Natalee Case Discussion #707 12/22 - 12/28/2007

[Observer]

Update: Wed 26-Dec -0320 hrs
The sonar search is progressing smoothly and the end is within sight. The ROV team has flown into Aruba and will reunite with the Persistence later today. Below is a 3-D perspective view (looking west) of the bathymetric portion of the search on the NW side of Aruba. The contour interval is 25ft, showing water depth ranging from about 60 ft to almost 900 ft. The search area with bathymetry shown below is 22 square miles (the size of Manhattan).
http://nholloway.blogspot.com/

[MumInOhio]

Anyone know anything about this guy or his interests? Someone this morning was interested and ended up on the front page. Search said +btnG?

ERIC ANTHONY BRETE
SANEWORLD1@SETARNET.AW
22 Dec 1997
04:09:21


From WAVE DANCER charters and ARUBA PRO DIVE If you want to have a great time,diving or sailing and snorkling. Great W.P, keep up the good work we here in aruba need it.

THANK YOU

E.A.BRETE

This from the front page:
Members of the Strategic Communications Task Force

Mr. Olindo Koolman (Senior Advisor)
Mr. Jaap Beaujon (Advisor)
Mr. Serge Mansur (ATIA)
Mr. Greg Peterson (ATIA)
Mr. Jorge Pesquera (AHATA)
Mr. Jeff Lesker (AHATA)
Mr. Alfonso Riveroll (AHATA)
Ms. Myrna Jansen (ATA)
Mr. Rob Smith (Aruba Hospitality & Security Foundation)
Mr. Bill Carson (Banking Sector/AHATA)
Mr. Edwin Roos (Chamber of Commerce)
Mr. Ruben Trappenberg (Aruba Government)
Mr. Eric Brete (Aruba Government)


Thanks!

[MumInOhio]

Found in the archives from a poster that appeared to do a lot of research on June 16th. Need some help here on CST and Aruba time, and more coffee!


May 30 11:30 am  Aruba time

Local police were first notified of the situation at approximately 11:30

AM, one hour after the seniors scheduled departure from the hotel lobby. 

A member of the beach patrol was dispatched to take a report and collect

a copy of her passport for identification purposes.
May 30 4:30 pm CST

The parents and several high profile Birmingham business men left

Birmingham around 4:30 CST on a private jet owned by one of the men, G.

Ruffner Page, Jr., President of McWane Inc. - one of Alabama's s largest

private companies.  The private plane is owned by the company.  Natalee's

parents placed several calls regarding the troubling developments prior

to their departure for Aruba.

May 30 5:30 pm CSTAt approximately 5:00 CST a member of the US DEA contacted the remaining

chaperone.  The DEA representative was on Aruba on another matter and the

two individuals agreed to meet that evening back at the Holiday Inn.

Attempting to provide as much helpful information as possible the

chaperone was informed that the boy with whom Natalee left Carlos and

Charlies was somewhat known to them for having had played poker with

several of their male classmates during the course of the trip. They

identified the local boy only as Joran.

The chaperone later turned up at the casino asking questions about a boy

named Joran.  A poker room manager consulted existing lists and reports

suggest that it was then that the boy in question was first identified as

having a last initial of "V." A casino employee suggested asking

questions of other hotel employees and taxi drivers, at least one of whom

first identified the boy as being Joran Van der Sloot, son of Anita and

Paulus Van der Sloot and an honor roll student at the International

School who has been known to frequent the casinos, sometimes in the

company of his Father.

May 30 8:00 pm  Aruba time

The previously mentioned DEA representative arrived at the hotel at

approximately 8 PM and conversed with the chaperone

May 30 9:00 pm  Aruba time

local police receiving a call from the chaperone at approximately 9PM for

an update on the Natalee Holloway situation. It has been reported to me

that at that time no official report had been filed  and suggested that

the member of the Aruban beach patrol failed to submit any information on

the case. The DEA representative provided the chaperone with contact

information and left.

May 30 10:00 pm  Aruba time

The parents of Natalee Holloway were reported to have arrived at the

hotel at approximately 10 PM

May 30/31 12:00 midnight Aruba time

Several of the Alabama businessmen and the chaperone proceeded to Carlos

and Charlies to see if they might gather additional information. Joran

Van der Sloot appears to be a well known figure at the casino and an

employee directed the group to a taxi driver said to be very

knowledgeable as to comings and goings on the island. It was now

approximately midnight.

