"Life is good!"

These are the first three words of a beautiful hand-written letter we received from a young woman just today. I called and asked her if I could share some of the things she wrote with you and she said, "Yes! You have to! I want people to know what happens to us out there."

Her story as a trafficking victim in America begins very quickly. Her escape and rehabilitation into a life that is "good," safe, happy and full of bright horizons, will continue for years.

In 2007 "Mary" met a man who promised her "so much money you'll be driving a Mercedees in a few weeks." He told her she would be treated like a princess, like a "little Barbie doll," complete with a new wardrobe and exciting parties. He told her she wouldn't have to worry about money anymore . . . she only had to let him take some pictures of her and do exactly what he told her to do.

She was reluctant, but with no where else to turn, she agreed. She had experienced a lot of trouble in her life and this man was offering a way out. The photos were taken immediately. Then, just a few minutes later, her posting went up on Craigslist - a place where men find sex for sale. The phone started ringing right away . . . and Mary had her first "date."

Four hours. It was four hours from the time she met the pimp until she had sex for money with her first "John." Four hours that would send her down a road of abuse, violence, humiliation, drug abuse and unimaginable degredation.

Then she was arrested. That's when some very caring law enforcement professionals called Ahava Kids. We met Mary a few hours later, took her into safety, got her new clothes, brought her to the doctor, and asked her what she wanted to do with her life. "I'm not sure yet. I just want to sit still for a little while." So, that's what we let her do.

A few days later, we located an excellent program for her rehabilitation and care. It was from there that she wrote the letter which came today...."I feel like I have a lot more self-esteem, courage, and hope. Everyday is a good day! I just want to take this time to thank you guys from the bottom of my heart. Your support, love, and all the laughter we've shared has made such a difference in my life. I love you guys and miss you!"

Yes, "life is good" for Mary now. But what haunts me the most is how she ends her letter . . . "You know, there are so many girls and guys still out there just like me. What are we going to do?"

Grand Theft Auto IV - Enslaved in Liberty City

Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA IV), the latest version of the mega-hit video game from Rockstar Games, does more than allow players to enter a virtual underworld filled with the darkest of human evils, it motivates players to become an active participant in those evils, thereby diminishing their deadly consequences in the real world.

Among the wide array of violent criminal activities, the typical GTA IV player, mostly young males for whom the game is specifically designed and to whom it is specifically marketed, scores points by killing prostitutes and exotic dancers for simple entertainment.

However, the game’s depravity does not end with multiple murders of young women. There is slavery here; slavery in which the player becomes the slave owner, master and killer.

It works like this. Players of GTA IV are immersed into their virtual life as the character, “Niko,� who, despite the enormity of giddy reviews from virtually all the news media, is a human trafficker. As defined by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA), human trafficking – or modern-day slavery – exists when one person uses “force, fraud or coercion,� to engage another person in a “commercial sex act.� Of course, this means that most of the people to whom we refer as pimps are, by law, human traffickers. It also means that most prostitution in the United States is in fact human trafficking.

A common misconception in America, even among law enforcement, is that prostitution is a “victimless crime� which provides income for young women who have made prostitution their chosen profession. This is a deadly lie. These young women make no money, have no say in what they do, must meet daily quotas or face beatings, and are held captive by the manipulative and violent practices of those who control them and sell their bodies to paying customers. And since the average age of females entering prostitution in the United States is 14, many are minors. These are not prostitutes. These are trafficking victims. These are slaves.

GTA IV embraces the slavery of human trafficking as a sport, bringing further legitimacy to the already glorified world of pimps and prostitutes.

Where is the danger in all this? It is everywhere and on several levels. But, mostly the danger hides in the casual acceptance of and aspiration to new levels of violent injustice. In the same way children learn to speak their native language, by being immersed in it, the total immersion of the GTA IV player into this virtual life of crimes against humanity open the way for their acceptance in real life. They see human trafficking/slavery and murder as normal, even benefitting by it.

Unfortunately, The New York Times dismissive attitude toward Grand Theft Auto is typical of the public’s reaction. There, on May 4, 2008, Dave Itzkoff writes that GTA IV is a “consequence-free confinement,� and that, “For a native New Yorker, the game is both comfortingly routine and eerily disorienting; you find yourself playing because it is a limitless escape.�

The escape to which he refers is one from the laws of society into a world where sociopathic behavior is rewarded and praised.

Grand Theft Auto IV has been lauded for its brilliantly realistic portrayal of its setting, “Liberty City,� a paper-thinly veiled version of 21^st century New York City. What few owners of the game realize, each of whom has paid $60 for the privilege of owning GTA IV, is just how accurate the game truly is. This is a very accurate depiction of human trafficking in America today. The real torture to which American trafficking victims are exposed on a daily basis mirrors the repeated crimes played out millions of times every day by willing participants – players of Grand Theft Auto IV. So, while many young Americans never witness these crimes in real life, they are now committing them in virtual reality.

