Natalee Holloway: Aruban PM Calls Boycott Irresponsible

I agree.

"This is a preposterous and irresponsible act," Oduber said Tuesday night after attending a closed session with members of Parliament.

Aruban officials have appealed to the U.S. State Department for help against a tourist boycott of the Dutch Caribbean island prompted by complaints that authorities mishandled the investigation into the disappearance of an American teenager.

Tourism Minister Edison Briesen said Wednesday that it's too early to determine whether a call by Alabama Gov. Bob Riley to boycott the island over the handling of the Natalee Holloway case has led to any cancellations.

It'll be interesting to see how the State Department responds. My guess is they'll have to spend Thanksgiving at the children's table to make sure everyone gets their drumstick and plays nice.

That will give Riley an out, if he's smart he already has it lined up. Someone at State, perhaps even Condi, will express sincere regrets to the family for this terrible tragedy. They may even have a little joint task force to look into it - read stretch it out.

But all that depends on how much cash MB and a few significant contributors have helped Sen. Shelby ET AL over the years. Who says money can't buy you love?

Comments

[knot]

The scenario plays out...tourist dollars dry up..those who get laid off and can afford it leave for the netherlands (a nightmare for holland)..those who can't..turn to illegal activities such as the drug trade..the infrastructure has a major collaspe..more tourist dollars vanish...gee whiz..and I thought aruba was outside the hurricane path...

[Northerner]

@ knot: if tourist dollars dry up, they will be replaced by tourist euros. Read my post of 4:38:19 PM.
And I doubt tourist dollars will dry up. For 2 reasons:
1) Most Americans are luckily intelligent enough to make their own decisions and not be influenced by nonsensical boycotts.
2) If there was to be any effect on American tourism in Aruba, now is when it would be felt. The case has been in the news for months, people who are there now mostly booked after this started. There is at this moment no decrease in American tourism on Aruba. If there is none now, do you really think there will be a decrease a year from now, when everyone except those close to the case will have forgotten all about it? I doubt it.

[stahl]

Best advice to Aruba....solve the case & clean up this mess any way possible. Then hire a really good public relations or media spokesperson to clean up your reputation. You're spending all this time & energy fighting the wrong thing to protect your tourism & it's not working.

Posted by: Justme | Nov 9, 2005 4:54:14 PM

..clean up any way possible..
Lynching three boys because of unproven accusations, you mean?
Sorry, but that might be the way things are handled in backward places like Alabama, but in the civilized world the rule of law holds you, the great unwashed, at bay.
Boycot all you want, it won't suddenly produce evidence that gets these kids convicted.

[knot]

I do...the seeds of doubt and mistrust have been planted..tourist from America will go with a little bit of uneasiness in the back of their minds..no one wants to spend big bucks on a vacation and worry about what their host think of them..behind their backs..a tad bit uncomfortable

[George]

"U.S. State Department
Press Guidance
Tuesday, November 08, 2005

ARUBA: Natalee Holloway Update / Alabama Governor's Comments
...
Our Embassy in The Hague has been in touch with the Government of the Netherlands, which is also providing assistance in this investigation. Aruba is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the Dutch Supreme Court is also the last court of appeal for Aruba.

I refer you to the Dutch Government for details on its cooperation.
...
While we respect the right of this elected state government executive to make such a call for a travel boycott, his statement does not represent the foreign policy of the United States.
...
Background:

On November 8, Alabama Governor Bob Riley called for a travel boycott of Aruba until authorities on the island cooperate more fully with the family of Natalee Holloway. Despite assistance by the FBI and Dutch officials, investigators in Aruba have been unable to develop forensic evidence against the three suspects that would stand up in a court of law. U.S. law enforcement officials do not have recommendations for further GOA action on the case other than to turn it over to cold case investigators."

Cited from http://www.arubatruth.com/2005/11/us-state-dept-says-no-govt-boycott-on.html

[Northerner]

So you think Arubans will blame all Americans for this silly boycott? That would be almost as dumb as blaming all of Aruba for the disappearance of one American girl, wouldn't it?
The average Aruban is smarter than that. Americans can go on holiday to Aruba without a worry about what their hosts will think of them.

