Bored UCLA student joins Libyan rebels on "vacation"

[woolldog]

lol, great story:



http://www.thenational.ae/news/worldwide/middle-east/road-trip-american-student-joins-rebels-in-fight-for-qaddafi-stronghold

Chris Jeon, a 21-year-old university student from Los Angeles, California,shrugging cooly, declared: “It is the end of my summer vacation, so I thought it would be cool to join the rebels. This is one of the only real revolutions” in the world.

In a daring, one might even say foolhardy, decision two weeks ago, Mr Jeon flew on a one-way ticket from Los Angeles to Cairo. He then travelled by train to Alexandria and by a series of buses to the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi. From there, he hitched a ride with rebels heading west towards the Libyan capital of Tripoli. After a 400km (248-mile) trek across the desolate North African landscape, he was now in the town of An Nawfaliyah, the toast of his comrades and a newly anointed road warrior. (.....)

Nevertheless, the rebels have clearly taken to the mathematics student with no obvious political leanings who decided to slum it as an Arab Spring revolutionary before going back to his calculator for fall semester.

At first glance, Mr Jeon looked like someone who took a wrong turn on their way to the beach or the Santa Monica Pier. He wore a blue basketball basketball jersey emblazoned with a script “Los Angeles” and the number 44. The rest of his outfit, including army camouflage trousers, a grey-and-black kaffiyeh on his head, clear safety glasses and a bullet hanging on a necklace, came courtesy of the rebels, he said. He had been sleeping in the homes of local families or in the open air with the insurgents.

[mike_c]

1. best summer vacation story EVAH....

:rofl:

"I visited my girlfriend."

"I flipped burgers in Anaheim."

"I hung out at the beach, dude."



"I blew shit up in Libya." :patriot:

[Pirate Smile]

2. Oh, Lord ...

'As he recalled that deliberately vague version of his itinerary, it dawned on Mr Jeon that he might be blowing his cover by speaking with a reporter on a far-flung stretch of desert more than 11,200 kms (7,000 miles) from home.

“Whatever you do, don’t tell my parents,” he pleaded. “They don’t know I’m here.”'

[flamingdem]

12. That's a riot!

He's going to get an earful. I like this guy.

[Poll_Blind]

3. Freedom tourists. Struck me as a mockery.

I read this story on MSNBC earlier today and as I reflected on it, something just kept striking me as wrong but I couldn't put my finger on it. I guess it's the fact that he really doesn't have much of an interest in anything- he just thought he'd show up because it seems like a cool place to be- with all that revolution and all.

I'm sure...as a human being and stuff...he's probably well-meaning, but I just finished this article and it doesn't really differ much from the MSNBC one when it comes to profiling him.

Look, the guy is basically Nick Berg. At least Nick Berg had the intention of getting a job in Iraq before he was captured and beheaded. This guy...what's he doing? Just palling around with the rebels?

It's just a weird story. I mean, it's an interesting thing to do and if he isn't captured and tortured to death or accidentally injured, why, it'll make a great story. But...I dunno.

What's the story here? It reads like an Onion satire story about Americans who are so disconnected with the reason people fight for liberty that they just decide to take spur of the moment getaways to troubled countries just to breathe the air of rebellion, drink a few mojitos (or equivalent) and consider themselves Hemingway for a few weeks, until next term starts.

PB

[woolldog]

4. It read to me like he believes in the cause.

I doubt he went there intending to fight.

I'm sure many have thought of doing similar things
But never follow through. Props to him for actually doing it.

[Poll_Blind]

6. "“It is the end of my summer vacation, so I thought it would be cool to join the rebels."

That's a quote from him. Did you read the full article? Or the one at MSNBC? He's not a rebel. He's just...hanging out, couch surfing.

PB

[woolldog]

10. I read the entire article, yes.

He said this is one of the few true revolutions going on, which suggests he believes in their cause. Maybe his interest is more journalistic though?

[joshcryer]

22. I don't know that he believes in their cause but he certainly recognized the revolutionary spirit...

...of the Libyans. That is enough for me.

[flamingdem]

15. He's from LA, they talk that way, he's a geek wanna be revolutionary/surfer! nt

[flamingdem]

14. Many young people are disconnected, and have to act cool

I applaud him for finding a way to be "cool" and do something adventurous, I certainly did that when I was his age. As long as he didn't do anything dumb over there, that's another story, as in endangering anyone.

