Peter Senese & Carolyn Vlk's New Book Points To Travel Documentation Fraud As Significant Exit Strategy For Criminal Child Abductors

The following report focuses on fraud associated with the criminal removal and international parental child abduction of children, and in particular, documentation fraud associated with illegal cross-border removals associated with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative in North America. Excerpts of this report originate from 'The World Turned Upside Down' written by Peter Thomas Senese and Carolyn Ann Vlk.

International Parental Child Abduction involves the conspired criminal and fraudulent scheme by one parent to illegally remove a child from their country of origin or jurisdiction and away from the child's other parent against court orders or rights of custody. According to U.S. federal law, this act of abduction is in fact considered kidnapping and is covered by the 'International Parental Kidnapping Crimes Act' and the federal 'Prevention Kidnapping Crimes Act'. Many nations throughout the world have similar laws. The act itself of child abduction is a severe form of child abuse as established by leading therapist and cited and upheld throughout national and international law enforcement and judicial circles. Ongoing acts of parental alienation are strategically implemented by an abducting parent in order to have the abducted child sanction the criminal acts that have been cast upon them. Too Often, abducted children take on the conditions associated with Stockholm Syndrome, whereas, they gradually are coerced to sanction the criminal acts of the abducting parent.

Undeniably, an abducted child is a prisoner forced to coop with the behavior and aggressions of the abducting criminal parent, who, according to various federal law enforcement and government agencies, describes a parental child abductor as someone who often displays sociopathic tendencies. Tragically, a child victimized by abduction will suffer both short-term and long-term consequences at the hand of a manipulative, criminal abductor: according to various federal and independent reports and studies, a child abductor often uses the child of a relationship to cause harm and injury to the targeted parent, superficially being demonstrative to the child, but in fact actually acting with severe abuse and manipulative control of the child. The reality is a child who is abducted by one parent is the target of hideous abuse whereas the abducting parent will do everything possible to deprive the child of their identity, their rights to love and interact with their other parent, and a sense of family. In many cases the child's physical safety is placed into grave danger. Spiritually and psychologically a child is spiritually ambushed and physiologically terrorized to the point that their innocence is denied at the hands of the abductor's coercion and manipulation.

Make no mistake, fraud is the primary tool of a child abductor. Displaying sociopathic tendencies, these scheming child abductors typically have a pre-meditated and well planned strategy evolving around how they intend to illegally remove the child from the country of jurisdiction, particularly if there are court orders in place prohibiting a removal.

In the United States, as is elsewhere, including in particular the European Union, travel documentation fraud and poor exit control policies for minors traveling abroad are significant problem that enables abductors to criminally remove a child across a border.

In 'The World Turned Upside Down' I co-authored with Carolyn Ann Vlk, we discuss our findings to the question 'How are our children being abducted abroad?' Our findings led us to investigate, research, and study the ramifications of the 'Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative' Our findings and conclusions are extremely concerning.

The following is an excerpt taken from 'The World Turned Upside Down' by Peter Thomas Senese and Carolyn Ann Vlk concerning fraudulent documentation as it is connected to how children are illegally removed from one country to another in North America. In addition, our unpublished findings concerning global documentation fraud, including in the European Union, is expected to be published in early 2012. Present determinations and findings demonstrate that Europe, Asia, and Africa have similar challenges due to fraudulent documentation issues connected to travel under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.

The World Turned Upside Down
By
Peter Thomas Senese
&
Carolyn Ann Vlk
Has Been Made Available As A Free
E-book. For More Information Visit
http://www.peterthomassenese.com/

Excerpt From 'The World Turned Upside Down'

The WHTI requirements for air travel took effect on January 23, 2007. According to U.S. Customs Border Protection, “All U.S. citizens and non-immigrant aliens from Canada, Bermuda, and Mexico departing from or entering the United States from within the Western Hemisphere at air ports-of-entry are required to present a valid passport (or NEXUS card, if utilizing a NEXUS kiosk when departing from a designated Canadian airport).” We believe that this stringent mandate for verifiable documentary identification prior to air travel has significantly reduced the ability to unlawfully remove a child from the United States.

Additionally, the U.S. increased the security of its child citizens when on February 1, 2008 new requirements under Public Law 106-113, Section 236 took effect requiring the permission of both parents prior to the issuance of a U.S. passport for children under the age of 16. According to the Department of State Office Of Children's Issues, “U.S. law requires the signature of both parents, or the child's legal guardians, prior to issuance of a U.S. passport to children under the age of 16. Generally, to obtain a U.S. passport for a child under the age of 16, both parents (or the child’s legal guardians) must execute the child’s passport application and provide documentary evidence demonstrating that they are the parents or guardians. If this cannot be done, the person executing the passport application must provide documentary evidence that he or she has sole custody of the child, has the consent of the other parent to the issuance of the passport, or is acting in place of the parents and has the consent of both parents (or of a parent/legal guardian with sole custody over the child to the issuance of the passport)."

Due to the implementation of these new requirements, the ability to unlawfully transport children that do not possess dual citizenship across borders has become increasingly difficult. The two-parent signature necessary for a minor child's U.S. passport issuance has strengthened our border security and reduced the ability to present incomplete or fraudulent documentation in order to travel with a child across international borders. Thankfully, our child citizens are better protected than they were just a few years ago.

The two-parent signature requirement necessary for a U.S. Passport to be issued for a child has greatly reduced the opportunity that a passport will be issued without another parent’s knowledge or consent. Unfortunately, documentation fraud is still very difficult to detect and remains a severe threat to our nation's children, especially if initiated by parental forgery. Tragically, for many targeted-parent victims of international parental child abduction this type of fraud is common. Unquestionably, it is critical that precautionary steps continue to be taken before issuing passports to children due to substantial evidence of documentation fraud.

Additionally, and to our great concern, it appears to be relatively easy to obtain fraudulent or falsified identification or residency documentation.

Tere Silva, resident agent in charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, said in a statement issued on November 17th, 2010, "Among the various schemes and artifices being used by some unscrupulous persons are offers to provide immigration services, including ways to avoid the established channels for adjusting one's immigration status, offers to provide false and forged identity documents, even threats and false impersonation of immigration officials."

