Outside the Beltway

Alabama Governor Bob Riley Calls for Aruba Boycott

James Joyner
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Alabama Governor Bob Riley called for a travel boycott of Aruba until the island’s authorities cooperate more fully in the investigation into the disappearance of Natalee Holloway.

Alabama Governor Calls for Aruba Boycott (AP)

Alabama Gov. Bob Riley called for a travel boycott of Aruba on Tuesday until authorities on the Dutch Caribbean island cooperate more fully with the family of a Mountain Brook teenager who has been missing since a graduation trip in May. Riley asked the governors of the other 49 states to join him in urging a boycott of Aruba on behalf of the family of Natalee Holloway, an 18-year-old Mountain Brook High graduate last seen on the island May 30.

Thanks to the yeoman efforts of Greta Van Susteren, who has made covering this circus the focus of her career, one suspects people know about the case. It’s rather dubious for a state governor to be organizing a travel boycott under the circumstances.

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46 responses to “Alabama Governor Bob Riley Calls for Aruba Boycott”

  1. Herb Avatar
    Herb

    I totally agree with a complete travel Boycott of all Dutch Islands in tha caribbean. The Dutch authorities on Aruba and in the Netherlands are doing everything to cover this murder up and get their judge buddy )Van Dersloat) off the hook.
    The Dutch attitude of “don’t tell us how to run this investigation” is injustice at its worst and the Dutch Ego and Pride will not let them be honest and up front. I have had many dealings with the Dutch and can tell you first hand all about their egos and lying. Thier favorite trick in dealing with Americans is to speak in Dutch to talk about you behind your back. The fact is, “The Dutch hate Americans” and that is that.

  2. SoloD Avatar
    SoloD

    Do you think this means the hotel rates and flight prices will go down this winter? If so then I am all for it!

  3. gary rice Avatar
    gary rice

    Agree fully that Aruba should be boycotted by all Americans.

  4. anjin-san Avatar
    anjin-san

    I guess there is not a single injustice in the state of Georgia that demands the Govonors attention…

  5. r Avatar
    r

    Boycott Alabama!

  6. LibraryLady Avatar
    LibraryLady

    While I am very sorry for Natalee Holloway’s family, this case has received so much attention that I am suspicious. My daughter’s teacher went missing on Oct. 28 and was found dismembered last Saturday (Nov 5). It never made the national news, no Governors were up in arms (oh, I forgot, we are in Louisiana and our Gov. is an imbecile), no one was talking about it, and they still aren’t. Was her (Natalee’s) step dad CIA or something? When the left makes fun of FOX for their obsession with this case, I have a hard time defending it. Again, I am so sorry for the family but how do they seem to trump every other missing story in the nation??

  7. Ronald Avatar
    Ronald

    If Bush were smart he would invade that pissant island and imprison everyone involved with the case. Hell, Reagan invaded Grenada and it worked out great. There is no reason we can’t take care of business ourselves when those no-good, dope-smoking, stroopwafel-eating Dutch are covering up malfeasance against an American.

    As an added bonus Bush can show those idiotic Summit of the Americas nimrods a thing or two about the Monroe Doctrine. He will simultaneously keep Euro influence out of our hemisphere and show the Chavez-Kirchner crowd that we are not afraid to invade when we’re provoked.

  8. Herb Avatar
    Herb

    Anjin San, I have never seen you post a comment on anything in a positive way, You consistantly have something negative about everything including America. If you dislike this country and had everything so good to your liking in the country you came from, then why the hell don’t you return there.

    You write like you know all about America and Americans, but I am here to tell you that you don’t know jach s***. Go home if you can’t say aomething positive about the country that gave you freedom.

  9. anjin-san Avatar
    anjin-san

    Herb,

    Sorry to disrupt your fantasy life, by my family has been in America so long that my forebearers walked to California from Pennsylvania.

    It saddens me that your vision of America does not include free speech or a political dialog possesed of a large variety of viewpoints, but Bush needs someone besides billionaires to form his base, so small minded persons such as yourself have a place, I suppose.

    Attacking the patriotism of dissenters is a tatic long used by both fascists and communists, it is a shame people such as yourself are using it in America.

  10. James Avatar
    James

    I think this case was a mess, and Aruba refused to solve it thinking it would hurt their tourism. Well not solving is really gonna hurt now.