May 31 12:30 am Aruba time

The taxi driver provided more detailed information about Joran and the

group decided to approach the police with the information they had

gathered.  After discussing the information with the local police, the

group, accompanied by two officers headed to the Van der Sloot home.

Joran was not home and his father told the group that he could be found

playing poker at one of the casinos in the Palm Beach area of Aruba.  The

group, including the father, headed off to locate the boy.  Upon arriving

at the casino, the police, security guards, along with Natalee's parents

are said to have "swarmed" onto the floor and at least one report states

the police had their weapons drawn.

May 31 - unknown ?? am Aruba time

The young Van der Sloot was not located in the casino. Soon thereafter,

Joran Van der Sloot placed a call to his Father's cell phone and informed

him that he was at home.

   ????? is THIS THE 6:30 am mystery phone call  ?????  did Joran   

make the 6:30 am phone call from south end of island to papa VDS?

[Buckeye]

Interesting that Joran could talk to the whole world, in the form of a book.  He said everything he could think of and managed to convince some long time supporters that he is guilty.  There is nothing he could say that would clear him.  Joran wrote and talked and couldn't sell his innocence.  Trial or no trial, my opinion won't change about Joran.  I am however, much more aware of power in small places and have a reinforced notion of "it's not what you know but who you know".

[Buckeye]

Mum

I could be wrong and there have been many postings on this.  Aruba does not observe daylight savings time.  In May, I believe Alabama was one hour ahead of Aruba  (8 am Aruba=9am Alabama). 

[MumInOhio]

Interesting that Joran could talk to the whole world, in the form of a book.  He said everything he could think of and managed to convince some long time supporters that he is guilty.  There is nothing he could say that would clear him.  Joran wrote and talked and couldn't sell his innocence.  Trial or no trial, my opinion won't change about Joran.  I am however, much more aware of power in small places and have a reinforced notion of "it's not what you know but who you know".

Morning Buckeye...That book is a confession...there's some things there that 'appear' to be put in for no reason! One or two parts in particular I find very interesting. As well as he lays out their routine of scoping out the tourists on the beach. Freddy, Jaime and Joran!


Thanks for the time refresher...totally became confused in what I posted as it said CST. So at 5.30 Aruba time, the group left Alabama and at 6PM Aruba time Williams contacted Paul Lilly! I think!

[msmarple]

... don't know if this has been posted --

http://www.amigoe.com/english/   12/22/2007

OM’s explanation of evidence do not tally

In a press conference, lawyers Hose Figaroa, Ronald Wix, and Elgin Zeppenfeldt explained the media that according to them, none of justice’s evidence tally.

ORANJESTAD – The lawyers of the three former suspects, Hose Figaroa, Ronald Wix, Elgin Zeppenfeldt, and David Kock said in a press conference, that the ‘new’ evidence that the Public Prosecutor (OM) provided after the dismissal do not tally.  Their office has been swamped lately with hatred mails and threats, including death.

A girl from Surinam told the Dutch detectives in June of this year that right after the disappearance of Natalee Holloway in 2005, she had a conversation with Satish.  “That can never be convincing after two years, is the opinion of Wix.  “”She might have said that something was wrong, but for as far as I am aware of, she only said that Satish was sad.”  Wix also has problems with the other testimony taken out of an old chat-session of Deepak’s computer.  “That chat session was about two subjects: the disappearance of Natalee and the death of a tennis instructor that drowned near Conchi.  The word ‘su’ that can mean ‘his’ or ‘her’ in Papiamento, was interpreted wrong in the transcript.  Instead of ‘su morto’, his death, it became her death.  Also the court realized the misinterpretation; Deepak would have otherwise been behind bars.  Nobody has ever said that Natalee is dead, but the OM assumes that with this testimony.”

