Teen Who Went to Iraq Skips Meeting Media

[Blue_Tires]

By JESSICA GRESKO, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 38 minutes ago

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - An American teen who cut class to make a solo trip to
Iraq returned to school Tuesday, then skipped his own news conference because he didn't want to face reporters.

Farris Hassan, 16, said in a statement that he had changed his mind about the media appearance, which he had organized.

"I am very thankful to be home and safe, and I am looking forward to going back to school and moving on. Thank you to everyone who was concerned about my safety," Farris said in the statement, which his sister Shehnaz read to reporters.

The statement also said officials at his exclusive prep school, Pine Crest, had "already stated all there is to say." The teen did not answer calls to his cell phone.

(more at link)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060104/ap_on_re_us/iraq_american_teen
------------------


I don't know---CAN IT BE that as I predicted, this kid's story is about as stable as house of cards (made of toothpicks? lol)?

[bloom]

1. It does seem odd

that a teen who could go to Iraq and is interested in journalism would chicken out of a news conference.

[Roon]

2. I agree

I mean, isn't this what it's all about?

[Blue_Tires]

4. because there is no way in bloody hell

his story can stand up to some serious scrutiny...I'm also a journalist, and believe me, I had about a thousand questions I wanted to ask him when this story first came to light...I was going to post this huge rebuttal on the original thread, but I decided to wait for a bit and see what other details came out...

So far, the kid has gotten off pretty easy...the 'journalists' for the CNN and GMA crowds never bothered to ask him or his family any real questions, other than "OMG!!!! you went to iraq all by yourself??? that's HUGH!!!!"

Like I'm saying, I don't doubt that he was physically there in Iraq, but I want to know the real story about 1. how he got there, and 2. what he did while there, because the 'official story' can be used to fertilize my lawn...

[bpilgrim]

17. 'So far, the kid has gotten off pretty easy" - yeah, he should be in GITMO

for EMBARRASSING our own LAME STREAM MEDIA, again!



peace

[Blue_Tires]

19. lol....i've always liked that cartoon

still, i've found the complete lack of serious question-asking disturbing in the wake of the kid's fantastical tale

[mountainvue]

25. I agree with you. This story

just doesn't add up to me.

[MrMonk]

3. He may have decided that all the attention wasn't as great as

he thought it would be. The kid's only 16.

[Orangepeel]

6. very possible. the media seemed to be interested in his family situation

I heard one reporter (I don't remember who or where) question why he went off with his father in a limo without talking to his mother and say something like "we'll try to get answers when we get back!"

[Blue_Tires]

5. just a few of my own basic easy questions I want to ask:

Which should be no problem at all if he really did his 'immersion journalism' thing:

1. I would think he kept a journal of his daily/nightly activities--I'd like to see it, or at least the entries related to journalism work...I also want to know day-by-day where he went, how he got there, and where he slept each night. And just out of curiosity, I'd like to know how much money he spent out of his own pocket total for the whole trip.

2. (This one is killing me)--How heavy/light did he pack, and what equipment did he have (notebooks, digital camera, laptop, etc)? Did he carry cash in dollars, dinars or traveler's checks, and how much?

3. How far in advance did he book his trip if it only cost him $900, as reported by the first story? A quick web search showed me the cheapest fare of $1600, and that's with three month's advance.

4. I want to see the finished product---He allegedly did a bunch of interviews while over there; where is the story? If he took photos, where are they? Did he tape record interviews? If so, where are they? Did he just use a pad and pen? Then where are the notebooks? Or is he really savvy and angling for a book deal? Barring all of this, at the bare minimum, I want to SEE some EVIDENCE that he did real WORK while over there...

5. And while on the subject of interviews, I'm VERY interested in how he got the grunts and local populace to open up to him...Certainly he DID NOT introduce himself as 16-year-old Farris Hassan of some uber-class American preppie school, traveling to the other side of the world just to do a high school journalism project...I want to know some of the people he spoke to--He interviewed soldiers as well, certainly there should be some record of that (somehow I think there is)...