    NO NATALEE NO ARUBA….

  11. James Joyner Avatar
    James Joyner

    Yes, because there are no unsolved cases involving pretty teenagers in the United States.

  12. Herb Avatar
    Herb

    If your forebearers did what you stated, then congratulations to them. I would bet that they were not as negative as you. I would have thought you have learned something from them on being positive about what they struggled to achive, but you aparantly didn’t learn a damned thing. Just once, I would like to see something positive from you, you seem th have a negative comment about everyone and every thing.

    I will give you credit for one thing That is
    You are not predjudiced, You hate everybody.

  13. anjin-san Avatar
    anjin-san

    Herb I have something very positive to say. Just 10 short months after taking office, Bush has led the GOP off of a cliff. Enjoy the election returns.

    BTW when Ronald Reagan, a great man, was president, I was proud to be a member of the GOP. Under Bush it is pretty embarrasing even to be an American at times.

  14. Alabama Improper Avatar
    Alabama Improper

    Well, I sure hope my trackback doesn’t come through because I did it wrong.

  15. God Bless Amerika Avatar
    God Bless Amerika

    Herb hit the nail on the head in is first post, and Ronald provided us with a practical, but flawed, plan of attack. Ever been to Holland? There’s dog poop all over the street, and those itsy-bitsy cars, just like their p#nises.

    And they don’t take dollars in some places. What a way to thank us for bailing their $sses out after we got rid of Hitler.

    But why give a new “victim” to the irrational left that stupidly claims that the United States goes around invading other countries? I’ve always supported our Special Forces, just like our President. We can send the Dutch a clear message that they must resolve this issue, preferably by executing the potentially culpable.

    I know they are a NATO country and all that; but so are the French. I say we should send a SOCOM team to The Netherlands to start causing “natural” dike failures. They’re terribly vulnerable, let’s hit ’em where it hurts – in the homeland. I’ll bet we’ll have justice in no time. If we plan it right, we can take out some of the stroopwafel places too.

  16. Anti-Monkey Avatar
    Anti-Monkey

    As Karl Rove and other Republicans are fond of saying: GET OVER IT.

  17. McGehee Avatar
    McGehee

    …my family has been in America so long that my forebearers walked to California from Pennsylvania.

    And yet you can’t tell Georgia from Alabama.

  18. anjin-san Avatar
    anjin-san

    Oh gosh I made a mistake. Guess what McGhee, nither can the president.

    Say McGhee we are still waiting for your proof that combat aged men were allowed to leave Fallujah.

  19. Proud Aruban Avatar
    Proud Aruban

    The mother was having fun the casino at night, while the Aruban authorities where looking for her daughter.
    What kind of mother would do that, having her daugher missing.

  20. Jeroen vd Berg Avatar
    Jeroen vd Berg

    Quote: “The Dutch attitude of “don’t tell us how to run this investigation” is injustice”.

    Look in a mirror. Why would some US Governor have to tell us how to run our justice system? One that has proven to be superior to the American for centuries? I’d advice you all to focus on the American justice system. When the solve-rate of your investigation services is 100%, you can start boycotting other countries. As long as it isn’t 100%, be quiet and let other countries run their own business. Are you guys under the impression that the entire world is like Iraq? Simpletons.

  21. LISA Avatar
    LISA

    WHY IS IT WE BOYCOTT ARUBA? MY BROTHER WAS BRUTALLY MURDERED IN JAMAICA AT THE SAME TIME NATALIE WENT MISSING. NOBODY EVEN CARED TO HEAR MY STORY AND HOW HE WAS SENSELESSLY KILLED . UNLESS THEY BOYCOTT JAMAICA ARUBA CAN KEEP ON KEEPING ON. IS IT BECAUSE WE ARE NOT RICH WEALTHY PEOPLE WHO CAN PAY FOR ATTENTION? I THINK ITS A BUNCH OF CRAP BECAUSE MY BROTHER WASNT BLONDE AND CUTE. KEEP YOUR BOYCOTT

  22. Spaniard 2 Avatar
    Spaniard 2

    Aruba is part of the Nederland’s, which is one of the strongest nations conforming the European Union.
    Boycott Aruba, yap do that, shell will go and do business with China and India, others will do as well, the world doesn’t need the United States of America to exist, as a matter of fact UE money do have more value than your dollar.
    Do you know that the Dutchies are one of the strongest links in your economic system chain? You didn’t, do you? Get your fat American ass for a walk in the real world, stop living from sensationalist’s news and get the real facts.
    Are you guys really thinking that Aruba stand alone against your super power nation, that can’t even stop a Venezuelan President, of making fun of your President as he like!!

