The Haitian Ten: Who Is Laura Silsby? CBS

How was this group able to get a hold of these children while in Haiti? Were these children just wondering the streets alone without any supervision? Were they handed over by their parents? If this woman was in such financial hardship, where did she and her group get the money to travel to Haiti and finance such an operation? You need airfare, housing, food, etc. Where did their operating expenses come from?

Also, notice how this story has completely overshadowed the alleged organ harvesting story? Can this story just be a distraction to take the spotlight off of the alleged organ harvesters? Of course, it is in fashion to bash Christians these days, while other groups are off limits and get a free pass.

Leave it to a disreputable and treasonous mainstream media to obsess over and build a case against one religious group, while completely ignoring the alleged wrongdoings of another.

Ouch , hey can ya stay off the toes polease!
SnF

Regarding Pat R. I emailed him regarding a statement on this situation, because I find it odd there isnt more being said by christian groups. I may be wrong, and hope if anyone finds links that are groups in support of the Haitian Ten (besides Bill Clinton and some US government groups).

Wow, I don't think this looks good at all.

[edit on 6-2-2010 by randyvs]

reply to post by maria_stardust


Good post

Decided to browse ATS while finishing my coffee. Saw that this thread had a few more replies. Read down the page and yours struck me as close to the mark

Only when I logged in and scrolled down, looking for your post again so I could star it (which is why I logged in) did I see that you're a Mod. But it was your post, and not the fact you're a Mod, that motivated

Will just say that right from the start I suspected that the 'church group' was a front for a much more insidious group

This thread is the first time I've learned of Laura Silsby, although since first reading the OP last time I was logged-in, I've noticed Laura Silsby is now being discussed in other fora

All speculation at this point, obviously, but like most have said, it's looking as if the Baptist group was used as cover for Silsby, who in turn (I suspect) was being used as cover for others

We'll need to keep a close eye on this case. It's one of those that often simply 'disappear' and fade from memory

I read a description of the jails in which the group are being held. They sound like hell on earth

I never felt "right" about this situation since day one...I am of the opinion that their "leader" is a person of some charisma and obviously some experince in the art of sweet-talking as is evidenced by the OP's info?

I'm guessing that this "compound" she describes as wanting to build might potentially be "funded" by the sale or adoption for outrageous fees of these kids and possibly more had they not been caught red handed?

Again,I think and a hard example needs to be set by Haiti and for the world: a stance needs to be taken against anyone who would seek to gain from the innocence of children.Kuddos to Haiti who in the midst of all the mess,found a way to STOP this obviously illegal abduction and to have the guts to actually DO something about it!

Now we have that poor excuse for anything Bill Clinton sticking his nose in the pot: what whores and attention mongers these people are! They will FIND a way to make it political and for it not to be resolved as it "should be!"

Bill Clinton urges solution to Haiti "kidnap" case:

www.reuters.com...





[edit on 6-2-2010 by irishchic]

reply to post by irishchic


Thank you for your contribution. From the link you posted:

""What's important now is for the government of Haiti and the government of the United States to get together and work through this," Clinton told CNN in Port-au-Prince.

He said he understood the Haitian government's efforts to try to protect its children from possible child traffickers and unlawful adoptions following the catastrophic quake.

But he also said the missionaries could be telling the truth when they argued they simply wanted to help the children and did not mean to violate any laws. Evidence has emerged that many of the intercepted children were not orphans but were given up by parents who wanted them to have a better life."

Even Bill Clinton is confirming this parents selling kids for better life meme.

Originally posted by hotbakedtater
reply to post by irishchic

 

But he also said the missionaries could be telling the truth when they argued they simply wanted to help the children and did not mean to violate any laws.

Yeah that's great Bill, but what if the aren't telling the truth? What if their intention was to abduct the 33 kids for purposes of exploitation? It doesn't bare thinking about and I can't see why the Haitian 10 should be allowed to leave simply because the SAY that they had the childrens best intentions at heart, or that they were doing it as some sort of mission from GOD until the facts are known.

There's something about this whole story that stinks and I really hope that they get to the bottom of it and bring these people to justice if need be. If it turns out that they are telling the truth then surely there should still be a price to pay. This is a serious crime after all and pleading ignorance of the law should not allow you to get you off scot free.