On November 19th, 2010 Daniel Lane, assistant special agent in charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Sacramento, California stated, "Targeting those responsible for making and selling fraudulent documents is an enforcement priority for ICE HSI. Anyone who knowingly and indiscriminately sells phony identity cards is putting the security of our communities and even our country at risk. Documents like this could potentially be used by dangerous criminals and others seeking to obscure their identities and mask their motives." Agent Lane's comments came after ICE arrested four individuals for running a highly sophisticated forged document factory that included creating fraudulent California drivers licenses, permanent resident cards (Green Cards), U.S. birth certificates and other documents capable of removing a child from the U.S. under the WHTI.

In response to the rise of illegal entry and exodus to the United States, the implementation of WHTI policy has effectively narrowed the types of documents that are acceptable in proving identity and citizenship. Although this change is a critical step towards meeting the challenge of securing our borders there still remain significant security challenges due to certain allowable exemptions. Unfortunately, when it comes to cross border travel by children being transported by land or sea, numerous security defects exist. Unquestionably, individuals or organizations with intent to breach the law have exploited these policy flaws. Our nation’s children as well as children from other countries are suffering either as defenseless victims of international parental child abduction or as helpless slaves taken into the world of human trafficking, where the worst types of crimes against humanity are the norm.

As a nation concerned with our children’s safety and welfare, it is unacceptable that large gaps in security protocol exist in our nation’s international travel document requirements for children traveling in the Western Hemisphere. In the 2009, annual Report on Compliance with the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, Janice L. Jacobs, Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs writes, "Unfortunately, current trends reflect a steady increase in the number of international parental child abduction cases and highlight the urgency of redoubling efforts to promote compliance with Convention obligations and encourage additional nations to join the Convention." She also writes, "Very few options exist for parents and children who are victims of parental child abduction." In the 2010 annual report Ms. Jacobs continues to voice concerns over the increasing numbers of our child-citizens who have been wrongfully removed or wrongfully detained.

Assistant Secretary of State of Consular Affairs Jacobs concern about the growing rate of international parental child abduction (IPCA) is alarming, yet our adjacent borders remain relatively open for those with the knowledge on how to circumvent border security protocol. Make no mistake, nearly every IPCA case is well thought out and planned.

Human Trafficking

The buying and selling of humans is the second largest criminal activity in the world. In the U.S., this problem is much more severe than commonly discussed. Of particular concern is that it is estimated that over 70% of all humans trafficked into the U.S. originate from Latin America: countries such as Mexico, Honduras, and El Salvador are well-known supply sources for human cargo.

A significant number of these enslaved are young teenagers between 13 and 15 years old who originate from poverty-stricken communities, and who are lured into the dark world of slavery due to false promises of legitimate jobs and a better life in America. What awaits them is an inhuman slave world filled with torture, violence, and threats of death to family members they left behind if they ever attempt to flee their imprisoned ‘cantinas’ – prison-like brothels where they are never allowed to leave. Tragically, sure death awaits those imprisoned into this inferno: they are either murdered, die of drug overdose, or die of disease and infection.

One of the grave concerns we must ask is How are these individual doomed to enter the awaiting world of human slavery trafficked into the United States from Latin America and crossing our border?

It is apparent that the majority of human cargo entering our borders due so illegally. Though limited data is available, sound reasoning leads us to anticipate that this number is substantial.

Due to limited border documentation requirements under WHTI policy, particularly for minors traveling, there is substantial concern that human traffickers are currently using this loophole in order to move their young human cargo into the United States from Mexico and Caribbean island-nations.

The world of human trafficking and slavery is very real. According to author of Free The Slaves, Kevin Bale, there are nearly 27 million people across the world caught in modern-day slavery. The United States Department of State Trafficking In Persons Report (TIP Report) estimates this number to be between 4 million and 27 million individuals. Additionally, the Department of State estimates that there are over 800,000 individuals each year being transported across international borders. And according to their 2005 report titled Facts About Child Sex Tourism, there were over 1 million children exploited by the global commercial sex trade every year. All of these numbers continue to increase. Human trafficking is a dark world without any peer and most organizations involved in human trafficking and slavery are highly sophisticated.

Yet our borders remain relatively unencumbered for children traveling abroad in the Western Hemisphere.

U.S. Passport Requirements For International Travel

For U.S. Citizens, a Federal Statute mandates that any citizen of the U.S. must possess a valid U.S. passport to depart from or enter the U.S. Following is the text of Federal Statute 8 U.S.C. 1185 (b).

(b) Citizens Except as otherwise provided by the President and subject to such limitations and exceptions as the President may authorize and prescribe, it shall be unlawful for any citizen of the United States to depart from or enter, or attempt to depart from or enter, the United States unless he bears a valid United States passport.

When WHTI requirements for land and sea became effective on June 1, 2009 exceptions to the Federal Statute passport requirement were allowed. The new regulation states that U.S. citizens and citizens of Canada, Bermuda and Mexico may present a passport or other WHTI-compliant documents when entering or departing the United States at sea or land ports-of-entry from within the Western Hemisphere.

Due to exceptions to the passport requirement, our research has concluded there exists distinct areas of vulnerability at the border for our children.

Fraudulent Documentation

The presentation of fraudulent documents at border points has long existed and is well illustrated in the publication of Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) Land and Sea Final Rule" that was released March 27, 2008 by the Department of Homeland Security. It was reported that CBP officers had intercepted over 129,000 fraudulent documents since January 2005 from individuals trying to cross the border over an approximate 3 ½ year period. This is a substantial number; however, we must ask ourselves how many fraudulent documents were never uncovered and successfully used?

To better demonstrate the severity of this problem we take note of a scenario that occurred several years ago in Texas and was reported by the Department of Immigration and Naturalization Services. A women acting as a lay-midwife was charged and convicted with fraudulently filing and obtaining over 3,400 United States birth certificate claims over a ten year period: almost one American birth certificate a day was fraudulently obtained and sold on the black market over a decade by one woman alone. This individual was one of eleven individuals convicted of filing and obtaining false birth certificates that were sold on the black market in Texas during a federal investigation. Of immense concern to us is that WHTI allows a child to cross international borders by land or sea and in lieu of a passport an original or copy of a birth certificate may be presented.

