Welcome to the Global Current, your window to the world. Today we have reports on the United States policy towards corrupt officials in Equatorial Guinea with Rehana Nathoo, and the international child abduction case of Sean Goldman with Heather Martino. But first, headlines.
Headline Anchors:
Heather Martino
Vivian Moreno
Middle East
Karzai’s Inauguration Brings Hope to Afghanistan
President Hamid Karzai gave his inaugural address on Thursday after being declared the victor in a highly scrutinized election. In his speech, he promised to crack down on corruption within his government and for Afghanistan forces to promote national security and assume full control within five years. The presence of US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton and British Foreign Secretary, David Miliband at Karzai’s inauguration indicates that the international community supports his election.
Iranian Nuclear Troubles
During multilateral talks Iran agreed to export its uranium to France and Russia, who would refine the uranium. However, Iran is now refusing to abide by the deal and wants to refine the fuel within its own borders. Now, the Obama administration is taking measures to exert international pressure on Iran in order to show the consequences of breaking multilateral agreements.
Israel Expanding Settlement in Face of Criticism
Despite harsh criticism, Israel has approved the building project of 900 housing units in the East Jerusalem settlement of Gilo. The expansion of the settlement is a direct attack at future Middle East Peace Talks while the Obama administration has urged Israel to consider the creation of a Palestinian state. Such actions in the face of international pressure hint at a departure from Israel’s previous nature of cooperation and compromise with the United States and European nations.
Troops Receive Visit from Gov. Schwarzenegger
Upon announcing he would not run for reelection in 2010, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger visited troops in Iraq on Monday. The last time Gov. Schwarzenegger visited troops in the nation was in 2003, right before he announced his run for governor. His stop in Baghdad is just one of many of his international stops before returning to California.
Asia
The US and South Korea call for changes in North Korea’s Policy
Presidents Barack Obama and Lee Myung-bak are attempting to convince North Korea to resume nuclear weapons negotiations. The leaders are trying to make these talks profitable for the North Koreans by promising major economic aid and further progress on the free trade agreement signed in 2007. During his visit in South Korea, Obama mentioned that his nuclear representative, Stephen Bosworth, will be visiting North Korea on December 8th.
Hong Kong moves towards more democracy
The government of Hong Kong is planning to expand the 800 person committee that decides the territory’s leader by including members chosen by the councilors of districts. This is an improvement from the current system, in which half of the legislative council is elected by popular vote, and the rest are chosen by special interest groups. Hong Kong is the only part of China that grants citizens the right to have a say in who controls the territory’s legislature. The election committee would be expanded by 50% prior to the 2012 election. Opponents to this plan say that the government is not going far enough.
In Africa
Runner’s Gender Disputed No More
South Africa declared on Thursday that the gender tests carried out after the 18 year old runner Caster Semenya’s victory in August for the women’s 800 meters will remain confidential. The South African Sports Ministry announced the deal with the International Association of Athletics Federations, or the IAAF, concerning the results and also stating that Semenya will retain her gold medal, her title, and her prize money. Reports that Semenya has both male and female sexual components have not been confirmed by the IAAF.
Pirates take on larger zone causing slower response
With the Pirates’ attacks moving deeper into the Indian Ocean, policing nations are struggling to find ways to respond. The Pirates are starting to expand and evade confrontation by using captured ships and disposing their weapons if they see fit. The expansion is causing not only issues with response and deterrence, but also court issues with captured pirates. Age, jurisdiction, and detention issues are causing hold ups in the trial process for these captured pirates. After Wednesday’s attack on the US- flagged ship, the Maersk Alabama, which was already attacked in the past seven months, the increase in attacks has been brought into the public eye with unsure response.
New Head of South African University provides hope to age old problem
After a racist video was made last year by four white students at the University of the Free State in South Africa, problems within the university seem to be on the verge of expulsion with the arrival of a new university president. Jonathan D. Jansen made his inaugural address in front of the residence hall where the video occurred. The students who participated in the video were expelled, but are now invited to return after Jansen’s explanation that the bigger problem lies within the university as a whole.
Europe
Belgian Prime Minister Named EU’s First President
Belgian Prime Minister, Herman Van Rompay, was named the EU’s 1st president on Thursday to help the EU gain more international influence. The EU also appointed Catherine Ashton, a former member of the House of Lords, as its Foreign Affairs chief. Many were surprised by the EU’s decision to appoint these leaders over the more familiar European leaders like Tony Blair. These two new positions, resulting from the Lisbon Treaty, will come into effect on December 4th.
Seventeen Terrorist Suspects Arrested Throughout Europe
Authorities in Italy announced Thursday that they had broken up an international terrorist cell. Arrests were made in Italy and other European countries, stemming from an antiterrorism investigation in Milan.