The lawyers consider the fact that Justice hinted that the former suspects of manslaughter on Natalee Holloway haven’t seen the last of them, even worse.  The OM said in a press conference this week that the case has only entered a new phase, and is not closed.  As soon as there are more clues, these will be investigated, and the former suspects, including Joran van der Sloot, will be arrested again.  Wix says that what the OM said is indeed possible, but the evidence must be ‘very weighty and new’.  “The OM keeps the delusion that the three are still suspects.  Legally, they must be left alone, and due to the dismissal, Aruba has nothing to say about their innocence.  Let them find the girl first and only then can they annoy our clients.  They cannot even proof that there was a crime.”   

Justice’s other reason for arresting the three former suspects was based on their declarations to the media that they would tell what exactly has happened in the night Holloway disappeared.  They didn’t say anything though.  According to Wix, everything has already been said.  “They said that they won’t talk, but in the meantime they have already given at least 20 declarations.  They were arrested because there was new evidence, but then it turned out that there was no new evidence, so they had nothing to say.”

Wix, together with his brother councils, will probably demand damages.  They are currently considering via the court whether they can recover the costs for among others hiring a lawyer in the US.  Wix won’t say what the amount is.

The firm David Kock & Wix was swamped with threats during the ‘reopening’ of the Holloway-case.  They received many hatred mails and also death threats.  “I received two more of such e-mails on Thursday.  One of them wishes the death for me and my family.  The other one said, ‘you must wish that I do not come to Aruba. Maybe, I ought to report that”, said Wix.

[yapperz1]

Buckeye,
Aruba is on the same time as east coast of the USA.
So 9pm Aruba would be 8pm Alabama

[NYC_lover]

Buckeye,
Aruba is on the same time as east coast of the USA.
So 9pm Aruba would be 8pm Alabama

Correct. Only in winter time there is 1 hour early as from east coast. 10pm Aruba, 9pm NY and 8pm Alabama.

[msmarple]

http://www.diario-aruba.com/2007/12/22/

Ministerio publico a duna informacion eroneo
 
Segun abogado Wix,

Deepak, Satish y Joran no por wordo investiga mas

ORANJESTAD(AAN): Diabierna mainta na oficina di abogadonan Ronny Wix, David Kock y Elgin Zeppenveld a tuma lugar un conferencia di prensa, den cual e abogadonan di Satish y Deepak Kalpoe a reacciona riba loke a wordo treci dilanti durante ultimo conferencia di prensa di Ministerio Publico, relaciona cu e caso di desaparicion di Natalee Holloway.

Abogado Wix a trece dilanti cu tin diferente asunto cu a wordo treci dilanti pa Ministerio Publico, cu no ta totalmente corecto. E abogado a sigui bisa cu Ministerio Publico Diahuebs na un manera in-usual a bay den detayenan di e file di e caso, unda cu nan a menciona entre otro dos hecho cu nan ta considera como evidencia nobo den e caso aki, cu a conduci na detencion di e 3 sospechosonan.

Wix a bisa cu segun O.M, Deepak Kalpoe lo a bisa cu Natalee Holloway ta morto, pero na ningun momento Deepak a bisa esaki. Segun e abogado, den mesun periodo tabata tin un conversacion entre Deepak y un amigo di dje kendenan a papia tocante di e caso di Natalee, pero nan a papia tambe riba un instructor di tennis cu Deepak conoce cu a fayece na Conchi.

Den e conversacion aki Deepak a papia di morto di e persona aki y no di Natalee.
E conversacion tabata na papiamento y den e traduccion na Hulandes, pa “su morto”, nan a pone “haar dood”, mientras cu claramente Deepak tabata papiando over di morto di e instructor masculino di tennis.

Hof tambe a realiza cu O.M a saca esaki for di contexto.
E di dos parti di e supuesto evidencia nobo tabata un conversacion entre Satish y un amiga di dje na Suriname, caminda O.M ta bisa cu e mucha muher a declara cu durante e conversacion Satish tabata zona tristo.

Segun Wix, entre 5 di mei 2005 y 6 di Juni 2005, cu ta dos aña y mey pasa, tabata tin 24 conversacion entre e mucha muher aki y Satish cu tabata largo.

Esaki ta pone cu ta dificil pa corda ki dia e supuesto conversacion aki a tuma lugar.
E conversacion ey por a tuma lugar tambe prome cu Natalee a desaparece.

Nan a entrevista e mucha muher na Juni 2007 y esaki ta pone cu sigur ta dificil pe corda exactamente ki dia e conversacion aki tabata.

