Obama of the “if I had a son, he would look like [Trayvon Martin]” prattle, has a very peculiar way of showing his concern for children of all ages. In the U.S. Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report 2015, Secretary of State John Kerry asserts that
. . . this is no time for complacency. Right now, across the globe, victims of human trafficking are daring to imagine the possibility of escape, the chance for a life without fear, and the opportunity to earn a living wage. I echo the words of President Obama and say to them: We hear you, and we will do all we can to make that dream come true. In recent decades, we have learned a great deal about how to break up human trafficking networks and help victims recover in safety and dignity. In years to come, we will apply those lessons relentlessly, and we will not rest until modern slavery is ended.” – John F. Kerry, Secretary of State
Yet, “a Reuters examination, based on interviews with more than a dozen sources in Washington and foreign capitals, shows that the [American] government office set up to independently grade global efforts to fight human trafficking was repeatedly overruled by senior American diplomats and pressured into inflating assessments of 14 strategically important countries in this year’s Trafficking in Persons report.” In fact, “. . . analysts in the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons – or J/TIP, as it’s known within the U.S. government – disagreed with U.S. diplomatic bureaus on ratings for 17 countries [.]”
And, while the State Department claims that “the ratings are not politicized” many of the most egregious violators of human trafficking, i.e., Malaysia were removed from Tier 3 which is designated “for countries that fail to comply with the minimum U.S. standards and are not making significant efforts” to improve.
Even Sen. Robert Menendez, New Jersey Democrat stated that “the latest report on human trafficking was under exceptional pressure to shape the rankings to meet political demands, not the facts on the ground.”
Though Obama claims human trafficking is “one of the great human rights causes of our time,” why then is the office established in 2001 by a congressional mandate “increasingly struggling to publish independent assessments” of these offending countries? Furthermore, why did it take nine months for Obama to nominate someone to be a director for the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (J/TIP). Why the foot dragging?
In August of 2015 Investor’s Business Daily noted that “human trafficking has expanded significantly since Obama stopped enforcing U.S. border laws.” Additionally, “. . . Cuba and Mexico were removed from lists of nations that support smuggling networks. So political machinations have endangered the safety of these border-surge children, who are being lured by some of the most evil people on earth.”