[edit on 6-2-2010 by RMFX1]

We have all now heard of Laura Silsby, the ringleader of the Haitian Ten.

Here is an article that focuses on a young man who is one of the other nine. For some reason I thought it was all females. There are comments following the article:

www.wibw.com...

"TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) -- Topekan Drew Culberth and nine other Americans are still jailed in Haiti pending their trial.



The ten Baptist missionaries charged with kidnapping and criminal association could spend three to nine years in Haitian jail.

The group's lawyer is still working to free nine of them, including Culberth, meaning this woman, Laura Silsby, could bear the brunt of the punishment.

Topekans all seem to agree that Culberth acted with innocence, and got mixed up in a terrible situation.

"I think there's probably been a lot of chaos down there you know. He's not the type of guy that would kidnap somebody or whatever," Culberth's family friend Amy Anderson said.

Adoption official Sharon Stuewe, who was previously tough on the group, says she thinks Culberth acted with good intentions."


But here is the saddest part, it seems this altruistic young man abandoned his own wife and young children to follow the charismatic Miss Silsby to Haiti, to become one of the infamous Haitian Ten.

"Culberth's wife told 13 News she and the kids are holding up the best they can. She hasn't talked to Drew yet but scheduled a conference call with the state department today, she just fears all the snow in Washington D.C. might prevent that call from happening."

*****************************************************

Interesting article from Feb 1, it also has more information on the other members of the Haitian Ten. Drew Culberth was a part time youth pastor. And the other name that comes up most frequently is Charisa Coulter, who is mentioned here as one of five from this church that was part of the 'mission' group.

www.latimes.com...

"Henry told the congregation that the Americans were trying to rescue the children. But Haitian officials who stopped them at the Dominican border on Friday said the group lacked the proper documents.

The Meridian church became involved with the "Haitian Orphan Rescue Mission" because the founders of the proposed orphanage for the children, Laura Silsby and Charisa Coulter, were members of its congregation, Henry said.

The 500-member church, where signs taped to large bins on Sunday read "Donations for Haiti," gave several thousand dollars toward the mission, Henry said.

"This is something we've been talking about doing for a long time so it wasn't specific to this earthquake," he told reporters at a press conference after church services.

At least three of the 10 detained Americans are members of the East Side Baptist Church in Twin Falls, Idaho. Others being held are from Texas and Kansas.

The Idaho churches had elaborate plans before the earthquake to "provide a loving Christian homelike environment" for up to 200 Haitian and Dominican boys and girls in the Magante beach resort, complete with a school and chapel as well as villas and a seaside cafe catering to adoptive U.S. parents.

The mission was organized through the nonprofit New Life Children's Refuge, which Silsby incorporated in Idaho on Nov. 25. A planning document for last week's trip, posted on the East Side Baptist Church's Web site, listed an itinerary for the group and asked for donations and supplies, as well as prayers."



So the church Laura is from had a vague notion to set up an orphanage before this disaster took place.

The more I dig the more interesting it gets. Did yall know the other lady frequently mentioned, Charisa Coulter, 23, was Laura Silsby's NANNY??

www.msnbc.msn.com...

"Mission gone wrong
Silsby and her nanny, Charisa Coulter, 23, who are both members of the Central Valley Baptist Church in Meridian, Idaho, founded New Life Children Refuge, a nonprofit that Silsby incorporated in Idaho in November.

The religious charity’s mission was to build an orphanage for Dominican and Haitian children. "

This is the first time I have heard of a missionary doing the Lord's help with her Nanny by her side.

Aww, how sad. Here is the young girl Charisa'a Facebook, with Laura Silsby as one her top friends.

www.facebook.com...

How young she looks. I would bet she never thought a mission of doing the Lord's work would end up so tragically.

And what about Nicole Lankford, 18, who was dragged on this mission with her mom! Just 18.

www.kansascity.com...

Poor girl, she looks so scared and confused.

This really makes me angry. Good intentions and a calling from your Lord are NOT enough to go on when dealing with natural disasters on this scale on foriegn soil.

