Organization Wants Bill O'Reilly To Set The Record Straight on Drugs in Aruba

Liz from N.J. · #1 (**permalink**) Saturday, June 11th, 2005, 11:35 PM

From Aruba Today Newspaper

Saturday, June 11, 2005 LOCAL

Set the record straight on the war on drugs

Dear Mr. O’Reilly,

As an international organization based in Aruba dealing with sustainable
development AND human rights, we have a keen interest in all matters related
to international and transboundary organized crime, which includes money
laundering, drug trafficking and trafficking of humans, particularly in the Caribbean region, where we are based.

The quote you made about Aruba being a transshipment center for Colombian drug cartels is no longer as valid as it was ten years ago. If you took the time to check with the US Southcom Command, responsible for the Forward Operating Locations (in Curacao and Aruba), which since The Dutch Kingdom and the USA signed into effect in 2000 the treaty establishing the basis for joint strategic operations from these bases and the advent of the Coast
Guard for the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, you would have found out that
the combined effect of both has been of a strong deterrent for Colombian cartels to use these two islands for transshipment of cocaine and/or Colombian grown heroin.

As a human rights organization we are acutely aware of the devastating
effects money laundering and drug trafficking can have on the quality of the
“rule of law” and good government, however these have improved considerably in both Aruba and Curacao, and in particular within the
judicial system, when the prosecution of perpetrators is involved.
The US Government has expressed its trust and confidence in its Dutch
Caribbean counterparts and is currently building a 1.5 acre full-fledged FOL complex in Aruba at the cost of several million dollars to expand its Forward Operating Location operations from the island of Aruba. This further ads to
the deterrent effect.

Mind you, as a human rights organization we were dead set against the creation of the FOLS, and are on record as having protested vehemently
against the FOLs, but since 9/11 we have seen the positive deterrent effect the FOLs have as a deterrent on drug trafficking. Our point of view on the whole issue of the effectiveness of the war on drugs as envisioned by the
DEA and US administration is more or less the same.

As a human rights organization we are a natural counterpart of the press in
general, not by choice but by the common interests we serve in providing
truthful, unbiased and uncensored information on any wrongdoing that effects
the rights of the individual, groups, the community at large or the institutions
themselves that constitute the basis for democratic rule.

Having said this, we do however also have the obligation to ensure that the
freedom of press and speech are upheld, BUT ALSO to ensure that the press itself DOES NOT FALL PREY to politically or otherwise inspired distortion of the
truth or misrepresentation of the facts.

This brings us back to the fact that FOX and your person have misrepresented the facts and are fanning the flames of the fire of a budding
anti-Aruba campaign. We feel you owe the Aruban community, the Aruban
Government and the Aruban tourism industry an apology. Such an apology would be best presented by doing a follow-up on the item in which you misrepresented the facts, and by shedding some light on the FOLS and
the joint US/Dutch Kingdom efforts to stem the flow of drugs and drug trafficking.

The problem with drugs in Aruba is like that of any other popular tourism destination, where drug peddlers will always be around catering to those who want to have a “wild holiday” experience.

You owe it to the American public, who pay the tax dollars building the FOL in
Aruba, to Aruba at large and to yourself and your network to maintain your professional integrity and high standards of news reporting.

I trust you and/or your staff will have the courtesy to spend some time to reply to this email, as I have done in taking the time to address you in a formal, factual, frank and direct manner.

Sincerely,

Milton Ponson, President
Rainbow Warriors Core Foundations

barbiesara2003 · #2 (**permalink**) Saturday, June 11th, 2005, 11:50 PM

Excellent comments Mr.Ponson - you have our support with regard to Fox's reporting 100%.

sherry · #3 (**permalink**) Saturday, June 11th, 2005, 11:53 PM

i agree completely.

Quote:

Originally Posted by barbiesara2003

Excellent comments Mr.Ponson - you have our support with regard to Fox's reporting 100%.

lawrence · #4 (**permalink**) Sunday, June 12th, 2005, 05:00 AM

Please don't forget...Awareness and vigilance, folks.
This is from a memo released by the State Dept. (as the International Narcotics Control Strategy Report):

Quote:

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.

While the transshipment of heroin is of growing concern, evidence in 2004 did not support a finding that drugs entering the U.S. from Aruba were in an amount sufficient to have a significant effect on the U.S., but the eastern and southern Caribbean is an area of concern to the U.S. 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.

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 police were reorganized in 2002, establishing four instead of three districts, each autonomous with its own detectives’ division and led by a District Commissioner. Officers rotate periodically through the police functions. The aim was to put more police on the streets to counter criticism that low-level street pushers enjoy virtually unimpeded freedom to sell cheap drugs to Aruban youth. Two new police stations were established. A new police unit was created for the tourist areas to provide focused coverage, including counternarcotics initiatives. The Attorney General, who was appointed in 2002, remains committed to international cooperation.

The GOA took additional steps in 2004 to demonstrate its commitment to the international effort to combat drug trafficking. After accommodating the placement of U.S. Customs aircraft at a Forward Operating Location (FOL) at Reina Beatrix International Airport in 1999, the GOA continued to make valuable commercial ramp space available to both U.S. military and U.S. Customs aircraft conducting aerial counternarcotics detection and monitoring missions. Further development of the FOL facilities on Aruba is underway.

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.

Aruba also continued to participate in the Coast Guard of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba, which, for most of the year, continued to be plagued by labor disputes with the union related to employment benefits in a long-term confrontation with the GOA.