6. Finally, I want to know exactly how much help he got from the big boys at the embassy and the AP...Was he protected everywhere or fending for himself? Were his interviews his own, or under military/embassy/AP supervision?

--This is just the beginning groundwork...If by some miracle he could answer these, I've got plenty more that are nowhere near as gentle.

[Contrary1]

7. I heard the other day that he was ordered not to talk about it...

I can't remember who they said did the ordering.

Maybe they told the kid if he talked, charges would be filed against him.
Sounds about right given this administration.

[Blue_Tires]

8. i don't get it

if true, what kind of charges could they file?

any American (in theory) can go to their local airport right now and buy a ticket to Baghdad...The kid had a valid passport, and bought a ticket with his own money (or so we are led to believe)...What laws did he break? Remember, his old man is tight with the cabal...

And honestly, he was over there working as a journalist (or so we are led to believe)...how in fuck's name can someone have the legal authority to tell him not to say anything?

[Contrary1]

9. Dunno, but I did hear that.

I was speculating as to the charges. I don't understand
why he wouldn't want to talk about it either.

[daleo]

13. I imagine they could trump up all kinds of potential charges

And also make life tough in other ways - IRS audits of parents, etc.

[crikkett]

16. is that right, we can fly to Iraq if we want to (as a tourist)?

I thought Iraq was on the list of countries Americans can't travel to...

[Blue_Tires]

18. i think it's strongly discouraged by the state department

but still ok

[EFerrari]

10. The Thuggery warned him while he was in Iraq

to stop talking to the media. And, from the soundbites, it looked like he went there to see "democracy unfolding" so, at least at one point, he was a kool aide drinker.

Bushworld.

[txindy]

12. His mother said he's in the Young Repub club at school

So, yeah, plenty of Kool-Aid in his life.

[bpilgrim]

11. smart move

this guy is no dummy... idealist, sure but it would be foolish to feed the M$M circus.

he should stick to print & radio if any.

peace

[Blue_Tires]

14. we'll see what happens

I still doubt he has any worthwhile work to show for his efforts, but we will see...

And come on...If he didn't want to feed the media circus, why bother to: 1. call the press conference and 2. not have the courtesy to cancel it when he all of a sudden didn't have the guts?

I think the Hassan family will keep quiet, and keep their heads down, and wait for the american public to forget about the whole thing (which it always does) so the questions will stop...You see he is already using that old "let's move on" line which only comes when people want to put things behind them (or when they are trying to conceal something)...

[Chipper Chat]

15. I predict his first interview will be with Hannity.

Sean's people are probably busting their butts right now trying to get the kid and/or parents to commit (for $xxx,000 which they probably dont need).

[DainBramaged]

20. You're not the only one suspicious

This is a Rove set up from the git go.

[Blue_Tires]

21. ttt n/t

[CreekDog]

22. Am I the only one who thinks this is a good thing??

Kudos to the parents and/or the kid for shutting up about this.

Does this really need to be exhaustively explored for all to see? I mean, do we really need to spend 10 minutes on the Today Show, 1 hour on the Oprah show (to hear what the kid has to say about what happened) and 1 hour on Dr. Phil (to hear what Dr. Phil has to say to the kid)???

I am so sick of the part of our American culture that needs to turn every personal story into a cause celebre. Especially when this type of focus seems to be to the detriment of our knowledge of news that actually affects all of us (like foreign policy in general, current events, etc.).

Americans need to turn off the infotainment and get real lives.

[Blue_Tires]

23. i understand what you are saying

but my contention is that the kid isn't shutting up because he wants his privacy back; he's shutting up because he knows the more media attention he gets, the more likely it is he will be discovered as a fraud (see my questions in post #5, and ask yourself why no reporter has been able to ask those types of questions yet).

[CreekDog]

24. We don't really know if it's the truth unless he speaks up

I just don't think whether his story (true or not) warrants the media attention the story has been getting.

Perhaps he lied. It may make it interesting, but not necessarily newsworthy --people lie all the time.