[GrannyToad]

Queen Oduber needs to stop acting the fool and opening his mouth to prove it.

MOTIVATE ARUBANS

[two tone jones]

Par for the course throughout this case - how many times did we hear Beth say "we are really on the same page now" or "we are really making progress" after meetings with the police; only to go on Fox/Nasty Disgrace/Etc. shortly thereafter and excoriate them. Sometimes on the same day or within 24 hours.

Now she meets with the tourism department to play nice, flies home, and backs a boycott? Classy. I wonder why she doesn't get enthusiastic support from the Arubans?

Her approach from the beginning put everyone on the defensive, polarized the situation, and did more to hamper the investigation than any allegedly incompetent or corrupt Aruban LE official. She just doesn't get it. I know she has been thru hell losing her daughter, but compare her behavior to the dignity shown by others in her situation

testicles, I AGREE!!! Beth and the group she brought with her botched things from the start, they should have let the authorities handle things, but they came in with guns drawn, put everyone on defense!

[two tone jones]

and never should have involved Condolicea Rice either!

[cj1132]

Just a thought -- the holiday seaon is coming up and there are many families in the U.S. who could use financial help. I have no problem with people making donations to the Holloway fund but when writing out the check, why not send another to one of your local charities and help a child in need. You just might be paying for a warm coat or shoes or possibly the only toy that child will get for Christmas!

[Sue]

Boycott Aruba? What were Aruban Newspapers Saying Prior to the Announcement
Today the Governor of Alabama, Bob Riley, called for a boycott against Aruba in hopes of pressuring Government officials to handling the disappearance of Natalee Holloway properly and communicate with the family.

However, some of the Aruban newspapers have writing articles prior to any announcement of a boycott. It would appear that some did not need any official announcement from the Governor of Alabama to take action on their own. After all, freedom of speech is also the freedom to spend your hard earned dollars as you see fit. In a November 7 editorial from Diario, (segun turistanan, AGENTENAN DI VIAHE NA MERCA TA CONSEHANDO PA NO BAY ARUBA)

Editorial: According to tourists
Travel agents in the US advising against going to Aruba

ORANJESTAD(AAN): Recently, DIARIO conversed with a few tourists about the case of the disappearance of Natalee Holloway and the fact that, among others, Natalee Holloway’s mother has asked for people to not come to Aruba until the case is solved.

Different tourists explained that given that they have been coming to Aruba for some time, they are not affected by this because they know how dear and safe Aruba is.

The editorial would later go on to say the following:

According to the couple, they paid in total for two people, only $2,800 for a vacation of 10 days in Aruba. This includes the trip and the stay at a good hotel.

They explained to DIARIO that the travel agencies, who earn a commission on the tickets they sell, want to make more money so they are advising people not to go to Aruba because they are offering other more expensive destinations like the Bahamas, to earn a higher commission.

(Full editorial)

However, in the November 3rd Amigoe, Aruba asks the Netherlands for help.

Prime Minister Nelson Oduber (MEP) has asked Minister Ben Bot (CDA) of Foreign Affairs to please exert his influence to restructure the downward publicity spiral, in which Aruba has landed due to the Natalee Holloway matter.

“The American media-campaigns have discredited the Aruban judicial system and its integrity”, said Oduber. He hinted that the Netherlands also gets drawn in this. “The call for a boycott is not exclusively for Aruba, but also for the Netherlands.” Oduber indicates in his letter that the call for a boycott mainly rests on an incorrect interpretation of the judicial system of Aruba and the Netherlands.

(full story)

As talks of a pending boycott took place prior to todays actual announcement of a boycott by Alabama Governor Riley, the effects have already begun in Aruba affecting tourism. I do not think anyone in Aruba would have thought that their tourism numbers and image would have been affected this quickly. The idea that Aruba dripped from the number 2 perceived safe island to one on par with Jamaica and the Dominican Republic must bring shear fear to the tourism industry.

