Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Afghan couple (who the husband claims is the child's first cousin) has consistently refused to undergo DNA testing.

An investigative reporter went to Afghanistan and villagers said a foreign terrorist group who were light skinned set up camp in the village. The child who was orphaned had light hair and light-colored eyes, which is often consistent with families from regions like Chechnya or Uzbekista (common origins for foreign Al-Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan) rather than the local ethnic groups in that specific Afghan province that does not look like the child. If she were orphaned in another part of Afghanistan then it might be more plausible but in that area there aren't blond kids.

It was only months later this relative came forward who refuses to have DNA testing done.

Now add to that the orphan girl has FOUR FULL biological siblings in TEXAS. They ALL refuse to have DNA testing done and not one of them look like the orphan girl with light features.

My understanding is life is very, very tough for Afghan women who don't have the privilege of a protective and loving family. Very, very hard, to say the least. It's hard anywhere in the world. In a male-dominated, harsh desert war torn country, a little orphaned girl is in serious jeopardy of ending up in a very bad situation.

What I read on the case is that a man stepped forward when the orphaned girl was released from the military hospital, claiming to be her uncle. With the chaos of war, nobody to confirm nor refute his claims. The child was turned over to him. He then gave the child to his son. His son and his son's wife are the Afghan couple who are now fighting the American couple for custody of the child. They refuse to submit themselves to a DNA test to confirm they are related.

Why would they refuse DNA testing, if it can prove they are cousins? The obvious explanation is they are not related at all. As someone else pointed out, there is a chance this child is not even of Afghan parentage.

I'm on the side of whatever is safest for this child. Who can give her happiness as a child, and give her the security to grow up to be a thriving, strong woman? She's going to need all the strength she can get, what with her background and her likely return to Afghanistan as an adult in a quest to figure out who her family is. If they turn out to be terrible people, she can leave and return to the U.S. If she finds her family and they welcome her, good for her.

If the "cousins" end up taking the DNA test to confirm they are her family, that's another story. They should be given priority as her next of kin.

It doesn't matter if the Afghan couple are related by blood or if the child has blonde hair. What the Masts did was unbelievably horrific and is child trafficking 101. It is disgusting. An American doesn't get to just go to another country, and steal a baby because America is better (and I love our country). WTAF?!

I do not agree with you. I think the child's safety should be the top concern. You can call it trafficking if you want, but all the spin in the world is not going to change the reality of the situation.

I don't know a lot about Afghanistan but I do know it's a harsh, male dominated society currently run by the ruthless Taliban. Do you refute this? She's a vulnerable little girl child. That should be the top concern.

She fell under the province of the Americans as the lone survivor of a firefight. The Americans scooped her up and got her to a hospital. Thank God they got her to a hospital, or she likely would not have survived. From that point on they had a responsibility to ensure she was safe, considering she was orphaned.

If the Afghan couple are not family, they have no more right to have custody than the American couple.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Afghan couple (who the husband claims is the child's first cousin) has consistently refused to undergo DNA testing.

An investigative reporter went to Afghanistan and villagers said a foreign terrorist group who were light skinned set up camp in the village. The child who was orphaned had light hair and light-colored eyes, which is often consistent with families from regions like Chechnya or Uzbekista (common origins for foreign Al-Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan) rather than the local ethnic groups in that specific Afghan province that does not look like the child. If she were orphaned in another part of Afghanistan then it might be more plausible but in that area there aren't blond kids.

It was only months later this relative came forward who refuses to have DNA testing done.

Now add to that the orphan girl has FOUR FULL biological siblings in TEXAS. They ALL refuse to have DNA testing done and not one of them look like the orphan girl with light features.

My understanding is life is very, very tough for Afghan women who don't have the privilege of a protective and loving family. Very, very hard, to say the least. It's hard anywhere in the world. In a male-dominated, harsh desert war torn country, a little orphaned girl is in serious jeopardy of ending up in a very bad situation.

What I read on the case is that a man stepped forward when the orphaned girl was released from the military hospital, claiming to be her uncle. With the chaos of war, nobody to confirm nor refute his claims. The child was turned over to him. He then gave the child to his son. His son and his son's wife are the Afghan couple who are now fighting the American couple for custody of the child. They refuse to submit themselves to a DNA test to confirm they are related.