German Cabinet Extends Afghanistan Mission
The German Cabinet extended its mission in Afghanistan until December 2010, but did not approve
more troops to be sent. The German Parliament must approve the extension and is set to vote on it next month. Germany is one of the 46 countries participating in the Afghanistan NATO mission and has lost 36 soldiers during the mission.
Russia Issues Death Penalty Ban
Russia’s Constitutional Court ruled that the country’s ban on the death penalty will remain in effect after the current legal suspension expires in January. The court explained that Russia has signed international deals banning capital punishment, making the death penalty impossible. Polls show that the majority of Russians still support the death penalty.
Ninety Year Old Ex-Nazi Charged With 58 Murders
A 90 year old alleged former Nazi SS member has been charged with the killing of 58 Jewish forced laborers. An investigation began last year when an Austrian university student alerted prosecutors after researching the massacre. The defendant has two weeks to appeal against the case or to present evidence. A court in Duisburg will decide if the trial can go ahead.
The Americas
Fat killers arrested in Peru
Four people have been arrested in Peru after accusations they killed people in order to extract their fat and other tissues and sell it to European cosmetic companies. The suspects are members of a gang known as the Pishtacos, who lured people on remote roads with fake job offers before murdering them and extracting their fat. At a news conference, police showed reporters two containers containing human body fat and a picture of one of the victims. The police suspect the fat was sold to cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies in Europe, but no direct link has been established thus far. One of the suspects arrested told police the gang had been killing people for their fat for over three decades.
US envoy appears at International Criminal Court
The US war crimes envoy has spoken as an observer at the International Criminal Court in the Hague. This is the first time a US envoy has appeared before the Court, set up in 2002 by the Rome Statute. The US refuses to ratify the Statute. Stephen Rapp spoke at the court’s annual meeting, saying the US desires to better understand the court. So far, 110 countries have ratified the Rome Statute. The ICC can only try members of those countries that have ratified the treaty. Rapp said that even though the US has not joined the ICC, it continues to stand up to human rights abuses and crimes against humanity worldwide. He also spoke of US concerns about the term “aggression” in the Rome Statute, and stated the US belief that the Statute should be amended to include a precise definition of the crime of aggression.
Colombia and Venezuela in border bridge row
Colombia accused Venezuela of blowing up two pedestrian bridges on the border between the two countries. Colombian Defense Minister Gabriel Silva described eyewitness accounts showing men dressed in Venezuelan Army uniforms blowing up the bridges with dynamite. He said the actions were a violation of international law. A Venezuelan official said that the army had blown up an illegal, improvised bridge that had been put up by people who pass from Venezuela to Colombia. This is the latest in a string of incidents straining relations between Colombia and Venezuela. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has told the army to be “ready for war” after Colombia and the US signed a deal allowing the US military full access to Colombia’s bases. Colombia says this is to counter drug traffickers within its borders, while Chavez says it is a preparation for an attack on Venezuela.
Oprah announces end of show
Oprah Winfrey has announced that her show will end in September 2011, after twenty five years on the air. Speaking to her live studio audience, Winfrey said, “I love this show, and I love it enough to know when it’s time to say goodbye.” The show, which began in 1986, is currently syndicated in one hundred and fourty five countries, and has turned Oprah into a cultural phenomenon. The Oprah Winfrey Show is known for its open atmosphere and frank conversation, which redefined the talk show genre. Winfrey is now one of the most influential women in the US and the wealthiest black woman in the world. Her show has included numerous stars, such as Michael Jackson and Tom Cruise, and Oprah’s support for President Barack Obama was seen as crucial to his presidential campaign.
Investigative Reports
Corrupt Government Officials and the United States:
A Dangerous Double Standard
By Rehana Nathoo
Teodoro Ngueme Obiang is a frequent visitor to the United States. Several times a year he travels from his home in Equatorial Guinea to Malibu California to relax in his $35 million dollar home, equipped with a fleet of luxury cars and private jets.
Without fail, he always enters the country.
The U.S. throws its doors open to Mr. Obiang, who is the Forest and Agriculture Minister of Equatorial Guinea and the son of its current president. His entrance is unblocked despite the notion among federal law enforcement officials that a large portion of his wealth stems from corruption, particularly, in the oil and gas reserves cultivated off the coast of the country.
Although there is both a federal law and presidential proclamation barring corrupt foreign officials and families from receiving American visas, Mr. Obiang is unhindered.
Former and current State Department officials point to close ties between the tiny West African country’s oil supplies and the American oil industry. Equatorial Guinea produces over 400,000 barrels of oil a day, and that production is dominated by American companies such as ExxonMobil, Hess, and Marathon.
John Bennett, the former United States ambassador to Equatorial Guinea from 1991 to 1994, draws some interesting parallels between his country and Zimbabwe. According to Bennett, “both countries are severely repressive, but if Zimbabwe had Equatorial Guinea’s oil, Zimbabwean officials wouldn’t still be blocked from the U.S.”