The absolute figures do not show a negative influence on the image of Aruba as a safe tourist destination. But professional market research shows a less bright image for the future. 51 Percent, of the interviewed persons, of which 33 percent are directly involved with the Holloway case, said that they are not interested in going to Aruba. 21 Percent of the travel agents are less inclined to recommend Aruba as vacation destination. The biggest concern is the fact that 27 percent 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.

These effects and the boycott had not even been called for. I honestly do not think anyone wants a boycott; however, one does begin to wonder why Aruban officials and the prosecutors office ever let it get this far? We could see this coming for quite some time and wondered why Aruban officials kept playing this rather dangerous game of chicken?

[knot]

I do not blame all the arubans for the dissapearance of NH...actually I blame none of them yet...I find fault with the justice and polis departments for their lack of integrity..

[truthbetold]

YEAH YOU ARE POINTING THE FINGER AT THE WRONG PERSON...TRY YOUR ALE....BE ANGRY/LIVID AT THEM NOT BETH...Beth is not guilty of anything, other than getting the attention of the corrupt government of Aruba to finally do a REAL investigation instead of protecting the Judge's son Joran and his two side kicks Kalpoe brothers.
She has professional people and our government now backing her from the good old USA, because your stiff necked government establishment wants to cover the crime and not do a proper investigation.

Posted by: Sharon | Nov 9, 2005 4:15:14 PM

you show your ignorance dear - I do not live in Aruba and I am a AMERICAN

[two tone jones]

The boycott isn't going to happen, maybe in Alabama, but I really doubt that too!

[bella]

Why do we have to take sides - Beth is 100% wrong OR Arubian LE did the best that they could? Why not agree, especially Arubians who are the only ones who realistically can do so, to urge their representatives to insist that the LE produce the answers to the questions posed by the family and its attornies - no matter who gets hurt in the process. I never thought for a moment that there was a coverup, but it would seem now that yes, indeed, there was because the statements coming out of Aruba have been so deceptive and calculated. If anyone recognizes me on this board, they should know that I do not take sides - the most important fact in all of this rhetoric is a young girl went to Aruba and disappeared off the face of the earth and the Arubian authorities for whatever reason have not produced anything whatsoever to try to help. One thing is for sure, if this case ends here and never progresses - the perfect little island can claim the perfect little crime.

[two tone jones]

Just a thought -- the holiday seaon is coming up and there are many families in the U.S. who could use financial help. I have no problem with people making donations to the Holloway fund but when writing out the check, why not send another to one of your local charities and help a child in need. You just might be paying for a warm coat or shoes or possibly the only toy that child will get for Christmas!

Posted by: cj1132 | Nov 9, 2005 5:25:23 PM

good point cj, testicles, I wonder how things would have been different if the Twittys would have let the authorities do their job instead of blasting on the scene at the Sloots the way they did, I wonder if the Twittys think about this.

[Northerner]

Too bad most of you don't speak Dutch, there's a few hilarious stories on Dutch weblogs about this backwater US state setting its own foreign policy and calling for a boycott. Unfortunately the jokes don't translate well.

In other words: that's how seriously the rest of the world takes this. The boycott is a joke and is treated as such by everyone else.

[two tone jones]

It appears the boycott or at least the threat of one is getting their attention...the PM and others are crying foul!..LOL..I for one, am very excited and would like to see what damage a boycott would do to them...

Posted by: knot | Nov 9, 2005 4:47:57 PM

WHY? Why would you want to see damage to a whole city when the whole city is not responsible? Seems cruel to me and wrong! WRONG WRONG WRONG!!

[VASteve]

End the boycott and get back to helping solve the missing person case. Offer a hand instead of the stick, Alabama. Wake up and help bring your native home.