Con por ta cu O.M si ta bisa cu e conversacion tabata exactamente riba 30 di Mei?
Segun Wix, un luna pasa Fiscal a bisa cu nan tin evidencia nobo y cu nan ta bay wordo aresta y awor e ta bisa cu no tin suficiente prueba y cu nan no lo wordo considera sospechoso mas.

Esaki kiermen cu O.M a gaña sea un luna pasa of awor.
E abogado a bisa tambe cu no ta completamente berdad loke Fiscal Mos a bisa Diahuebs, pues cu asina mes cu e caso a caba, toch e 3 ex sospechosonan ta keda sospechoso.

Segun Wix, nada ta menos berdad cu esey.

Online Pap translation:

ministerio publico owing to give informacion eroneo

according advocate wix,

deepak, satish y joran not can wordo investiga more

oranjestad(aan): diabierna morning at office of abogadonan ronny wix, david kock y elgin zeppenveld did take lugar one conferencia of prensa, in cual the abogadonan of satish y deepak kalpoe owing to reacciona on thing owing to wordo treci fast during ultimo conferencia of prensa of ministerio publico, relaciona cu the caso of desaparicion of natalee holloway.

advocate wix owing to trece fast cu have various asunto cu owing to wordo treci fast for ministerio publico, cu do not totalmente corecto. the advocate owing to follow tell cu ministerio publico diahuebs at one as in-usual owing to bay in detayenan of the file of the caso, where cu they owing to menciona among another two mature cu they're considera because; evidencia new in the caso here, cu owing to conduci at detencion of the 3 sospechosonan.

wix owing to tell cu according o.m, deepak kalpoe will owing to tell cu natalee holloway is dead, but at none instant deepak owing to tell this. according the advocate, in same period was have one conversacion among deepak y one amigo of dje kendenan owing to talk tocante of the caso of natalee, but they owing to talk also on one instructor of tennis cu deepak conoce cu owing to fayece at conchi.

in the conversacion here deepak owing to talk of dead of the person here y not of natalee.
the conversacion was at papiamento y in the traduccion at dutch, for “su morto”, they owing to place “haar dood”, while cu claramente deepak was papiando over of dead of the instructor masculino of tennis.

hof also owing to realiza cu o.m owing to saca this for of contexto.
the of two part of the supuesto evidencia new was one conversacion among satish y one girlfriend of dje at suriname, caminda o.m is tell cu the child muher owing to declara cu during the conversacion satish was sound tristo.

according wix, among 5 of half 2005 y 6 of june 2005, cu is two year y mey happen, was have 24 conversacion among the child muher here y satish cu was largo.

this is place cu is dificil for corda what day the supuesto conversacion here did take lugar.
the conversacion ey can did take lugar also first cu natalee owing to desaparece.

they owing to interview the child muher at june 2007 y this is place cu assure is dificil pe corda exactly what day the conversacion here was.

con can is cu o.m if is tell cu the conversacion was exactly on 30 of May?
 according wix, one month happen fiscal owing to tell cu they have evidencia new y cu they're bay wordo aresta y now the is tell cu not have sufficient proof y cu they not will wordo considera sospechoso more.

this kiermen cu o.m owing to lie as one month happen or now.
the advocate owing to tell also cu do not completamente berdad thing fiscal mos owing to tell diahuebs, then cu so self cu the caso owing to end, yet the 3 ex sospechosonan is stay sospechoso.

according wix, nothing is less berdad cu esey.

