in	U.S.A., CHICAGO, ILLINOIS on 21 MAY 1960
Nationality	AMERICAN
Position	MANAGING DIRECTOR
Effective	23 OCTOBER 1998
Authority	FULL

OBJECTIVE(S) OF THE COMPANY

TO OPERATE A CASINO AT THE "HOLIDAY IN RESORT". The Rothschilds of the Mafia on Aruba (excerpt) Tom Blickman - TNI Researcher Transnational Organized Crime Vol. 3, No. 2, Summer 1997 The MPs of the Staten van Aruba the Aruban Parliament must have been bewildered when one of their own ministers smeared the good name of their island. Former minister Elio Nicolaas grins when he is reminded of his speech in 1989. (1) Finally someone had thrown a rock in the silent and complacent waters of the Caribbean tax-haven Aruba â€“ a semi-independent part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. "I had to react," he says. "My own colleague, the Minister of Finance, denied money was laundered on the island." Nicolaas knew better. Prior to his political career he had been a police officer and had actually set up the anti-narcotics squad "Aruba's geographical position is a blessing and a curse at the same time," says Eman, alluding to the pleasant climate which attracts 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 cannot control their borders, that Aruba is used as a transit point." (That is just like Aruba- deny you have a problem and shift the blame elsewhere) 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, 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." (And the U.S. aggressively combats such activities, instead of letting politicians make friends with the criminal elements here) 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. December 1996 President Clinton put Aruba on the list of Major Illicit Drug-transit Countries. Aruba is now eligible for de-certification by the US Government. At the yearly certification scrutiny March 1997, however, Aruba was not decertified. The First Independent State under Mafia Control Aruba's reputation as a 'Mafia island' became public in March 1993 when it was described by the Italian daily Corriere della Sera as 'the first state to be bought by the bosses Cosa Nostra'. The Sicilian Mafia clan of the families Cuntrera and Caruana allegedly had taken over the island. Between 1988 and 1992 they acquired 60 per cent of Aruba through investments in hotels, casino's and the election-campaign of a Prime Minister. Aruba looked set to be the first independent state under Mafia control. Prime Minister Eman doesn't like to be reminded of the name Cuntrera â€“ primarily because of his signature on the licence of Paolo and Giuseppe Cuntrera for their nightclub Visage in 1987. It keeps hurting him, even though he tries to dismiss it as "a very superseded story." According to Eman, at the time these people were honourable citizens in several countries, among others in Venezuela. In Aruba, their criminal activities were not known. Moreover, "when we learned who they really were, we expelled them." The issue also became highly politicized. The two main political parties the Arubaanse Volkspartij (AVP, Aruban Peoples Party) led by Eman and the Moviemento Electoral di Pueblo (MEP, People's Electoral Movement) led by Nelson Oduber accused each other of permitting the Cuntrera's to infest Aruba and both claim to have kicked them off the island. In reality, the Cuntrera's had left temporarily on their own in 1988. Responsible for the operation was the chief of the Organized Crime Division of the PolÃcia Tecnica Judicial (PTJ), Guillermo Jiminez. It was his finest hour, but a few months later he was forced in early retirement. Now he spends his time at a private office downtown Caracas. "We searched their houses and offices. We managed to seize lots of documents, that is what made the operation successful," says Jimnez. These documents included details of off-shore companies on Aruba, commercial transactions with companies based in Russia, Nigeria and Senegal, bank drafts and deposits. According to Jiminez, the documents offered considerable scope for continued investigation. "On Aruba for instance. But that didn't happen ... They have problems over there. Their intelligence service is penetrated by political groups..." One of the Venezuelan banks the clan worked with, the Banco de la Construccion, has an off-shore subsidiary on Aruba: the Intercon Financial Bank, through which a lot of money was channelled. A Smugglers' Paradise The Intercon Financial Bank on Aruba is represented by the law-firm Croes & Wever. One of the partners is former Minister of Justice Hendrik Croes. The firm's trust-company Arulex was implicated in setting up the bank. "Yes, we are involved with that bank," says Croes. "We still handle all their legal affairs, but we don't know anything of their financial accounts." The Croes Family has been accused of ties with Cuntrera-Caruana. The Sicilian mafiosi payed for a trip of another brother, Rudy Croes (who succeeded Hendrik as Minister of Justice in a previous MEP government) as party secretary to a meeting of the Socialist International in Turkey. This has not been denied. Paolo Cuntrera visited the island regularly despite his expulsion in 1988. The government opposed his legal actions for re-admittance. But Hendrik Croes has to admit the procedures were not stainless. A blundering government lawyer, an official who signed a residence permit 'by mistake', meant that de facto Paolo Cuntrera was able to circulate freely on the island. ((Let's see..when did Paulus van der Sloot begin working for the government?)) According to Canadian police reports, in 1978, Pasquale Cuntrera owned the Holiday Inn Casino â€“ although the registers indicated otherwise. "At the start of 1980s the Cuntrera's were often at the Holiday Inn casino," says a croupier. "In 1989 they were there again, although they were ostensibly thrown of the island." According to (DEA agent David) Lorino, "the names Cuntrera and Caruana were well known on the island." Now nobody on Aruba wants to know that these gentle and well mannered Sicilians ever existed. "Oh, but a lot of people knew them then," says Bianca de Mey, who set up the company Investeringen Tweehonderd en Tien, which was the holding for a nightclub and pizzeria for the Cuntreras. The company now has nothing to do with them any more, she adds. "Aruban traders built an extensive infrastructure in the Caribbean," one of their former employees explains “ a network of warehouses, shipping-company's, bank-accounts on Aruba, in the Panamanian free zone, in Miami. "In 1983 the bolivar the Venezuelan currency collapsed on account of the debt-crisis, and the bills could not be payed to the Arubans any more." Then it really started. The smuggling economy needed re-structuring. The whole infrastructure was turned around: now it was used for cocaine trafficking and money laundering.” The Arubans managed the logistics. They brought in the precursor chemicals necessary for the production of cocaine out the coca leaves; they bought the planes and ships to transport the merchandise; and last but not least, they laundered the proceeds through the accounts of their import-export firms in the Aruban Free Trade Zone, skimming a percentage for their services. Habibe is not the only one. The 1994 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report stated that "other Aruban families with connections to banks in Venezuela and to cocaine cartels in Colombia are strongly suspected of involvement in drug trafficking and money laundering." Aruba's Attorney General at the time, the Dutchman Jan Zwinkels, expressed his surprise over the allegations about the the Mafia's influence on the island. "It is all very vague. My impression is that people repeat the same unfounded story over and over again. I never spoke to a Italian judge. There never has been request for mutual legal assistance." In contrast, the Italians say that when they arrested the Cuntreras in 1992 they had enough evidence to convict them. "We had indications that they were interested in investments on Aruba. Other countries should take over here, we have informed them,"says Italian police-investigator Pansa. That did not happen (You really have to read the whole report to appreciate how deeply involved organized crime is in Aruban affairs and politics) http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/2004/03/26/marines.htm Dutch marines on drugs charges in Aruba (excerpt) Friday, March 26, 2004 AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands: In a scandal for the Dutch military, four marines have been arrested in Aruba on drugs charges after cocaine was seized in the suspects' houses and cars. According to a report by Expatica News, the public prosecutor's office in the Aruban capital Oranjestad has confirmed that the four men were arrested on 17 March, but a spokeswoman refused to reveal the quantity of drugs seized. http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/2004/07/16/military.htm Friday, July 16, 2004 (excerpt) AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands: According to Expatica, of the 1,000 Dutch naval personnel stationed in the Netherlands Antilles to combat the international drugs trade, 15 have been arrested so far this year for allegedly trafficking narcotics, it was revealed Thursday. Another 30 have been detained by the military police for a range of crimes, including serious assault, intimidation, vandalism and theft, newspaper Algemeen Dagblad reported. The Dutch Royal Navy confirmed to the newspaper that eight marines have been sent home this year from the Caribbean for drug possession or drug dealing. The Caribbean islands are considered transit points for drugs coming from South America destined for Europe and the US. http://www.casinowatch.org/crime/money_laundering.html Aruba plays a significant role as an offshore center for drug-related money laundering. Money laundering organizations are well established on Aruba and enjoy protection from considerable bank secrecy laws and a stable currency. The organizations use Aruba's offshore banking and incorporation systems, free-zone areas, and resort/casino complexes, to transfer and to launder drug proceeds. In 2000, the GOA issued several decrees on money laundering that included increased oversight of casinos and insurance companies. The Netherlands Antilles' large offshore financial sector, bank secrecy, casino/resort complexes, high volume of American and Dutch tourism, and stable currencies make the country conducive to money laundering. Trinidad and Tobago is not an important regional or offshore financial center. However, drug traffickers reportedly have laundered money using overvalued purchase prices, real estate, casinos, stockbrokers, insurance companies, and other nonfinancial establishments. Soruce: "The Drug Trade in the Caribbean: A Threat Assessment"/U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration http://www.publicintegrity.org/report.aspx?aid=355&sid=100 (excerpt) Tobacco Companies Linked to Criminal Organizations in Cigarette Smuggling Latin America Twenty miles off the northern coast of Venezuela lies a tiny, sunbaked island called Aruba. Like so many self-governing Caribbean islands that cling to the coast of the Americas, it has been a smugglers paradise since colonial times. For decades, it also has been a linchpin in an illegal tobacco trade that Colombian authorities claim comprised as much as 90 percent of cigarettes sent into Colombia. The chief purveyors were two powerful Aruba families by the names of Mansur and Harms. For more than 50 years, Philip Morris main distributor in Latin America was the Mansur Free Zone Trading Company, N.V. (The company's name changed to Glossco in 1999 after years of unwelcome scrutiny. President Clinton in 1996 publicly identified Aruba "as a major drug-transit country" and noted that "a substantial portion of the free-zones businesses in Aruba are owned and operated by members of the Mansur family, who have been indicted in the United States on charges of conspiracy to launder trafficking proceeds.") In August 1994, the United States indicted cousins Eric and Alex Mansur along with 52 others allegedly involved in a massive drug money-laundering enterprise. The investigation, dubbed Operation Golden Trash, targeted an alleged conspiracy that used narco dollars to purchase cigarettes, alcohol and household electronics, which were sold to individuals and businesses in Colombia. The proceeds would then flow to cocaine barons. Prior to 1997, the lawsuit states, the cigarettes were delivered from Philip Morris plant in Richmond, Va. After that year, Philip Morris changed its routing and first sent them to Belgium, where ownership was transferred to Weitnauer. From there they were shipped to Aruba or Panamanian free trade zones operated by the Mansurs and then into Colombia's special customs zone, Maicao, just across the border from Venezuela. http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/region/southamerica/ant040113.html Deep suspicion in the Kingdom (January 13, 2004) (excerpt) by Theo Tamis and Perro de Jong Relations between the Netherlands Antilles and the central Dutch government have taken another turn for the worse. Antillean Prime Minister Mirna Godett is upset about a meeting between visiting Dutch Justice Minister Jan Piet Hein Donner with Antillean justice officials. Ms. Godett says she'll sack anyone found to be spying for the Netherlands. The Netherlands Antilles, a largely autonomous part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, has been at loggerheads with the central government for quite some time. But relations have seldom been as frosty as they are now. One irritant has been the Hague´s determination to finally tackle rampant corruption, crime and poverty on the island, and put an end to the steady stream of drugs and disadvantaged youths pouring into the Netherlands. Footnote: Anthony Godett´s ideas and ambitions have set the Caribbean island group on a collision course with The Hague. The populist leader wants to get rid of all IMF obligations and has called for a separate status within the Dutch Kingdom for the main island Curacao. To make matters worse, he's called for English to be the island group's official language, and says the Netherlands should take its own responsibility for the drugs problems it faces, instead of blaming the Antilles. ((There it is again- the Aruban Two-Step: deny and shift the blame)) http://www.cfslr.ed.ac.uk/handouts/MoneyLaundering.htm I formulated a blueprint for the nations that offered the several factors that were essential: (A) Laws against money laundering and the actual enforcement of those laws. (B) A comprehensive list of countries could not be reproduced but it included these: Most of the Caribbean Basin-Antigua and Barbados, Dutch Antilles, Turks & Caicos, Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Barbados, Tortola, and, San Andres. European destinations included these: France, Spain, Belgium, UK (only the off-shore havens such as Gurnsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man); Luxemburg, Liechtenstein, Netherlands, Switzerland, Andorra, and, Portugal. South America would include all of those places that allowed the military to be involved in the regulating of borders and airports such as: Honduras, Panama,Costa Rica, Uruguay, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Colombia. In the Far East: Hong Kong and Thailand. One of the great myths about the Caribbean would have to be the Cayman Islands. These were used and abused by most of the early money launderers and it may still be used for foolish simpletons that do not mind having their money confiscated or stolen. This is not to say that there are places that I used such as Aruba that would still receive good grades in their overall conduct but these would be limited as the residential or place of origin for the corporations that were formed. ((An excerpt from an article written by Humberto Aguilar, a former lawyer for organized crime in Miami, Florida, U.S.A. Note that he specifically mentions Aruba as a place with high marks but ineffective laws that truly prevent money laundering)) http://www.pbs.org/now/printable/transcript114_full_print.html (You have to read this whole article to appreciate it. The connection between Aruba, organized crime and American tobacco companies! Not to mention Kenneth DeLay) http://www.tni.org/drugs-docs/williams.htm Money Laundering Phil Williams IASOC Magazine, Vol. 10, No. 4, Summer 1997 (excerpt) Use of Trade and Free Trade Zones As the New York Times noted: "In the new schemes, cartel intermediaries typically contact companies in Colombia that import goods from the United States. The intermediaries offer to pay for the imported goods with dollars that go to the American exporters. In return, the importers pay intermediaries an equivalent amount inside Colombia. For participating in the scheme, the importers pay intermediaries slightly less than the true exchange rate". The difficulty for United States law enforcement is that the laundering operations are "cloaked within what appear to be legitimate businesses, with legitimate inventories, sales and customers". In other cases, goods are purchased within free trade zones such as those in Panama and Aruba and subsequently imported into the United States where they are sold at or below market prices. The loss on the goods cuts slightly into the profits but is a price worth paying for proceeds that appear to be completely legitimate. Such schemes could become even more important in the future. "The implementation of free trade agreements and regional compacts creating trading and economic zones which transcend national borders could increase the use of international trade as a mechanism for laundering the proceeds of criminal organizations. The impact of the liberalization of border and other customs controls, liberalized banking procedures and freedom of access within those zones creates additional potential risks for the future". The Exploitation of Offshore Banking One factor that has made it more difficult the prevent money laundering has been the development of the offshore banking sector. As Helmut Schmidt once observed, central banks "did not see that they were losing their grip over the over markets when they allowed commercial banks to establish offshore affiliates". If this situation arose in part through a lack of both foresight and oversight, however, once the process of deregulation had started, governments tended to embrace it as synonymous with enhanced competitiveness. The result was what Philip Cerny has described as a "competition in laxity". Competitiveness was deemed inconsistent with tight monitoring and control, and offshore banks and corporations attracted funds largely because they promised both anonymity and the possibility of tax avoidance, and in some cases, tax evasion. They continue to do so, with some offshore banks providing "gold credit cards" for their clients that debit their accounts but do not leave any record of their transactions in the United States. The Cayman Islands, the Netherlands Antilles, Aruba, and Cyprus are all examples of offshore banking havens that have been used or continue to be used by criminal organizations for laundering the proceeds from their illicit activities. Such centers offer attractive opportunities for the transfer and secretion of funds in places where they are relatively safe from identification and seizure by law enforcement. In some cases, offshore corporations are created simply to launder and hide money.