[GrannyToad]

What are the bones found, many as Dave Holloway and witnesses claim?
Posted by: fatgillis | Nov 9, 2005 2:39:44 PM

One I know of was found mid-July by a snorkeling tourist near the water's edge. She said it stunk & had tissue on it. Tim Miller asked to to inquire about it of ALE; she was told it was a human hand bone dead about 2 years. (With connective-type tissue on it?)
~~~~

Natalee left C&Cs with Joran and the Kalpoe brothers never to be seen again dead or alive. Those 3 agree she was last with them, Joran in particular.

Has the boat been identified yet? Has the vd Sloot place still not had an appropriate forensic search? Where did Joran & Deepak split to for half an hour or so when they knew Natalee's parents were close by and enroute to his house 24 hours or less since she was last assumed to be alive with Joran?

[VASteve]

Natalee left C&Cs with Joran and the Kalpoe brothers never to be seen again dead or alive. Those 3 agree she was last with them, Joran in particular.

Has the boat been identified yet? Has the vd Sloot place still not had an appropriate forensic search? Where did Joran & Deepak split to for half an hour or so when they knew Natalee's parents were close by and enroute to his house 24 hours or less since she was last assumed to be alive with Joran?

Posted by: GrannyToad | Nov 9, 2005 5:35:20 PM

Anther lie, Granny. Joran did not, in the interview posted online, say he was the last to see her, he has no idea who was with her last.

That's what he said. Not you. You lied again. Misrepresented the truth to suit your agenda.

You are not helping in any way to find Natalee with your lies.

[cj1132]

I try to stay open minded regarding this case but I cannot rationalize hurting the Aruban people for something that is out of their control. In my eyes, that is totally wrong and unethical. Yes, they may have a say in how their officials get elected but give me a break, how much control do you or I have over how our elected officials act?

[VASteve]

What resources has Alabama offered Beth that will actually help her?

[moey]

IMHO I think the Twittys should have used an attorney to go forward with their 'letter' and anything else and not do this on their own. I'm afraid it is going to escalate into an international incident beyond their wildest dreams.

Hire an international lawyer with experience in this type of case and file the proper Motions with the appropriate Courts.

The Arubian general public did not cause this problem. The problem is that no on, including Beth or the ALE know for sure who, if anyone, did anything or caused anything to happen to Natalee. The ONLY thing anyone knows for sure is that a US citizen is missing from Aruba, nothing more. Everything else is pure speculation depending on whose 'gossip or inuendo' you chose to listen to.

I personally think they need to back off, hire competent counsel and follow channels.

I don't know what to think about the MB students/chaperones being asked for statements, but I think they should all be forthcoming with recorded statements about the events of that week and anything prior to that week. This includes the Holloways, the Twittys and anyone connected to the trip at the school. When you have an incident like this, your life all of a sudden becomes an open book for the world to see and so far that book has not been cracked open very far. IMHO

[knot]

yes I agree a boycott if successful would do great harm to many..but we do it all the time anyway...embargo..tariffs on imports..designed to help us and punish others...I guess we just call it by a different name..

[GrannyToad]

