[Cowboy Bob]

"In one day I probably spent like $250 on taxis," he said. "And they're so evil too, because they ripped me off, and when I wouldn't pay the ripped-off price they started threatening me. It was bad."

I guess Hassan has never been to NYC.

[ApplegateRanch]

"This place is incredibly dangerous to individual private American citizens, especially minors, and all of us, especially the military, went to extraordinary lengths to ensure this youth's safety, even if he doesn't acknowledge it or even understand it,"

Oh, BS. That is pure anti-freedom-fighter propaganda. The Geneva Convention protects noncombatants/civilians...

...CBS just told me so, while condemning the IAF for causing sonic booms that "terrify" peaceful Palestinians.

Thank the Good Lord that Farris was at least as lucky as Farris Buehler was on his 'day off', and seems to have drawn the correct conclusions.

[BurbankKarl]

Because we can't have a teenager walking around the "dangerous country" we have been reporting for two years about.


>>>The AP quickly called the U.S. embassy.

[Rebelbase]

I think Pine Crest School should use the kid for a TV commercial, after all he was just following their lead:

"You will see some students with their noses in their books. But, for the most part, you will see young people active in their quest to grasp the broad educational opportunities that Pine Crest offers. You will see them learning to act, dance, paint, compete in sports, speak a different language, work on lab experiments, and give back to the community. You will watch students learning to want to know more about a myriad of topics."

http://www.pinecrest.edu/about/president/

[Mad_as_heck]

"There is a struggle in Iraq between good and evil, between those striving for freedom and liberty and those striving for death and destruction," he wrote.

Wow.

Unless I'm misunderstanding and he thinks that the Jihadi's are the ones "striving for liberty and freedom?" I'm actually very impressed by this kid.

He's a fool and colossal PITA for everyone involved but also a brave and resourceful young man. I'm torn between whacking him upside the head and giving him a commission.

If he only suffers from youthful high spirits the nitwit may mature into a real asset to this country. You won't see many 16 yo hippies with this guys brass nuggets.

[Criminal Number 18F]

Some thoughts:

1. Damn, I like this kid.

2. He's seen more of Iraq than Patrick Quinn now, or any of the non insurgent-local-stringer reporters of AP, NYT or WaPo.

3. Compare his experiences ("I got ripped off by taxi drivers!" with the reports that Arab Propagandists are putting out on behalf of the insurgents to whom they're loyal. I wonder how bad the country is when a kid can be-bop around. Notice that the last several hostages taken have been pro-insurgent hostages trying to get captured to put ransom money in the hands of their terrorist pals, or in the case of Suzanne Osthoff, to get a murderer sprung.

4. He's lucky Bilal Hussein wasn't the first AP-nik he ran into, or he and his head would be resting separately.

5. Come to think of it, he's also lucky that his motivation was journalism, or Quinn might well have turned him over to his insurgent pals and we'd never have heard of him again unless the Marines tripped over his head in Ramadi. Quinn's true loyalty may be to the Ba'athist/Islamist side, but apparently journalism-as-nationality comes up trumps.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[FierceKulak]

I think that this guy is either going to do something really dumb or be really successful (depending on how you define success)

[Casloy]

Big balls, tiny little brain.

[gotribe]

Heck, if he were my kid I'd buy him a cold beer, 16 or not!

[dinodino]

Gutsy kid. Good for him on the effort, and I'm glad it ended well--it could easily have been otherwise.

[Archangelsk]

Kid has a large set of brass ones say I.

[Arkinsaw]

Hey, everybody dies. He went to see for himself. From what he wrote, it looks like he saw the truth. He has gone and done, where many of us have read and watched.

Got to admire him.

[No Longer Free State]

They say, "God protects fools and children," This kid is doubly blessed.

[Herakles]

Have the embassy give him a map to the airport so we can take odds on his chances of making it; after all, this typical American kid is so stupid his only true value in life (or its end) is to give some pleasure to the rest of us who have survived Darwin.

[festus]

"This place is incredibly dangerous to individual private American citizens, especially minors, and all of us, especially the military, went to extraordinary lengths to ensure this youth's safety, even if he doesn't acknowledge it or even understand it,"

Um. As I read the story they picked him up at the AP News Desk and took him to the embassy.

What was the extrodinary lenghts ?

[mollynme]

I hope his parents have confiscated his passport!

[Paulus Invictus]

Wants to be a journalist. I say he has the smarts to do so--totally stupid fits the kid and most journalists too..

[petitfour]

Didn't he have to have a visa for his travels? His parents were unaware of the preparations that he must have made for this trip? Maybe Mom and Pop need to pay a little more attention. I hope they don't have any teenage daughters.

[desherwood7]

The stupidity of teenagers can never be underestimated.

[rwfromkansas]

Look at this essay he wrote.

This is an awesome kid. Stupid for going into Iraq without learning the safeguards foreign correspondents use and learning about how you get into the country safely etc. Really stupid for going alone.

But, this essay is incredible. I wish I had the courage of this kid...who is on OUR side, something extremely rare for an aspiring journalist. Wow.

Just read this:

"There is a struggle in Iraq between good and evil, between those striving for freedom and liberty and those striving for death and destruction. You are aware of the heinous acts of the terrorists: Women and children massacred, innocent aid workers decapitated, indiscriminate murder. You are also aware of the heroic aspirations of the Iraqi people: liberty, democracy, security, normality. Those terrorists are not human but pure evil. For their goals to be thwarted, decent individuals must answer justice's call for help ... So I will.

Life is not about money, fame, or power. Life is about combating the forces of evil in the world, promoting justice, helping the misfortunate, and improving the welfare of our fellow man. Progress requires that we commit ourselves to such goals. We are not here on Earth to hedonistically pleasure ourselves, but to serve each other and the creator. What deed is greater than sacrificing one's luxuries for the benefit of those less blessed? ...

I know I can't do much. I know I can't stop all the carnage and save the innocent. But I also know I can't just sit here ...

I feel guilty living in a big house, driving a nice car, and going to a great school. I feel guilty hanging out with friends in a cafe without the fear of a suicide bomber present. I feel guilty enjoying the multitude of blessings, which I did nothing to deserve, while people in Iraq, many of them much better then me, are in terrible anguish. This inexorable guilt I feel transforms into a boundless empathy for the distress of the misfortunate and into a compassionate love for my fellow man ...

Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless the one who gives them.

Going to Iraq will broaden my mind. We kids at Pine Crest (School) live such sheltered lives. I want to experience during my Christmas the same hardships ordinary Iraqis experience everyday, so that I may better empathize with their distress. I also want to immerse myself in their environment in order to better comprehend the social and political elements ...

I plan on doing humanitarian work with the Red Cross. I will give my mind, body, and spirit to helping Iraqis rebuild their lives. Hopefully I will get the chance to build houses, distribute food supplies, and bring a smile or two to some poor children.

I know going to Iraq will be incredibly risky. There are thousands of people there that desperately want my head. There are millions of people there that mildly prefer my demise merely because I am American. Nevertheless, I will go there to love and help my neighbor in distress, if that endangers my life, so be it ...

If I know what is needed and what is right, but do not act on my moral conscience, I would be a hypocrite. I must do what I say decent individuals should do. I want to live my days so that my nights are not full of regrets. Therefore, I must go."

I am speechless at the passion and love for freedom this kid has. God bless him.