You're Dealing with an Aruban if...

2006-03-23T10:47:00.000-08:00

- they think that Google dictactes what is considered a subversive or 'hate' website (FYI Aruba: only the U.S. government can dictate that. Flagging a blog as offensive when the author hasn't violated the Terms of Service just makes more work for the blogsite staff- and makes you look like morons);

- they are blissfully unaware or possibly in denial of the many, many reports of drug traffic, organized crime and money laundering, and even human trafficking associated with Aruba and the rest of the Netherland Antilles;

- they are secretly very upset about how their own government and ALE have handled Natalee's disappearance and the investigation, but they lack the courage to demand better from their own elected officials. They whine and cry about how unfair Aruba is depicted, failing to realize that they have always had the power to resolve this themselves simply by holding their own government and investigators to a much higher standard;

- if you ask them to explain what the Dutch mean by 'the Aruba Problem', they act like they have no idea what you're talking about;

- they think they are entitled to some kind of weird double standard: they should be able to say anything they want about a girl who cannot defend herself and her family but Heaven forbid Natalee's family or their supporters offer any criticism at all about anything Aruba! They can criticize what is wrong in the U.S. but any criticism of their own government and ALE is unacceptable. They should be able to post pro-Aruba blogs and websites left and right but if an anti-Aruba website goes up, oh no it is a hate site;

- they think they live in a free country when in reality they have no grasp of the full extent and depth of the First Amendment;

- they whine and cry about how they've done everything they can when in fact they have failed to do the two most important things: include the FBI as full partners into the investigation (and no it is not against any Dutch or Aruban law to do this- there is just no precedence to do it. There is a difference), and demand an immediate impartial internal audit of ALE's past and present performance;

- they do not understand what an impartial, competent, corruption-free law enforcement is really like because they have none themselves but are quick to say, "O.J. Simpson" and "Michael Jackson" if their system comes under attack;

- they claim they live on a 'safe, happy island' where everybody knows everybody else (including the drug dealers and criminals according to Walter), yet somehow nobody saw anything the night Natale disappeared and nobody knows anything important;

- they think the Dutch are their friends and have Aruba's best interests at heart;

- they don't realize that their elected government exists to serve the Dutch interests in Aruba, not those of the citizenry in general;

- their media figures and elected officials say things like, "She deserved it", "Natalee's disappearance is insignificant", and "I'm sick and tired of this (Natalee Holloway investigation)";

- they spend untold florins on spin doctors and more advertising at the drop of a hat, yet take their sweet time in arranging new searches and questioning new suspects and witnesses (or should I say 'witlesses' in this case);

- they support the four people who are ultimately responsible for all of this (who aren't even Aruban) when they should be running them off the island on a rail;

- somehow it is all the victim's fault, and her family's. Despite the fact that Natalee disappeared on their island at the hands of their residents, their investigators have screwed everything up and their government refuses to force an honest and competent investigation, the blame lies in the U.S. They prefer to point out what is wrong in the U.S. instead of taking a good, hard, honest look at the realities of their own society;

- they get upset when faced with the fact that Americans have absolutely no obligation to go to Aruba on vacation. To them, it was never about Natalee. It was always about U.S. dollars.

- they accuse Americans of being arrogant when the fact is we put food on their tables, plain and simple;

- they talk about how relations between the U.S. and Aruba have been so good until Natalee disappeared (which is true), but fail to realize that we want Natalee found now.

- they do not understand that Beth and Dave just want to know what happened to their daughter- they don't care about justice, they don't care who did what to Natalee, they don't want to punish Aruba for what a few sumbags did. They just want to know Natalee's fate;

and finally,

- they possess a singular and unwavering inability to realize that, fair or unfair, as ugly as it may be, what I posted in 'Get a Clue, Aruba!' is the way things are right now between Aruba and the U.S. Nothing short of showing Americans that we are wrong about Aruba by finding Natalee at any cost and demonstrating that we are wrong will convince us that we are wrong.

Of Course He's Lying! He Never Stopped Lying!

2006-03-11T07:39:00.000-08:00

http://www.scaredmonkeys.com/2006/03/10/joran-van-der-sloot-so-the-media-thinks-he-is-suddenly-telling-the-truth-huh/

Layered Voice Analysis Report on Interview of Joran Van der Sloot

File: Joran Van der Sloot on ABC’s “Primetime”

Report Date: February 28, 2006

Website: www.v-lva.com

FAQ about LVA

(Below is the text from the three page report)

LVA Definitions:

LVA 6.50 analyzes statements and places them on a TRUTH spectrum output that indicates
the statement’s distance from 100% mathematical accuracy. The further down the LVA
spectrum the statement falls, the further the statement is from the complete truth.

This spectrum runs as follows:

TRUTH – NOT SURE – INNACCURACY – PROBABLE FALSE – FALSE STATEMENT

LVA software also has a DECEPTION spectrum output. The further down the DECEPTION spectrum the statement falls, the higher the indication the subject is being deceptive.

This spectrum runs as follows:

NO DECEPTION INDICATED – INCONCLUSIVE – INC+ (HIGHLY SUSPECT FOR DECEPTION) – DECEPTION INDICATED

Use of the above terms, from the TRUTH and DECEPTION spectrums in ALL UPPER CASE letters represents the data outputs of the LVA software.

Use of these terms in lower case letters indicates the LVA analyst’s findings based on the
data outputs, training and experience using LVA.

While the definitions of these LVA indications have very specific meanings as qualified by a
variety of data factors, for the purposes of this report standard dictionary definitions of the
above terms are sufficient to accurately convey the meaning of these LVA indications.

LVA Data Outputs:

Joran’s statement indicates heightened use of IMAGINATION throughout the interview.

Reporter asks, “You were not courting her, you were not pursuing her?”

Joran responds, “Not at all, not at any point.” (LVA Segment 49)

LVA Analysis: INACCURACY / HIGHLY SUSPECT for DECEPTION

Reporter asks, ”Were you trying to get Natalee drunk?”

Joran responds, “Not at all.” (LVA Segment 57)

LVA Analysis: INACCURACY / HIGHLY SUSPECT for DECEPTION

Joran explains, “I told Deepak to drive to the lighthouse.” (LVA Segment 92)

LVA Analysis: INACCURACY / HIGHLY SUSPECT for DECEPTION

Joran claims Natalee said, “No, no, no, I don’t want to go to the hotel.” (LVA Segment 122)

LVA Analysis: PROBABLE FALSE / DECEPTION INDICATED

Reporter asks, “Was Natalee more drunk than you’re letting on?”

Joran responds,”No, not at all.” (LVA Segment 274)

LVA Analysis: INACCURACY / DECEPTION INDICATED

Reporter asks, “Did you harm Natalee Holloway?”

Joran responds, “No.” (LVA Segment 303)

LVA Analysis: PROBABLE FALSE / DECEPTION INDICATED

Reporter asks, “Did you see Natalee Holloway in distress?”

Joran responds, “No.” (LVA Segment 305)

LVA Analysis: INACCURACY / HIGHLY SUSPECT for DECEPTION

Joran states, “There is not one girl who will ever come forward and say something like that, because it’s just not true.” (LVA Segment 444)

LVA Analysis: INACCURACY / DECEPTION INDICATED

Reporter asks, “Have you ever gotten a girl drunk, so, you could make advances on her?”

Joran responds, “No, never.” (LVA Segment 446)

LVA Analysis: INACCURACY / HIGHLY SUSPECT for DECEPTION

LVA Analysis:

LVA analysis of Joran Van der Sloot’s statement, the ABC’s “Primetime” interview by reporter Chris Cuomo, indicates that Joran provided deceptive and/or inaccurate answers on the relevant questions throughout the interview.

In the above results on relevant segments of the interview relating specifically to his involvement in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, LVA analysis consistently indicates that Joran Van der Sloot is deceptive and/or inaccurate in his statements:

Joran indicates inaccuracy or deception in many statements related to Natalee’s state of mind and/or level of intoxication.

Joran indicates inaccuracy or deception in many of his statements related to his level of interest in Natalee and his description of her pursuing him throughout the evening.

Joran exhibits stress and high tension in discussing his house as it relates to his intentions to take Natalee there. Joran indicates deception when saying that Natalee didn’t want to return to the hotel.

Joran exhibits excitement in discussing his intention to have sex with Natalee.

Joran exhibits extreme stress in discussing his conversations with Deepak in the car the evening Natalee disappeared.

Joran indicates inaccuracy when stating that Natalee wanted/agreed to go to the lighthouse and shows high stress when he mentions not going to the lighthouse.

Joran indicates inaccuracy when stating that he has not taken advantage of other girls and used alcohol to help his efforts.

Report Conclusions:

LVA data outputs and analysis indicate Joran Van der Sloot is deceptive and inaccurate in his account of the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Natalee Holloway.

LVA data outputs and analysis indicates Joran Van der Sloot is deceptive and inaccurate in his account of the role he played in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway.