    You’re pointing your finger in the direction of a little tiny island, while the other four are pointing directly in your corrupt and lawless country.
    Fair shot to Justice… for Christ sake, America doesn’t know the meaning of the word.
    Having torture prisons all around the world, you should be ashamed of your self.

    Why is America so afraid of China? Ups, I forgot, they will be the next super power on this planet as early as 2015!!!

    Please let’s focus on Natalie. Stop making naive and stupid remarks about boycotting Aruba, if it comes to that, the Dutch’s will provide, Europe will provide.
    And for all the Sherlock Holmes wannabe, please use at least, a little of your imagination to set your opinion in read worthy lines.

    So many outstanding universities and institutions in America, and yet, your comments seem to be formulated by a bunch of toy makers from South America. What a waste of money and resources.
    You folks better pray and thank every single day, all the foreigners that are working hard to keep the American dream going, for a bunch of losers like yourselves.

  23. Mark Pen Avatar
    Mark Pen

    Bob is not good by his mind, he is an idiot.
    In 100 years one tourist is missing on Aruba.
    A lot of European tourist are killed in Florida, or other crime area’s in the US. Should Europe boycot the US know. I know US people are stupid, but THIS stupid, i did not know.

    Regards,

    Mark (from The Netherlands)

  24. Randell Avatar
    Randell

    The whole idea of a boycott of Aruba is not just that Natalee Holloway is missing; it is for Americans to think about how unsafe it is for them or their loved ones to be in Aruba. Yes, in America we do have missing persons, and yes, each of them is important; the thing about the case in Aruba is that so many young high school graduates go there and if they should go missing, the island police and government officials really don’t seem to be concerned. At least those missing in America have the police looking for them.
    As for the folks from the Netherlands rambling about American’s, when Europeans go missing in the United States, our law enforcement looks for them, had Natalee’s parents not gone to Aruba and stood their ground, nobody would have looked for her. Oh and for the one poster, your facts are wrong this is not 1 missing American in 100 years in Aruba, before you speak and state statistics, do your research! European’s love to hate American’s, but yet if not for us, you folks would be living under Nazi rule. As for the Holloway case, something is suspicious, but that something has something to do with Aruba and the cover-up.
    What American’s need to do, is stop buying any imported goods, if it isn’t American made, don’t buy it. If the company is one that does outsourcing of American jobs to other countries, don’t do business with them. American’s need to wake up and realize that we can manufacture what we need, grow what we need, have beaches and mountains even more beautiful than anything in Europe and that we do not need cheap crap made in China.

  25. Jeroen vd Berg Avatar
    Jeroen vd Berg

    Dear Randell,

    There WWII goes again. Where do we draw the line? After all, if it wasn’t for the Dutch and French, USA would still be British. So much rambling and nonsense. No wonder FoxNews is popular in America…

  26. Jeroen vd Berg Avatar
    Jeroen vd Berg

    And on top of that: had Europe still been under Nazi-rule, then the US economics would have collapsed and you guys would have been yet another 3rd world country.

    As for the police on Aruba doing nothing… where do you get this knowledge? FoxNews? Or any of the other brainwashing propaganda media you have there? If the Americans are so superior in everything, then do explain why the FBI has been, and still is, involved in the investigation and they have reached nada?

  27. Randell Avatar
    Randell

    Well, I agree we should draw the line and that America should not come to the aid of other countries when catastrophe strikes. But lo and behold let something happen and all of the rest of the world expects the United States to come to their rescue. Each country should fend for itself. Americans should stay home and they should purchase only American made goods. So you will now say we need to export, but no more than your little countries need to import from us, America has the capabilities of being self sufficient. We need to protect our borders, and let the other countries protect themselves. Our servicemen should be brought home and spend their time securing America. Boycott Aruba!!
    The FBI has never been given full access to all of the investigation nor have they been allowed to interrogate the suspects. Don’t you people ever listen to what is being said? The FBI involvement was limited. If it were me I would have already got me a little Dutch boy and beat him till he told me what he did with my daughter. The Twitty/Holloway family has been patient. I have to wonder if all of the Netherlands has such a poor system when it comes to solving crime.
    Oh and by the way, if the French and Dutch had not been such wussies, the American colonies would never have been British!

