January 31 - February 6 , 2010

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Welcome to the Global Current, your window to the world. Today we have reports on the arrest of 10 American missionaries in Haiti with Rehana Nathoo, and a report on this weekend’s Munich Security Conference with Chris Sprague. 

Anchors:

Vivian Moreno

Renee Callender

Update on Haiti

Haiti’s food distribution network has become fully operational in Port-au-Prince, and is being protected by American and multinational troops. Approximately 160,000 Haitian women have collected bags of rice.  Only women were given food coupons and allowed to wait for the handouts. The distribution plan is being organized by the United Nations, private humanitarian groups, and the Haitian government. The death toll from the earthquake on January 12 is currently at 212,000.  More than 300,000 have been injured and 1 million made homeless.

The first group of severely injured Haitian evacuees have arrived in the United States and are headed for hospitals in Atlanta.  This came after the federal government decided to reimburse hospitals for treating earthquake victims with life-threatening injuries. Officials say certain injuries cannot be treated at Haitian hospitals.  Among the evacuees was an 18-month old child with brain injuries. The Department of Health and Human Services is coordinating the evacuations, with the help of the Red Cross.  Other evacuees will be flown to Tampa, Florida. As many as 45 patients are expected to arrive in the next few days.  Hospitals in Atlanta and Tampa were chosen because of their facilities and closeness to Haiti.

While good intentioned individuals and groups from all over the world have banded together to help Haiti, ten American missionaries have been charged with child abduction and criminal conspiracy by Haitian authorities.  It is alleged the missionaries tried to smuggle 33 children out of Haiti.The missionaries were stopped at the border last Friday, where they said they were taking the children to an orphanage in the Dominican Republic.  The American missionaries were called kidnappers by Haiti’s Prime Minister in light of evidence that some of the alleged abducted children have one or more parent or relatives alive. The case has been handed to a judge who will further investigate it.  If convicted, the missionaries could face lengthy prison sentences. For more on this story, stay tuned for our investigative reports.

Elsewhere in the Americas-

Three headless corpses found in Mexican grave

The Mexican army arrested ten people after finding a grave with three headless corpses near Juarez, Mexico.  The arrests were in connection with the Sinaloa drug cartel. The bodies were found in what officials call a “narco-grave”- a shallow grave drug traffickers use to hide the bodies of their victims. According to the Mexican government, the victims were killed because they may have been tied to a rival drug cartel. Over 200 people have been killed in the Juarez area so far this year.

In Africa

UN Opinion is Outlawed by Southern Sudan

The Southern Sudanese government had to remind the UN of its role this week, which is to administer the upcoming referendum on independence in Southern Sudan. This comes after UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, stated that the UN’s goals were to try to deter secession. The UN as well as other diplomats feel that the vote in favor of independence would spread elsewhere in places such as Nigeria and Congo.  The Southern Sudanese government feels that it is up to its people to decide without influence if they wish to seek independence.

Somali Pirates Strike Again

A Libyan merchant ship has been confirmed to have been hijacked by the Somali Pirates in the Gulf of Aden this week.  The hijacked ship usually holds around 17 crew members and may have both Romanians and Libyans on board.  The Pirates seized the boat know as the Rim on Tuesday, which added to the Pirates’ list of 47 successful hijackings since last year.

Long- repressed Guinea finds hope after massacre

Guinea’s recent transfer of power not only succeeded peacefully, but it also provided hope by moving away from the pattern of brutal autocracy. The new Prime Minister, Jean-Marie Dore, can relate to his fellow citizens because of his civilian status. The Prime Minister personally experienced the brutality of the September 28^th Guinea massacre, which killed approximately 150 civilians with hundreds of others violated and beaten. His role as leader of the opposition gives citizens the hope of a real democratic government for their nation.

In Europe

Man Denied Citizenship Because of Veil

A Moroccan man was denied citizenship in France because he makes his wife wear a full Islamic veil, which has been made illegal in the country.  The French Foreign Minister said this week that this man has no place in France and would sign a decree banning him from being granted citizenship. The Foreign Minister made it clear that he has legal grounds to deny citizenship because the civil code says that naturalization can be refused to someone who does not “respect the values of the country.”The Parliament is in the midst of a debate regarding a potential law that will prohibit wearing full veils in public places.

Romania Will Host a U.S Missile Shield

As part of a U.S plan to protect Europe from possible missile attacks, Romania has signed on to have missile interceptors placed in the country within the next five years. The U.S claims that Romania is a strategic location that will provide protection for its European NATO allies. The Romanian parliament still needs to approve the plan, and some are hesitant because of the possible problems it will cause with Russia.

Parties in Northern Ireland Reach Agreement

After nearly two weeks of negotiations in Northern Ireland, the two major political parties have finally reached an agreement. The two were in fierce debate about the structure of the justice system and policing in the region. An agreement has been made, which calls for the transfer of powers of policing and justice, set to take place in April. This is a big step forward for the volatile region of Northern Ireland.

In the Middle East

Iraq’s Election Troubles

Campaigning for elections next month in Iraq have been postponed after a court ruling was overturned.  Originally, courts decided to ban candidates from participating in the election due to possible ties to Saddam Hussein and his Baath political party.  Now, the Iraqi Electoral Commission is waiting on a ruling from the high court to decide the fate of future elections in a nation that has been deemed stable by US and NATO allies. Such a pivotal court case could dramatically affect the stability of this war-torn nation, especially in light of recent NATO and US troop withdrawals. 