Why would they refuse DNA testing, if it can prove they are cousins? The obvious explanation is they are not related at all. As someone else pointed out, there is a chance this child is not even of Afghan parentage.

I'm on the side of whatever is safest for this child. Who can give her happiness as a child, and give her the security to grow up to be a thriving, strong woman? She's going to need all the strength she can get, what with her background and her likely return to Afghanistan as an adult in a quest to figure out who her family is. If they turn out to be terrible people, she can leave and return to the U.S. If she finds her family and they welcome her, good for her.

If the "cousins" end up taking the DNA test to confirm they are her family, that's another story. They should be given priority as her next of kin.

It doesn't matter if the Afghan couple are related by blood or if the child has blonde hair. What the Masts did was unbelievably horrific and is child trafficking 101. It is disgusting. An American doesn't get to just go to another country, and steal a baby because America is better (and I love our country). WTAF?!

I do not agree with you. I think the child's safety should be the top concern. You can call it trafficking if you want, but all the spin in the world is not going to change the reality of the situation.

I don't know a lot about Afghanistan but I do know it's a harsh, male dominated society currently run by the ruthless Taliban. Do you refute this? She's a vulnerable little girl child. That should be the top concern.

She fell under the province of the Americans as the lone survivor of a firefight. The Americans scooped her up and got her to a hospital. Thank God they got her to a hospital, or she likely would not have survived. From that point on they had a responsibility to ensure she was safe, considering she was orphaned.

If the Afghan couple are not family, they have no more right to have custody than the American couple.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Afghan couple (who the husband claims is the child's first cousin) has consistently refused to undergo DNA testing.

An investigative reporter went to Afghanistan and villagers said a foreign terrorist group who were light skinned set up camp in the village. The child who was orphaned had light hair and light-colored eyes, which is often consistent with families from regions like Chechnya or Uzbekista (common origins for foreign Al-Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan) rather than the local ethnic groups in that specific Afghan province that does not look like the child. If she were orphaned in another part of Afghanistan then it might be more plausible but in that area there aren't blond kids.

It was only months later this relative came forward who refuses to have DNA testing done.

Now add to that the orphan girl has FOUR FULL biological siblings in TEXAS. They ALL refuse to have DNA testing done and not one of them look like the orphan girl with light features.

My understanding is life is very, very tough for Afghan women who don't have the privilege of a protective and loving family. Very, very hard, to say the least. It's hard anywhere in the world. In a male-dominated, harsh desert war torn country, a little orphaned girl is in serious jeopardy of ending up in a very bad situation.

What I read on the case is that a man stepped forward when the orphaned girl was released from the military hospital, claiming to be her uncle. With the chaos of war, nobody to confirm nor refute his claims. The child was turned over to him. He then gave the child to his son. His son and his son's wife are the Afghan couple who are now fighting the American couple for custody of the child. They refuse to submit themselves to a DNA test to confirm they are related.

Why would they refuse DNA testing, if it can prove they are cousins? The obvious explanation is they are not related at all. As someone else pointed out, there is a chance this child is not even of Afghan parentage.

I'm on the side of whatever is safest for this child. Who can give her happiness as a child, and give her the security to grow up to be a thriving, strong woman? She's going to need all the strength she can get, what with her background and her likely return to Afghanistan as an adult in a quest to figure out who her family is. If they turn out to be terrible people, she can leave and return to the U.S. If she finds her family and they welcome her, good for her.

If the "cousins" end up taking the DNA test to confirm they are her family, that's another story. They should be given priority as her next of kin.

It doesn't matter if the Afghan couple are related by blood or if the child has blonde hair. What the Masts did was unbelievably horrific and is child trafficking 101. It is disgusting. An American doesn't get to just go to another country, and steal a baby because America is better (and I love our country). WTAF?!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Afghan couple (who the husband claims is the child's first cousin) has consistently refused to undergo DNA testing.

An investigative reporter went to Afghanistan and villagers said a foreign terrorist group who were light skinned set up camp in the village. The child who was orphaned had light hair and light-colored eyes, which is often consistent with families from regions like Chechnya or Uzbekista (common origins for foreign Al-Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan) rather than the local ethnic groups in that specific Afghan province that does not look like the child. If she were orphaned in another part of Afghanistan then it might be more plausible but in that area there aren't blond kids.