Joran indicates PROBABLE FALSE / DECEPTION INDICATED and INACCURACY / HIGHLY SUSPECT for DECEPTION data outputs on the relevant questions about ‘harming’ and ‘seeing Natalee in distress’ respectively. These responses are not consistent with truthful and accurate responses and deserve the greatest scrutiny.

Joran Van der Sloot should be considered a suspect in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway.

(The above courtesy of Red and Tom at www.scaredmonkeys.com)

I wonder what will happen when Americans start to make this connection: this island that wants our tourism money is supporting a pathological liar who is alos the last person to be seen alive with Natalee? Do I really want to go to a place like that?"

As for my promised post, don't you worry I haven't forgotten. I think I will title it, "Drug Dealers, Mobsters, and Pimps, Oh My!"

Get a Clue, Aruba!

2006-02-26T08:49:00.000-08:00

It is just as amazing to me that people who don't have any real knowledge of this case (such as people halfway across the world or some no-name radio talk show host in California) make posts accusing Americans of being arrogant or daring to hold a foriegn people accountable for the petty, corrupt government that they allow to be in power and re-elected themselves. They accuse the U.S. of being arrogant because we expect something from Aruba that is well within anyone's rights as the family of a crime victim and well within Aruba's ability to provide...and things that our own justice system does its very best to provide.

I say to you- between 70% and 75% of Aruba's tourism comes from the U.S. (reports vary), and as such we do have the right to expect a lot from Aruba and we do have the right to question them until they find Natalee. Nobody has yet to explain why we owe the Arubans anything at all. Go ahead- someone explain that to me; I would like to hear it. Even Walter admits that we Americans have no obligation to Aruba here. We don't- there are many other Caribbean destinations just as nice as Aruba and maybe even safer and less corrupt- even the claim that Aruba is outside of the hurricane corridor is a minor advantage. The U.S. has its share of hurricanes too and they really don't scare people too much- just ask all the people who didn't evacuate New Orleans because they didn't feel the need. The DEA listening posts? There's plenty of Caribbean and even South American countries that would gladly host them instead if the right carrot is dangled in front of them. The oil? Most of American demands come from the Middle East, not from South America. We don't need the Valero refinery.

In short, America does not owe Aruba anything, and like it or not, we do have the right to with hold our business if we don't think Aruba is doing a good job. And we don't think that at all. Nationwide, most Americans support the boycott, most Americans believe there is a cover-up in Aruba, and most (69%) don't believe a damn word of what Joran says (incidentally another 23% think he's lying to some degree. That means that 92% of Americans don't fully trust the van der Sloots if at all).

Here's another thing that occurs to me: people who accuse the U.S. of lording over Aruba just because things aren't going our way probably don't know about (or like the Arubans themselves don't want to admit to) all the very questionable things that ALE has done since Natalee disappeared. Or do Americans somehow not have the right to question these things as well? On what grounds do we not have this right? Funny how the people who accuse America of being arrogant are pretty arrogant themselves for expecting us not look long and hard at Aruba, to just take everything they say and do as truthful and honest after months of them proving themselves utterly incapable of truth or competence. You can't stop us from questioning that, not short of proving these allegations are untrue. Some of the allegations that are leveled at Aruba Walter has corrected me on, but what he doesn't understand is that even issues like who said what and what happened to evidence and signed statements is a matter of opinion because Aruba has failed to convince Americans we're wrong! Until these issues are honestly addressed, it is just the family's word against Aruba's... it's a no-brainer to figure out who's winning that battle in the U.S.!

Let's look at some of these issues:

- two black security guards were arrested (and are still considered suspects) just because a priviledged little elitist Dutch boy last known to be with Natalee said to. Incidentally, minority rights groups are getting involved now on behalf of the security guards because of this blatant example of racism,

- selective involvement of the FBI- they have only been observers in the questioning of the three suspects, have only been able to analyze a few of the things ALE has found, and have been generally given access to the case only when it suits Aruba's PR machine. And by the way, let me uncover a few lies that Aruba has been perpetrating: first, there is nothing in Dutch or Aruban law that prevents the FBI from having much greater access- there is just no precedent for it. No precedence does not equal illegality. Basically, the FBI can have as much access as ALE and the government wants them to have. Second, there is no way that Beth and Dave can challenge the findings of the investigation or the judicial process, not through the Netherlands, not through Aruba, not through any treaty. When the Kalpoes' lawyer said they can appeal to the Hague he LIED. Just remember that when you question the need for a boycott, or why Beth felt this was necessary. I question why the suspects, their lawyers, the ALE, and Aruba's spin machine feels the need to lie and keep changing their stories. Arubans have no right to complain that America doesn't trust them or believe them with this kind of track record.

- failure to search the entire van der Sloot property, only Joran's apartment even though Joran had access to the whole property when Natalee disappeared. His lawyer claims the whole property was searched, but Gerold Dompig said on network TV in the U.S. that a warrant was obtained only for the apartment. So either the suspect's lawyer is lying, or a key ALE official is.
But I guess we Americans are just ignorant of how Dutch law works. I'm just a simple working man but searching the entire property even seems important to me!

- the FBI called the Aruban legal community 'incestuous' meaning that all prosecutors, investigators, judges, and lawyers know each other well (most of them are Dutch too). More than one person (including a Dutch woman living in London) tells me that the Dutch upper classes are elitist and stick up for each other above all else, and given these two facts how can any investigation in Aruba involving a Dutch suspect be impartial and fair without Netherlands supervision? The lack of oversight and accountability is appalling...it eclipses any story of Deep South 'good ole boys' corruption I've ever heard!

-failure to interrogate all of Joran's friends (like Koen Gottenbos, who has access to his father's 22-foot speedboat) until long after Natalee disappeared if at all,

-failure to search all of the properties of all of the suspects (such as Lorenzo van der Sloot van Rijn's Barcadera ranch house, which we know now is a drug lab thanks to PIs),

-(conveniently) failing to obtain search warrants for the entire van der Sloot property, the Kalpoes' car, and several of their friends' vehicles in a timely manner if at all because there was not enough evidence to convince a judge this was necessary. Funny how my Aruban friend 'Natalia' tells me that had the judge been Aruban and not Dutch those outcomes would have been much different. What kind of moron lets the main suspect go just because he wants to go to college?! What kind of idiot doesn't issue a search warrant for the entire property- is there no probable cause in Dutch law? Of course even the most honest judge would have no choice but to let Joran go if the evidence presented toward this was deliberately botched, wouldn't he now?

- why is the Aruban government more concerned with hiring spin doctors like Steve Cohen and that idiot Ruben Trappenburg to lie to the American public and then their own people instead of doing productive things like hiring more investigators and enlisting Dutch agents to make sure the investigation is not being internally sabotaged even now as Americans fear? Do you think that Beth and Dave requested the removal of Karin Janssen, Dennis Jacobs, and Gerold Dompig just for kicks and giggles?

- why is ALE more focused on Natalee's 'physical and emotional state' that finding ways to rearrest the last three people known to be with her? The Arubans seem to think that a lack of evidence proves innocence, but it only proves there is a lack of evidence. Americans are asking why- is it because the three slimebags involved are as innocent as they claim or is it because they had a little help from their daddy's friends in ALE? Why do the Aruban police murmur about the dirty things they know about Beth and Natalee, even though these things are not a bit more credible than our own suspicions about Aruba? As I udnerstand it, blaming the victim is a common sign of guilt in the mind of the guilty. Those who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear...Arubans, are you afraid?

-Why is supposedly valuable evidence like the Holiday Inn tapes showing Joran and Natalee at the tables released to the news media when doing so voids its use in a Dutch court of law? Again, how convenient is that to Joran? Does ALE have no control over its own people, even? Why isn't ALE investigating this leak immediately...I would think that if they had any real interest in solving this disappearance they would make damn sure things like this don't happen. But I guess that is just another honest 'mistake'...

- Speaking of ALE, why were officers known to be friends of the van der Sloots (like Jan van der Straaten) even allowed to be in charge when there is no possible way they could be trusted with impartiality? Why are officers known to be corrupt and known to have solicited bribes from the Twittys (like Dennis Jacobs) still on the case and still not under investigation themselves? Why does Oduber want to wait until the case is closed and everyone's asses are covered before investigating the investigation itself?

-why is it that every time an Aruban governmental official like Rudy Croes or Nelson Oduber opens their mouths they say things like, "I'm sick and tired of hearing about this" or even worse, threatening to ban Beth from Aruba and arresting her if she comes back (as Rudy Croes did)? That doesn't seem to indicate to me that the Aruban government gives a damn about Natalee, her family, or America's opinion or our business. Why should we Americans keep pouring our money into Aruba if that is how they really feel and how they keep acting? People accuse Beth of being after fame or money but you know what? It has never been about Natalee to the ALE or the Aruban government or the ATA and AHATA...it has always been about the money.

In closing, I am going to present a few of the truths that Aruba faces; like it or not, Aruba, this is how it is right now. Only fully transparent, unquestionable, provable actions (and when I say provable I mean provable to Americans' satisfaction) and results will change any of this now:

1. It doesn't matter what the truth about Aruba or Natalee's disappearance is, what matters is what American think is the truth. Right now, what Americans think is true about Aruba is not good at all...
2. You can and will be held accountable for this in the U.S. No amount of pointing fingers at our own crime rates, protesting about how 'Dutch law is different', accusing the U.S. media of being unfair or blowing this out of proportion, or accusing the U.S. of being arrogant in demanding more that Aruba has provided will sway us. You cannot stop America from questioning everything your investigation does now...the ALE and your governmental politics betrayed our trust long, long ago.
3. As the providers of at least 70% of your economy, we have every right to spend our money elsewhere if we're not happy. We do not owe Aruba anything...in short, you need us far more than we need you. That is not arrogance, that is just the way things are.
4. If any of the assertions I made above are incorrect, prove to us that they are. Every question that remains in Americans' minds, every mistake, broken promise, questionable action, missing piece of evidence, and excuse Aruba makes puts a huge question mark in our minds. The burden of proof might be very heavy on the prosecution in the Dutch system, but in popular opinion the burden of proof is squarely on the accused. As long as questions exist and as long as your government and ALE do not fully explain those occurrences, Americans will doubt you and distrust you. Remember that.
5. There is nothing to prevent Beth, Dave, Joe Mammana, or anyone else dedicated to finding Natalee from smearing Aruba's reputation to the end of their days, justified or not. Walter has admitted to me that Aruba just hopes this will go away in a year or two, but you fail to realize that Beth talks about how unsafe and predator-ridden Aruba is at every school campus she visits as part of her 'Save Yourself' safety campaign. Dave's book (which incidentally calls Aruba corrupt in the title) will be on bookshelves for a long, long time to come. There is no effective time frame on how long Americans will doubt, distrust, and even hate Aruba for failing to find natalee and unduly prolonging her family's suffering.
6. Until you demand more immediate and constant accountability and oversight in this investigation and full FBI inclusion, you have no cause to complain about the 'bad rap' Aruba is getting now. It takes a long time to build a reputation but an instant to destroy it huh? If you truly want the business and goodwill of the U.S. again, then you have to earn it all over again. Like it or not, you have no choice but to find Natalee...if you cannot or will not, then you have no right to complain about this oh-so-unfair treatment.
7. Finally, the Aruban people are not at fault here...the one protest Arubans have that is legitimate is that the three suspects are not even Aruban! The Dutch system of control and their lack of oversight and accountability toward Aruba and especially its cozy, corrupt government is the problem! Aruba, why do you accept and coddle these people who are ultimately allowing all of this to happen? It is time to take a long, hard look at how happy you are under the MEP's and the Netherland's thumb, how confident you are that your government and ALE is not corrupt and elitist, how equitable your society really is between the Dutch and native Arubans, and how badly you want your reputation back. If you cannot do these things, then you have no right to complain about how America views you.

I'm sorry if you don't like to hear these things, but they are the conditions you face now, thanks to months of disappointing us again and again ad nauseum. No arguement that Aruba or the Netherlands or anyone that just plain hates America can change the harsh realities of the situation. Beth, Dave, and Natalee deserve better than this, and so do the Aruban people.

A Letter to Loverboy362

2006-02-22T13:11:00.000-08:00

'Meri' writes:

Is this the handle of Joran van der Sloot? I have been told that in Holland, the term "Loverboy" refers to someone who procures girls or is a "pimp". I am not Dutch nor do I speak Dutch but I understand a little of it and I believe that the term is an accurate depiction of what the user of Loverboy362 means to convey.