As noted in language of the Federal Statute above, limitations and exceptions do exist. According to CBP passport exceptions exist when traveling with U.S. or Canadian citizen infants and children. Of grave concern are the deficiencies that could be utilized in the cross border unlawful removal by land or sea of at risk children. If traveling by air everyone, even infants require a passport. However, WHTI allows that U.S. and Canadian citizen children “will not require passports for travel by land or sea when the June 1, 2009 rule goes into effect requiring all land and sea travelers to have a passport. Children under the age of 15 will have a blanket exemption from this requirement – although they will be required to present a copy of a birth certificate and, if not traveling with both parents, a consent letter from the other parent(s).”

We are especially concerned about the ability to falsify travel documentation for children. The capability to easily present travel documentation without another parent's consent or to falsify travel documents for children in cases where a passport is not required appears relatively easy. The fact that simply a birth certificate or worse, a “copy” of a birth certificate and a letter of permission with no documentation to verify its validity, is sufficient to cross international borders is a serious security concern. And although it is also recommended that a parent or guardian possess a letter of consent from the absent parent(s) this may or may not be required or requested. We must also consider that there is no way to verify the validity of a parental consent letter.

These concerns should sound an alarm bell directed at courts presiding over child custody cases where there is concern for potential international parental child abduction. Peter Thomas Senese, the co-writer of this report wrote in Chasing The Cyclone, “I know first-hand of several international parental child abduction cases where a false international travel consent letter was either fraudulently produced or never produced by the other parent in order for that abducting parent to depart from Canada into the United States or from the United States into Canada. The court’s orders were not followed, as is the case with all abducting parents. More troubling is the fact that in each of these cases, none of the necessary consent letters were ever checked by either countries border patrol or immigration agencies. This is absurd, particularly when knowing many of these consent to travel letters were not notarized and not original documents. It must be a requirement on both sides of the border for all land and sea travelers regardless of age to use a passport, which is the policy in place for air travel.”

When we consider the growing rate of international abduction here in the U.S. and abroad, there is a very real concern that our borders are used not only as a final destination for an abducting parent or trafficker, but as the launching point for an abductor to travel to their intended final destination. Although most countries recognize that documentation fraud is a severe concern it is clear that the minimization of travel document requirements needed for a minor to travel across our borders enables would-be abductors to criminally abduct a child. For example, if a would-be abductor traveling by land from the U.S. to Canada has in their possession any child’s original or ‘a copy’ of a birth certificate and a falsified consent to travel letter, they have the capability to internationally abduct any child from the U.S.

Realistically, all a potential abductor may need is a copy of a birth certificate. Although it is recommended that children traveling alone or with one parent posses a consent letter from any absent parents this is not a requirement. In reference to the birth certificate requirement, many parents obtain several copies of a child’s birth certificate: it is not as if you are allowed only one copy such as a U.S. Passport. Unquestionably, if all cross-border travel for children of all ages does not include the much more secure and controllable use of a passport, then abducting parents and human traffickers will still be capable of abducting children.

The required travel document for an infant under age one who is traveling by land or sea between the U.S. and Canada is alarming. The CBP states that “If you have not yet received a birth certificate for a U.S. or Canadian citizen infant, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will accept either the birth record issued by the hospital or a letter on hospital letterhead providing details of the birth, including the name of the child, time and place of birth, and parents names. Birth certificates should be used for children over 1 year old.” Once again, the ease of fraudulently creating this type of “document” exists and a child could easily be smuggled across international borders.

Putin Plans Return: 'The Den of the Assassin' Author Peter Senese Points To New Cold War

Vladimir Putin's decision to stand again as Russian president is no big surprise to anyone, particularly those who realize that in fact, Putin never really relinquished power to begin with. Some may say, "Batman returns, though the idea of Robin (Dmitri Medvedev) becoming prime minister may not work out for long," but others will say "A lunatic willing to arm every dangerous madman in the world is about to put his hands on Russia's biological and nuclear war chest - again." In 'The Den of the Assassin', one of the main themes in Peter Thomas Senese's geopolitical thriller evolves around Russia's desire to rebuild itself. TheWest often forgets that Russia has more natural resources available to it than almost any other country on the planet - and a deep distrust for Western ideals no matter how much capitalism has been embraced. Pointedly, there is a vast political and social difference between the black market money gained by the oligarchs and the hardliners that still run Russia. And with Putin clearly ready to take full control of Russia again by running for President - he is letting the world know Russia and its agenda are his. With perspective of world power rapidly changing, Putin's timing could not be more interesting.

Sure, the timing was unexpected. There were good reasons for making the decision later -- last time around Medvedev was revealed as Putin's choice for president only after the parliamentary (Duma) elections in December 2007. Medvedev now becomes an early lame duck -- the Kremlin has not dealt with that problem simply by saying he will be prime minister under Putin. By making the announcement before the Duma elections, Putin has guaranteed a majority for his new '"Popular Front" -- but that will also create problems. Russian voters quickly cottoned on to the fact that the old United Russia party was just a roadblock: it could stop opponents wining elections, but had no role in government or in the generation of policy or strategic thinking. The corporatist behemoth Popular Front will be even worse. Andrew WilsonRussia has a "managed democracy," but the campaign for the presidential elections next March will now be even longer, and in a long campaign not everything can be easily managed. There are other obvious downsides, even once the timing issue is out of the way. Western leaders who invested time and political capital in engaging Medvedev will be asking loudly what the interregnum was all about. The idea of a Kremlin-approved but reformist new liberal party has been squashed. So have the rumors that Russia's liberal conscience and enforcer of fiscal discipline, Finance Minister Aleksei Kudrin, would be the next prime minister. But Kudrin would have been a much better choice than an ineffective Medvedev, and could have taken Russia back to the long-forgotten era of real reform when Putin first came to power in the early 2000s -- before the Yukos affair in 2003 and the oil price explosion that sucked the life out of the reform impulse. What does Kudrin do now to stop the markets freaking out? And how long will the mild-mannered Medvedev really last as PM, given that he is unlikely to transform himself overnight into a fire-breathing CEO? The Russian government can't be run on Twitter.