* * *

OFICINA DI ABOGADONAN DI DEEPAK Y SATISH TA HAYA HOPI CARTA DI MENAZA
 
ORANJESTAD(AAN): Prensa a puntra  abogado Wix su opinion riba e hecho cu Ministerio Publico a enfoca principalmente solamente riba Joran, Deepak y Satish.
Segun Wix, Ministerio Publico desde un principio a bisa cu e tres mucha hombernan, a hasi algo cu Natalee.
Pa dos aña y mey tur nan investigacion tabata concentra pa haya prueba pa condena e trio aki.
Esey a pone cu nan a bira ciego pa tur otro posibilidad, cu por a soluciona e caso.
Segun Wix el a tende Mos bisa cu nan a investiga tur otro posibilidad y nan no a conduci na nada, mientras cu e posibilidad di e trio aki si a keda habri.
E abogado a splica cu mirando cu Mos a yega Aruba e aña aki, e no conoce ni mitad di e file di e caso di Natalee.
Desde comienzo nan no a wak den otro direccion.
Ora cu tabata bin informacion dilanti pa busca den otro direccion, Ministerio Publico tabata pasa riba esaki hopi lihe, pa asina continua cu su investigacion riba Joran, Satish y Deepak, sin hasi mas esfuerzo riba e otro indicacionnan cu nan a haya.
Lamentable ta cu ta bay tuma hopi tempo pa bisa di e ex sospechosonan normaliza, si acaso nan bida normaliza, segun Wix.
E abogado a trece dilanti tambe cu ta increibel cuanto post di odio (“hate mail”) su oficina ta haya constantemente, door cu nan ta representa dos di e ex sospechosonan den e caso di desaparicion di Natalee Holloway.
El a bisa cu hopi di e cartanan tin menaza di morto den direccion di e abogadonan y nan clientenan.
Mayoria di e cartanan ta na Ingles y muy probablemente ta bin di hendenan Mericano, segun Wix.
El a splica cu Diahuebs mes el a haya dos carta di menaza.

Prensa a puntra abogado Wix si su oficina sa haya reaccion di hende, relaciona cu e caso di desaparicion di Natalee Holloway, mirando cu su oficina ta representa e rumannan Kalpoe.

Online Pap translation:

office of abogadonan of deepak y satish is achieve much carta of menaza

oranjestad(aan): prensa owing to ask about advocate wix his opinion on the mature cu ministerio publico owing to enfoca principalmente only on joran, deepak y satish.
according wix, ministerio publico by one principio owing to tell cu the three child hombernan, owing to make algo cu natalee.
for two year y mey all they investigacion was concentra for achieve proof for condena the trio here.
esey owing to place cu they owing to become ciego for all another posibilidad, cu can owing to soluciona the caso.
according wix past owing to hear mos tell cu they owing to investiga all another posibilidad y they not owing to conduci at nothing, while cu the posibilidad of the trio here if owing to stay open.
the advocate owing to splica cu mirando cu mos owing to arrive aruba the year here, the not conoce neither mitad of the file of the caso of natalee. by comienzo they not owing to look at in another direccion.
hour cu was come informacion fast for busca in another direccion, ministerio publico was happen on this much lihe, for so continua cu his investigacion on joran, satish y deepak, without make more esfuerzo on the another indicacionnan cu they owing to achieve.
lamentable is cu is bay take much time for tell of the ex sospechosonan normaliza, if acaso they life normaliza, according wix.
the advocate owing to trece fast also cu is increibel cuanto post of hate (“hate mail”) his office is achieve constantemente, door cu they're representa two of the ex sospechosonan in the caso of desaparicion of natalee holloway.
past owing to tell cu much of the cartanan have menaza of dead in direccion of the abogadonan y they clientenan.
majority of the cartanan is at english y muy probably is come of hendenan mericano, according wix.
past owing to splica cu diahuebs self past owing to achieve two carta of menaza.

prensa owing to ask about advocate wix if his office know achieve reaccion of person, relaciona cu the caso of desaparicion of natalee holloway, mirando cu his office is representa the rumannan kalpoe.

* * *

[NYC_lover]

ldstlou - Do u have get my email from Klaasend? I just ask that, because I have a question.

[dennisintn]

... don't know if this has been posted --

http://www.amigoe.com/english/   12/22/2007

OM’s explanation of evidence do not tally

In a press conference, lawyers Hose Figaroa, Ronald Wix, and Elgin Zeppenfeldt explained the media that according to them, none of justice’s evidence tally.

ORANJESTAD – The lawyers of the three former suspects, Hose Figaroa, Ronald Wix, Elgin Zeppenfeldt, and David Kock said in a press conference, that the ‘new’ evidence that the Public Prosecutor (OM) provided after the dismissal do not tally.  Their office has been swamped lately with hatred mails and threats, including death.

