Posted on 12/30/2005 5:05:46 PM PST by dannyboy72
BAGHDAD, Iraq (Dec. 30) - A 16-year-old from Florida who traveled to Iraq on his own without telling his parents was put on a flight home Friday, the U.S. Embassy said, while warning Americans of the dangers of undertaking similar journeys...
...Hassan, a junior at Pine Crest School, a prep academy of about 700 students in Fort Lauderdale, recently studied immersion journalism - a writer who lives the life of his subject in order to better understand it.
The teenager, whose parents were born in Iraq but have lived in the United States for about 35 years, says he wanted to travel to Baghdad to better understand what Iraqis are living through.
"I thought I'd go the extra mile for that, or rather, a few thousand miles," he told AP in an interview earlier this week.
Skipping a week of school, he left the country on Dec. 11, telling only two high school friends of his plans. His travels took him to Kuwait and Lebanon before he arrived in Iraq on Christmas Day. He left without telling his family and sent an e-mail after his departure, Atiya said....
...Atiya said her son is studious, works on the school newspaper and is on the debate team. He is a member of a Republican Party club at school who spends his time reading, rather than socializing, his mother said.
When school officials learned of Hassan's trip, they threatened to expel him, but Atiya and Hassan's father, Redha Hassan, a physician, persuaded officials to allow him to remain, Atiya said. It was not immediately clear why they wanted to expel him.
(Excerpt) Read more at aolsvc.news.aol.com ...
Sorry. I was blown away that the AP would put out this story without making the kids look like a peacenick going to join the cause...seems like this kid is one of the next generation of leaders we need to win this war...Cheers to you Fassir and well done to your parents
A:) He is a member of the Republican Club, and B:) They are afraid he will come back with good news
***No-Brainer Prediction*** If he comes back with a positive story, the media is slient...
I agree, but something tells me this kid was probably being inundated with propaganda at his school and decided that he would go there himself and come back to tell the real story of what's going on ever there. Now, at his high school, there IS NO GEATER AUTHORITY on the happenings in Iraq. His teachers can spew there crap, but the student-body will look to Fassir for the truth
Since he works for his school newspaper, something tells me that the left has one less high school to propagandize over Iraq. It was dangerous and probably stupid, but also bold and heroic. What is it that they say, being able to act when you are most afraid is true bravery.
I think the skipping school for a week w/o permission would be the reason.
Could be, but something tells me if he was an anti-war activist who "went on his conviction to stop the bloodshed" there would be a pep rally welcoming him back and congratulating him for his "strength of conviction". Of course, since he's on the other side of the coin, it's "straight to the principle's office mister right wing war-monger".
I still think I'd beat him like a drum for doing something so flipping stipid!!!!
Yeah, Berg lost his head.
We really don't know the whole story on his 'visit' yet.Until his movements there are verified and also who he was in contact with, he's suspect. I want to know his motives and, I'm certain, The FBI and Homeland Security will be keeping an eye on him. So many of the terrorists we have in custody used the cover of 'taking a trip' or 'just visiting' certain countries.
How was an unaccompanied minor able to purchase plane tickets for an international flight, get through security, and board the aircraft without anyone questioning him?? I thought airlines were supposed to have policies in place pertaining to such things. Which airline(s) did he fly??
If he is truly a Repulican, and truly holds Conservative values, I predict this story will disappear in less than a week. If he is a lefty, we will still be reading about it next summer.
How many times in this story did they talk about how "dangerous" it is in Iraq, and how surprised people are that he is still alive?? It almost seems as if this was the entire point of the story (from the writer's perspective, anyway). No agenda here, move along!!
Look, I know we all are suspicious of these types of activities, but for once it looked to me like this was a kid who wanted to KNOW what was going on and apparently he had family there, and his parents came from there.
I'll let the Feds and HSA check the kids and his motives out, but for the new year, I'm just going to give him the benefit of the doubt and hope that his motives were about truth and youthful excitement to see freedom blossom in person (even with all the bombs exploding - as the story does state so well).
Sidenote. I'd like to see the comparisons between the deaths in CA versus the deaths in Iraq - I'm betting it's not more than 10-15% difference.
Yesterday I saw an interview on with two AP reporters who had talked to the boy. It seems that he went to the AP offices in Baghdad when he realized that he might been in a little over his head. He does not speak the language and his constant use of a phrase book was getting him quite a bit of attention. He was getting very nervous that if he turned down the wrong street that he might never be seen again.
He told the reporters that he wanted to work with the Red Cross. The reporters told him that due to the dangerous conditions there, there were few if any humanitarian groups in evidence and that included the Red Cross. They said over and over again that, due to the fact that he was very naive in his approach to his trip, they were stunned that he had made it as far as he had without coming to some harm.
You're right. And God certainly had a purpose in this little adventure and certainly in this child's safety.
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