How ironic, Laura, in your ZEAL to save the children of Haiti, you may have just RUINED the lives of two young kids from America.

Wow.

\
Former President Bill Clinton-- who's the special envoy to Haiti-- visited their jail, Friday, and said the State Department is working hard to bring them home.

Until then, they could face months of harsh living conditions.

The missionaries from the Idaho-based Baptist charity New Life Children's Refuge are charged with kidnapping and criminal association for trying to take 33 Haitian children across the border to an orphanage in the Dominican Republic. "






Oh My God! Bill Clinton needs to just stay out of this and not allow these people to get a free pass on their crimes. I cannot believe that the US government would even go there with these people.

Anyone with half an ounce of common sense would know that what they planned to do was illegal in any country in the world.

So, saying that: 1. They are either in on it, or 2. They are the dumbest bunch of people on earth. I don't happen to believe that they are the dumbest people on earth. I think they are in on it in some way or another. They really thought they could circumvent all laws of any land and just steal these kids.

It's horrible. And it makes me sick.

This lady was trying to come up with a way to make a quick buck. Plain and simple. This was an attempt to scheme out some money. Sickening and I'm glad they got caught.

I'll not be clutching my pearls for these people.

Originally posted by uplander

So, saying that: 1. They are either in on it, or 2. They are the dumbest bunch of people on earth. I don't happen to believe that they are the dumbest people on earth.

I sincerely doubt that the other missionaries in the group were "in on it" so to say. At the very least, we're looking at a group of people who more than likely trust one another implicitly. In this case, it seems to be a matter of misplaced trust in Laura Silsby.

I am beginning to agree, Maria.Very misplaced.

I can see how a kind hearted and altruistic christian might be talked into helping with the plight of the orphans, just read this article on the plight of the orphans, and the dismal conditions these orphanages are in.



www.nytimes.com...

"There was no electricity or running water. Lunch looked like watery grits. Beds were fashioned from sheets of cardboard. And the only toilet did not work.

But the Foyer of Patience here is like hundreds of places that pass as orphanages for thousands of children in the poorest country in the hemisphere. Many are barely habitable, much less licensed. They have no means to provide real schooling or basic medical care, so children spend their days engaged in mindless activities, and many die from treatable illnesses.

Haiti’s child welfare system was broken before the earthquake struck. But as the quake shattered homes and drove hundreds of thousands of people into the streets, the number of children needing care grew exponentially.

Chronic problems — like inadequate services, overwhelming poverty and shady orphanages — have only intensified, while the authorities fear that some of the less scrupulous orphanages are taking advantage of the chaos to round up children in crisis and offer them for sale as servants and sex slaves. "



Already a tragic situation. Coincidentally, it seems miss Silsby's father did dental work on the orphans in Haiti as she grew up, thus she already a knowlege of the area and the orphans. All the more reason it seems she should have known and followed proper procedure, imo.

I have been wondering about the offical christian response. This article tells how the Southern Baptists feel.

www.myfoxmemphis.com...

"Officials at the Southern Baptist Convention are concerned the arrest of 10 Baptists in Haiti could make it harder to find volunteers for its missionary and disaster relief work.

The Christians, most of them Southern Baptists, weren't acting under the auspices of the Nashville-based Southern Baptist Convention, when they were arrested Jan. 29 while trying to take 33 children out of Haiti.

Even so, Vice President of Convention Relations Roger Oldham said, "Clearly there is a concern that, because of the acts of this one team, our tremendous history of relief over the years would be tainted in some people's minds."

The Southern Baptists' Disaster Relief ministry is the third-largest relief organization in North America, according to the convention. Oldham said Friday that more than 90,000 trained disaster relief volunteers are ready to assist Haiti with earthquake recovery as soon as they are invited in by the Haitian government."
**********************************************




I can't blame them for feeling this way.

Also why did this splinter group of ten decide not to follow the example of the 90 thousand waiting invitation to help? Why did they go out on their own? Is Laura Silsby that good?

This is a woman who was making awfully poor financial choices. How did she get the money for the group to fly to Haiti anyway? (I realize this has been asked before, maybe we can find the answer).