A girl from Surinam told the Dutch detectives in June of this year that right after the disappearance of Natalee Holloway in 2005, she had a conversation with Satish.  “That can never be convincing after two years, is the opinion of Wix.  “”She might have said that something was wrong, but for as far as I am aware of, she only said that Satish was sad.”  Wix also has problems with the other testimony taken out of an old chat-session of Deepak’s computer.  “That chat session was about two subjects: the disappearance of Natalee and the death of a tennis instructor that drowned near Conchi.  The word ‘su’ that can mean ‘his’ or ‘her’ in Papiamento, was interpreted wrong in the transcript.  Instead of ‘su morto’, his death, it became her death.  Also the court realized the misinterpretation; Deepak would have otherwise been behind bars.  Nobody has ever said that Natalee is dead, but the OM assumes that with this testimony.”

The lawyers consider the fact that Justice hinted that the former suspects of manslaughter on Natalee Holloway haven’t seen the last of them, even worse.  The OM said in a press conference this week that the case has only entered a new phase, and is not closed.  As soon as there are more clues, these will be investigated, and the former suspects, including Joran van der Sloot, will be arrested again.  Wix says that what the OM said is indeed possible, but the evidence must be ‘very weighty and new’.  “The OM keeps the delusion that the three are still suspects.  Legally, they must be left alone, and due to the dismissal, Aruba has nothing to say about their innocence.  Let them find the girl first and only then can they annoy our clients.  They cannot even proof that there was a crime.”   

Justice’s other reason for arresting the three former suspects was based on their declarations to the media that they would tell what exactly has happened in the night Holloway disappeared.  They didn’t say anything though.  According to Wix, everything has already been said.  “They said that they won’t talk, but in the meantime they have already given at least 20 declarations.  They were arrested because there was new evidence, but then it turned out that there was no new evidence, so they had nothing to say.”

Wix, together with his brother councils, will probably demand damages.  They are currently considering via the court whether they can recover the costs for among others hiring a lawyer in the US.  Wix won’t say what the amount is.

The firm David Kock & Wix was swamped with threats during the ‘reopening’ of the Holloway-case.  They received many hatred mails and also death threats.  “I received two more of such e-mails on Thursday.  One of them wishes the death for me and my family.  The other one said, ‘you must wish that I do not come to Aruba. Maybe, I ought to report that”, said Wix.

"you must wish that i do not come to aruba".  if that is a accurate quote, it was written by someone to home english is a second language.  imo, of course.
dennisintn

[Magnolia]

Mum

I could be wrong and there have been many postings on this.  Aruba does not observe daylight savings time.  In May, I believe Alabama was one hour ahead of Aruba  (8 am Aruba=9am Alabama). 

In November, after the rearrest of J2K, the reporter from
Birmingham who was on Aruba said that Aruba was 3 hours
ahead of Alabama and two hours ahead of the East Coast.
That was correct at that time.

[2NJSons_Mom]

http://www.worldtimeserver.com/current_time_in_AW.aspx

The current time in Aruba is
12:45 PM
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Standard Time -0400 UTC

[2NJSons_Mom]

In addition, when we go to Daylight Saving Time in the spring, the East coast of the US will be the same time as Aruba, and Alabama will be 1 hour behind.  Right now, it's 1 hour ahead of the EST of the US and 2 hours ahead CST.

[Tylergal]

Good to have you aboard, Riverwalk.  Please come back and visit again.  We always like getting new perspectives on things, to see if we left a stone unturned.

[Pita]

From Boycottwatch

December 20, 2007
Updated December 25, 2007
 
 
BREAKING NEWS (UPDATED):
Aruba Reacts to Boycott Watch on Cavuto by Re-opening
the Case and New Questions About
Natalee Holloway's disappearance.
 
 
Summary:Boycott Watch called Aruba's bluff, and Aruba blinked. Now: more truth revealed.
 
Revised 12-25-07 due to news reports.

    Boycott Watch has been monitoring and reporting the status of the boycott of Aruba inspired by the disappearance of Natalee Holloway since the boycott has been declared. As a recognized expert in boycotts including the tourism boycott inspired by the disappearance of Natalee Holloway in Aruba, Boycott Watch president Fred Taub was made two appearances on Your World with Neil Cavuto on the Fox News Channel (FNC) on this topic (see below).