It was only months later this relative came forward who refuses to have DNA testing done.

Now add to that the orphan girl has FOUR FULL biological siblings in TEXAS. They ALL refuse to have DNA testing done and not one of them look like the orphan girl with light features.

My understanding is life is very, very tough for Afghan women who don't have the privilege of a protective and loving family. Very, very hard, to say the least. It's hard anywhere in the world. In a male-dominated, harsh desert war torn country, a little orphaned girl is in serious jeopardy of ending up in a very bad situation.

What I read on the case is that a man stepped forward when the orphaned girl was released from the military hospital, claiming to be her uncle. With the chaos of war, nobody to confirm nor refute his claims. The child was turned over to him. He then gave the child to his son. His son and his son's wife are the Afghan couple who are now fighting the American couple for custody of the child. They refuse to submit themselves to a DNA test to confirm they are related.

Why would they refuse DNA testing, if it can prove they are cousins? The obvious explanation is they are not related at all. As someone else pointed out, there is a chance this child is not even of Afghan parentage.

I'm on the side of whatever is safest for this child. Who can give her happiness as a child, and give her the security to grow up to be a thriving, strong woman? She's going to need all the strength she can get, what with her background and her likely return to Afghanistan as an adult in a quest to figure out who her family is. If they turn out to be terrible people, she can leave and return to the U.S. If she finds her family and they welcome her, good for her.

If the "cousins" end up taking the DNA test to confirm they are her family, that's another story. They should be given priority as her next of kin.

It doesn't matter if the Afghan couple are related by blood or if the child has blonde hair. What the Masts did was unbelievably horrific and is child trafficking 101. It is disgusting. An American doesn't get to just go to another country, and steal a baby because America is better (and I love our country). WTAF?!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Disgusting, but at this point, probably in the best interest of the child sadly.

So Canadians and Europeans should start taking American babies because they have a greater chance of growing up safely there with less fear of violence?

+1 This is an incredibly dangerous path that the Virginia courts are going down...

Anonymous wrote:The Afghan couple (who the husband claims is the child's first cousin) has consistently refused to undergo DNA testing.

An investigative reporter went to Afghanistan and villagers said a foreign terrorist group who were light skinned set up camp in the village. The child who was orphaned had light hair and light-colored eyes, which is often consistent with families from regions like Chechnya or Uzbekista (common origins for foreign Al-Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan) rather than the local ethnic groups in that specific Afghan province that does not look like the child. If she were orphaned in another part of Afghanistan then it might be more plausible but in that area there aren't blond kids.

It was only months later this relative came forward who refuses to have DNA testing done.

Now add to that the orphan girl has FOUR FULL biological siblings in TEXAS. They ALL refuse to have DNA testing done and not one of them look like the orphan girl with light features.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Afghan couple (who the husband claims is the child's first cousin) has consistently refused to undergo DNA testing.

An investigative reporter went to Afghanistan and villagers said a foreign terrorist group who were light skinned set up camp in the village. The child who was orphaned had light hair and light-colored eyes, which is often consistent with families from regions like Chechnya or Uzbekista (common origins for foreign Al-Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan) rather than the local ethnic groups in that specific Afghan province that does not look like the child. If she were orphaned in another part of Afghanistan then it might be more plausible but in that area there aren't blond kids.

It was only months later this relative came forward who refuses to have DNA testing done.

Now add to that the orphan girl has FOUR FULL biological siblings in TEXAS. They ALL refuse to have DNA testing done and not one of them look like the orphan girl with light features.

My understanding is life is very, very tough for Afghan women who don't have the privilege of a protective and loving family. Very, very hard, to say the least. It's hard anywhere in the world. In a male-dominated, harsh desert war torn country, a little orphaned girl is in serious jeopardy of ending up in a very bad situation.

What I read on the case is that a man stepped forward when the orphaned girl was released from the military hospital, claiming to be her uncle. With the chaos of war, nobody to confirm nor refute his claims. The child was turned over to him. He then gave the child to his son. His son and his son's wife are the Afghan couple who are now fighting the American couple for custody of the child. They refuse to submit themselves to a DNA test to confirm they are related.