Then there are much bigger strategic questions. Will Putin 2.0 be any different from Putin 1.0? Can Putin dismantle Putinism? Putin always hoped the history books would treat him well, which is why he chooses court historians to write them; but even many of the supposed achievements of his first two terms of office (2000-08), such as Russia's much-vaunted "stability," the restoration of state authority and victory in Chechnya, may now be under threat if Putin comes back in much more difficult economic circumstances and with real anarchy looming in Russia's North Caucasian "internal abroad." Putin backed for 2012 presidency Even stagnation is not an easy option. Will Putin 2.0 be able to stop the growing torrent of capital flight out of Russia, which reached $21 billion in the first quarter of 2011? Putin's ideologue Vladislav Surkov once coined the term "offshore aristocracy'" to abuse the "cosmopolitan" oligarchs and Western advisers of the Yeltsin era; but this is precisely what Putin's oligarchy has become. The ruling elite is not investing at home -- many of them don't even live in Russia. And capital flight is no longer just for oligarchs, as genuine entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) despair of red tape and corruption. Will Putin be able to curb the bloated state that has grown so unwieldy under oil money? The budget only balances at an ever higher oil price -- currently reckoned to be about $125 a barrel. How high will the necessary price be in a few years?

Putin has so far failed to build a new narrative. The same old guys still sit beside him. Even his old image as the "good tsar" reigning in the "bad boyars" is suspect. Putin has not cleansed the stables, and the oligarchs close to him may get bolder and more brazen once he comes back to power. Putin's favorite foreign policy initiatives will be pushed further forward, like the idea of a customs union with Belarus and Kazakhstan, with Ukraine under pressure to join. If Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili "does a Putin" and makes himself prime minister after his second term runs out in January 2013, Saakashvili and Putin could then be squaring off for years. The ugly youth group Nashi and its skinhead hinterland will still be around. Periodically, Putin's PR machine has pushed out the idea that he is tired of office and looking forward to retirement. We can now put that myth to rest. He has now guaranteed himself another six or even 12 years of hyperactivity, with an overflowing in-tray. How this all pans-out on the world stage sure is going to be rather interesting. One thing is for sure: with Putin getting ready to flex Russia's muscles (for example, providing Iran with more nuclear technology) and China trying to take over the globe, the next United States President sure is going to have a lot to deal with.

Peter Thomas Senese's 'The Den of the Assassin' is a thrilling geopolitical novel based upon historical fact and is available wherever books are sold, including Amazon.

Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai Changed The World Forever. Today She Passed. Heaven Opened Its Gates For A Woman Who Made The World A Much Greater Place. Reflections Of Wangari Maathai by Peter Thomas Senese

My name is Peter Thomas Senese and I have had the great privelage in my life to have spent time with Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai. Wangari Maathai died today in Nairobi, Kenya, leaving behind a world that is so much better because of her belief in 'Uhuru' and her Unbowed demeanor to stand for what is right. Unquestionably, she will be missed greatly. Undeniably, her spirit lives within all of us who believe in freedom and in each other. 


I have been blessed to have spent time with Professor Maathai on several occassions in my life. As I share in my reflections, I feel my heart race as joyful memories of her graceous presence, her life-changing smile, and her wisest of words vetted by her actions to remain 'Unbowed' and to live in 'Uhuru'.


Today, the world lost a friend, for Wangari was a friend to all. And a friend especially to me. And I know just how blessed I have been for the time I shared with her. Time I have always treasured. Time that I will carry with me forever.


Several years ago I reviewed 'Unbowed', Wangari's autobiography. I am sharing this below, as it says everything I can possibly say. And as many of my friends know, for many years I have suggested to everyone to read 'Unbowed'. In her lessons, you will change your life.


Without question, Wangari changed mine. "Uhuru!"

                                                              A TRIBUTE TO WANGARI


Unbowed by Wangari Maathai


Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai is truly one of the most important voices of our time. This dynamic and indefatigable Kikuyu woman of Kenya has illuminated rays of light through the dark clouds of Kenya, and so Africa. 


Standing in the face of oppression and unbearable adversity she faced when Kenya was not a land of freedom, but a state of oppression and discord, it was Wangari's resilient voice, her never-ending effort to stand strong in the winds of injustice, and her ceaseless love of mankind that has in many ways begun the great changes toward democracy and freedom for all individuals not just in Kenya, but in Africa. 


As the Cold War has, as Professor Maathai clearly and carefully points out, changed the dynamics of government in Africa, the reader becomes aware, in a different way than what is typically presented in the press, of the many issues involved with the challenges that the world faces through the daily experiences of those who seek `Freedom'. 


Clearly, as the world becomes closer and more connected, the issues that continue in Africa are critical issues that we, as a progressive society, must not simply acknowledge, but do something about. Acting on what is right . . . standing up for your beliefs . . . standing down oppression and hatred . . . and nurturing Mother Earth as she continues to nurture and provide for all, are themes this visionary African woman - who is the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize - shares with the world in her brilliantly written life story. Readers across the world - men and women of all colors and creeds and beliefs will tap into the determination of this extraordinary activist who has taught so many about how love of each other can grow through respecting and nurturing the land we live on. 


But there is so much more to `Unbowed': Uhuru Park - Freedom Park - is more than a rolling green field in the middle of busy Nairobi, it is more than a starting point for this wonderful woman's love affair with the world, and it is so much more than a gathering point where the notion of planting trees . . . the seeds of The Green Belt Movement occurred. 


As Professor Maathai has shown through her own life, `Uhuru' is not Free! `Unbowed' is the story of a magnificent and courageous leader who stood up for the oppressed, including the woman of Kenya, and provided hope for better tomorrows by demonstrating that if a person possesses a will to make change, change can and will occur. 