Taliban Overrunning Forces

After US forces were attacked by the Taliban, reports concluded that inadequate defense mechanisms allowed for such an attack.  However, the United States Department of Defense is providing its NATO allies with heavily armored vehicles to increase its defenses.  Although the troop surge in Afghanistan is believed to be working, such inadequacies within US defensive measures show the true reason for such a commitment within the country.

In Asia

Blasts in Pakistan Kill Shiite Worshipers

At least 22 people were killed and 40 more were wounded in a series of blasts that took place in Pakistan on Friday afternoon. A suicide bomber blew up a bus carrying Shiite Muslims to a religious procession in Karachi. Less than two hours later, another explosion occurred at the hospital where many of the wounded had been taken. These attacks come in the midst of an annual Shiite religious observation known as Arbaeen, with is the 40th day of mourning of the revered Imam Hussein, the martyred grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. The attacks have heightened fears of sectarian strife in the region.

North Korea to release U.S. Missionary

On Friday, North Korea had issued a statement saying they will release American Christian missionary Robert Park, who illegally entered the country on Christmas Day. Park entered the country in hopes of urging leader Kin Jong-il to shut down the concentration camps, free its prisoners and resign.  Officials stated that they decided to forgive and release Park, after he released a statement admitting to misconceptions about North Korea and a new opinion of its leader.

The Real “Aftershock”: Child Trafficking or Humanitarian Aid?

By Rehana Nathoo

It is difficult to ignore the recent event surrounding the catastrophic 7.0 earthquake endured by Haiti, which resulted in extensive damage to the small Caribbean country on January 12, 2010. Americans have been faced with numerous pleas for financial aid from a variety of different organizations since the initial disaster. Many generous individuals and groups in the international community have banded together to lend a helping hand in the face of immense poverty and disparity that the desolate country now faces.

With this influx of international assistance, particularly in humanitarian aid, the floodgates are also open for some less than savory initiatives.  On Tuesday, 10 Americans were detained for having attempted to travel back to the Dominican Republic illegally, with 33 Haitian children in tow.  The project was organized by Laura Silsby, Charisa Coulter, and Silsby’s live-in nanny, who were all found guilty of child kidnapping. Silsby and Coulter are accompanied by other members of the Eastside Baptist Church and Central Valley Baptist Church, who’s ‘Haitian Orphan Rescue Mission’ was intended to save abandoned children in the capital city and surrounding area. The original goals were to gather approximately 100 children and transport them to a beach resort in the Dominican Republic. The 33 children found in the company of the Baptist group ranged from 2 months to 12 years old. However, the group was stopped at the border for not having proper paperwork for the children, and forced to return back to Port-au-Prince.

The private facility in the Dominican Republic included a swimming pool, soccer field, and beach access for the children. The group, also referred to as the New Life Children’s Refuge, claimed that it planned to provide sea-side villas for adopting parents to stay when fulfilling the 60-90 day visit requirement. Although Ms. Silsby made it clear that the group did not intend to offer these children up for adoption, the group’s Web site promises an attempt to provide adoption opportunities through partnership with New Life Adoption Foundation. The Foundation helps subsidize adoptions for “loving Christian parents who would otherwise not be able to afford adoption. The contradictory message from the group on the ground in Haiti and that of the New Life Adoption Foundation is a primary source for much of the outrage surrounding the issue. This is due in large part to a lack of consensus on what the original intentions of Silsby, Coulter, and others were.

The status of the New Life Adoption Foundation is also somewhat confusing. The group is not currently registered as an adoption agency in their home state of Idaho, and also fails to appear as a registered federal nonprofit. In addition, the foundation does not appear to be part of a list of accredited adoption agencies on the U.S. State Department Web site.

Despite the various opinions circling about their intentions, Silsby wants to set the record straight. At Thursday’s hearing, she offered a clarification, stating that “we simply wanted to help the children. We petition the court not only for our freedom but also for our ability to continue to help.” Her statements in court further asserted the group’s positive intentions, and reaffirmed their desire to continue doing work that helps Haiti.

The Baptists confirmed that the children had been orphaned on account of the earthquake and had authorization from the government of the Dominican Republic to bring these children into the country. It became clear after Thursday’s official sentencing, however, that at least some of these children had not lost their parents in the natural disaster. In Fermathe, a town where most of these children lived, their parents were found to be very much alive.

The parents of these children tell a very different story. They say that they were approached by the group, with the promise of an American education for their children. In a country where more than half of all children belong to impoverished families that are in need of help, the offer of education seemed like a blessing. These parents also sought to provide their children with an opportunity for betterment without yielding their parental rights, and claimed that the missionaries had promised them visiting rights at the resort in the Dominican Republic.

For many of these parents, the trauma of having their children taken under false pretenses has been severe. Guerlaine Antoine, who entrusted the 10 American Baptists with her 8-year-old son Carl Ramirez says that the promise of education was too great of an opportunity to pass up. Another neighbor, Ketlaine Valmont had also sent her son to be educated by the group. “I just wanted him to have more than I have. What future can I give him here?” she said to a reporter at the New York Times.

As a result of the back and forth, the government of Haiti has suspended adoptions nation-wide, in fear that parentless or lost children will be more vulnerable to the evils of child trafficking.

Whether the 10 American Baptists intended to engage in child trafficking is yet to be proven. It is clear, however, that Haiti’s troubles are far from over. Aside from the immense physical reconstruction that the nation will be burdened with for many years to come, it is disheartening that their security is also hanging in the balance. Many argue that international intervention should seek to assist the reconstruction efforts in order to provide hope for the shaken nation, not further endanger a slowly recuperating government and add to the sense of hopelessness.