sweety blame DIARIO ... since when is diario the LE? blame JOSSY MANSUR mi bida.
Posted by: Melody | Nov 9, 2005 2:44:32 PM

Is that Gerald Dompig's middle name or what? It's not Joran Andreas Petrus Van Der Sloot's.

Joran made up a big lie told to a dozen witnesses Monday night about winning back gambling losses during the 5 minutes Natalee associated with him in her group at the casino the night he caused her to disappear. He KNEW she would never speak again to refute. He knew she was gone that Monday after school before the MB grads' 2nd flight left Aruba, told Freddy.

WHY did Paul send LE, the Twittys, and all the rest on a wild goose chase to the Wyndham casino when they got there the first night. Joran had split just minutes before their arrival. WHERE did they really go?

[two tone jones]

The scenario plays out...tourist dollars dry up..those who get laid off and can afford it leave for the netherlands (a nightmare for holland)..those who can't..turn to illegal activities such as the drug trade..the infrastructure has a major collaspe..more tourist dollars vanish...gee whiz..and I thought aruba was outside the hurricane path...

Posted by: knot | Nov 9, 2005 5:05:03 PM

It ain't gonna happen, and I wish Beth haddn't stooped to this, AGAIN, they wint in there with their guns pulled out and have not appreciated at all what the arubans DID do to help them, exept for Dave, he does appreciate the help they gave, and WHERE is JUG?? Last I here Beth is running around bullying with some refugee named MAMMAN, so she is biting off the hands of those who have helped her.

[VASteve]

yes I agree a boycott if successful would do great harm to many..but we do it all the time anyway...embargo..tariffs on imports..designed to help us and punish others...I guess we just call it by a different name..

Posted by: knot | Nov 9, 2005 5:42:07 PM

Not true. Tariffs are much different than boycotts.

[TuxedoJunction]

U.S. law enforcement officials do not have recommendations for further GOA action on the case other than to turn it over to cold case investigators."
Cited from http://www.arubatruth.com/2005/11/us-state-dept-says-no-govt-boycott-on.html
Posted by: George | Nov 9, 2005 5:20:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Does this mean the US Law Enforcement Officals = FBI? And that the FBI or whatever US LE Officials have given up also?
Thanks for the post George.
Aloha

[two tone jones]

Knot, trying to use big words like Tariff to confuse, looks like VA caught you!!

[VASteve]

Joran made up a big lie told to a dozen witnesses Monday night about winning back gambling losses during the 5 minutes Natalee associated with him in her group at the casino the night he caused her to disappear. He KNEW she would never speak again to refute.

Posted by: GrannyToad | Nov 9, 2005 5:42:50 PM

Just because you state this as truth doesn't make it so. This is your opinion. It would be nice if you stated it as such.

It's up to you, the credibility of your posts suffer.

[berry]

I think Queen Beatrix needs to put her royal foot down. If she is really annoyed, she may order the worker bees to just shut the whole thing down. Then what will the family do?

[knot]

whatever..I'm all for the boycott...the objective being the collaspe of..the government..I hate to see innocent bystanders hurt...but whoever said life is fair..

[GrannyToad]

there's no way they ever said they found her body ... they might have said they THINK they found it...no?
Posted by: Melody | Nov 9, 2005 2:51:23 PM

The parents and steparents were notified in the middle of the night. They began calling family back in America that Natalee was dead.
~~~~