Of course, the fault does not rest solely on GTA IV. For if our human nature found it abhorrent to become even make-believe perpetrators of slavery, torture and murder, then the game would never sell, never be played and never spawn sequels. Nor would human trafficking be an issue in the United States and around the world – throughout which there are more slaves today than at any point in human history.

Contrary to our better angels, GTA IV made $310 million on its launch day of April 29, 2008 and $500 million during its first week. With “success� like that, one cannot help but wonder what Grand Theft Auto X will be like.

Violence Against Women - Grand Theft Auto IV - A Necessary Response

As you may know, the latest version of the very popular video game, Grand Theft Auto (GTA IV), was released today. GTA IV is by far the most graphic and violent version of the game, especially in its portrayal of ultra-violence against women. Compilations of these violent acts, several against prostitutes, are already posted on gaming sites and YouTube.* Having just seen these video clips, I am writing to you in order to build a unified response of outrage.

Very simply, the producers of Grand Theft Auto IV, New York based Rockstar Games, are using the violent death of innocent women as entertainment. Keep in mind, the portrayal of these acts is not passive as they would be in a theatrical movie. The game player is not a spectator, but an interactive participant. The player does the killing. Since the game is new and many details of the storyline and point scoring are not yet known, the total number of violent acts against women, prostitutes and exotic dancers contained in the game is not yet known. However, each act is blatant and extremely disturbing. This demands our response.

Right now, GTA IV is being sold at all major retailers, including Walmart and Target, for about $60. Industry analysts predict first week sales will exceed 6 million units, or $360 million in sales.

Our collective response against GTA IV should be immediate. While extremely difficult to watch, it is important to see the graphic nature of this violence for yourself. That is why I have provided links to the game's compilations on our website - AhavaKids.org. I welcome your thoughts and ideas on what response we should make. Also, please forward this message to all those who may be interested.

Thank you for your time and dedication,
Raymond Bechard
Founder & President
Ahava Kids
Ray@AhavaKids.org

* I want to warn you that the links provided on our website are to the compilations of GTA IV that have been posted online. They are extremely graphic and not for anyone under the age of 17. (Rockstar Games, have placed an "M" label on the package designating that the game is meant only for "Mature" players.) However, I am providing them so we may all speak on this topic from a common perspective.

LET'S FACE IT

This is not a normal feeling for me. In fact, it took me a few minutes to figure out what it is.

Two people from the US State Department are driving me across Baghdad. We’re on our way to a meeting to determine the locations of orphanages in Iraq. The men in the car with me know I am in Iraq investigating Human Trafficking. I told them everything about why I am here, the problem of Human Trafficking around the world - and in the United States - and the mission of Ahava Kids.

Then something very strange happened – that odd feeling I couldn’t identify. Finally, it came to me. I felt comfortable talking about it all and they were comfortable hearing it.

Usually, when I tell people about Ahava Kids and what we do (rescuing and caring for victims of Human Trafficking) my explanation is followed by awkward silence or a few phrases like, “That must be rewarding,� or “I saw a movie about that once.� Then the conversation quickly goes onto something else – anything else.

I understand the reaction. It’s hard to hear and think about Human Trafficking. That’s why I called my book about the subject, Unspeakable. So now, I am very accustomed to keeping what I say limited to only a few basics. It makes the conversation more comfortable for them, and for me.

But, knowing the realities of what is happening to children on the streets of the world – including every community in the United States – and not being able to share it to the degree it deserves…Well, it’s more than frustrating. It isolates you.

So, it’s strange that I had to come to Iraq in order to find many people who are willing to hear about Human Trafficking and do something about it. Like only a few very devoted people back home – you know who you are - I tell them what I do and they don’t turn away or look uncomfortable. They want to help. That’s why countless doors of opportunity have been opened during my time here. These are professionals who care. They don’t avoid the war going on in the streets because they are surrounded by it and see it every day.

As soon as the two men in the car hear everything I have to tell them, they turn the vehicle around and begin taking me on a tour of Baghdad. “There’s a brothel over here by this bridge,� one of the men says. “Don’t take any pictures of it. It’s too dangerous over there, but we’ll drive by it.� These are the kind of people I have been looking for - people who have the courage to face Human Trafficking head-on.

It’s hard to show people in America that the war for children in the United States is just as deadly. Yes, it’s harder to see and easier to avoid, but it is real and we are surrounded by it as well. Here in Iraq, no one has the luxury of ignoring the war that is going on around them.