    In the second appearance, Fred Taub made several points about Araba's mistakes in announcing the closing of the case again the "Aruba Three". Aruba reacted to all but one point Fred Taub made within 24 hours, then the last point in less than 12 hours later.

    Let's examine the record:

    In an interview by Neil Cavuto on December 18, 2007, Fred Taub made the following points:
Boycott Watch made the observation that soon after Aruba announced a case closing timeline, Aruba announced it expects higher revenue in 2008. This resulted in Boycott Watch concluding that Aruba feels getting the case out of the news will relieve the financial pressure of the boycott against them.
Boycott Watch made the observation that Aruban tourism is hurt every time the Natalee Holloway case is in the news and that Americans are upset at the announcement of the closing of the case as evidenced by consumer comments in the blogosphere.

Boycott Watch made the observation that Aruba would have been better off leaving the case open. Dropping the case was PR campaign gone bad. In response, Aruba suddenly claimed they never intended to close the case.

Boycott Watch made the observation that Law enforcement officials never close a potential murder case until a conviction is made.

Boycott Watch stated, based on US law, that there is no statute of limitations on murder. Aruba emphatically responded, and for the first time ever, that there is a 6 year statute of limitations on manslaughter a 12 years for murder under Aruban law.
 
Boycott Watch made the observation that Aruba tourism is down and stores in Aruba are lacking customers.
 
Boycott Watch made the observation that the new evidence could not have been anything really new or significant since it is the prosecutors who present the evidence to the judge and the judge said nothing was really new. When Aruba released the evidence, it was discovered that it was a comment on an Internet chat where one of the Aruba Three said Natalee is dead - courts consider this as opinion and not actual evidence. Fred Taub was right again in that the new and then undisclosed "evidence" was irrelevant.

    Within 24 hours of the airing of the live interview, Aruba reversed the case closure they openly said they would close for two weeks, now claiming they never intended to close the case, and that the case could go on for another 6 years. Aruba clearly reacted to the interview.

    Aruban officials did not reverse their public case-closing declaration for weeks, and only did so after confronted with bad PR, upset consumers and most significantly the comments by Boycott Watch president Fred Taub on Your World with Neil Cavuto. Since only Fred Taub made these observations, Boycott Watch must conclude Aruba reacted to the interview and that the re-opening, therefore, is meaningless. All other commentators reacted to Aruba's PR failures after Aruba announced the re-opening of the case.

    The recent comments by Fred Taub and Aruba's reactions conclusively prove once again that Fred Taub of Boycott Watch is the foremost expert in boycotts, consumer reactions and how businesses should to respond to boycotts; or as in the case of Aruba, how not to respond.

    The news from Aruba did not end there. On December 14, 2007 Hardbeat News reported that Aruba was warning by the International Monetary Fund that having their entire economy based on tourism makes them "vulnerable to external shocks." To this, Boycott Watch responds with one word - Duh!!!!! The IMF report echoes the Boycott Watch reports and statements by Fred Taub on Your World with Neil Cavuto (FNC) on November 29, 2007.

    The external shock is clearly the two and a half year old boycott against Aruba. The warning only came after Fred Taub of Boycott Watch reported the Aruban boycott status on Your World with Neil Cavuto. In fact, it was Fred Taub who stated the boycott is still hurting Aruba, so the IMF and Dutch Government were actually echoing the points Fred Taub made.

    The IMF warning is, however, not only another indication that the boycott of Aruba is working, but also that the IMF is worried it may have to bailout Aruba's economy if the boycott persists. As such, Aruba needs to take heed that they need to actively pursue the Holloway case and not just give Americans lip-service.

    Boycott Watch has been on the cutting edge of reporting on the Aruba boycotts, and has reported all along that the Aruban economy is hurting because of the boycott. In fact, Boycott Watch broke the story of an Aruban cover-up of the results of the boycott against them. (Here )

    Today, Boycott Watch reports activity which may have led to the disappearance of Natalee Holloway:

    Boycott Watch has received several reports regarding activity within Aruba that is so commonplace that it is simply ignored by the locals. First, it should be no surprise that local Aruban men regularly try to pickup American women, but what is surprising is that is allowed to happens in hotel lobbies and other privately owned businesses. If this were to happen in hotel lobbies in the USA, such people would be thrown out and told never to return again, but it is tolerated in Aruba.

