Posted on 07/08/2005 10:52:00 AM PDT by nickcarraway
WASHINGTON - A Navy dive team that checked the waters off Iraq for explosives before the American invasion could be used in the search for a missing Alabama girl in Aruba, the country's prime minister says.
Prime Minister Nelson Oduber made the request in a letter to Sen. Richard Shelby in response to the Alabama Republican's suggestion that Aruba give the FBI more authority in the search for Natalee Holloway.
In his letter, Oduber says he was made aware of the unit - known as Naval Special Clearing Team One - by a Texas dive team that has been helping to look for Holloway.
"I would like to request you to use your influence to gain this authorization for the deployment of this unit free of charge to Aruba as soon as possible," Oduber wrote in the letter, dated July 1.
Shelby forwarded the request to the Pentagon and State departments, but a Navy spokesman, Lt. Herb Josey, said Thursday there had been no formal diplomatic request for use of the team. He also questioned how useful the unit could be, since it specializes in covert exercises such as detecting and de-mining underwater explosives.
"I don't know why this team would be better than any other team, but they obviously have experience working underwater," said Lt. Herb Josey.
In an interview from London, Shelby said he hoped Oduber's request was a genuine bid to help the investigation and not retaliation for his complaints that Aruba's search was insufficient.
"We're not going to stop," Shelby said. "We want a professional investigation of what's going on down there. We're not going to look around and ignore what looks to be not a thorough, perhaps even a shoddy investigation."
Holloway disappeared May 30 in Aruba while celebrating her graduation from high school in Mountain Brook, Ala. Although three young men have been connected with her disappearance, none has been charged.
In Shelby's original letter last week asking for more FBI involvement, he called the Aruban investigation a "dead end."
If her body has been in the water for more than a month, I can't believe there is much left of it.
If her body was in the water, then she's shark poop. Americans should boycott Aruba.
Absolutely. (Also smaller fish, too.) The Vandersloot boy's defense is secure, if his father is correct about "no body, no murder." The Halloways should, for their own sakes, pack up and come home--and then wage a steady war against U.S. tourism in Aruba. I'm afraid if they stay much longer, the Arubans will jail THEM--and we all know they can do that without charges. (Only difference is, the boy probably actually did commit a crime.)
Free of charge? Man, don't they get enough money from American tourists to at least pay for part of this? Turkeys.
And if her body is on land, there won't be much left of it what with the heat, the humidity and the rains. I hate the thoughts of it.
I agree. They should go home. I feel their grief, but the brothers are going to sue the Mom, and what if she ends up in jail without being "officially charged" for 60 days. It could happen.
I hate their judicial system, but it's their way. But she could end up in jail and this could get mighty ugly.
It really is a wretched "justice" system. Makes you appreciate our own, even with all it's warts. (But there is plenty of room for improvement here--for instance, the Couey case brings to light the fact that with a technical flaw in the case, a confessed child-murdering, child molesting skank like that guy can actually walk free...)
Sure.
And then what should happen to our own tourism industry?
I'm willing to bet more tourists (as a percentage) disappear or die in the US than in Aruba. Girl gets murdered by scumbags in Aruba. I fail to see how all of Aruba is at fault.
I think I'll write the Aruban PM and tell him of the wonderful success my dog Lassie has had in finding lost children around my neighborhood over the past 50 years.
I read somewhere that a medium might also be involved or trying to help, a Mary Ann Morgan.
I'm willing to bet more tourists (as a percentage) disappear or die in the US than in Aruba. Girl gets murdered by scumbags in Aruba. I fail to see how all of Aruba is at fault.
"All" of Aruba is not at fault, but the Aruban authorities are guilty of either criminal negligence and incompetence, or enabling a cover-up. They waited ten days before searching the Van Der Sloot kid's apartment, and then when criticised for it the Aruban Attorney General had the effrontery to go on television and try to excuse that incompetence by saying "we can't just go barging in like cowboys".
The proper response from the reporter (and everyone else) should have been: "Please explain just what in the hell cowboys have to do with the universally recognized standards of criminal investigation, one of which is that time is of the essence when gathering forensic evidence?
When she made that statement, weeks ago, it was obvious that the fix was in. All they have been doing since then is going through the motions and running out the clock.
And I heard that Joren's father is a close friend of the Police Chief.
There is no crime scene, no body, no evidence. Where do they go from here? The Holloway's should get back to the States, IMHO. They will be throwing her into jail for 60 days. What a mess.
It really is a wretched "justice" system. Makes you appreciate our own, even with all it's warts. (But there is plenty of room for improvement here--for instance, the Couey case brings to light the fact that with a technical flaw in the case, a confessed child-murdering, child molesting skank like that guy can actually walk free...)
I can't believe for the life of me how anyone can be thrown in jail for 140 days without being charged of anything. I sure am thankful to be living in the states. What a mess their system is.
But you are right: because the cops might have messed up on evidence on the Couey case, that sicko could go free. I wouldn't want to be in his shoes though, walking down the street at night if he is let go!
Did you see the part where I wrote "(as a percentage)"?
That implies proportionality. Remember when European tourists were being shot up in Florida? Being a tourist is often the reason they're targeted by criminals.
And there's supposed to be "law and order" in America, but we've got our share of troubles, don't we? Oh, and the criminals are running loose, but not because "they're Dutch." It's because there isn't enough evidence to hold them. No body. No evidence of a crime. Practically nothing but some conflicting statements by each of the suspects. We have the same problem, but we can't even to confict criminals with overwhelming evidence (OJ, MJ and even Robert Blake come to mind).
If you want to address the incompetence of the investigators, I will entertain that thought. But I can't agree that Aruba is unique in their criminal justice problems. I think American has given the rest of the world some cause to point.
Over 30 days have passed, what do the bungling Aruban authorities expect to find after that longer time? Her teeth? A fingernail? Sheesh!
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