"First, where did this kid get the money to finance such a venture?"
Apparently he got a very genorous Christmas gift--at least $1500-2000
Here are more interesting details:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051229/ap_on_re_mi_ea/journey_to_iraq_timeline_1
Timeline of U.S. Teen's Journey to Iraq By The Associated Press
2 hours, 11 minutes ago
A timeline of the travels of Farris Hassan, 16, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., who went to Iraq without telling his parents:
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Dec. 11 — Departs Miami International Airport, cutting a week of school.
Dec. 12 — Gets connection in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Dec. 13 — Lands in Kuwait City at 12:05 a.m. Tells parents for first time he plans to go to Baghdad. Reaches the Kuwait-Iraq border by taxi but cannot cross because of tight security before Iraq's parliamentary election.
Dec. 15 — Flies to Beirut, Lebanon, and stays with family friends. Spends time interviewing minority Christians.
Dec. 25 — Flies to Baghdad International Airport, where family contacts pick him up and drop him off at a hotel known to house Americans.
Dec. 27 — Walks into the offices of The Associated Press. AP contacts U.S. Embassy.
Dec. 28 — Members of 101st Airborne drive him to embassy, which takes custody of him.
Sometime this weekend — Scheduled to fly from Baghdad to Beirut to Kuwait City to the United States, eventually landing in Miami.
Finance? Good question! What flight to Bagdad?
Second, why would AP call the US Embassy?
They probably put the kid in jeopardy.
Thought they would call the French or German embassy first!
(extreme MSM sarcasm)