  28. Jeroen vd Berg Avatar
    Jeroen vd Berg

    Your reaction is both childish and flawed. Since you don’t have your facts straight, I think further discussion is not necessary. As for America being self-sufficient: they thought the same in the roaring 20s. Oh, what great fun those turned out to be. Besides, with your consumer’s society (for the happy few, that is) you’ll need oil. Something you’ll always need other countries for. And what is being said, is being said by people that don’t look at the investigation with neutral eyes. Something any justice apparatus should do, thus something the Aruban/Dutch justice system does. And yep, Americans staying home would solve a lot of trouble. So take your own advice and do so.

  29. Randell Avatar
    Randell

    Oh but my argument is not childish and flawed, and apparently I touched a nerve with you. What facts do I not have straight, that the French and Dutch are wussies?
    Don’t worry I don’t travel to Europe, once was enough, talk about a nasty place. All Americans should stay home. If you know something that is being done in Aruba the rest of us don’t, share it. The fact is nothing is being done. Nothing has been done, and nothing is going to be done, because the system is lacking. The only other reason would be a cover up.
    By the way, I do not recall starting a discussion with you, you respond to me. Facts are facts and Americans need to tell the rest of the world to fend for themselves. Boycott Aruba!

  30. AUA4ever Avatar
    AUA4ever

    Ehm, I had nothing to do with the Natalee case!!
    Why should My future be at risk!!

    And I got a Question: Why didn’t Natalee’s “so called friends” call the local authorities before they left Aruba???

    I’m against the boycott!

  31. AUA4ever Avatar
    AUA4ever

    Oh yes one more question:
    How could they leave knowing she wasn’t with them?? They left all her stuff behind and just left!!
    That’s what i call good friends!?

  32. Kaci Avatar
    Kaci

    Grant it her friends should have called the local authorities but they did have people stay back… It would be really pointless for her friends to stay back. Really what were they going to do staying back? What was she doing in a bar? There was way to many students compared to sponsors to begin with. What was she thinking when she left with boys in a country that she knew nothing about especially ones that she met in a bar. Sure the case might not have anything to do with you but come on people have some sympathy and quit just thinking about yourself. This is not the first time this has happened and it wont be the last. Maybe parents will reconsider before turning there teenagers lose to go to a foreign country. High schools should reconsider trips out of the country but its a personal choice whether people attend the country on their own free will. This is a problem in alot of foreign countries so Aruba should not be the only place to suffer.

  33. Spaniard 2 Avatar
    Spaniard 2

    Matter of fact is, you could get your self ten thousand times in more danger outside your doorstep than going to Aruba, or for that matter, any other Caribbean Island.

    I do believe that everybody that have heard of the Natalie case, is sympathetic with what their parents are going through, I even don’t blame Beth Tweety for all the speculation going on around this case. I blame the so easy to brainwash American society, who believe in everything the sensationalist media layout to get your attention, which mean rating. That is what you mean for the American media, Rating.
    Can’t you see beyond the pain and frustration of a mother that has a daughter missing?
    Wise or intelligent people don’t let other people drive them to see things the way they see them.
    See yourself for a change. I mean, children’s shooting each other in school busses, children’s shooting teachers, delinquent’s changing statuses from prisoners to fugitives almost every day, crown-up men rapping and killing little girls, priest’s sexually abusing little boys, grown-up women sleeping with under age boys, and we could keep going forever.
    You’re the must corrupt nation on earth. You are so good at criticizing others but you can’t even set examples in your own homes.
    The strongest nation on earth!! What a joke, you can’t even get a warm bath, if it wasn’t for the Latino’s, Asian, wise European and other immigrants working for their American dream.

    Please do the world a favor, stay in, stop traveling, you guys always make everything so expensive for others. Can you imagine, no more American influence in the world?
    Men, I think that is the closed we could get to the promise land.