The New York Times obtained the Justice department’s September 2007 memorandum, which stated that the government believed that Mr. Obiang’s assets were the product of extortion, theft of public funds and other corrupt conduct. The memo claims that from April 2005 to April 2006 Mr. Obiang funneled, at minimum, $73 million dollars into the United States.
The document further explains that a significant portion of that wealth comes from a “revolutionary tax” recently placed on timber. Those payments, instead of going to the Treasury of Equatorial Guinea, usually finds its way into Mr. Obiang’s pocket. In addition, the Justice Department believes that Mr. Obiang may be receiving bribes or extortion payments from within its borders.
Equitorial Guinea’s Vice Minister of Mines, Energies, and Industry – another of the president’s sons – claims that the accusations are unfounded. Quote “this is the problem when a country becomes very successful. Everyone assumes us guilty until proven innocent.” End quote. The Vice Minister stressed that his government has made great strides in dealing with corruption. To prove his point, he cites the country’s participation in an international coalition of civil society groups and companies that sets standards of transparency in oil gas and mining.
So how deep is U.S. involvement?
Of particular concern is the close relationship between the corrupt money and American banks. Wachovia and Bank of America were specifically named in the Justice Department’s memo, both of which were credited with filing suspicious activity reports to the authorities, and soon after closing all accounts associated with Mr. Obiang. This was after, of course, tens of millions of dollars had settled in the U.S.
Gavin Hayman, director of campaigns for Global Witness, a U.K. based corruption and human rights non-governmental watchdog doesn’t believe the situation played out in as tidy a fashion as conveyed. He claims, quote “ these banks appear to have facilitated a grand corruption, and it may even have been done legally. Effectively, the regulations are allowing banks to earn money form corruption.” End quote.
It is interesting to note that since oil was discovered in 1996, Equatorial New Guinea has secured its position as the third largest oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa, firmly behind Nigeria and Angola. Its revenues were estimated to be approximately 4.8 Billion dollars in 2007.
What does this mean for the people of Equatorial Guinea, however?
Although oil production has made the Obiang family incredibly rich, that wealth has quite expectedly not trickled down past the ruling elite.
As of 2006, more than ¾ of the country’s population was found to be living below the poverty line, according to a 2009 IMF report. Arguably, the conditions are only getting worse.
Could the U.S. be held responsible for the acceptance and promotion of corrupt practices around the globe by letting these individuals into their borders without so much as a gentle reprimand? With lax policy applications, as is the case with Equatorial Guinea, it is certainly plausible.
Imagine you drop your spouse, four year old son, and in laws off at Newark International Airport for a planned family vacation. You intend to later join your family to visit your spouse’s native Brazil, but a few days after arriving there, your spouse calls to tell you that she is not returning to the United States with your son, and wants a divorce. This is what happened to David Goldman, a New Jersey native, whose son Sean represents a tragic case of international parental child abduction. According to the Department of State, there are at least fifty cases involving sixty-four children who were habitual residents of the United States and were removed to Brazil by one parent. These children have not been returned to the United States, as required under Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.
Sean Goldman: A Case of International Child Abduction
By Heather Martino
Imagine you drop your spouse, four year old son, and in laws off at Newark International Airport for a planned family vacation. You intend to later join your family to visit your spouse’s native Brazil, but a few days after arriving there, your spouse calls to tell you that she is not returning to the United States with your son, and wants a divorce. This is what happened to David Goldman, a New Jersey native, whose son Sean represents a tragic case of international parental child abduction. According to the Department of State, there are at least fifty cases involving sixty-four children who were habitual residents of the United States and were removed to Brazil by one parent. These children have not been returned to the United States, as required under Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. In 1997, David Goldman and Bruna Bianchi met in Milan, Italy. Bruna, a Brazilian native, was studying fashion while David was pursing his lucrative modeling career. They began dating and married two years later in New Jersey, where they settled in the sea faring town of Tinton Falls. Bruna gave birth to their son, Sean GolDman, on May 25, 2000 in Red Bank, N.J. All accounts from David and his family and friends say they were the ideal couple and lived a happy married life.
However, according to reports from Bruna’s mother, Silvana Bianchi, Bruna was not happy. In an interview in June with CBS’ The Early Show, Silvana told host Harry Smith:
(audio clip transcribed)
“Bruna was not happy in the marriage… she had no time to stay with the baby… she had to work to support the family and she was lonely. No love in this marriage. They used to fight a lot and they slept in separate rooms.”
When Smith asked if Bruna had discussed the divorce prior to leaving the United States, Silvana replied:
(audio clip transcribed)
“She talk when she got in Brazil after because she tried many times to fix the marriage. They even went to the therapist but she was not successful to fix the marriage and so she was very very stressed when she went to Brazil for vacation and decided to stay.”