Why would they refuse DNA testing, if it can prove they are cousins? The obvious explanation is they are not related at all. As someone else pointed out, there is a chance this child is not even of Afghan parentage.

I'm on the side of whatever is safest for this child. Who can give her happiness as a child, and give her the security to grow up to be a thriving, strong woman? She's going to need all the strength she can get, what with her background and her likely return to Afghanistan as an adult in a quest to figure out who her family is. If they turn out to be terrible people, she can leave and return to the U.S. If she finds her family and they welcome her, good for her.

If the "cousins" end up taking the DNA test to confirm they are her family, that's another story. They should be given priority as her next of kin.

Anonymous wrote:The Afghan couple (who the husband claims is the child's first cousin) has consistently refused to undergo DNA testing.

An investigative reporter went to Afghanistan and villagers said a foreign terrorist group who were light skinned set up camp in the village. The child who was orphaned had light hair and light-colored eyes, which is often consistent with families from regions like Chechnya or Uzbekista (common origins for foreign Al-Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan) rather than the local ethnic groups in that specific Afghan province that does not look like the child. If she were orphaned in another part of Afghanistan then it might be more plausible but in that area there aren't blond kids.

It was only months later this relative came forward who refuses to have DNA testing done.

Now add to that the orphan girl has FOUR FULL biological siblings in TEXAS. They ALL refuse to have DNA testing done and not one of them look like the orphan girl with light features.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stealing a baby at a refugee camp is wild even for this country. The fact that the Marines are cool with this, and did nothing to punish Mast for taking the baby, despite saying he acted with conduct unbecoming to a Marine is even crazier.

Taking a baby in the country where you're not a citizen and refusing to return it, just makes others abroad more vulnerable to harm.

The Masts are Evangelical Christian. They believe God wanted them to save this child from Afghanistan (and Hell, presumably). In fact they've gotten a lot of lobbying and support from Evangelical Christian networks, which is what made this sleazy adoption possible.

Mast is a military lawyer, so he knew what he was doing was against international law and knew he was misleading his chain of command and improperly using his position and influence. He knew that the VA court was his best chance because they rubber-stamp adoptions all the time, and he knows adoptions are seldom overturned in VA. He venue shopped to make it harder for the Afghan family to get their child back.

And the Marines didn't even slap him on the wrist.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Afghan couple (who the husband claims is the child's first cousin) has consistently refused to undergo DNA testing.

An investigative reporter went to Afghanistan and villagers said a foreign terrorist group who were light skinned set up camp in the village. The child who was orphaned had light hair and light-colored eyes, which is often consistent with families from regions like Chechnya or Uzbekista (common origins for foreign Al-Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan) rather than the local ethnic groups in that specific Afghan province that does not look like the child. If she were orphaned in another part of Afghanistan then it might be more plausible but in that area there aren't blond kids.

It was only months later this relative came forward who refuses to have DNA testing done.

Now add to that the orphan girl has FOUR FULL biological siblings in TEXAS. They ALL refuse to have DNA testing done and not one of them look like the orphan girl with light features.

Oh so the Afghan baby stolen by the white evangelical couple is light skinned with blond hair and light colored eyes? Quelle surprise.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This story makes me very sad for the child. I know the Masts think they are doing the right thing, but I hope the courts get it straightened out and return the child to the relatives.

I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it.

Anonymous wrote:The Afghan couple (who the husband claims is the child's first cousin) has consistently refused to undergo DNA testing.

An investigative reporter went to Afghanistan and villagers said a foreign terrorist group who were light skinned set up camp in the village. The child who was orphaned had light hair and light-colored eyes, which is often consistent with families from regions like Chechnya or Uzbekista (common origins for foreign Al-Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan) rather than the local ethnic groups in that specific Afghan province that does not look like the child. If she were orphaned in another part of Afghanistan then it might be more plausible but in that area there aren't blond kids.

It was only months later this relative came forward who refuses to have DNA testing done.

Now add to that the orphan girl has FOUR FULL biological siblings in TEXAS. They ALL refuse to have DNA testing done and not one of them look like the orphan girl with light features.