`Unbowed' is a most remarkable memoir . . . and Professor Wangari Maathai is an ingenious woman of dignity the world continues to learn from. Listen: no matter where you are from, this book will positively change your life. 

                                             I WILL BE A HUMMINGBIRD

How Are Children Internationally Abducted Via Cruise Ships?

How Are Children Internationally Abducted Via Cruise Ships?

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative Loopholes:

Sea Travel Closed-Loop Voyages

An excerpt taken from THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN written by Peter Thomas Senese & Carolyn Vlk

Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative policy, a minor 16 years old or younger traveling by land or by sea abroad is not required to present a valid passport to travel. All that is required is a photocopy of a citizenship document, such as a photocopy of a birth certificate. This policy has created a significant loophole for would-be abductors intent to abduct or traffic a child abroad. 

We are also very concerned that the documentation requirements for a “closed loop” cruise ship or other water vessel’s voyage or itinerary to contiguous countries or adjacent islands allows travelers to be exempt from the documentary requirements necessary for other types of travel. The CBP defines “closed loop” as occurring when “a vessel departs from a U.S. port or place and returns to the same U.S. port upon completion of the voyage. U.S. citizens who board a cruise ship at a port within the United States, travel only within the Western Hemisphere, and return to the same U.S. port on the same ship may present a government issued photo identification, along with proof of citizenship (an original or copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular report of Birth Abroad, or a Certificate of Naturalization). A U.S. citizen under the age of 16 will be able to present either an original or a copy of his or her birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad issued by DOS, or a Certificate of Naturalization issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.”

Travel requirements for children traveling at sea are quite alarming. The porous documentation controls in place due to the WHTI facilitate child abduction opportunity at sea in unthinkable ways. For example, there are certain cruise ships that have ports of call in other countries that cater specifically to children. These cruise ships hold over 5,000 passengers and typically have weekly departures. With thousands of children boarding one of these cruise ships; we acknowledge it is clear there is substantial opportunity for a parental or non-parental child abduction to occur.

In a likely scenario for cruise ship related international parental child abduction or child trafficking, an individual could presumably board a cruise ship with a targeted child with limited or fraudulent documentation for the child, travel to WHTI designated foreign ports, disembark with the child at a port of call and simply choose not to re-board the ship, effectively circumventing the necessity of a passport which is required for other types of travel.

The potential to illegally remove a child across international borders via cruise ship travel is substantially magnified because currently there are no systematic data base controls and other security measures that would prevent a child's illegal departure from the United States. Exemplifying this grave concern are direct statements made from the security departments of two of the world's largest cruise lines operators. In statements made by both companies, neither have a security database that would enable a parent nor a court of law to place a child's name on a 'no embarkment' list due to specified court order. So even if a court order is issued that either directly names the cruise ship company as part of the action or if the court order references the cruise ship company to prohibit a child's departure but does not list the cruise ship as part of the legal action, the cruise ship companies have nothing in place that would enable them to comply with the court order.

When representatives in the security departments of both cruise ship companies were asked what could be done with a court order prohibiting a child's departure, each spokesperson suggested that if the targeted parent knew what cruise ship and departure date their child was scheduled to travel on, then it would be up to the parent to contact local law enforcement.

Obviously, the ability for a single parent trying to protect their child's abduction to run from cruise ship port to cruise ship port hoping to determine if their child is traveling on one of the ships is more than daunting and unrealistic, particularly since the vast majority of international child abductions are well planned, and cleverly orchestrated.

In a time of increased international security concerns, it is inconceivable that the only type of data bases most cruise ship operators have in place is a data base that flags previous passengers from traveling on their fleet due to past conduct on board one of their ships.

Remarkably, there is no systematic check to determine if a child’s name has been placed on any law enforcement or government travel alert lists. However, if a U.S. passport was required and the U.S. passport was scanned, then a border patrol agent would have immediate access to potentially critical information regarding the safety of the child. We call upon the cruise ships to act responsibly by establishing security procedures including a 'no-embarkment' database that would assist in the prevention of international parental child abduction and human trafficking.

When we consider there are approximately 760 cruises scheduled to depart from the U.S. and travel in a ‘closed loop’ to the Caribbean during fiscal year 2011, this becomes very concerning. Our worry increases after we consider there are 47 "closed loop" cruises scheduled to depart the U.S. to Canada during the same period. And finally, our concern surges when we realize that there are 379 cruises scheduled to depart the U.S. and travel in a "closed loop" to Mexico.

As previously discussed in this report, Mexico is a hotbed for ‘reported’ and ‘unreported’ incoming and outgoing international parental child abduction cases.  A substantial number of U.S. parents have filed a Hague application due to the criminal international abduction of their child or children.  Unfortunately, very few abducted children return to the U.S. despite court orders demanding the child’s return.  These opinions are substantially backed by the U.S. Department of State, as Mexico has repeatedly been reported to Congress as a non-compliant member of the Hague Convention. In addition, Mexico’s record as a country known for its criminal activity of human trafficking is substantial.

We express our grave concern that cruise ships may be utilized to transport children illegally to and from the U.S., Mexico, and Canada as well island nations of the Caribbean.

It is inconceivable that U.S. children are still permitted to travel to specific foreign countries in accordance with the WHTI without a passport.  Today, nearly 30% of all U.S. citizens possess a passport. As that number continues to grow substantially each year it is unthinkable not to require a passport for a child to travel abroad.  In 2011 cruise ships are scheduled to originate from the U.S and travel to 63 ports of call in Mexico, 48 ports in the Caribbean, and from 20 ports of call in Canada. We contend that a failure to require children to present a passport for all international travel is an act of misguided negligence.

Closed-Loop Foreign Destination        Number of Cruises       Number of Ports

Caribbean                                                            760                                63

Canada                                                                   43                                 20

Mexico                                                                 379                                48

The CBP does state that a U.S. Citizen “may” be required to present a U.S. passport if disembarking at a foreign port but that this requirement is up to the individual ports-of-entry. We must also consider that smaller personal watercrafts traveling to foreign ports under a “closed-loop” journey offer distinct opportunity for child abductors and human traffickers to circumvent our nation’s laws or court orders. The lack of formidable travel documentation for cruise ship or other water vessel excursions originating from and returning to the United States is a black hole for would-be child abductors or traffickers.