She is the ex wife of one of my horse trainers.... and she is a little to much a religious nut... and that is why she is the Ex...

Originally posted by jtma508
If they thought something was fishy then something was fishy. Basically it boils down to an adoption-for-profit scheme hiding behind a Christian facade.

Or it could be another CIA child trafficking organisation. Ted Gunderson, former head of FBI Los Angeles, talks of one such organisation called "The Finders". I bet there's more of them.

And the situation in Haiti created a very juicy opportunity for them.

The more I read about Ms Silsby, the more I felt sorry for the people she wrangled to help her. She seems to be a trifle unstable in regards to finances and laws, and they a trifle naive.

It is one thing to travel in a church group to another country to help build a building but quite another to "traffic" in children, which is truly what they did, no matter how heartfelt and all the best intentions aside..

As I mentioned in another thread, her style of helping "orphans", taking them out of their country for Americans to pay large sums to adopt (even to the point of running adoption tourism for prospective parents) is the opposite of groups like The Global Orphan Project, who would rather help the children in the child's own country.

Originally posted by NuclearPaul

Originally posted by jtma508
If they thought something was fishy then something was fishy. Basically it boils down to an adoption-for-profit scheme hiding behind a Christian facade.

Or it could be another CIA child trafficking organisation. Ted Gunderson, former head of FBI Los Angeles, talks of one such organisation called "The Finders". I bet there's more of them.

And the situation in Haiti created a very juicy opportunity for them.

I know her and she is definately not involved with the CIA or anyone else that even remotely has anything to do with the government.... she is a ahrd working woman and she is just a little off (my opinion) and zelous about her religious beliefs...

Originally posted by lilwolf



I know her and she is definately not involved with the CIA or anyone else that even remotely has anything to do with the government.... she is a ahrd working woman and she is just a little off (my opinion) and zelous about her religious beliefs...

Thank you for your personal contribution to the thread. If you dont mind my asking, is she very charismatic, able to convince others to go with her plans?

I too feel sorry for the other people she dragged along, especially the 18 yr old and the 18 yr old mother. As a mom of an 18 yr old, the prison situation is heartbreaking to imagine for me.

reply to post by hotbakedtater


Yes, I learned about Coulter being Silsby's nanny on the Icke forum about ten hours ago

Can't help suspecting that strings will be pulled to ensure information can be safeguarded, under the guise of an 'agreement' between the US and Haitian governments

It would be logical for the Ten to be returned to the US, considering the problems being suffered by Haiti who don't need ten additional prisoners, particularly at that this point

The majority of the Ten may be simply well-intentioned dupes

It would be relatively easy to furnish documents now which appear to confirm that one or more months ago, one or more persons planned to save Haitian children and give them a better life -- particularly if certain amongst the ten were well-connected

And it would make sense to the public that having already made such plans, these well-intentioned church people would fast-forward their plans as result of the Haiti disaster

It's to be wondered if, at this point, the duped members of the Ten are being told, 'Stick to the story if you want us to get you out of here, understand ? Stick to the story or you'll rot here for the next ten years. So just stick to the story and everything will be fine '.

Anyone know the details ?

For example, how long before arriving in Haiti did the Ten decide they would embark on this endeavour ? A week ? Few days ?

For how long were they in Haiti before they'd selected the children ?

Did the Ten simply go out into the streets and select children at random, afterwards meeting up at X-location ? Or were the children already ear-marked as possessing certain blood-groups, etc.

Via what means did they transport themselves and the children through Haiti and to the border ?

Did any of the Ten hold any discussions with Haitian or US or other authorities prior to taking the children out of Haiti ?

The Ten are reported as possessing (at the time of their capture) documentation professing authorisation re: transportation of the children to the US, aren't they ? Where did the Ten obtain forged-documentation, when, and from whom ?

Were the Ten planning to take the children into the US via usual means, i.e. via commercial plane and if so, had arrangements already been made to usher them through customs, etc. at the US end ? If so, doesn't this imply considerable planning and co-operation with well-placed individuals at the US side ?

Were the members of the Ten selected on the basis they already held passports and had had the necessary qualifications re: immunisations, etc. ?