AP: U.S. Teen Runs Off to Iraq by Himself

Associated Press ^ | 12/29/05 | JASON STRAZIUSO

[Old Student]

"I like him too but I think I would have had a heart attack if I was his mom."

I'm glad I'm not his teacher, and if I were his father, I'd already be dead of a series of massive heart attacks...

[ConservativeGreek]

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)

[CindyDawg]

a wannabee journalist.

A young fearless journalist.

[dinodino]

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

[No Truce With Kings]

"I like this kid, though I' glad he's not mine."

You took the words out of my mouth.

[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.

[TChad]

I'll bet his hero is Johnny Lindh.

Not likely. Lindh, a Muslim convert, allied himself with the Taliban and fought against U.S. troops. Hassan, who professes "no religious affiliation" wrote, "Those terrorists are not human but pure evil." Sounds like they are on opposite sides.

[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 ?

[Republican Wildcat]

"HASSAN CHOP!!!!"

[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.

[norton]

"I have to admire his guts ... not so sure about his judgement."

Sorry, I can't attribute this to guts, unless his brain cells are located somewhere near or below them.

This possibly not atypical 'Arab-American' kid had no freak##g idea what he was headed for, he only knew what he wanted to believe about Iraq, about journalism, and about being in danger.

The actuality of another place, one that is not designed or redesigned to accommodate yankee tourists, was so far beyond him that his most quotable response is mostly "Like..." and "ecstatic..." (no "Oh Shi#, that was close".)

His mother seems to have the thing pegged best with "I don't think I will ever leave him in the house alone again," (good plan!)

[inquest]

Can you imagine anyone thinking that simply discussing politics with someone at a church or synagogue would be "dangerous and irresponsible"?

And then you got those Buddhists, man. One of them might immolate himself in front of you if you get on his bad side.

(I guess I need one of these: < /sarcasm>)

[Old Student]

Most Excellent! Yes! ;) Though I must say I haven't seen any Buddhists immolating themselves lately...

I really am sorry. I know, you didn't ask for a character reference. :) If it helps, I almost sprained my index finger hitting "post" the first time. This kid is a wonder, in so very many ways. It's a wonder he survived... and so on. I hope to find a few like him in my classes, but hopefully with a few more functioning brain cells, too. I'm almost afraid to cite this story to my kids, but this is too perfect for a class in geography. Isn't it?

[HighWheeler]

So you know the guy!

What's the chances that cartoon, or any good cartoon is EVER shown on TV again?

[OrangeBlossomSpecial]

His story stinks. Pinecrest is a very expensive, elite, competitive private school and well monitored. It would be nearly impossible to skip a week of school at Pinecrest because the administration is calling and emailing parents over each and every missed homework assignment , tardiness, or absence. Where did Mummy & Daddy think he was the week he missed school? Why didn't they immediately go and fetch him from Kuwait when he first supposedly phoned home? I don't believe his story or his mother's explanation.