The fact that cruise ships are being utilized in human trafficking is not unrecognized within the U.S. or in other countries. The following statements come directly from a human rights watchdog organization in Belize.

The Belize Organization for Responsible Tourism (ORT) issues this appeal to cruise lines bringing passengers to Belize, a superhighway for human trafficking. “We are asking for your help in stopping human trafficking in Belize. In particular, we appeal to Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Lines, which bring a combined 700, 000 tourists to Belize annually.

Cruise lines have a moral responsibility to help stop human trafficking in Belize. Each year thousands of human trafficking victims are transited through Belize via its porous and corrupt borders. Many are exported to other countries and never seen again by their families. Many endure lives of forced prostitution in Belize ficha bars.”

As these serious challenges come to light, we need to create a comprehensive short-term and long-term strategy that will prevent child abduction and human trafficking from occurring due to limited WHTI child travel documentation requirements for land and sea travel. There remains a significant amount of work necessary to enhance border security so that current weaknesses will no longer be available to be exploited. Our children must become a priority and the risk of abduction and human trafficking be lessened through mandating legitimate and uniform travel documentation.

The issues of child abduction and child slavery have received relatively limited public exposure. There has been limited government reaction directed toward changing public policy, government agency operations and protocol, and reform of laws that may facilitate or enable international abduction. It is important to recognize that over the past two years there have been over 1,000 ‘reported’ cases of U.S. child citizens being criminally abducted to Mexico and untold numbers of unreported cases. Imagine how our nation would act if:

1.     25 school buses containing 40 defenseless 5^th grader American students disappeared in Mexico; or,

2.     4 Boeing 757 passenger jets containing 250 middle school children each was hijacked; or,

3.     A cruise ship with 1,000 high school students on a spring break trip was pirated off of Mexico’s borders; or,

4.     A train traveling with 1,000 students and their teachers was hijacked.

Undoubtedly, there would be public outcry and reform at every level. However, our public and government concern has not reached levels that it should. The many voices of this unthinkable crime tend to be diluted due to the singular reporting methodology. It is imperative that immediate revisions in law and government policy be initiated including reform of the WHTI land and sea travel requirements for minors.

Knowing & Teaching Hope: My Tri-Annual Visit To A Childrens Hospital

As some of you may know, over the previous years I had a few major cancer fights. Through a lot of prayer, modern-medicine and absolute homeopathic treatment, I ski, fence, scuba, hike, cycle, dance, golf. I never forget how lucky I am.

Remembering this, several times a year I go to a specific children's hospital to read ESOP fables, bring a bunch of cool electronic games that I paid for by saving some money each week, but most of all, I make my visits in order to talk to the kids who are specifically fighting a deadly disease. They are the children fighting cancer, fiighting leukaimia or any number of dangerous other diseases.

I am there to remind them of just how strong they are.

I think my visitis in the past (I have been doing this for about ten years) really mean something for whatever the reasons.

Perhaps its because I tell them I was once just like them. Perhaps they know they can trust me because I show them my scars. Perhaps they can trust me because they can see how strong I am. Perhaps they can trust me because I can and do easily pick them up, sometimes with one hand. Or perhaps they can trust me because they see and feel the honesty in my eyes about what I have to say to them. I sure know they see my smile, feel my energy, and embrace my love.

And what I have to say is something special. I tell them about how I got strong. And I tell them that in a very special way, WE get to see the world a little different because we get to appreciate everything around us so much more! Funny how life becomes so much more meaningful when it could very easily be taken away from you at any moment.

Typically, I gather the children (usually 4-12: I wish there were 0) and with one or two nurses, we find the 'activity room' on the ward's floor.


And I begin by tell them about being warriors and about how strong they are, and how they can beat the dragon. And I tell them how to do that. And how magical life is.

Then I tell them the story of Autoro, the mighty dragon slayer who would appear in my dreams at night (that would be me) to fight the evil dragon at night when I would sleep. That Autoro would only show up at night when I was resting my body. I shared how sometimes Autoro would have good battles and sometimes not so good battles, just like sometimes we would have good physical days and not so good days. But I remind them that Autoro is a Master dragon slayer and a Knight ... and of course all of us little boys and girls know that Knights never loose the war, right?


And of course, I ask each of them if they would like Autoro to come and help them. And then seperately, I have this little moment where I give them the power of Autoro the Mighty Dragon Slayer Knight ... which of course makes each of them Knights, too. Mighty knights who must be patient and focused.

Over the years I have remained in touch with a good number of these knights. I have never forgotten one during Christmas, and I make it my business to stay in touch with them by sending letters, pictures, and gifts (always books).

Sometimes God has had a different plane. And I understand that there are times when some of my Warrior Knights have gone to the place I aspire to go to: Heaven. And I take comfort in that.

I have not shared my activity with anyone but my closest of friends and family as this is a deeply personal matter. But a few minutes ago, the mother of one of the children called me and asked me if I could have my friends pray for her daughter Catherine, who at seven, will be having a major surgury on Monday.

So today - we could use a little extra prayer.


And as for my technique of Visualization ... that's up to you to embrace it or not. But I think we all have a much better chance to be what we want to be or accomplish what we want to accomplish when we embrace it.
 
Peter Thomas Senese

Peter Thomas Senese: Best-Selling Geopolitical Novelist Releases Electrifying International Financial-Political Thriller THE DEN OF THE ASSASSIN: Senese Launches E-book Series

Author Peter Thomas Senese is pleased to announce the E-book release of the international espionage thriller titled THE DEN OF THE ASSASSIN on September 11th, 2011. Critics have praised THE DEN OF THE ASSASSIN as an international financial espionage thriller steeped in the modern-day realities of our post 9-11 world, providing the story a visceral prescience teeming with realism and frightful possibilities of global cyber and biological terrorism, and Peter Senese as a masterful writer of international intrigue. Peter Senese's THE DEN OF THE ASSASSIN is the first E-book release in a series of the best-selling author's previously hardcover releases of his noteworthy historical fiction novels, which include CLONING CHRIST, CHASING THE CYCLONE, PREDATORS GAMES (Winter, 2011), and QUEST (Spring, 2012).