When the request for TRAVEL AVOIDANCE (emphasis) was discussed, Arubans and friends were chanting BOYCOTT. It’s not the same; but, if you chant boycott often enough (without correcting problems,) the activity drifts toward boycott—a self-fulfilling prophecy. There was little or no change in the attitudes of the officials
Posted by: Slogger | Nov 9, 2005 2:51:51 PM

MOTIVATE ARUBANS to move ALE/OM/justice minister to do the right thing: conduct an investigation and treat the victim's family decently instead of the Ad Baculum THREAT OF FORCE. Their scapegoating of Arubans & the victim's family are arrogant & out of line. NOT ACCEPTABLE

Why aren't Arubans getting to hear the truth?
~~~~

Why do people feel such a sense of entitlement to drag the names of this family into this debate as if they have any bearing on who gets questioned and where or when?

These kids were simply asked not to talk to reporters!
Posted by: jayjay | Nov 9, 2005 2:57:34 PM

That again is "on orders" (THREAT) (via FBI) from van der Straaten & Karin Janssen. The victim's families were too respectful for too long: misplaced confidence.

[two tone jones]

What are the bones found, many as Dave Holloway and witnesses claim?
Posted by: fatgillis | Nov 9, 2005 2:39:44 PM

One I know of was found mid-July by a snorkeling tourist near the water's edge. She said it stunk & had tissue on it. Tim Miller asked to to inquire about it of ALE; she was told it was a human hand bone dead about 2 years. (With connective-type tissue on it?)

Oh gawd, why say this!! If it was two year old dead hand bones than what doest this have to do with anything? I heard that the damn bone your fereting to was a fish bone, so why are you bringing this up again, making trouble, trying to put something up that isn't there. THAT is the whole problem in this case!!!

[VASteve]

but whoever said life is fair..

Posted by: knot | Nov 9, 2005 5:52:35 PM

All because an American goes missing in this country. Ever been on a jury? Ever seen a trial? Would it shock you if seemingly guilty people are actually innocent?

Life may not always be fair, witness Beth's terrible situation, but 2 wrongs don't make a right.

Alabama - lend a hand - give Beth resources.

[GrannyToad]

Joran made up a big lie told to a dozen witnesses Monday night about winning back gambling losses during the 5 minutes Natalee associated with him in her group at the casino the night he caused her to disappear. He KNEW she would never speak again to refute.
Posted by: GrannyToad | Nov 9, 2005 5:42:50 PM

Just because you state this as truth doesn't make it so. This is your opinion. It would be nice if you stated it as such.
It's up to you, the credibility of your posts suffer.
Posted by: VASteve | Nov 9, 2005 5:48:06 PM

Not a problem. He said it. No opinion involved - it's documented and you've read it. Your credibility is non-existent for pretending otherwise. EOM

[truthwillout]

Until the 70's St. Croix was a hot destination for many seeking gorgeous resorts like "Carambola." An unprovoked and heinous murder in the 70's ('robbery gone bad' of golfers at swanky Carambola resort) resulted in securing an enduring reputation of crime on the island and negatively affecting tourism to this day. No boycott was ever issued; it was unnecessary. People heard of the heinous crime through word of mouth (no 24 hr cable news back then; but the NYT printed the story). Until Natalee, Aruba was thought to be the "safest" of those caribbean islands. Her case is changing that reputation.

Yes, as pointed out by many, we have crime in the U.S.. What makes this situation any different?
People spend significant money to travel to places like Aruba expecting to relax and play and generally let their guard down...as they would in an enclosed resort. Perhaps the resort ambience has encouraged a very false sense of security...which we are realizing is incredibly dangerous. You don't typically plan a beach holiday travel destination for relaxation expecting to deal with drug rings and rapists.

We have great freedom in America. We are free to spend our money however and whereever we want. Some Americans will travel to Aruba...even after all of this. At least now Americans traveling to Aruba will not be blind-sighted by agressvie criminal activity.
Millions of Americans live in New York City. Drug dealers here can be quite aggressive; however, this is not a secret. People travel to NYC with their guard UP.

[VASteve]

Why aren't Arubans getting to hear the truth?
~~~~

Posted by: GrannyToad | Nov 9, 2005 5:53:16 PM

Given your self-proclaimed intense knowledge of Dutch law, I think you know the answer to the proper wording of your intended question which is - why aren't Arubans allowed to see evidence in this case?

As you have quoted on this board many times, no one is allowed to see official LE evidence, talk about it officially, etc.

So, what latin logical phrase applies to your deceitful post? Grannyeous forgeteous?

[Derwaxmeister]

He, After what happened last night, I am very dissappointed in Beth Twitty.

When she was her in Aruba a few days ago, she said, ON LOCAL TELEVISION, and I quote: " I NEVER used the word boycot, and I NEVER will. I justw ant my daughter back. This was on Monday. Tuesday she's standing next to the Governor of Alabama while he, in her and her families name, announces a boycot of Aruba.
Well, me and my group that were still diving in search of Natalee this past Sunday, in our spare time, and paying from our own pocket, have decided today that we will CANCEL all further searches for Natalee. We have been hospitable to this 'lady', we have done our best, and yes, SHE HAS RECEIVED complimentary rooms at several hotels from the beginning, starting at Holiday Inn (I happen to know their Sales Manager very well, and he arranged the comp rooms for her), and this is what we get for our efforts.
On behalf of almost all Arubans, we hope Natalee, being alive or dead, will burn in hell, and that Beth Twitty will follow her there soon.