I am more comfortable here because these Americans understand that the battle for our children is being fought on the streets of Baghdad and Boston, Follujah and Philadelphia, Mosul and Mobile. For them, there is no difference. For them, there is no hiding from the realities and dangers that face children across the globe.

Raymond Bechard
April 2, 2008
Baghdad, Iraq

THESE COULD BE OUR KIDS

If I am not on or in a US Military installation here in Iraq, then I am escorted by US Military Personnel. Each time I travel somewhere – anywhere – away from the facility controlled by the Army, at least one American soldier is with me.

And each time, the escort – dressed in full protective gear and heavily armed with an automatic rifle and 9mm pistol – asks me why I came to Iraq. I tell them I am here to investigate Human Trafficking. As I mentioned previously in this bog, their response is the same. They consistently offer whatever help Ahava Kids needs in our mission here. And they mean it.

The young man escorting/guarding to me now exemplifies the convictions of American Soldiers. In a time of confusion, doubt, and horizons filled with uncertainty– these men and women stand firmly on their dedication and virtue. They are filled with heart and soul. They are the good news.

When I began Ahava Kids five years ago, it was our intention to help and support the front line people protecting children from exploitation anywhere and everywhere in the world. Typically, these are small groups operating in the shadows, on the streets and in places few of us would dare go. So, we set out to work in partnership with these “little armies� to bolster their efforts to save kids from whatever evil they face. It didn’t matter who they were, as long as we had one thing in common: the goal of protecting the lives of children who are in danger.

I never imagined that our strongest ally in this fight would be the US Military. Certainly, no “little army.� However, once I began to interact closely with those who serve in its ranks, I realized a new hope for the children we are trying to reach.

That’s why I am not surprised that one soldier, just completing his third tour of duty with the 101st Airborne - the “Screaming Eagles,� is eager to get back to the US and join us when we conduct street intervention there.

That’s why I am not surprised that another soldier is compiling a list of all the orphanages in Iraq for Ahava Kids. At present, no such list exists.

And that’s why I am not surprised by the deeply emotional response of the soldier escorting me today. After I explained Ahava Kids and our work against Human Trafficking, he said, “We see kids in trouble here all the time. They’re in so much danger – so many kinds of danger. You know? And most of us have kids back home. But, these kids here - these could be our kids.�

Children are the victims of war in so many ways. These soldiers see the injustice perpetrated against young people on a regular basis – and they do everything they can to protect them. For these military professionals, there is no question about why they are in Iraq. They are fighting for something – something it takes very little time to see once you are here . . .

Right now, I am writing this in a dusty tent which has about ten online computers set up for use by military personnel and others, like myself, working with the military. The computers are placed on old folding tables and we are all packed together in close quarters, sitting next to each other on flimsy folding chairs. Typically there is a person at each computer, peering through electronic portals to their lives back home. Except for the tapping of the keyboards, the room is silent. This is a rare moment of privacy and no one violates its sanctity.

Next to me sits one soldier wearing an armored vest. His unit’s patch is displayed on his shoulder. His M-16 rifle along with his helmet, are placed carefully by his side.

I don’t notice his first sniffle. But after two or three, I realize it’s not the constant dust in the air that’s causing a leaky nose. I lean back to stretch and steal a flashing glance at his screen. Children. Photos of two children among the blooming flowers of spring back home.

I lean forward and continue typing. He exits the computer next to me, gathers up his gear and heads out quickly; his head down.

This is a strange war. Soldiers who are thousands of miles, and many months away from home can see and hear their children in real-time; a first for any war. But, they not only see their children whenever they can get to a computer, they also see them in the faces of children on the streets of Baghdad, Basra, Mosul and hundreds of other towns across Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world.

Let there be no doubt. They are fighting for something. They are fighting for the lives of those who are crushed by intolerance, violence and abuse. It is not a matter of politics, policy or protocol. It is simply a matter of life and death.

Like the man said, “these could be our kids.�

Raymond Bechard
Iraq
April 7, 2008

NOW I KNOW

I am lying face down in a pile of luggage. It is one o’clock in the morning, so I am not only surrounded by dusty travel gear, but by endless darkness as well. I hear the explosions of nearby mortar rounds. My body armor – vest and helmet – are not with me. It’s just me, these bags and the night.

Click Here to see Ray Bechard's Blackhawk Helicopter flight over Baghdad.
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And I’m thinking about what a young girl told me just a few weeks ago.

“Have you ever had anyone try to kill you?� she asked me. “At first, it doesn’t seem real. But then, you realize it could happen anytime. That changes you.� Yes, it does.