Well, Loverboy362, I have some questions for you.

Have you procured girls for yourself, your friends or for the use of others? What do you do with these girls? Do any of them suddenly disappear never to be seen or heard from again? Do you leave them on a beach alone, possibly impaired and unable to care for themselves? Do you take them back to your nice little apartment for fun and games...or something more sinister?

You are willing to go on a television show and tell the entire world of your innocence but you didn't do that from the beginning, did you loverboy? You implicated two innocent men and made up a bunch of stories first so how are we supposed to believe you now?

Tell us the truth loverboy. Tell us what REALLY happened between you and that girl you supposedly left on the beach and who was never seen or heard from again.

Perhaps you can write a book about it or make it a movie of the week.....will you include the truth then?

You can run loverboy but you cannot hide and there are those of us out here who won't let you forget about that girl who disappeared and never was seen or heard from again. Believe me loverboy, that's a promise.

No amount of television interviews with your big puppy-dog eyes misting over will make us forget about that girl. No amount of tears on your part or words of supposed remorse for not being a gentleman will make us forget.

We are getting closer loverboy...oh so much closer to knowing what you won't be saying on ABC.

When we make an appearance on some national news show we will have the truth loverboy and you won't recognize it as anything that you have spoken on the record. But, you WILL recognize it for what it is...because you know the truth don't you loverboy?

It'll be a shame that we get to tell it before you ever will...but that's the way that you want to play out your hand and this is the path that you have chosen for yourself.

I'll call you and raise you one Loverboy.....do you want a hit or do you want to fold?

The choice is only yours for a little while longer so think it over carefully.

'Loverboy' sounds like a perfect prison nickname for Joran, doesn't it? It might be the only way he ever has any empathy for his past victims....

Edit: looks like Joran has another theme song- this one courtesy of my friend Richard in Vermont (to the tune of the Beatles, "A Little Help from my Friends":

Joran: What would you do if I let someone die,

would you speak up and turn against me?

Friends: Hell, no, we won't, even though you're a dope,

'cause who cares about poor Natalee?

(chorus) Oh, we get by with a little help from our friends....

Joran: I sing a different song every day ...

do you ever get tired of me?

Friends: Fool on the hill someday will take a spill,

but at least you're not buried at sea.

(chorus) Oh, we get by ....

Joran: You can be sure that my daddy knows best,

when he says "No body means no crime."

Friends: You and your daddy are one and the same,

just two way-overprivileged slime.

(chorus) Oh, we get by ....

More Tourist Destinations- USA style!

2006-02-13T18:03:00.000-08:00

Here's some good tropical American destinations to visit instead of Aruba- you know, places where the money you spend goes into American pockets and you are assured an honest, transparent investigation with lots of oversight if 'something bad' happens to you. Incidentally, South Padre Island was also listed in MSNBC's Top 10 Spring Break 2006 Destinations.

Yes Walter, I AM still working on the boycott; neither you nor your government or ALE have succeeded in convincing me that they are the least bit honest or competent...

UNITED STATES DESTINATIONS

Florida (you save $131)

Florida Keys, Key West-

“Only in Key West would the sun shine brightest when it sets. Everyone gathers for the never planned, always varied Sunset Celebration on the Mallory Dock. Once the sun is safely tucked away by jugglers, mimes, musicians and street artists, the city moves to a different beat. A night beat. The streets, filled with sidewalk cafes, open-air bars, legendary pubs and world-class restaurants come alive. Gourmets and gourmands alike treat their palates to island specialties. Drama, musicals and comedy flourish on our stages. As you enjoy these sights, you'll discover that modern Key West is a warm-hearted place where all are welcome.

However you choose to see the town, you'll discover that old town Key West is one of America's true architectural and botanical treasures. On even the tiniest lanes, the locals have faithfully restored old wooden homes and adorned them with lush tropical trees and flowers. New restaurants and stores are popping up in the historic Bahama Village neighborhood, which was settled in the 19th Century by Bahamian immigrants. Hemingway loved coming here to mix with the hard-working locals at boxing matches and arm-wrestling contests.”

Lower Keys-

“If you’ve had enough of an overcrowded and weary world, the islands of the Lower Keys are the place for you. Here, you can snorkel or dive over the Looe Key coral reef, ride a bicycle through Key Deer country, or take a fishing adventure in the back country or troll the deep blue waters beyond the reef.

Tiny Little Duck Key, at mile marker 40 in the upper end of the Lower Keys, boasts Veterans Memorial Park. It’s sandy beaches, picnic areas, and pet-friendliness make it a perfect family stop along the famed Overseas Highway.

Just a mile down the road, at mile marker 39, is Ohio Key. It is home to Sunshine Key Camping Resort, which offers a pool, family restaurant and other amenities.

Nearby, you will find Bahia Honda State Park and Recreation Area at mile marker 37. With its white sandy beaches and abundant wildlife, Bahia Honda Key frequently makes the list of most beautiful beaches in America.

Big Pine Key, at mile marker 33, is the main shopping hub of the Lower Keys. Yet, if you prefer solitude, you need only turn onto one of its lovely side roads. Explore the National Key Deer Refuge, a large expanse of mostly undeveloped pine lands where the diminutive Key Deer live, or venture out to No Name Key. If you’re looking for an off-shore adventure, Big Pine is also the jumping off point for numerous snorkeling and dive charters to Looe Key reef.”

Marathon-

“Marathon, a quaint tropical city with a rich sea-faring history, boasts a modern airport, the impeccably well kept Sombrero Beach and some of the best fishing, diving, snorkeling and watersports anywhere in the world. Many marine activities are centered on Boot Key Harbor, a sheltered cove in the center of the island that is home to the City Marina. History buffs and eco-tourists will enjoy the Museums and Nature Center of Crane Point Hammock.

While most of the waters around Marathon are open to fishing, some areas have been set aside purely for eco-tourism and fish-viewing by divers and snorkelers. Sombrero Reef, one of the most beautiful sections of North America's only living coral barrier reef, lies just several miles offshore and is protected by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Marathon is rich in history. At the northeast end of town, you will find Crane Point Hammock, a 64-acre protected area of historic sites, wild flowers, tropical trees, walking trails, and museums. Another historic site is Pigeon Key, a tiny island that was home to those who built Flagler's railroad. It can be reached by walking a little more than a mile across the Old Seven Mile Bridge.

Islamorda-

“Imagine two seas brimming with the world's most sought-after gamefish: Sailfish, tuna and dolphin in our Atlantic, and a grand slam shot at permit, tarpon, and bonefish in the backcountry waters of Florida Bay. Add to that a selection of some of the finest charter boat captains and backcountry guides around, and you're in Islamorada, Sport Fishing Capital of the World. An array of marine life inhabits the patch coral reef alongside our islands, making Islamorada a favorite also for divers. Landlubbers, on the other hand, may prefer viewing acrobatic dolphin and other deep sea stars at Windley Key's Theater of the Sea.

At Long Key State Recreation Area, campers can kick back or meander nature trails. Added trails are offered at Windley Key Quarry Fossil Reef State Geologic Site, where acres of fossilized coral and an environmental center are at-hand, and at Lignumvitae Key State Botanical Site-an island with the highest elevation in the Keys: a dizzying 18 feet.”

Key largo-

“Key Largo, the northernmost island of the Florida Keys island chain, lies only an hour’s drive from South Florida’s two major airports. Yet it is a world away

Key Largo is sandwiched between the watery wilderness of the Everglades National Park to the west and the fish-covered coral formations of North America’s only living coral barrier reef to the east.

Six miles offshore in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary you will find the wreck of the Spiegel Grove, a 510-foot Navy ship intentionally scuttled in June 2002 as the backbone for a new coral reef.

Locals consider their home the Diving Capital of the World but the island is nearly as famous as a sport-fishing destination. Some of the best charter captains and fishing guides in the world work out of Key Largo. You can go after sailfish offshore, bonefish along the Atlantic shallows, or redfish and tarpon in Florida Bay.

Key Largo’s proximity to the Everglades makes it a premier destination for kayakers, birders and other eco-tourists. All this beauty, not to mention the island’s rich history, has inspired a vibrant community of artists who show there work at several local galleries.”

The above courtesy of the Florida Keys Tourism Council: http://www.fla-keys.com)

South Florida (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach)

(or visit http://www.facvb.org/ for much more information)

Miami-

“Glass-bottom boats, boats on air, mangrove creeks, and a unique River of Grass — these are not your typical attractions. But then again what is typical about Miami attractions?

From pastel-colored buildings to Old World-style villas, and authentic Indian villages to animal and botanical sanctuaries, our Miami attractions capture the imagination and stir the soul.

Greater Miami has miles and miles of beaches beckoning sun seekers, and nearby parks luring nature lovers to discover a fascinating variety of flora and fauna. In fact, Miami is the only place in the U.S. with two national parks. Everglades National Park is an untamed ecosystem unlike any other on earth, while Biscayne National Park is the only living tropical reef within the continental U.S.

As the moon makes its trek across the sky, Miami dance clubs and lounges open their doors to warm ocean breezes and the beautiful people who fill their dance floors and VIP rooms to capacity every night. Taking the cue, nighttime revelers put on their dancing shoes and begin to dance the night away — oftentimes to a Latin beat — at Miami dance clubs and dance parties. Search for Miami dance clubs by specific location.

Miami nightclubs offer a sizzling variety of music. In Downtown Miami, Miami's oldest bar serves up live jazz and blues bands in a smoky, bluesy atmosphere. In Little Havana, the air is filled with Afro-Cuban rhythms and rumba rap as well as a fusion of funk beats and Latin rhythms. Just west of the Bay area, Miami nightclubs spin Brazilian funk tunes and groove to "indie rock," electro-pop and classic new wave. Search for Miami nightclubs by specific location.

Miami art galleries and alternative spaces are fueled by an increasingly notable resident talent pool. Anyone seeking an overview of Miami's contemporary art scene won't want to miss the Miami art galleries surrounding the Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCa). Still more Miami art galleries that warrant attention are located within Miami's Design District and Coral Gables. Search for Miami art galleries by specific location.

It's actually possible to spend your entire vacation browsing through Greater Miami's museums. From contemporary to historical treasures, our cultural and art museums offer an overview of international art drawn from private collections and traveling exhibitions. Search for Miami museums by specific location.

The world has taken notice of the Miami theater scene, with preeminent performers seeking out the limelight. Three of the best-known venues are the Jackie Gleason Theater, Actor’s Playhouse and the Coconut Grove Playhouse, which present full seasons of Broadway musicals and theatre productions. Miami theater offerings also include experimental theater and Spanish-language plays. Search for Miami theater and arts by specific location.”

(The above courtesy of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau at http://www.gmcvb.com/Index.asp)

Fort Lauderdale-

“Plunge into a culture as deep as the ocean which frames us. A culture characterized by Seminoles and Broadway shows. Tasty jazz and art festivals. And like the horizon here, the list goes on and on and on.

Just minutes from the beach is the Riverwalk Arts and Entertainment District in downtown Fort Lauderdale, home to cultural attractions, shops, parks and restaurants. Along Riverwalk, the brick-lined meandering promenade, discover the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Museum of Discovery and Science with its Blockbuster 3D IMAX Theater, Florida Grand Opera, Old Fort Lauderdale, Stranahan House and the Museum of Art “

There is no place better to experience the Everglades, explore a magical underwater world, study fossils, butterflies, or tropical flowers, or simply soak up the pleasures of parks and Blue Wave beaches than at the very center of South Florida's Gold Coast: Greater Fort Lauderdale.

Dining is an important part of the South Florida culture. With more than 3,500 restaurants ranging from intimate cafes to al fresco waterfront dining spots to quaint bistros, ethnic eateries and world renowned steakhouses. You'll find New Florida taste treats---seafood straight from the sea and field fresh fruits and vegetables. Take a look at our creative dining selections, pick one and enjoy a great meal. You will have about 87,660 meals in your lifetime! Don't waste any.”

(Just a small portion of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau: http://www.sunny.org/)

Palm Beach-

“Palm Beach County is an extraordinary destination offering business and leisure travelers the very best of everything. With over 47 miles of white sandy beaches and over 200 hotels and resorts from Jupiter to Boca Raton, our destination offers every conceivable amenity. Hotels, resorts, exotic seaside cottages, charming inns and cozy bed and breakfasts are available year-round.”