Although a Brazilian court ruled that Sean was wrongfully taken from the U.S. in 2005, it stipulated that he was to remain with his mother in Brazil. Two years later, Bruna filed for a divorce in Brazil, although this was not recognized by the United States. She later remarried international family lawyer Joao Paulo Lins e Silva, and became pregnant again. Following the birth of their daughter, Chiara, Bruna tragically died in 2008 from childbirth related complications. A Brazilian court granted Jean Paolo temporary custody of Sean, which many argue should have gone to his biological father, David. For this reason, Bruna’s death is considered a second case of abduction.
For the parent left behind, the biggest frustration in seeking the return of their child is that courts in many other countries do not take into account the prior decisions made by courts in the United States. A custody order in the United States can be meaningless abroad. According to the State Department’s Travel website, even countries that are party to the Hague Abduction Convention often violate its terms, which calls for the return of a child who has been removed to or retained in another Convention country in violation of the left-behind parent's custodial rights. The Convention does not address who should have custody of the child but rather addresses where the custody case should be heard, which in Sean Goldman’s case, should have been in the United States. However, since each country is a sovereign nation, they cannot interfere with each other's legal systems, judiciaries, or law enforcement. According to the US State Department, Brazil is one of the nations listed as "non-compliant" with its obligations under the Hague Convention, a body of law to which Brazil is a signatory.
Since the Obama Administration has taken office, the much deserved media attention has been given to David’s quest to bring Sean home, which is the fitting name for the official website of David’s campaign to return his abducted son. On February 5th 2009, New Jersey Republic Congressman, Chris Smith, accompanied David Goldman to Brazil to help him gain custody of his son. It was on this trip that David saw Sean for the first time in five years. David asserts he has been trying for years to meet with his son, while relatives of Jean Paolo dispute that. Following this visit, both houses of Congress and the state senate in New Jersey passed resolutions calling for Sean's return. Also, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pushed for the boy's return in an interview with NBC’s today show. She told reporters:
(audio clip transcribed)
“Mr. Goldman has under every known law [international adoption] followed the rules. He’s come in, he’s made a claim which is certainly a paramount claim as the biological father, with you know every right to have custody of his son.”
When speaking of the Brazilian legal system, Clinton went on to say:
(audio clip transcribed)
“They have an independent judiciary like we have an independent judiciary… you know sometimes we are on the receiving end… families elsewhere in the world. We all remember the Elian Gonzales case… where there was a tremendous human cry in our own country not to send that little boy back to his father in Cuba. At the time I took the same position.”
Clinton has even appealed to Brazil’s foreign minister to return Sean:
(audio clip transcribed)
“I did raise it at the highest levels in the Brazilian government. I have been working with several members of congress; we are hoping that this case gets resolved. This is one of I think forty-six or forty-seven cases in Brazil alone. These cases are across the world.”
President Obama also discussed the Goldman case with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in March of 2009. Following this discussion, a federal judge ruled that Sean will be handed over to his father on June 3rd. Under the court order, the boy would split time between Goldman and his maternal grandparents, who have a home in New Jersey, and. Goldman would then get full custody. However, Brazil's Supreme Court reviewed the judge's decision and announced that Sean remains with his stepfather. On June 4, 2009, Representative Smith introduced a bill to suspend U.S. trade preferences with Brazil until Brazil complies with Hague Convention. Later that week, Brazil's Supreme Court granted David Goldman unsupervised visits for his son, Sean six days a week. However, the catch is that the visits must take place in Brazil, which would only be possible if David Goldman were to move to Brazil.
Sean, who was taken at the tender age of four, is now currently nine years old and speaks little English. According to a psychological evaluation from June 2009, he recognizes Brazil to be his home, where he lives with his stepfather and biological sister, one year old Chiara. While David asserts his rights as a parent left behind under The Hague Abduction Convention, his stepfather Jean Paolo, paints a very different picture. On the same interview with CBS’ the Early Show, he asserts:
(audio clip transcribed)
“Sean has spent 60 percent of his whole life in Brazil. It’s a place he feels safe, protected, loved. His family… he loves… because he wants to stay in Brazil. He asks me every time about this… I want to stay in Brazil with my father, you, Jean Paolo and my family. I have to respect his feelings… what he wants.
As the battle over young Sean Goldman rages on, this is what his biological father David Goldman has to say:
(audio clip transcribed)
“I have no idea what they tell him… only the things I read. So I don’t know; I hope he’s okay… given from all the reports that I’ve seen recently he’s in a very unhealthy environment. They are saying things to him that are not good. Again, parental alienation… that should be a new topic of what goes on in this type of situation. Very, very sad and very frustrating that my son is still held there in this environment and I cannot do a thing to get him out of there.”
0 comments:
Post a Comment