Official details of Beth Twitty’s meeting with the Task Force
DIARIO Aruba
11/08/2005

ORANJESTAD (AAN): This week, the strategic communications group SCIF (Task Force) gave official details of their meeting with Beth Twitty from last week.

The goal of the Strategic Communications (SCTF) is to keep up to date on all the latest developments related with the disappearance of Natalee Holloway, find out if information given is true, and to be ahead of the facts when possible, inform the public in general and the press when it has information that can be shared and to be up to date on the local and international media coverage, trying to prevent and/or minimize any damage to Aruba’s economy.

The group is of the opinion that it is extremely important to keep the community up to date as to the latest developments about Beth Twitty’s visit, as such it has put out an official communiqué on the meeting they had with Beth Twitty on November 2, 2005.

Official release from the strategic group: The meeting held on November 2, 2005 with Beth Twitty and the strategic group (SCTF) was an opportunity to exchange thoughts, facts and opinions between both parties. Both groups brought different topics forward.

The most important matter was to find what really happened to Natalee Holloway by letting the investigators come to their conclusions with the hope of finalizing and closing this investigation.

The group (SCTF) strongly reaffirmed their absolute understanding and expressed their pain about the Holloway and Twitty families’ suffering during this terrible situation.

At the same time they said to be correct with the Aruban people in general and to not make requests that would be harmful to the economic stability of our country.

The group also brought up their disappointment that after the community did so much to give support to the Holloway and Twitty families ever since their daughter disappeared now the whole community is being accused of different things, among others a ‘cover up’, conspiracy and corruption.

This has gone on to such a point that there’s a petition for Americans to not travel to our island and a call for an economic boycott of our island.

Beth Twitty’s answer about the abovementioned facts is that she never used the word boycott. The group also informed Beth Twitty that although she didn’t’ use the word boycott, the fact is that it appears on tv programs and they have spoken with people who have asked for a boycott and acquiesced with movement of the had, which demonstrates that she approves of this request.

The group (SCTF) on various occasions informed Beth Twitty that the she is accusing the people of a country (who have supported her) for an isolated case, for which the investigation is still ongoing, and that it is unfair.

Beth Twitty said that this case was never based on the people of Aruba or any person at the meeting, but against the obstacles that police and the prosecutor’s office has put up which have prevented the case from moving forward.

Mr. Paul Reynolds, Beth Twitty’s brother, reaffirmed during the meeting that he is absolutely against any request of an economic boycott against Aruba and that he wants to reassure the local community that this has nothing to do with the community but with the errors they feel have taken place in the investigation.

Other matters discussed were: (1) the participation of the FBI from the first days of the investigation, as well as the involvement of the Dutch investigators.

(2) Beth Twitty is completely aware of the fact that the FBI was in Aruba and of the Dutch investigative team who assisted in the search and investigation, she expressed her strong request to change the investigative team and also the representatives of the Public Ministry [prosecution’s office] since she doesn’t feel that this team acted correctly and transparently.

(3) Beth Twitty gave the group (SCTF) a copy of the letter which was handed the day before to the Public Ministry.

(4) Beth Twitty also informed them that a copy of the letter was going to also be distributed to the international press for publication.

(5) The letter presented by Beth Twitty argues for a change of the investigative team and persons in charge of the case from the Public Ministry.

Beth Twitty asked for the group (SCTF) to support her request made in the letter. The group answered that they can’t give her support or make a recommendation on this letter, considering that they had just received a copy of the letter and also because they are not in agreement with the contents of the letter.

At the end of the meeting, the group (SCTF) tried on various occasions to get an official communiqué from Beth Twitty and the group, where Beth Twitty would announce publicly that she has not asked nor supported any sanction/boycott against Aruba, but regrettably Beth Twitty turned this down.

Beth Twitty said “I don’t want to call for an economic boycott against your island. I want to find my daughter and know what happened to her, but I want to see actions not words, and I am waiting for an answer as soon as possible to the letter that I handed over to the Public Ministry, asking for a change of the investigative team and the representatives of the Public Ministry who are in charge of this case.”

[translated by Getagrip]