  34. AUA4ever Avatar
    AUA4ever

    I am not thinking of my self! I’m also thinking of the other inhabitants of the island that didn’t have nothing to do with the case!
    I do have sympathy for the family!
    But would you punish 90.000 people for 1 or more person(s)?

  35. Swamper Avatar
    Swamper

    You know, when I first started following Natalee’s case, I didn’t have an opinion of the Arubans. After reading numerous posts from Arubans, I am proud to be a corrupt American. The Dutch have never been known for their intelligence or their courage, but the display put on by their government – and the citizens via the Web – really drives the point home with a wooden shoe.

    A young girl is missing. She’s in the news because her mama is strong enough and shrewd enough to work the media. Would it be so closely followed if she was a squat, dumpy brunette? To our shame, probably not. But if I were Mrs. Twitty, I’d work everything I had. I wouldn’t care if it brought down half the world. Selfish? You bet your tulip farm.

    Do you proud Arubans think you’re helping anything with your ill-spelled, grammatically lame, so’s-your-mama posts? You worker bees may be worried about tourism but your high rollers aren’t – their source of income flows from drugs, which won’t be disrupted. The Netherland’s lifeblood is drugs and sex.

    I agree with Randell, though: I’m from the deep South and I would have skipped the police and gone right to the source. Even sulky little psychopaths tend to come clean with the point of a knife under their testes.

    Yeah, Aruba, we’re corrupt – the human race is corrupt, newsflash there – and you’re just a wart on that corrupted behind.

    Here’s to seeing Joran Van Der Sloot hanging high!

  36. Randell Avatar
    Randell

    Amen, Swamper, Amen

  37. Spaniard 2 Avatar
    Spaniard 2

    Swamper, at least they make an effort to learn other languages, which in your case, it’s quite obvious that your American language is the only one you’re and will be able to speak.
    I think they’re worried about the way they make a living. It will be the same if they’re threatening to close the farm, were you’re working at, you will not be happy at all, are you?
    I think the entire world have Americans figured out. You know how easy it is to deceive American people; your president does it every day. You’re by far, the easiest society to manipulate with; you believe every thing the media feed you with. God forbid, if tomorrow the press said all British people are traitors,I’m sure you will treat them the same way you treated the French people when they were right about the war with Iraq. How stupid do you feel now? They were right all the time!
    It’s sad to see people that are suppose to be well educated, behaving like youngsters from the seventies.

    Stupid Dutch’s, they should leave you along in Iraq, we will see how brave you’re on your own. (Without allies you’re nothing in this small world)
    Thank god the new Spanish prime minister don’t see the need to keep up with a stupid war, that is why we are no longer part of the coalition force in Iraq.
    See Vietnam for an example, you might have the best war machines in the world, but when you have stupid commanders and soldiers as you do have, failure is the must reasonable thing to expect. At least you know your business, that we have to give out to you…. torture defenseless women’s in the Philippines, japan, and you know as hell, how to abuse of prisoners like you did, and still are doing in Iraq….. just like Hitler’s boys did back in the WWII.
    You’re so brave that you pray for 295,734,134 Americans to get mad at a little island with only 100,000 people on it, 45% of them are children’s under 18 years. Only reason for this, is due the fact that a girl went missing, the rest are rumors fabricated by a mother in grieve. Why aren’t you brave enough to stand and confront the president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez? He insult your president and every Americans people as he like, yet your country is not doing anything to stop him, in fact you’re acting like sissies.
    And we all know this is because you don’t have other countries to support you, in case you might be thinking in making any move toward a confrontation with the Republic of Venezuela.

    Long lives the king.

  38. Jeroen vd Berg Avatar
    Jeroen vd Berg

    Well, Swamper & Randell, I stand corrected. Americans ARE indeed much better at justice than the Dutch are. Let’s fly Lynndie England in to interrogate Joran. That will surely make him confess, right? After all, you tried it before.

    Here’s to Lynndie England, the USA’s very own Lady Justice.

  39. Swamper Avatar
    Swamper

    Every time you hit a nerve with a European, they begin to holler how ugly Americans are. It isn’t about that, my little Van Der Posters, but just as a sidebar, if it hadn’t been for our ugly American butts, you guys would be speaking German and trading in reichsmarks. Just a thought, there.