The girl telling me this was an American victim of trafficking in the United States. She had run away from the people who were selling her on the streets, forcing her to use her body to make money. She had run away and now they were trying to kill her to make an example of her – so that the other girls they sell wouldn’t run away.

“It must be an awful thing to know that someone wants you dead,� I say. She tells me, “You never stop wondering if that person is still trying to get you. It stays with you.�

I try to show her that I understand. But she has been to a place where I had never been. She had been in the line of fire with a target on her back.

The memory of her voice is interrupted by recording of another. Hearing recorded announcements at airports is part of the normal routine of flying. But, this is no routine announcement. And this is no routine airport.

This is Baghdad Airport. Yes, there is a commercial terminal here, so occasional scheduled flights arrive and depart, but very few. A helicopter flight over the terminal at midday reveals only one small airliner parked at otherwise empty gates. Yet, this remains one of the busiest airports in the world.

In fact, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, aircraft and passengers come and go by the tens of thousands. The activity never stops – ever, because this is among the largest military airbases in the world and an essential location in conducting Operation Iraqi Freedom. It is also a target for insurgents who fire mortars and rockets at the base routinely.

Right now, they are firing them at those of us who are waiting for a flight on a cargo plane. The plane is taking me to a meeting with some very dedicated people who are helping us investigate Human Trafficking here in Iraq. I walked out to the tarmac to load my bags onto a pallet which will be stowed in the back of the plane. That’s when the sirens started...and then the announcement. “Incoming. Incoming. Take cover immediately. Incoming.�

You don’t have to tell me twice. Completely exposed on the tarmac, I am nowhere near the steel reinforced concrete bunkers which are located all over the airport. So, I dive into the luggage. Now, I hear the rounds exploding nearby. They are aiming at us, at me.

I think of the young girl as I remain motionless . . . and wait.

Yes, it is an awful thing to know that someone wants you dead. The next time I see the girl who tried to explain that to me, I will look her in the eye and say, “Now I know.�

Raymond Bechard
Iraq
April 9, 2008

SCRATCHING THE SURFACE

Before I left for Iraq, many people in the United States asked me, “What do you want to accomplish?� or “What can you possibly do there?�

Answering those questions is the reason I came. Now, the answers are beginning to reveal themselves . . . as are many other questions.

According to the US State Department’s 2007 Trafficking in Persons Report, “Iraq is a source and destination country for men and women trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation and involuntary servitude. Children are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation; criminal gangs may have targeted young boys and staff of private orphanages and may have trafficked young girls for forced prostitution within Iraq and abroad. Iraqi women are trafficked to Syria, Jordan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and Iran for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation.�

While in Iraq, I have been in contact with the extraordinarily dedicated State Department officials who work tirelessly for human rights and child advocacy here. However, the political, legal, and economic chaos of Iraq cannot be understated. It is very difficult for these remarkable professionals to determine the current state of affairs.

Of course, we would all like to see the Iraqi government do as much as possible to combat Human Trafficking. However, according to the State Department Report, “the ongoing insurgency and terrorism severely handicapped the government's ability to combat trafficking…. Furthermore, the government could not offer protection services to victims of trafficking, and it reported no efforts to prevent trafficking.�

I am in total agreement with the US State Department that, “The (Iraqi) government should also provide victims of trafficking with protection services, and should ensure that they are not detained, punished, or discriminated against as criminals.� And that, “Iraq should train its law enforcement and judicial officers, and should take measures to curb the complicity of public officials in the trafficking of Iraqi women.�

Yes, the Iraqi government is new and currently overwhelmed with insurmountable problems; national security being the highest priority. However, isn’t the protection of children within the realm of national security? That is why Human Trafficking should be a much greater concern and focus for all the stake holders in Iraq’s future.

How bad is trafficking in Iraq? The Iraqi government does not operate shelters for trafficking victims, nor does it offer legal, medical, or psychological services. Iraq has no system for identifying young victims of trafficking among women arrested for prostitution. That’s why trafficking victims are sometimes put in prison. The Iraqi government does not give assistance to Iraqi victims who are brought back from other countries. Some of these were even punished.

Quite simply, Iraq does not take measures to prevent trafficking even though reports of trafficking are growing rapidly. The government does not sponsor any anti-trafficking campaigns or education.

An event like this will not only shed light on the hidden world of trafficking in Iraq and surrounding nations, but provide education and training to law enforcement, military and government personnel who share our belief that children deserve to be free and safe.

For now, I return to the United States to continue the process of opening Safe Houses for Human Trafficking victims in America. But, it won’t be long before I find myself back in Iraq.

Raymond Bechard
Iraq
April 11, 2008