Anyways, let them find other divers to find Natalee. We are done with this case. Up to the next: the 128 people whom dissappeared in Alabama since the beginning of the year (Aruba ahsn't lost that many poeple in it's HISTORY), and whom haven't been found yet. Also, the more than 52 violent crimes cases that happen EVERY DAY in Alabama (We have that maybe in a WHOLE YEAR). What do you mean the pot calling the kettle black!!!!!!!!!!

Anyways, this was my last post on this matter for now. Probably DAN will block this post once he sees it, but who cares anymore. I know I don't.
See y'all.

[two tone jones]

whatever..I'm all for the boycott...the objective being the collaspe of..the government..I hate to see innocent bystanders hurt...but whoever said life is fair..

Bull. So then you got a collapse of government, then what? A lost lot, with nothing to hold them together, your a nut. Why make a whole city pay for this?? AND.......how do you know that your sweet alabamans arent' in on it too? Maybe we should boycott alabama, not pay any more tax dollars to them, and see where they fall, you are wrong WRONG WRONG WRONG!!!

[knot]

OK...this is it..I believe without a doubt the aruban authorities would just hope this thing would vanish into thin air...and they would get a pass on their criminally inept way of handling this whole mess...I hope the pressure stays on them for a very very long time...and to all the folks who have stated they won't come to Alabama..well dadgum it...I think that's the best news yet..

[nursemind]

Par for the course throughout this case - how many times did we hear Beth say "we are really on the same page now" or "we are really making progress" after meetings with the police; only to go on Fox/Nasty Disgrace/Etc. shortly thereafter and excoriate them. Sometimes on the same day or within 24 hours.

Now she meets with the tourism department to play nice, flies home, and backs a boycott? Classy. I wonder why she doesn't get enthusiastic support from the Arubans?

Her approach from the beginning put everyone on the defensive, polarized the situation, and did more to hamper the investigation than any allegedly incompetent or corrupt Aruban LE official. She just doesn't get it. I know she has been thru hell losing her daughter, but compare her behavior to the dignity shown by others in her situation.

Posted by: festicles | Nov 9, 2005 4:52:13 PM
So true!! Well said.

[two tone jones]

punk, don't send me any PM messages, I believe what I say and what I say is what I mean!

[VASteve]

Not a problem. He said it. No opinion involved - it's documented and you've read it. Your credibility is non-existent for pretending otherwise. EOM

Posted by: GrannyToad | Nov 9, 2005 5:55:59 PM

Here is what he said - my credibility is in tact - yours suffers again...

Joran van der Sloot: That is why, in the beginning, I thought she ran away with someone on the island. She ran away with a beach bum. I don’t know. Someone on the island that she might have met before. That was my first reaction. And yeah, and afterwards, that is what we talked about to the police, and the police even agreed with me, and I just feel bad. I really don’t know.

[two tone jones]

Nursemind, I too agree with testicles, if they wouldn't have gone in there with full guns blasting things could have been different, for sure. MO!!

[annie]

Granny Toad You keep coming up with this same old lie time and again about the loss that Joran won back for Natalee in the Casino. It may not have been shown on US tv (perhaps to please Beth), but I have seen it here on Uk tv where some of the kids she was with said that it was true that Joran had won some money for her and that Natalee went and bought Joran a drink as thanks. There is such a thing as editing you know!!!!!

[two tone jones]

Look into Alabama if you want to know what happened to her, leave the arubans alone, absolutly NONE of this is their fault, and i don't care KNOTT DON, no boycott is gonna faser them!! EVEN the alabamans in high school will once again AGAIN go there, believe that.

[VASteve]

Granny - I've noticed a pattern to your EOM's, they seem to mean - you caught me, I'll take one last shot, and ignore the rest.

That's OK. As I said, your credibility suffers. You can't defend your posts and you were caught red handed again.

Why not do something positive? Relax your conspiracy theories and be supportive of Beth and finding Natalee. That would be a good thing, in my opinion.

[VASteve]

Now that Annie is on to you as well, I'm sure you've vanished to another area.

Oh poor Granny. Tail between legs, slinking away in the moonlight.