(The only way to appreciate Palm Beach or the official website of the Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau is to visit http://www.palmbeachfl.com/ and browse through its extensive listing of Palm Beach attractions and events. This website makes it verye asy for visitors to plan their own vacation getaway)

Texas (you save $655)

Galveston Island-

“When first explored by Europeans, the island was an Akokisa Indian site. The Karankawa Indians used the island for hunting and fishing. Pirate Jean Laffite established a settlement in 1817. During the Texas Revolution the harbor served as the port for the Texas navy. Following the war, a group of investors obtained ownership of land at the harbor to found a town in 1838, and the following year the Texas legislature granted incorporation to the city of Galveston. Early years gave city many firsts in Texas: first Roman Catholic convent, first electric lights, and first medical college. Disastrous Galveston storm of 1900, the entire island was inundated during a hurricane, which claimed more than 6,000 lives. A seawall was built two years later, presently 10 miles long, it has proved its staying power several times over.”

Galveston's attractions include the Aquarium Pyramind and its sisters the Discovery Pyramid and Rainforest Pyramid (all part of Moody Gardens), the Grand 1894 Opera House, Galveston Island State Park, fishing piers and fishing charter services, sea tours, miles of Gulf beaches, the Strand Historical arts district, nightclubs, restaurants, and Galveston's greatest claim to fame: more historical homes, churches, museums, and historical tours than even downtown San Antonio! Galveston is also an hour drive away from Houston, Texas- the fourth largest city in the United States (if Galveston doesn't have it, Houston will)!

Corpus Christi and Port Aransas-

“Corpus Christi is a major deep-water port and one of Texas’ most popular seacoast playground cities. First European to have visited area is believed to have been Spanish explorer Alonzo de Piñeda in 1519. First settlement began as frontier trading post founded 1839 by impresario-colonizer Col. Henry Lawrence Kinney; obscure settlement until about 1845 when accelerated growth began. Institutions of higher learning are Del Mar College and Texas A&M—Corpus Christi.

Seawall, with steps to the water, was built in the late 1930s as part of a major landfill that created Shoreline Boulevard and the popular “T” head docks for pleasure boats. Corpus Christi Beach, north of downtown over the bridge, is the site of the USS Lexington and Texas State Aquarium, and offers park areas, picnic tables, showers, and rest rooms. For maps and current information on Corpus Christi attractions see Visitor Centers.

In keeping with the city’s image of having glistening waterways, Corpus Christi’s Water Garden at Bayfront Arts and Science Park sparkles for visitors who see, hear, and touch the garden’s water. Some 150 fountains form nucleus of park, which is lighted at night.”

Attractions include the Texas State Aquarium, a paddle wheel steamboat tour, Corpus Christi Botanical Gardens and Marine Center, Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History, Padre Island National Seashore (see below for South Padre Island, the Miami of Texas), the USS Lexington (now a floating museum of the War in the Pacific), and South Texas Institute of the Arts. A short drive north is Port Aransas, one of the cleanest, finest, white-sand beaches in Texas.

“On Mustang Island, reached by causeway and free, 24-hour ferry service; one of the most popular tourist destinations on Gulf Coast. English settler built ranch house on site 1855; later developed as fishing village. Summer visitors swell population by thousands. Hotels, motels, resorts, bait and tackle shops, superb open beaches, shrimp boat port, U.S. Coast Guard Station.

Port Aransas lies along the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail which extends from Brownsville to Orange along the Texas coast. The trail is cosponsored by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Department of Transportation.”

Attractions in Port Aransas include the Gulf Coast Birding Center, Mustang Island State Park, wade fishing, fishing peirs and jetties, and like all Texas coastal cities guided fishing and deep-sea fishing excursions, and of course miles of beaches that rival Miami or Fort Lauderdale! One of the state's best kept secrets for wildlife enthusiasts is Matagorda Island Wildlife Management Area just two hours drive north of Port Aransas- parts of the park are open to camping, but be warned that all campsites are primitive!

South Padre Island-

“Incorporated in 1973, small resort town is on southern tip of storied Padre Island just across Laguna Madre, the bay separating island from mainland. Access via free causeway on Texas 100. Visitors find wide range of accommodations from campgrounds and family motels to high-rise luxury hotels and condo rentals, marinas and seaside cottages. Restaurants feature fresh seafood harvested daily from the Gulf.

South Padre is known for its water sports, including jet skiing; bay, surf, and deep-sea fishing; parasailing, sailing, dolphin cruise, and windsurfing. Other island activities include bicycling, tennis, shelling, and horseback riding on the beach. The popular Laguna Madre Nature Trail for nature enthusiasts and bird-watchers is north of the city next to the convention center.

The South Padre Island Visitors Center provides detailed information about accommodations, activities and events related to boating, sailing, fishing, and seashore recreation. Open Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sat., Sun. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. a half-mile north of the causeway at 600 Padre Blvd. Telephone 956/761-6433, or 1-800-SOPADRE (767-2373) U.S. and Canada.”

South Padre Island is the closest thing to Miami or Fort Lauderdale as you can find in Texas. South Padre Island is less than a two hours drive from Matamoros, Mexico and Corpus Christi, but it is best-known as a premiere Spring Break destination and year-round tropical playground, with an average temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit- the same as Hawaii, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts and Nevis, or ... Aruba.

(The above courtesy of http://www.traveltex.com/ except for my own additions in italics)

Southern California (you save $347)

San Diego-

“Relax, soak in San Diego. Let your surroundings dictate a new appreciation for all the good things San Diego has to offer. From thrilling ocean adventures to chilled-out siestas under the shadow of a palm tree, your San Diego vacation will teach you a new way of life - full of fun, relaxation and beauty.“

San Diego has a world-class international known performing arts community offering a broad mix of performances by small, progressive and experimental theatres, music and dance companies to internationally known regional theatres, San Diego Opera and the San Diego Symphony. San Diego is the only city to boast two Tony Award(R)-winning theatres, the Globe Theatres in Balboa Park and the La Jolla Playhouse on the UCSD campus. The San Diego Performing Arts League produces "What's Playing On Stage in San Diego," a bimonthly guide to over 130 of the San Diego Performing Arts League's members. For more information, call 619-238-0700 or log on to www.sandiegoperforms.com.

The beach is more than a boundary dividing land from sea, more than a place to swim or sunbathe. In San Diego, the beach is a way of life, a source of pride and joy, a defining influence in people's lives. For some, the mere memory of a mid-summer sunset melting into the Pacific is reward enough. Others have a more intimate relationship with the sea: surfing and sailing, biking and running, swimming and diving along San Diego's many coastal beaches and bays. Whether you're a first-time visitor or life-long resident, The San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau encourages you to enjoy the beach and hopes the information provided here will help you to make the most of your stay.”

(The above quoted from the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau website at http://www.sandiego.org/nav/Visitors . Just like the Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau website, the San Diego website invites visitors to explore at their own pace through an impressive listing of attractions, events, dining, and lodging opportunities. Perhaps the best thing about Sa Diego is it is within 100 miles of Palm Springs, Los Angeles, and within 50 miles of Tijuana, Mexico).

Hawaii (you save up to $514)

The Big Island-

“Hawaii’s Big Island is a big ohana, and that means family, whether it’s a traditional mom & dad and kids, blended, extended, multi generational family reunion or a group of old friends. The Big Island ohana embraces groups of people traveling together, of different ages, with different interests and tastes. And there’s an adventure waiting for anyone with a sense of play and imagination.

In one day, a family can experience the desertlike lava plains along the Kona coast and the rainiest city in America, Hilo. Go from sea level to the world’s tallest mountain, Mauna Kea (13,796 when measured from sea level, 33,500 from the ocean floor), cruise through green rainforest or black lava rock. Watch whales, swim with dolphins, whisper to horses or listen to rare birdsong, sleep in the hotel industry’s best, or camp out in seldom-seen places.

The West, or Kona, Side of the island is dry and sunny -- a nexus of activity with deep-sea fishing, quaint shops and restaurants, snorkeling, SCUBA diving, submarine underwater tours, hikes through thick rainforests, horseback riding ... If you're a high activity type, the West Side is the place for you.

The Kohala Coast is Hawaii 's Golf Mecca with world-class golf courses. Just getting there is a visual adventure as you drive through vast, dramatic lava fields. If your eyes are really sharp, you might be able to spot the Kona Nightingales (donkeys) which blend into the landscape. Upcountry, the scenery changes dramatically. Waimea is home to Parker Ranch where fluorescent green pastures give way to lush valleys and a host of vibrant natural greens.

On the East Side, Waipio Valley is filled with brilliant flowers and breathtaking waterfalls. Tiny towns and highways built on old railroad trestle bridges recall the sugar plantation heritage of the Hamakua Coast. And the island's "must-see" is Kilauea, the earth's most active volcano.

It’s easy to immerse yourself in the culture of Hawaii's Big Island. Try dancing the hula and taking part in an authentic luau (feast). Head upcountry and discover the uniquely blended Hawaiian, Portuguese, and Mexican cultures - still alive and well among Hawaiian paniolo (cowboys) on the island’s giant ranches. Visit historical Kealakekua Bay where Captain James Cook dramatically lost his life in 1779. And don’t miss Puukohola Heiau. This sacred spot was built in 1790 by King Kamehameha as an offering to the gods, where he asked for success in his campaign to unite the Hawaiian Islands.”

Maui-

“With white sand beaches and crystal clear waters, Maui is ideal for sunbathing, snorkeling and snoozing! But once you’ve gotten enough sun, Maui’s also a great place for shopping and sightseeing. The old whaling town of Lahaina is home to many quaint shops and eclectic art galleries. On the opposite side of the island, the long road to Hana will lead you to the waterfall fed pools at Oheo Gulch, a perfect place to stretch your legs and take in the view. After touring the island, you may need to unwind in Wailea with a pampering spa treatment. It’s no wonder visitors return here year after year.

While famous around the world as an unforgettable honeymoon destination, Maui also offers an abundance of family-friendly attractions too. Take a trek through a bamboo forest and scout for rare tropical birds. Spend each day on a different beach. Hike down an ancient path, or straight up a volcano. Take a road trip to the other side of the island, or take a glass-bottom boat ride to a whole new world. And be sure to check out the wonderful Maui Ocean Center, featuring a 750,000-gallon, open-ocean tank with a walk-through acrylic tube.
Several of the larger resort hotels provide supervised activity programs for young guests, giving them a unique opportunity to experience Hawaii’s culture. And many hotels and resorts offer special family rates that often include free accommodations and meals for children under twelve.

From the timeless grandeur of Haleakala Crater to the historic charm of 19th Century Lahaina, Maui offers a wealth of historic and cultural attractions that will captivate your imagination and reveal the extraordinary traditions of this magical isle. The town of Lahaina is in fact a National Historic District, with timeless charm and a variety of important historic sites that take one back to the days when the town served as an important whaling port. History buffs will also find that the Lahaina-Kaanapali and Pacific Railroads provide an unforgettable journey into the area’s romantic plantation past. No matter where you travel on Maui you are sure to find points of historic and cultural significance.”

Oahu-

“With Waikiki as a central hub, you can explore the legendary North Shore of Oahu one day, and spend the next day on the east side snorkeling at Hanauma Bay, a protected marine sanctuary with tons of colorful fish. It’s clear that Oahu offers just the right amount of diversity for the adventurous as well as the cautious visitor. Thrill seekers can skydive at Mokuleia while daydreamers can relax peacefully on the beach. Exquisite dining and exciting nightlife also entice people to Oahu again and again.

In Hawaii, it’s evident that caring for keiki (children) is very important. On Oahu, there are a variety of exciting activities designed specifically with kids and families in mind. Take a submarine ride and witness sunken ships, airliners and reef structures. Ride the thrilling waterslides at Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park. Get up close and personal with dolphins, sea turtles, stingrays, sharks, and moray eels at Sea Life Park. Spend the day at the Honolulu Zoo or Waikiki Aquarium and see animal and marine life like you’ve never seen anywhere else. Or explore 4,000-acres of fun at Kualoa Ranch by horse, ATV, helicopter, jet ski or kayak.
There are also plenty of other educational and cultural excursions for kids and families year-round, including nature walks, hikes, wildlife feedings, fishing, catamaran sails and more. Many hotels and condominiums also offer programs for kids that include activities such as lei and kite making, lauhala weaving, and sandcastle building. This is one family vacation where boredom is never a problem!