In short, Aruba has exhibited just fantastic efforts in the last several years. I surely hope to see this trend continue. Curacao as well has been very impressive the past couple years (especially since they had a very scary 2003 in which there were at least seven armed assaults upon the security team at Hato Int.'l Airport and a likewise increase in drug related murders in 2002,2003). I think it is imperative that everyone do what they can to keep this situation under control. I love these islands. But I also love people like Amy Bradley and awareness and vigilance are and always will be our most powerful weapons. And yes for the record, I serve in an advisory capacity to several law enforcement agencies. Don't usually get to break away and chat in forums like this but we ARE at a crucial stage right now !

kevin d · #5 (**permalink**) Sunday, June 12th, 2005, 08:03 AM

Thanks for the comments Lawrence, some interesting info. The most important line in your post:

Quote:

Please don't forget...Awareness and vigilance, folks.

Words to live by. Words that could have prevented a possible tragedy.

Thanks also to Mr. Ponson, and to Liz for posting his comments. I am a Republican, but have never agreed with O'Reilly's methods or style. In my opinion, he's a bully and an egotist.

Corrine · #6 (**permalink**) Sunday, June 12th, 2005, 04:05 PM

Thanks from me too, Liz, for posting that and thanks to Mr. Ponson for issuing that statement! I agree 100%

LynnS · #7 (**permalink**) Sunday, June 12th, 2005, 04:18 PM

Bill O'Reilly has a poll on his web site asking if the Natalee Halloway case will keep you from visiting Aruba or any other foreign country. Here is a way to show support for Aruba.

Elaine S · #8 (**permalink**) Sunday, June 12th, 2005, 04:33 PM

Thanks Lynn.... I just cast my vote!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by LynnS

Bill O'Reilly has a poll on his web site asking if the Natalee Halloway case will keep you from visiting Aruba or any other foreign country. Here is a way to show support for Aruba.

amie · #9 (**permalink**) Sunday, June 12th, 2005, 04:40 PM

Link Please!

LynnS · #10 (**permalink**) Sunday, June 12th, 2005, 04:44 PM

Please before you vote read the question VERY carefully. If you would travel to Aruba DO NOT vote yes.

billoreilly.com

sherry · #11 (**permalink**) Sunday, June 12th, 2005, 04:46 PM

yes, the poll is as deceptive as he is. amazing that even that can't be done with honesty.

Quote:

Originally Posted by LynnS

Please before you vote read the question VERY carefully. If you would travel to Aruba DO NOT vote yes.

billoreilly.com

LynnS · #12 (**permalink**) Sunday, June 12th, 2005, 04:55 PM

The poll is just not would you travel to Aruba, it includes all foreign countries- but I bet he will just say see all these people voted that they would not travel to Aruba. I would not have traveled to many foreign countries before this happened- wish the poll had been worded differently but then I guess that would have defeated the purpose.

murray · #13 (**permalink**) Sunday, June 12th, 2005, 04:58 PM

You may want to run your anti-spyware program after visiting that poll.

LynnS · #14 (**permalink**) Sunday, June 12th, 2005, 05:02 PM

Wanted to also say FOX just had an update- no news only that a press
conference will be held at 8 pm for local news reporters ONLY.
FOX also had some clips from lasts night interview. Did anyone else notice that Beth H. Twitty and "Jug" Twitty are not as supportive of the Aruban police and people as they were a few days ago? Jug said that they are not being given information and that this was the first time they were hearing about the blood. I have to agree that Geraldo should not have been the one giving them this info. He also felt that if the car that belonged to one of the "persons of interest", as they were referred to in the beginning, would have been searched 12 days ago MAYBE we would not be at this point today.( I think I have to agree with this, sorry)

sherry · #15 (**permalink**) Sunday, June 12th, 2005, 05:14 PM

excellent suggestion dear

Quote:

Originally Posted by murray

You may want to run your anti-spyware program after visiting that poll.

Corrine · #16 (**permalink**) Sunday, June 12th, 2005, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by murray

You may want to run your anti-spyware program after visiting that poll.

FYI - Bill O'Reilly is from Long Island

He originally told his viewers he was from Levittown, a mostly blue-collar town, thinking that his viewers would think of him as a real "working class hero".

Well, it has come out that he is from Old Westbury, a very wealthy area.

He lies about everything!

kevin d · #17 (**permalink**) Sunday, June 12th, 2005, 10:01 PM

I voted, but I agree that it was worded strangely and that it should have been more Aruba-specific instead of simply 'foreign'...

amie · #18 (**permalink**) Sunday, June 12th, 2005, 11:39 PM

That's Bill for you...

LearJet9 · #19 (**permalink**) Monday, June 13th, 2005, 09:06 AM

While I listen to Bill on the radio every now and then I take everything he says with a very large grain of salt. He is extremely opinionated, he often streches the truth for ratings. He claims "No spin" yet he spins nearly everything towards his view. If he disagrees with a caller he hangs up then berates the caller for being stupid or ignorant. (He is occasionally correct about that) He is a typical radio/TV talk show host. It's his way or the highway. He actually beleives everything he says is gospel and absolutely undisputable. When he does get caught he doesn't stand up like he tells everybody else to do. He is just another talking head. His program at times is entertaining, which is why I listen every now and then.

Corrine · #20 (**permalink**) Monday, June 13th, 2005, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LearJet9

He is a typical radio/TV talk show host. It's his way or the highway.

This says it Lear, in a nutshell. He is a radio/TV talk show host and NOT a serious news reporter!