    This activity is so common that Arubans commonly call these people "pimps." We understand that there may be several groups of "pimps" and we believe this activity may explain why Natalee Holloway was simply not noticed while she was with the Aruba Three. "Pimping" tourists in Aruba is not only common, but accepted. Some of the pick-up lines the "pimps" have used are "common, this is Aruba, it's paradise" and "this is paradise, what can go wrong here?"

    One thing which has been shown on TV is the bars in Aruba where in conga-lines, alcoholic beverages are poured directly into the mouths of tourists as they dance. What has not been reported is that no ID's for age are checked in these conga-lines, so the "pimps" as they are called by locals, use these to get girls drunk and take advantage of them. Once drunk, the "pimps" can take the tourist anywhere while Arubans simply look the other way.

    Meanwhile, the website Scared Monkey's reported another girl missing in Aruba and the active search for her. The girl who was last seen with local Aruban men was later found "heavily sleeping" and "smelled of drugs" whatever that means, in her mothers bed. While this illustrates the level of fear of personal safety in Aruba, some people are questioning if the deep sleep is drug related. We checked the CIA Factbook which reports Aruba as a "transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some accompanying money-laundering activity; relatively high percentage of population consumes cocaine." As such, the drug related questions in such cases have merit.

    Boycott Watch is not making any assertions, but we do wonder if any of the Aruba Three were tested for drugs after Natalee's disappearance and if Natalee was seen by any Arubans the night she disappeared but was perhaps simply ignored because of the commonality of the reported "pimping" activity. 

See Fred Taub interviewed live on Your World with Neil Cavuto on the Fox News Channel speaking about Aruba's decision to close the Natalee Holloway case on December 18, 2007:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gFjXGtZ6yY&eurl=http://www.boycottwatch.org/misc/aruba9.htm

See the previous interview of Fred Taub live on Your World with Neil Cavuto on the Fox News Channel speaking about the Aruba boycott on November 29, 2007:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erLdm4eBlO8&eurl=http://www.boycottwatch.org/misc/aruba9.htm

 
http://www.boycottwatch.org/misc/aruba9.htm

[Kat_Gram]

Wix, together with his brother councils, will probably demand damages.  They are currently considering via the court whether they can recover the costs for among others hiring a lawyer in the US.  Wix won’t say what the amount is.
There was no reason to hire a US lawyer, except for media spin, so how could damages be awarded ? If you had to hire a lawyer, it might be a good thing if the lawyer you hired could practise in the country where you were arrested or where you were a citizen of. 
Mornng everyone... My kiddo called about going SHOPPING ... I don't think I could do it. On line shopping might be a good thing for me. I meant to ask her . Shopping for WHAT ... your kids got everything that existed ! !
I got a new DVD for me on line, mine stopped working a few days ago.   

[sirensong]

Pita, thanks for posting this.  I am so glad they are keeping tabs, but I think SM should get way more kudos for keeping this alive than Fred!  I guess as long as the outcome is the same, it doesn't matter!

Hope al had great holidays!  Praying constantly for the crew on the Persistance.  What can I say, they are amazing!

[sirensong]

Wix, together with his brother councils, will probably demand damages.  They are currently considering via the court whether they can recover the costs for among others hiring a lawyer in the US.  Wix won’t say what the amount is.
There was no reason to hire a US lawyer, except for media spin, so how could damages be awarded ? If you had to hire a lawyer, it might be a good thing if the lawyer you hired could practise in the country where you were arrested or where you were a citizen of. 
Mornng everyone... My kiddo called about going SHOPPING ... I don't think I could do it. On line shopping might be a good thing for me. I meant to ask her . Shopping for WHAT ... your kids got everything that existed ! !
I got a new DVD for me on line, mine stopped working a few days ago.



LOL!  Kat!  That sounds so familiar.  Amen on your thoughts about the lawyer from US getting paid.  What a POS he is.  Jump in, mouth off like an idiot on TV, then tell the lawyers they need to file a lawsuit to pay them.  Ambulance chaser.  This crap makes me so angry.  A good lesson in good vs evil. Look at the crew of pePersistence, Tim Miller, etc. vs. Joe taco face, Joran, Paul.  Obvious by the actions, what is in the heart eh?