The lure of adventure is strong, and nowhere in the world does it find greater expression than here in the Hawaiian Islands. Is hang-gliding your thing? Do you long to leap from the heights at Makapuu, and soaring high above the beach, make lazy circles for an afternoon? Perhaps you'd like the heart-pounding intensity of the big winter surf at Waimea. The beaches here offer far more than sunbathing and people watching. They’re ideal for all kinds of water sports including swimming, surfing, windsurfing, boogie boarding, snorkeling and fishing. Whether you’re looking for high adventure on the waves, a romantic spot to watch the sunset, or a protected swimming area for the kids, it’s sure to be nearby.

Oahu’s rich cultural heritage may be something you seek out, but you’ll most certainly find it without even trying. There are several ways to soak up Oahu’s colorful history. Museums, temples, cultural centers and festivals just to name a few. Historical artifacts can be found at both the Bishop Museum and Iolani Palace, home to the last reining monarch, Queen Liliuokalani. Take in turn-of-the-century architecture with a stroll through Chinatown, or ride the trolley through Waikiki and you’ll see historical hotels such as the Sheraton Moana Surfrider and the Royal Hawaiian Hotel made famous in the early 1900’s. “

(The above information thanks to Hawaai's Official Tourism website at http://www.gohawaii.com/ )

Destination Pricing

Based on an lowest-price average for a seven-day, six-night stay at each of the above destinations including round-trip airfare and lodging. All airline prices are per adult, departure and arrival times unspecified, for prices 30 days in advance in coach. Prices quoted depart from St. Louis, Missouri except for Hawaii destinations which depart from Los Angeles, California. Lodging represents the lowest-cost average per adult in hotels with a three-star rating.Note that in all cases every possibility to find the lowest possible ticket (flexible dates, anytime arrival and departure times, etc) was utilized.

All pricing courtesy of http://www.travelocity.com/, http://www.expedia.com/, and http://www.orbitz.com/

Miami / Fort Lauderdale / the Florida Keys

Average cost: 243+1242=$1485 (8% less than Aruba)

Galveston / Port Aransas / Corpus Christi / Padre Island, Texas

Average cost: 233+728=$961 (40% less than Aruba)

Palm Springs / Los Angeles / San Diego, California

Average cost: 261+1008=$1269 (21% less than Aruba)

Honolulu, Hawaii

Average cost: 402+700=$1102 (32% less than Aruba)

Note that if flying from St. Louis, airfare doubles and total cost becomes $1504- still 7% less than the same vacation in Aruba (at least $112 savings)!

Resources:
Florida Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus:

http://www.facvb.org/

Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau:

http://www.sunny.org/

Monroe County Tourist Development Council

http://www.fla-keys.com/

Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau:

http://www.gmcvb.com/Index.asp

Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau:

http://www.palmbeachfl.com/

Texas Travel (State of Texas Travel and Tourism):

http://www.traveltex.com/

South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Bureau:

http://www.sopadre.com/

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department:

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/

San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau:

http://www.sandiego.org/nav/Visitors

Hawaii Official Toursim Website:

http://www.gohawaii.com/

Hawaii Tourism Authority:

http://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/

And here's a last-minute addition:

http://www.gulfshores.com/

Alabama has some Gulf coast, too...

Pobrecito!

2006-02-07T16:42:00.000-08:00

Translated into English, that roughly means, "Poor baby". I am referring to the van der Sloot parents' (using the term 'parent' loosely) performance on Good Morning America this past week. Tom over at scaredmonkeys.com makes some good points when he says:

1. Aruba can't blame Beth and Dave and Greta and Nancy for keeping the investigation in the public eye now, can it? By the way, Paulus, how much did GMA pay you to appear? Was it enough to pay a lawyer, or a gambling debt?

2. Paulus, you're a liar and we've caught you in a lie more than once. You claimed on GMA that you never interfered with the investigation? Well...perhaps GMA forgot what Karin Janssen said about you:

"Well, the father has spoken with those three suspects and he said he gave them some legal advice but I think the advices were going further than that. They spoke about the situation that when there is no body, you don‘t have a case, and that was already in the first day after the disappearance. And secondly, the father and the mother have asked a friend of Joran, the suspect—the minor suspect, to come to their home to tell them what he has explained to the police. And that is, well, I can say was an obstruction of the investigation."

Here's another lie we caught you in, Paulus. Did you pick up Joran at McDonald's at 11:30 or 4 am? Poor, demonized Paulus...he has a 4 and a half hour memory lapse and everyone accuses him of lying...poor, honest, hardworking Paulus. Pobrecito.

3. Beth did a lot of damage to your family? What have you and your ill-begotten sociopath of a son done to her and Dave? Do you think that claiming that you are innocent of obstrucion of justice and maybe more, that claiming Joran is innocent of murder or rape will make Americans think this is true? Aruba doesn't realize that claiming their police are competent and honest again and again ad nauseum won't sway our opinions, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised you think the same way. The burden of proof in Dutch law might be heavy on the prosectution, but if people try and convict you and Joran in their own minds, well you can't do anything about that...anything but whore yourselves out to the media to pay Posner back I suppose. Or tell the truth once and for all. Such a hard decision to make for people like you...pobrecito.

4. Joran is not the same boy? Do you mean he knows now that if you hang around with lions you'll get bitten? Or do you mean that he knows enough now to be much more careful with his next victim? Poor innocent Joran...pobrecito.

5. GMA forgot to mention that innocent, trusting Joran changed his story at least three times; the first story was Natalee fell and hit her head on the rocks. Paulus coached him and the Kalpoes on what to say. Now if Joran is innocent of any wrongdoing, why did he lie? If what he said about that accident was truth, why did he lie about it? Accidents happen, after all...but nobody accidentally kidnaps, rapes, or murders anyone. Those who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear...so why was Paulus sweating a river when Beth came to call?
Obviously, this family is as saintly as they come...so sad that Paulus is called a liar, Joran is called a murderer, and Anita is called just plain clueless. Pobrecito.

6. And now the gallant, brave, and persecuted van der Sloots reach out to Beth, saying "I think that when she wants to talk, we will talk. But, of course, she has to explain something. I think she has done a lot of damage to Joran and our family." Do you have any idea how nauseating that comment makes Americans? Of course not, because you and Joran never did anything wrong...never your fault, always someone else's fault...a classic sign of sociopathic behavior, incidentally. Tell you what, Paulus: if you're so upset at Beth for this, why not settle this in civil court? Oh but wait, you can't because Aruba has no way to force Beth to come to the trial or even honor a settlement in Aruba. And if you come to the U.S. to file a binding lawsuit, then you and Joran will have to answer some pretty tough questions under cross-examination...in the U.S., where lying to the police is lying to the police, no excuses. So I guess your family has no choice but to endure this horrible, unfair slander huh? Pobrecito.

7. Paulus, did you forget what you told Dave when he gave you the Bible and Purpose Driven Life? Wasn't it something like, "I'm sorry but I have to protect my son"? Protect him from what- owning up to his own actions, falling prey to people much more powerful and dangerous than a failed judge and his son, or protect him from an evil police force that wanted only to nail a prison sentence on him due to their 'tunnel vision' for a crime he didn't commit? Pobrecito!

8. I've been told that Aruba is actually beginning to support this poor, ostracized, persecuted family of do-gooders. Good for Aruba...the closer they get to the van der Sloots and Kalpoes the further they drive Americans away from their safe, happy island. One would hope that for once the Aruban people would make the right choice when they choose sides...but given they chose to support a flawed investigative system that allows people to lie to police, has no oversight or accountability, and has no plea bargaining, they choose to support a government run by a Prime Minister who thinks Natalee's disappearance is 'insignificant' and is 'sick and tired' of this debacle, and they chose to support a tourism association that hires moron after moron to say exactly the wrong things...well, Arubans have a bad track record of choosing the right side. Do not worry about the mote in America's eye, Aruba...look to the beam in your own eye first. Pobrecitos.

Needless to say, the letters of protest for allowing these people on TV without even allowing Beth and Dave equal time for rebuttal are pouring into Good Morning America already. Mine is floating around cyberspace right now, in fact. But every one of GMA's sponsors that my partner 'Monroe' could find are also getting that same letter.

Ben Sherwood, producer of Good Morning America
http://www.bensherwood.com/contactben.htm

Good Morning America:
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=158076 or their message board at
http://forums.go.com/abcnews/GMA/forum?start=0&forumID=7&byThread=true

And here's the most notable of GMA's sponsors. I'm sure they would love to hear from us as well, both the many many Americans that compose the majority of not all of their customers and Arubans who most likely do not contribute nearly as much to their profits:

Hallmark Cards
http://pressroom.hallmark.com/US_contacts.html
(click on the http://customercare.hallmark.com link)

Lendingtree.com
http://www.lendingtree.com/
http://www.lendingtree.com/stm3/contactus/contactus-email.asp

Kellogg's cereals
http://www.kelloggs.com/us/
media.hotline@kellogg.com

Walt Disney World
http://www.disneyworld.com
TWDC.CorpCommunications@disney.com

Bassett Furniture
http://www.bassettfurniture.com/
http://www.bassettfurniture.com/ContactUs/tabid/73/Default.aspx

Sylvan Learning Center
http://educate-inc.com (corporate website)
http://educate-inc.com/contactus.html

American Express
www.americanexpress.com/
(click the 'Contact Us' link near the Search feature)

Wal-mart
www.walmart.com
http://www.walmartstores.com/GlobalWMStoresWeb/navigate.do?catg=221

State Farm Insurance
www.statefarm.com/
https://securemessages.statefarm.com/guides/VINS_COMMENTS.ASP

Kay Jewelers
www.kay.com
(click the 'Customer Service' link, then 'contact customer service')

Campbell's Soup
http://www.campbellsoupcompany.com/
http://www.campbellsoupcompany.com/contact_form.asp

Ford Motor Co. (Ford Lincoln Mercury)
http://www.ford.com/en/default.htm
http://www.mercuryvehicles.com/help/contactus.asp# (note that Mercury was the actual brand advertised but Ford is Mercury's parent company)

Travelocity.com
http://www.travelocity.com/
http://svc.travelocity.com/custsvc/0,,TRAVELOCITY,00.html

Outback Steakhouse
http://www.outback.com/
http://www.outback.com/contactus/index.asp

No I am not advocating a boycott of these good non-Aruban, non-Dutch companies. But by all means do let them know how we feel about the program they choose to give their advertising money to giving the van der Sloots airtime without equal airtime for Beth and Dave!

New from Economic Ruin records

2006-02-02T19:17:00.000-08:00

Get your, 'Natalee Holloway Investigation: When the Lies Crumble' soundtrack now at Economic Ruin records! This music CD is unique because it features already released songs presented in a new format: theme music for each of the people involved in this travesty of justice, selected to illustrate their role in this economic and diplomatic nightmare! Take a look at all the quality music featured on this two CD set:

Disc One-
Oduber and the MEP: Master of Puppets - Metallica
ALE: Sabotage - Beastie Boys
Joran van der Sloot: Behind Blue Eyes - The Who
(and who can forget these haunting words, written just for Joran it seems: no one knows what it's like to be hated, to be fated to telling only lies)
Paulus van der Sloot: Sympathy for the Devil - Rolling Stones
Anita van der Sloot: Thick as a Brick - Jethro Tull
Deepak and Satish Kalpoe: Loser - Beck
Nadira Kalpoe Ramirez: Sweet Little Lies - Stevie Nicks
Joran's other friends (Koen, Freddy, Max, and Jaime): Creep - Radiohead
Lorenzo van der Sloot van Rijn: Mr. Brownstone - Guns 'n' Roses
Karin Janssen: Cold as Ice- Foriegner
Gerold Dompig: I Pagliacci (the Sad Clown) - Leoncavallo
Michael Posner: Gangster Walk - Three Six Mafia

Disc Two-
Steve Cohen: Same Old Song and Dance - Aerosmith
Dennis Jacobs: Money Talks - AC/DC
Arlene Schiffer: Maneater - Hall and Oates
ATA and AHATA: Its No Good - Depeche Mode
(Don't say you want me, don't say you need me, don't say you love me...it's understood. Don't say you're happy out there without me. I know you can't be, 'cause it's no good) Makes a lot of sense if sang from American tourists to the ATA / AHATA, doesn't it?
Steve Croes: Dirty Deeds (Done Dirt Cheap) - AC/DC
Jossy Mansur: Madman Across the Water - Elton John
Beth Twitty and Dave Holloway: Onward, Christian Soldiers - as performed by Jars of Clay
Natalee Holloway: Natalee's Song - Erica Harvey
The Americans: Whiskey for My Men, Beer for my Horses - Willie Nelson and Toby Keith
(Justice is the one thing you should always find; you got to saddle up your boys, you got to draw a hard line)
Joe Mammana: Total Revenge - Say Anything
The Aruban People: This One's Gonna Hurt You (for a Long Time) - Travis Tritt
The FBI: Bring Da Pain - Method Man
The Kingdom of the Netherlands: Ship of Fools - Robert Plant

Buy yours today and don't forget that Aruba is the most expensive tourist destination in the Caribbean, paisanos!