Peter Senese commented on THE DEN OF THE ASSASSIN, "For readers who enjoy fast-paced, multi-dimensional plots based upon historical events, substantial and thorough research, and plausible possibilities relevant to the world we live in today, THE DEN OF THE ASSASSIN will take readers on a thrilling global geopolitical journey that begins in New York City's Wall Street, but soon darts into the hidden and unseen worlds that exists within nations that have highly questionable agendas towards the United States and the West, including but not limited to China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. And it is here, in these hidden worlds that disturbing plans that stand against America and the West's idea of liberty and freedom are carefully hatched and cultivated. Most concerningly, as each nation has become more reliant on one another in our global society, a new level of extraordinary vulnerability to our national security has been created, one perhaps we may not be prepared for. In THE DEN OF THE ASSASIN, I believe readers will find the uniquely accurate information on this subject that is carefully weaved through an intricate, entertaining storyline to be quite fascinating - and disturbing."

THE DEN OF THE ASSASSIN opens in New York City, where an unassuming investment banker, Tyler Boxter, is preoccupied with his all-consuming career on Wall Street that acts as a personal shield against the trappings of life that hide guilt and pain and memories he doesn't want. In the midst of the biggest deal of his successful career, and unknown to Boxter, he is about to play a sophisticated but explosive game against a madman who is more savage and merciless than the winds of an atomic holocaust. 

Once a mysterious theft leads Boxter from the sanctity of his Wall Street office and thrusts him into the dark world of international terrorism -- where zealot religious leaders stir and awaken hateful minds in the brutal desserts in the capitol of the Middle East's ancient, once mighty empire, where dark, sunken eyes eager to return to world-glory look into the abyss of Siberia's desolate terrains, where prisoners -citizens- who live on a remote peninsula in Asia would rather submit to isolationist cleansing than feel the wrath of a deceitful troll intent on destroying the ideals of the West - and where a city of scientists continue their unseen diabolical activity deep in the earth and protected by the menacing walls that surround the Forbidden City - knowing that what they have embarked upon is the West's greatest nightmare.

Peter Thomas Senese: writer, filmmaker, and dedicated child advocate will commence his E-book launch by releasing the highly praised, spine-tingling Post 9-11 financial espionage and geopolitical thriller that catapults the reader into a world of incomprehensible possibilities and insane apocalyptic challenges in Senese's intense, page-turning 'THE DEN OF THE ASSASSIN', which will be released on September 11th, 2011. THE DEN OF THE ASSASSIN is presently available in hardcover format from traditional retailers and online merchants. THE DEN OF THE ASSASSIN was initially released in hardcover prior to the author's unexpected race into the cyclones of international child abduction. CHASING THE CYCLONE, inspired by Peter Thomas Senese's experiences in the horrific arena and depicts the horrific insanity of having a child internationally kidnapped, will be released in hardcover later on November 1st, 2011.

Reviewers of THE DEN OF THE ASSASSIN have praised Peter Thomas Senese's storytelling. Renowned book critic Daniel Jolley commented: "This is one seriously good thriller. Billed as "a novel of international finance and espionage," Den of the Assassin is a super-realistic exploration of frightening possibilities, unsurpassed heroism, Lucifer-like evil, and terrorism of the worst kind ... The novel revolves around some kind of Day of the Jackal-like assassination plot, but the complexity of this novel stretches its tendrils deeply into international finance, the vagaries of the American legal and health care systems, international terrorism, diplomacy, intelligence, WMD, and cold-blooded murder - with a little romance thrown in just to stir up the pot a little more. Peter Thomas Senese does a masterful job traversing the inner hallways of diverse institutions as he slowly brings all of these diverse elements together for a slam-bang climax ... Peter Thomas Senese displays a wealth of knowledge of geopolitics, espionage, and international finance, describing all the technical intricacies of the story's elements and implications with great attention to detail -without ever letting the pace get bogged down or become confusing to the reader. He also keeps a number of secrets close to the vest, saving them for just the right time in the story. This serves to make the book thoroughly believable and increasingly suspenseful. There's no shortage of action here. What Tyler finds himself involved in is nothing less than a war, and he must fight to save not only himself, his friends, and his company, but his very country from an unimaginable catastrophe. The Father's network of agents and killers is as formidable as they come, and the security-related forces Tyler brings into the game are some of the best money can buy. In the end, though, the drama becomes deeply personal, as The Father and Tyler Boxter rush headlong toward a face-to-face encounter of epic proportions . . . Many a writer of thrillers seem to drop the ball somewhere in the middle of their novels, but Peter Thomas Senese's knowledge of geopolitics, international finance, and 21st century terrorist threats keeps the fires of detailed complexity and story evolution stoked and red-hot for the entire ride. Tyler Boxter is no James Bond, but Den of the Assassin proves to be just as exciting as any 007 caper - and much more realistic."

The best-Selling author Peter Senese's upcoming E-book series launch of selected publications from the novelist's previously released and upcoming international geopolitical thriller genre' publications will occur over a six month period and will include a total of four new edition E-book format releases that are intended to be translated and made available in multiple languages, allowing the growing number of readers who enjoy Mr. Senese's novels immediate and affordable access to his written works.

The gut-wrenching, inspirational theological thriller 'Cloning Christ' that jettisons readers to the spiritual and physical battlefront of good vs. evil in Peter Thomas Senese's electrifying, bone-chilling story of faith evolves around the global manhunt for Dr. Max Train, a once-devout, now faithless genomic scientist who may be in possession of the True Cross of Jesus of Nazareth. Cloning Christ will cause heart-racing readers to contemplate the challenges between science and faith while contemplating physical and spiritual issues we all face today in our pursuit to enrich the human condition and experience. 

'Cloning Christ' will be released in E-book on October 15th, 2011. 