    And darned if you haven’t murdered another American over there. Who killed him, Spaniard. Beth Twitty or Jossy Mansur?

    On every forum I see Arubans and South American Dutch frothing at the mouth because we nasty Americans dared to say Aruba isn’t God’s little acre after all. Speaking of Hitler’s boys, you have to love the self-righteousness of a people that welcomed fleeing Nazis with open arms.

    Spaniard, what does Venezuela have to do with a missing girl? And while we’re asking, why would anyone want Venezuela? Trust me, scooter, if we wanted it, we would already have it.

    I don’t have a problem in the world admitting America’s made huge gaping mistakes. You might want to get your finger out of the dike and check out your own history. I could mention that your House of Orange royal family turned a little yellow in WWII and fled to England, but that would be rude. Wait – I’m American. You EXPECT that from me.

    By the way, congratulations on being bi-lingual. I have a parrot like that. He’s a little weak on his syntax, but you could take some pointers from him right on.

    Lyndie England? You have no idea. Compared to what I’d like to do to that sullen little perp and his two bedfellows, she looks like Sister Theresa.

    Here’s to the old saying, “Murder will out.”

  40. Jeroen vd Berg Avatar
    Jeroen vd Berg

    Then again, the House of Orange is not the leader of our nation, is it? About the – so loved – nazi-remarks…. if it weren’t for Dutch and French weapons and money, the US still would be singing ‘God Save Our Queen’. What’s your point there, then? Do remember that the Marshall Plan was not even a fifteenth of what those gifts cost us.

    But again, you’re right. America IS the country of justice. After all, it’s the nation where OJ Simpson and Michael Jackson roam around free. We are just the nation of sex and drugs (the fact that the world’s biggest sex industry is in the US and that it’s American tourist who actually use all the drugs, is just a minor detail right?).

  41. Swamper Avatar
    Swamper

    How old are you, darlin, that you still believe in justice – American or otherwise? I’m a twenty year law enforcement veteran and I KNOW there is no consistent justice. All we can do is our best. Child-killers live to comfortable old ages supported by the state, serial killers die quietly in their beds, innocent babies end up beaten to death by mom’s boyfriends. Won’t dispute you there. Personally, I think God – or karma- is the only way the score gets evened.

    But when we have the chance to avoid these failures, we should. And in Natalee’s case, we do. It’s not a mystery. Joran and Kalpoe 1 & 2 pick up an American girl. They indulge in a little casual gangbang; she ends up missing. “Missing” means “dead, body not found.” Daddy helps them out, pulls some strings with his buddies. No unusual thing- in either of our countries. But this happened to roll out onto the big screen, and that kind of operation can’t function under the lights.

    So you clean your house up before somebody else comes in to do it. It’s a cause celebre now, like it or not. Personally, I think every missing person should be a cause celebre, but I didn’t get the job of God when they interviewed.

    Aruba got caught, and they need to cowboy up and wear it. They have the evidence. It’s never too late to clear a murder case – I’ve seen cold cases twenty years old solved. And then America and Aruba could play nice again.

    But nothing will be resolved until they haul in the Little Dutch Boy and give him a real reason to talk. And don’t try to tell me that’s American savagery because I’ve dealt with Interpol.

    Here’s to a lifetime in a small dark place for Paulus’ baby boy.

  42. Randell Avatar
    Randell

    Yes, officials in Aruba know full well that those three boys raped and disposed of Natalee, but they thought the whole thing would just go away. They didn’t realize that since 911 we Americans have begun to stand together more on issues that deal with how we are treated around the world. Americans want an answer in Natalee’s case and they want justice. Aruba has botched this case in attempt to cover up the truth, and that is that one of their judge wannabe’s has a son who most likely murdered Natalee. The people of Aruba need to insist that something be done. Why is it taking Holland so long to determine the video tape of Deepak is valid? Because they don’t want to deal with it, they want it to go away.
    Americans are not gullible; we have been a giving people. We have been taken advantage of far too long, and it is time we took a stance.
    As for Lyndee England, perhaps she should interrogate the slime who did this to Natalee, the Dutch don’t seem to be effective.
    Europeans are such an ungrateful lot.

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