The Night I Met Beth Twitty

2006-01-30T16:44:00.000-08:00

DISCLAIMER: I was scribbling notes like a madman for half the evening, so I'm painting a very broad picture of the events. I also apologize ahead of time for misspelling anyone's names or forgetting names altogether.

Let me dispel some rumors. First, Joe Mammana was not there. Second, it was not a fundraising event for Beth or even for TES (they have a bigger fundraiser in March). It was a media event for Texas Equusearch and a pep rally- in attendance were local Houston news reporters and a camera crew from 60 Minutes. I might actually be in the footage since I was hovering around Beth when the cameras got all in my face...I am the chubby guy in the striped 'Mafioso' shirt and glasses. The one desperately trying to ignore the cameras and just act natural.

Downtown Houston absolutely sucks if you're not familiar with it, and how I missed a major intersection like Main and Preston twice I don't know. I got there an hour late and the first thing I asked the guy at the door (who was himself a TES member whose own sister has been missing for years) if Beth had arrived yet and then realized that she arrived just ahead of me...she hadn't even cleared the entry and was standing no more than twenty feet from me! Beth immediately said hello to Tim Miller and a few other people, and so I got in line to say hi as well.

About Beth Twitty: Beth looks just as thin in person as on TV, and she is taller than I expected. But she also seemed quite relaxed, friendly and open, confident, strong, and I had the feeling that she has made peace with some things. I know the Twittys are quite religious so perhaps she found that rock and fortress that the Bible speaks of. She is an ordinary woman with extraordinary resolve. Beth spent a few minutes talking to each person hovering around her with the news camera right in her face, and when she learned I had a boycott strategy guide to offer her she told me, "Don't leave tonight without talking to me again!" I offered to be her go-for; she graciously accepted but didn't ask for anything the whole evening. I ended up near the buffet chatting with a very nice lady named Kim Ogg, director of the Houston Crimestoppers and proud mother of a wanna-be break dancer (her young son discovered how well you can spin on a slick concrete floor). Kim was the evening's first speaker (Tim Miller was the MC), and her subject was the long-standing and mutually beneficial relationship that TES and Houston Crimestoppers has. But Kim began by explaining how on dispatch one night she fielded a missing persons call and found out that officially the police at that time couldn't do anything to help the missing person's family. Kim said that was the night she realized this was a terrible way to treat these people, official policy or not.

Tim Miller called Beth up to speak not about herself, not about Natalee, but about Texas Equusearch. She spoke of how TES offers something that even law enforcement cannot- hope and a chance to find answers and closure. She explained to everyone what Arubans don't seem to understand- if you find yourself faced with the mysterious disappearance of a loved one, you simply must do everything possible to find them. There is no other option. Of course Tim Miller understands this, having lost his own daughter Laura; her disappearance and murder inspired him to start Texas Equusearch. Tim said he is the most blessed man in the world for this life mission he is on and despite the loss of his daughter. He went on to speak about one of TES's earliest searches. He spoke of a Hispanic family whose father was beaten badly and the mother and infant boy kidnapped (unfortunately the mother was later found murdered). TES found the mother's body and helped police find the boy- who had been sold! Tim described how TES members started a relief fundraiser for this man and his infant son that went from $200 to $35,000 in two days. I have the man and his son's name in my notes, but I can't seem to make them out...but they were there in person. There were several other past and current clients who spoke: the man I met at the door who first got involved with TES when a co-worker disappeared and whose own sister is still missing today; Barbara Rigsby, whose brother disappearaed in West Texas earlier this year; and a man whose brother disappearaed recently- this search is ongoing. But Barbara added something to Beth's speech: finding a lost loved one, even if they are most likely dead, is a final act of love for them, not just closure for their family.
You see, TES not only looks for missing persons but they allow families to get involved and feel that they are doing something more than waiting by a phone; Barbara said that TES is her family now.

I caught Tim at intermission and asked him a few questions, which he spoke about later that evening. If you look at the TES website you will see 250 members, but Tim told me that there are currently 700 members nationwide and that Natalee's disappearance and TES involvement in Aruba opened a lot of doors for this organization and brought a lot of new contacts, members, and resources. He told me that TES does about a hundred searches a year on average, and that he wants to see a half million members nationwide someday. About Tim: he's very laid-back and easygoing, with striking blue eyes that I would describe as utterly free of pretense. If I remember correctly he attended this rally wearing blue jeans and cowboy boots!

Finally, they showed two DVDs: one was photos of the Aruba search, complete with Erica Harvey's Natalee song in the background; the second was photos of far too many missing persons that TES was or is searching for- and that DVD represented on a handful of their clients. I believe that many of the people present were Aruba veterans, because when TES member Joe Huston mentioned how wonderfully supportive, concerned, and helpful the Aruban people were but how worthless the Aruban government was in the search efforts, the room erupted in applause and agreement. This is something that travellers to Aruba are repeating again and again, and if you read Walter's comments on this blog you willse e that some of the Arubans aren't too happy about their government and ALE, either. It is too bad that they aren't unhappy enough yet to protest the MEP and ALE instead of criticizing and blaming the U.S. media and Beth herself. If any of you Arubans are reading this, know that Americans blame your government for this fiasco of an investigation, not you. They are the problem here.

I did get to speak to Beth again for about ten minutes before I left; it was a quick discussion about boycott strategies that for now is on a need-to-know basis. Aruba will find out what Beth and her team have been up to soon enough if ALE doesn't produce some real results real fast!

Beth Twitty in Houston this Friday 01/27/06

2006-01-26T09:42:00.000-08:00

Beth Twitty in Houston for Impromptu Gathering

Natalee Holloway's mother, Beth Twitty and Texas Equusearch would like to invite the public to an impromptu gathering on Friday, January 27, 2006, 7-10pm at the M Bar http://www.monmain.com located at 402 Main St, Houston, TX, 713/222-1022. Beth Twitty, will be the guest of honor and speaker. $20 at the door/covers food: cash bar: DJ. We look forward to seeing you there! Please contact TES for any details 281/309-9500.

Beth Twitty will be speaking about her new safety program as well as earlier in the day she will be attending Teketria Bugg's school and be doing a presentation with the kids. Teke was the little girl that TES found deceased on December 15.

Also speaking will be other family members with missing or deceased persons such as Barbara Rigsby, sister of David Pettiet, found in October, 2005. Teke s mom will also be in attendance along with the lead detective from the Ft Bend Sheriff s Dept that did a great job during the investigation. Members of the Houston Crime Stoppers and the Houston Corporate Paralegal Association will also be present. News Show 48 Hours will be there as well as local media to report on the event.

ALL ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND.

-------------------------------------

Sorry for the late notice; I just found out myself. I live about 90 minutes from Houston, so I will be there for sure.

Interview with an Aruban

2006-01-25T19:10:00.000-08:00

'Walter', who is from Aruba (so I understand) has posted here before, and I think he might be able and wiling to rationally and calmly discuss the ins and outs of Natalee's investigation (something that no Aruban has been willing or able to do so far). There are two things to keep in mind here: first, this is (as far as I know, but I don't know who Walter really is) not Beth's crusaders versus the Aruban spin machine. It is not intended to be a Aruba says/we say affair either. It is two guys from opposite sides of an issue who are going to try to shed some light on their differences in opinion. I warned Walter that he has a very tough sell to make, but I think we agree on the format. Now that I have posted this, I invited Walter via e-mail to post a list of concerns he has as an Aruban. I will then reply to each point in turn, either answering his questions or arguing the point as I see it from an American point of view. I will at some point swtich places with him and go on the defensive, of course. Second, this will be an ongoing project as long as Walter wants to continue and as long as I think it is productive. What I don't want is for either of us to keep repeating the same contentions without elaborating.

Why am I doing this? Well, because I want to explore how much of the downright nasty feelings between Americans and Arubans is based on misconceptions and misunderstandings, and how much really does suggest cover-up, corruption, or just incompetence. I am not convinced that Arubans fully understand Americans, and vice-versa.

Ok, Walter, it is all yours.

Economics of a Boycott

2006-01-24T11:06:00.000-08:00

Economics of a Boycott

"The biggest concern is the fact that 27 percent (of Americans) consider Aruba to be an unsafe place to go to. Aruba has dropped from the second to the seventh place on the list of safe vacation destinations and is now almost at the same level as Jamaica and the Dominican Republic."

- Jossy Mansur, Editor, Diario Aruba newspaper

Now, I can't independently verify this 27 % figure but I will use it in my calculations since it is a hard number at least (something the ATA doesn't dare release right now). However, going back to my recreation and tourism degree I have the following observations to offer:

1. The fact that travel companies are offering discount packages is actually a sign of worry on their part. Consider this: let's say that (on average) it costs $150 per night for a 3 star hotel room in Aruba (a comfortable average according to www.travelocity.com ). Let's say that a hotel has 100 rooms, has 100% occupancy (very rare for any hotel) and so turns $15,000 a day. Then the boycott hits and in time the occupancy drops to 82% (27% American tourism loss of 70% total American tourism equals about 18% of all Aruban tourism). Now the hotel only sees $12,300 per day. BUT...what if they offer a 10% discount on all rooms to combat the boycott? Even if their occupancy jumps back up to 100% , at $135 per room per night they are still LOSING $1,500 per day ($15,000-$13,500)! In short, offering a big discount on packages and keeping numbers up is better than suffering a flat-out occupancy cut but it is only damage mitigation, NOT a solution. I suspect that keeping numbers up is for the benefit of the government's image than anything else- that way they can tell the Arubans that numbers are up…but of course that is only a small part of the equation. Since Caribbean hotels operate on no more than a 30% profit margin if they're lucky (Source: American Hotel Lodging Association), that means that a 10% discount rate takes away 1/3 of their profit....and if 1/3 of your profit is $7 per hundred your profit margin is very slim anyway.

2. To help recoup these losses and raise occupancy again, the travel industry in Aruba is going to have to spend MORE on more advertising - thus cutting into their already shrinking profit margin even deeper. They've already started by spending money on more USA Today ads, hiring spin doctors like Steve Cohen, and most recently sinking about $700,000 into a new government-sponsored tourism campaign and millions into hotel and airport renovations.

3. Many people will be unwilling to cancel their prior reservations to Aruba when the boycott started due to time constraints (difficult to find another destination in such short notice) or monetary cancellation penalties charged by cruise lines and travel agencies. The issue is not how many people don't go to Aruba prior to today, it is how many go in the coming months. I notice that there are several things that have yet to be done to push the boycott, and if they ever are things will only get worse.

4. As Jossy Mansur suggested, if the travel agencies prefer to suggest alternative packages to make up their commissions, then my guess is the cruise lines (who are already losing business due to the upcoming Congressional hearings) will also feel this. Remember: the boycott doesn't just affect travel packages; it will affect cruise lines and airline tickets as well. Let's look at this snowball effect for a minute: how many cruise lines will choose to keep stopping in Aruba if the travel agencies that refer guests to them stop referring guests as much? The same is true for airlines. When one considers this boycott, you have to remember the ripples that a dip in one industry causes to other industries. If Aruban tourism business drops- or I should say when (but keep in mind that it will take months for the full impact of this boycott to be felt)- so does the many guided tours in Aruba, the restaurants and nightclubs and bars, the souvenir shops, even the bordellos! Think about it this way: what would happen to the OPEC nations if they suddenly had no access to their own oil reserves? How much money from oil sales go to the Iraqi government now with oilfields only capable of a fraction of normal production? This is exactly the situation Aruba is facing: a coordinated and specific attack on the vast majority of their wealth! This boycott would not work nearly as well if Aruba had a varied economy (and this is why boycotts against other places for different reasons haven't worked. Any economist will tell you that the more varied a nation's resources are, the less susceptible to economic ruin it is). As it stands, 70% of Aruba's livelihood is in jeopardy!