Peter Thomas Senese's deeply personal novel, 'Chasing The Cyclone', the critically acclaimed heart-pounding international legal thriller of a father and son's unbowed and unbreakable love and belief in one another in lieu of a wicked international child abduction as told in a way very few writers ever could, and that was inspired by Peter Thomas Senese's unimaginable experiences as a parent chasing the cyclone of international child abduction, will released in hardcover and E-book on November 1st, 2011.

'Predator's Games' the riveting sequel of 'The Den of the Assassin', that propels readers into the shocking and deadly world of alternative energy speculation and depicts the world's power-nations conspiring against one another in an extremely dangerous and potentially cataclysmic quest to control what was once the unthinkable unfolds as unique characters initially introduced in 'The Den of the Assassin' race into real and startling possibilities evolving around advances in alternative energy and mankind's greed. 'Predator's Games' by Peter Thomas Senese will be released during the Thanksgiving Holiday Season.

QUEST, the sequel of CLONING CHRIST will be released during the early spring of 2012, and THE PRODUCTION is presently scheduled to be released in May, 2012.

In keeping true to the outspoken child abduction advocate's intent and desire to raise public awareness on the growing plague known as international parental child abduction, and staying steadfast to his desire to assist children and their parents at risk of being criminally kidnapped abroad, Peter Thomas Senese recently released the extensive and landmark resource guide on this subject he co-authored with renown child advocate Carolyn Vlk titled THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN. Mr. Senese and Ms. Vlk made the highly informative publication available free of charge via E-book on his personal websites (including www.peterthomassenese.com or www.chasingthecyclone.com) so that those individuals around the world who may need the contained information may have immediate access to it. THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN is also available from traditional E-book retailers including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. 

Peter Thomas Senese commented, "I am extremely pleased to announce the E-book publications of selected novels that readers from all over the world have embraced. It is indeed a very humbling experience to have such a large and diverse number of book lovers from Los Angeles to Christ Church to Beijing to St. Petersburg to Athens to Oslo to The Isle of Skye to New York, and from Anchorage to Cape Town and places in between to have interest in my novels. 

"I am, as I will continue to be, extremely grateful for the worldwide reception my stories have received. This interest and appreciation supports my strong belief that society continues to evolve into global citizens, and with each and every passing day, the concerns or interests that one person shares in one part of the world has relevance to another person living on the other side of the planet. I think this is truly remarkable, particularly since one of the primary undercurrents of each of my books is the value of global citizenship. The other undercurrent - and I once thought this was a secret only a few readers realized, but in time I came to know how much I have been mistaken - is that if you hear the voice attached to the words in my novels, you will hear the voice of a parent who deeply loves his child. As I now have come to understand, a substantial number of my readers have heard and indentified with that voice. So perhaps these are two of the reasons why my writing continues to be embraced and evolve onto the global stage."

Not lost on Peter Thomas Senese, who splits his time between New York and Los Angeles is that 'THE DEN OF THE ASSASSIN's E-book release falls a day after September 11th, 2011. Commenting from New York's Ground Zero where he was paying tribute on the ten year anniversary of the terrorist attacks on American soil, Peter Senese commented, "Having spent substantial time here, in and around New York's Ground Zero, losing many close friends and having had many other friends and family directly impacted by the malicious attacks or who were attached to the rescue operations, including an amazing heroic brother who was and is today with the FDNY, I was witness to the pain, suffering, and tragedy that occurred. But as you can see, on September 11th and the days that lead up to the unprovoked attacks against an innocent people that believe in freedom, an isolated group of men and women from around the world lost their faith in God and in each other. However, as those moments and days after these attacks occurred as has been demonstrated, mankind demonstrated an incredible belief in one another and in God. It was in our resolve, determination, and spirited remembrance for those who left this physical world, only to move on to His world, took place, that we were able to feel and see the love, the miracles, and the human connectivity of man's goodness. On a personal note, THE DEN OF THE ASSASSIN, which is very much a New York book, I believe replicates the great spirit that surged forward that day and the days that ensued in New York City and the world thereafter. In fact, I wrote portions of this story on Wall Street; inside Trinity Church, inside Federal Hall, and from a historic building built in 1836 and was once the headquaters for National City Bank - Citibank. There is no question in the story that is THE DEN OF THE ASSASSIN is there ever a failure to remember what occurred that day."

According to the Association of American Publishers, E-book sales represent the largest single format for book sales in the United States. Paperback sales are considered second, followed by hardcover book sales, both of which sales figures continue to decline. 

Peter Senese added, "As an author who embraces my publishing independence, and having had considerable success, including having several of my books hit and stay on various publishing-industry best-seller lists, the ever-expanding use of e-book readers will allow for good writers with important issues that they desire to share with worldwide opportunity to reach audiences via e-book publications. Over the course of the past years, I have purposefully delayed the electronic release of my novels until I felt comfortable with the evolution of electronic distribution of my writings, and that my readership audience, who was accustomed to reading my books in hardcover format, would support my E-book publication. After receiving an incredible number of inquiries from book lovers all over the world expressing their desire to have my novels made available in E-book format and in multiple languages, I have become extremely comfortable that now is the time to launch selected books I have written on E-book format. This is very exciting!

Peter Thomas Senese is a storyteller focusing on messages in all formats that bespeak global connectivity. 

Mr. Senese is actively involved in supporting issues that impact the lives of children, including demonstrative support of literacy programs and our nation's public libraries. He is actively engaged in numerous and extensive activities surrounding international child abduction prevention including the production of the groundbreaking documentary film on IPCA titled CHASING PARENTS, the publication of the landmark resource guide titled THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN and various actively evolving around legislation that will protect children and others from international child abduction or, malicious online impersonation. 

To learn more about Peter Thomas Senese and his various writings, activities, child advocacy, or to order an autographed and dedicated copy of one of Peter's novels, please visit his official website (www.petersenese.com, www.thedenoftheassassin.info, www.chasingthecyclone.com, or www.peterthomassenese.blogspot.com). All of Peter Thomas Senese's books (print and E-book) are available through all traditional online and traditional bookstores as well as his personal website where consumers may order a signed and dedicated copy of one of Peter's books.


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