[joshcryer]

21. Agreed. I was the same way. I could've been another Chris McCandless...

...if I didn't have expertise with survival stuff. Young people do stupid shit. I don't think this guy should be overly criticized for being apolitical though, I think he had an idea what was going on.

And if he didn't when he landed I can guarantee he did after a few weeks being there.

[flamingdem]

25. What's funny is that many people don't know what's going on in Libya, he's not the only one! nt

[joshcryer]

20. Berg was a contractor trying to hit it big early on. This is just some college kid...

...who doesn't have a whole lot of sense but if he makes it back alive will have an amazing story to tell his grandkids.

I don't think he's particularly stupid as he recognized that Libya was undergoing an actual revolution (a real revolution, not a faux military junta replacing a government revolution, a revolution by popular uprising). I do think he isn't quite sensible because he doesn't even speak the language (only 10% or so of Libyans speak English, most of whom were of the higher class), and generally could get himself killed.

[Poll_Blind]

23. I think it's a testament to the hospitality of the people that he's been able to...

...get along so well. In the MSNBC story, IIRC, he indicated that he hadn't spent a dollar after arriving and had been boarded since he got there by locals.

PB

[flamingdem]

26. Good observation, it says something positive about the rebels

They are tolerant of our crazies!

[flamingdem]

27. Let's figure he made a mathematical calculation that it would be worth it for the experience nt

[ellisonz]

5. I'm down.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. There is something wrong with this story

and I cannot put fully my finger on it. Suffice it to say... if he is just a Math major I will eat my shoe...

[woolldog]

8. What are you suggesting?

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Intel type

that is what I am suggesting... people just don't go to the front lines of a revolution for pure idealism...

[woolldog]

11. Did you see his pic?

I highly doubt that he's an intel type. First he's too young; intel types in a warzone like that would be much more seasoned in his late 20s 30s. Secondly if he were intel he would be someone who blends in, not an east Asian wearing bright conspicuous clothing. There are intel types there for sure. But they aren't giving interviews, and they're keeping a low profile.

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. Yep, I saw the picture

and I have known a few of those in my life time. Some surprisingly young. I will leave it at that.

[Dreamer Tatum]

13. Yeah, he's a clandestine operator for sure. Oh, wait -

THERE'S A FREAKING NEWS STORY ABOUT HIM.

Most clandestine operators work that way, after all... :eyes:

[flamingdem]

16. I knew someone just like him, he almost bought a ticket to Cairo

even though he's not that politically astute he was enthralled by it all.

I was the same way, you probably were too at that age.

[petronius]

28. It's a test run. You know, to see if

(insert super-secret agency that I'm not allowed to mention) is able to get touristy-looking language-not-speaking extremely-visible spies into situations where no spies are actually needed. Fuck you if you don't believe, just go back to sucking the teat of the mainstream media and let those of us who know the truth have the real conversation... ;)

[Recovered Repug]

35. James Bond was a secret agent even though all of the bad

guys knew who he was.

[mrmpa]

17. Probably the best summer vacation ever, but...........

Didn't his purchase of a one way ticket to Cairo raise red flags?

[joshcryer]

19. He's awesome, and the rebels love him because they can tell he's kinda crazy, haha.

[woolldog]

24. Ha

He's not giving you any ideas josh is he? I know you've been following the Libyan story very closely...

[Renew Deal]

29. Study Revolution Abroad!

Can he get credits for History or Marksemenship?

Is it legal for US citizens to fight in other peoples wars if it's not against the US?

[woolldog]

30. You can lose your citizenship for

fighting in another country's army. Not sure whether the Libyan rebel army would qualify

[Renew Deal]

31. Not sure either

I remember people going to Iraq to fight for Iraq, and a few going to Libya to fight with the rebels. But I don't know what the INS thinks about that.

[flamingdem]

32. Is he actually fighting?

Lots of Americans were involved with the Sandinistas, including aiding them while they were fighting the Contras, wonder if this was discussed at the time.

[woolldog]

34. If you look at the pic in the OP, he is armed.

and wearing camaflouge pants.

[bluedigger]

33. He's probably in the clear.

Almost certainly, in fact. As you would expect it's complicated, but it's usually OK. Lot's of precedents, too.
The Lafayette Escadrille comes to mind.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lafayette_Escadrille

Here's a link from the State Department that gives more detail:http://travel.state.gov/law/citizenship/citizenship_780.html

[Recovered Repug]

36. He show sell the story to Hollywood.

They'll turn him into the great hero of the revolution. Sort of a Luke Skywalker of the desert.