5. The U.S. makes up 70% of Aruba's tourism income. That means 30% comes from everywhere else. Assuming that all tourists to Aruba spend the same amount (and since the U.S. is in general a quite prosperous nation the truth is Americans probably spend more per person), $1400 let's say (again, Jossy's number). So for every 100 tourists, $98,000 of revenue comes from the U.S. and $42,000 comes from everyone else (a total of $140,000). What happens if 27% of Americans stop going to Aruba (a total loss of 18% of total Aruban tourism)? We get a flat loss of $25,200 per 10 days per 100 tourists! That is $252 a day per person. Now multiply this by the 500,000 American tourists that visit Aruba yearly, and the loss becomes $1.2 million dollars a year from hotels alone!

6. The question remains, can Aruba make up this 27% loss elsewhere? Perhaps, but can they make up the amount of income? Remember, numbers do not equal income. If Aruba can make up the difference from the boycott with European visitors but these visitors spend less than Americans, that is not quite as good as it would first sound, is it? And don't think that just because the Euro is stronger than the USD right now that Europeans will spend more- there's a nasty little thing called inflation that goes along with this that actually robs people of spending power. The Euro might buy more in Aruba, but the cost of living is higher in Europe so Europeans bring less disposable income with them.

7. More so than many businesses, tourism and hospitality tend to pay disproportionately to the managers and owners over the laborers. In other words, in such a strongly service-oriented industry, few people are management and most are labor. As any economist will tell you, pay cuts and economic downturns hurt the least-paid workers from a standard of living standpoint the most and the soonest. Let's say our Aruban hotel has one manager, 3 assistant managers, 3 shift supervisors, and 20 maids, cooks, porters, etc. Assume the manager makes $60,000 a year, the assistant managers make $45,000 a year, the shift supers make $30,000 a year, and the others make $15,000 a year. Now let's say that the boycott causes a significant loss of the hotel's business and everyone has to take a 10% pay cut just to keep their jobs. The manager now makes $54,000 a year, the assistant managers make $40,500, the supervisors make $27,000, and- here's the important part- the laborers make $13,500. Assuming a 40 hour work week 50 weeks a year (allowing for two weeks vacation since Arubans seem to take vacations left and right), that means the laborers went from making $7.50 an hour to making $6.75 an hour. The manager, however, went from making $30 an hour to making $27 an hour. Now- whose lifestyle do you think will be hurt most? Which of these people are living the closest to broke to begin with? Finally, consider this: what percentage of Aruban voters work in the bottom tier of the labor force and will be very upset about the economy very fast? Let me remind you that even in a prosperous nation like the U.S. blue collar jobs outnumber white collar jobs significantly. This dichotomy is historically even worse in a Third World nation like Aruba.

8. Nobody is going to keep a business open in a financially worthless location. Do you think that Marriott or the Holiday Inn will keep their hotels open for a 25% or even a 50% occupancy rate just to give Arubans jobs? What do you think will happen when the stockholders start crying foul? Most Caribbean hotels and motels operate at a 20-30% profit margin. This means that if you want to make money you can't lower rates more than about 15-25%. But by the time profit margins are down to 5%, most of your stockholders will sell out and your stock will be devalued. So how do you avoid this if you're a stockholder with a failing company? You sell and get out, or you close locations that are showing a loss. The loss of tourism in Aruba will not hurt American businesses there one bit- they'll simply open new hotels wherever the tourists go. Besides, U.S businesses in Aruba like the Holiday Inn and Marriott don't employ Americans- they employ Arubans. While we're on the subject, note that the annual trade between Aruba and the U.S. is something like 117 million USD. That is less than 1% of the U.S. annual trade surpluses. We won't miss Aruba nearly as much as they'll miss us.

No wonder the Aruban government and the ATA are running scared of a boycott. And make no mistake, they are- why else would they be four months behind in releasing tourism figures? Why else are they trying so hard to convince their own people, not Americans, that everything is fine and that they are competent?

Another ALE Stall Tactic?

2006-01-23T10:47:00.000-08:00

My buddy Richard R. e-mailed me this in regards to the supposed upcoming Aruban visit to interview the MB kids. Italicized comments are mine.

"Everyone here should have received from me a Birmingham News article saying that the Arubans are about to begin interviewing the Mountain Brook, AL, teens who went on the ill-fated trip. The interviews could begin on Monday. Apparently the FBI will also participate ... perhaps the Arubans will learn some professionalism?
Don't count on it. Unless they demonstrate real, undeniable, immediate progress soon 'professional' is not a word I would ever associate with ALE

So what is up? Why is this just starting now?

Does anyone think there is not a cover-up in Aruba? I cannot imagine that any rational person would doubt it, judging by the lies and evasions that we have seen from day one. The only question in my mind is how extensive it is.
My educated guess is the vdS and Kalpoes are at the bottom of a very, very tall stack of corruption...Aruba has a history of corrupt governments after all.

One thing to note is the timing of these interviews. The Arubans have had eight months to talk with the Mountain Brook teens (through the FBI of course), yet they are doing so only now, just as the new searches at the sand dunes (where Art Wood found that belt that Aruba ignored and seems to have conveniently "lost") and in the water are underway.

Is this synchronicity by chance? I don't think so.
I doubt the ALE agent- that's right- one single investigator- ever makes it to the U.S. Then Aruba will blame the family or the FBI or the media for their own latest broken promise.

It seems to me that there must be some kind of debate within Aruba on what to do about this case. Are they prepared to protect their own, risking a continued American embargo? Yes. Not only that, but possible American pressure on the Dutch (IF our government ever decides to do anything), who in turn are in a position to come down on their colonial administration?
There is a precedent for this: they once took over direct administration of the St. Maarten finances following a scandal. I have been thinking of trying to set up a "concerned citizen committee" meeting with the Dutch envoy here to urge that they do the same with the Aruban police. I'm sure they would heed what I have to say!

I think it could go either way. They could try to come up with some statement by someone putting Natalee in a bad light, and try to use that as fodder to close the case. (That wouldn't solve the question of what happened to her, but who knows whether that fact would impress Aruba.) Or, at least, to let it go cold.
Nor would it stop the boycott; I imagine Beth and her allies have a lot planned for that still- just waiting for ALE to give them a reason to keep attacking.

But if all the statements point to the three scumbags, and I can't imagine that anything wouldn't, maybe the "anti-vdS" faction (IF there is one) might push for stronger action. What more would they need? What more could they get?"
A reporter I know from Aruba tells me that the whole island is anti-van der Sloot; the word he used was 'pariah' I think. The Arubans don't hate them enough to break some knees apparently...but this same man told me Arubans are apathetic too.

Now some of my own thoughts. A friend of mine got a call from Spencer Bachus's Washington D.C. office today in reference to her questions about this supposed meeting. This is what someone from that office named Spencer Britt said to her:

"I ask him if officials were coming from Aruba today to
reinterview the Mt. Brook Kids, and he said as far as
they know that "police officials" were coming later
this week from Aruba. I ask him, if they were coming
to specific requestion Mt. Brook kids and he said yes,
as far as he knows they are. I ask him if the
information was correct in the newspaper article. He
said to his knowledge it is. I ask him who released
the information and he said the FBI in Birmingham
released this information to the Birmingham News. I
told him that was odd because in the past they had
been very tight and close lipped about releasing
anything. I also stated that it was odd that the
article would appear in the paper and gave only one
days notice that officials were coming from Aruba. He
stated that it is police officials only that are
coming..and then again specifically he indicated it
would be only one Police Inspector. I ask him point
blank if Steve Cohen was involved and got not answer.
I told him that I was concerned as to where this
information had come from. I ask him if he could give
me any other information and he said "no ma'am"

It is no secret to me at least that this possibility of ALE using interviews with the MB kids to absolve themselves of any wrongdoing in the investigation or to get out from under it altogether has been a concern of the FBI and other key individuals ever since Dumb Pig first mentioned it. At that time I understood that the FBI was going to force ALE to go through official channels and the FBI would be calling the shots and watching the questioning like a hawk. I can only hope that if the ALE actually goes through with this (I bet they'll claim MB students approached them outside of the FBI's reach and said who knows what if they come to the U.S. at all), the FBI is getting something in return. Maybe a peek at the so-called evidence or tapes of the interrogations of the three suspects.

Arubans should be alarmed that Americans so thoroughly distrust their government and what passes for law enforcement that the FBI doesn't even trust them anymore professionally and Americans in general question their actions before they even see them through! Do you not comprehend how much America feels betrayed by how terribly and underhandedly this investigation has been from the start? My God, we don't trust a single thing your corrupt government and crooked investigators do at all anymore!

A Little Help from Friends

2006-01-21T09:23:00.000-08:00

I am looking for the following information to include on my upcoming boycott website at www.truthfornatalee.com. Any and all help is greatly appreciated; let's show Aruba that the truth is hard to hide from thousands of pissed-off Americans! I need:

- Any verifiable, reputable news articles or official governmental reports on organized crime in Aruba, especially from 1980 to today;

- Any verifiable, reputable account of crime of any kind by or against tourists to Aruba; I am especially interested in any reported rapes or sexual assaults, kidnappings and missing persons cases, murders, and an armed casino robbery that occurred in 1998 I believe;

- Verifiable, reputable tourism figures from not only Aruba but also from companies that do business in Aruba (arilines, cruise lines, hotels, etc) from May 2005 to the present. Tourism figures from other Caribbean islands (remember they all compete and Aruba's loss is someone's gain) are also welcome;

- Verifiable, reputable articles and reports on internal and political strife in Aruba since the MEP came to power, the more recent the better.

I say verifiable and reputable so much for a reason. Here's the caveat: anything you want to send me must include the URL, website address, or other source so I can link back to the source and give proper credit to the original author when it goes up on the truthfornatalee.com website. I intend to use such information not only to show America what a sleazy place Aruba is under the well-crafted veneer of paradise, but to back it up with reputable sources. Send anything you find to lionhunter053005@yahoo.com, or even post your findings on the message boards here (I've enabled anonymous posts now). I'm not interested in theories or tips (send those to the FBI, Dave, or Beth please but NOT to the morons in ALE), but anything you find doesn't necessarily have to pertain to Natalee's disappearance. Anything that shows Aruba's true nature is welcome. As always, anything that I consider slanderous or insulting to myself, Natalee, her family, or any of their supporters will be deleted and will not see the light of day on this blog!

I know there are more people that support Beth than do not in the U.S. Jump on even a markedly anti-Beth, anti-boycott website like Riehlworldview and check out the messageboard; you'll see what I mean. Here's your chance to help, folks. Remember: Beth and Dave and a handful of dedicated people are up against a corrupt government that is calling all the shots on Aruba, and the U.S. and the Netherlands are markedly uninterested in trying to resolve this through political pressure. It is up to us, and as of today I am still convinced that destroying the island's economy and pressuring the Aruban people to force their own government into honest action, transparency, full and unconditional cooperation with the FBI, and real progress is the best way to find Natalee.

The Real Aruba Truth

She Went to Aruba- Will You?

New Protests Coming Up This Month

Get Used to Zero Growth, Aruba!

Holloway Investigation Closed- But They're REALLY Sorry About This!

D-Day Letter to Aruba

Pennsylvaina Boycott Protest

ALERT: Scam in Progress

How You can Help

New Orleans Protest - Day by Day

New Protest Against Aruba this Month!

FYI

Protest Aruba in Boston this Weekend!

Oduber and the MEP: Our Common Enemy

The Day I Met Dave Holloway

Interesting Rumors

Dave's Book Tour and a Bonus!

Drug Dealers, Mobsters, and Pimps, Oh My!

Dutch marines on drugs charges in Aruba (excerpt)

Friday, March 26, 2004

Friday, July 16, 2004 (excerpt)

Deep suspicion in the Kingdom (January 13, 2004) (excerpt)

You're Dealing with an Aruban if...

Of Course He's Lying! He Never Stopped Lying!

Get a Clue, Aruba!

A Letter to Loverboy362

More Tourist Destinations- USA style!

Pobrecito!

New from Economic Ruin records

The Night I Met Beth Twitty

Beth Twitty in Houston this Friday 01/27/06

Interview with an Aruban

Economics of a Boycott

Another ALE Stall Tactic?

A Little Help from Friends