Teen tricks White House

AngelikDemonik · 12-13-2007, 12:01 PM

http://news.**********/s/nm/20071212...3NDwh6Tuys0NUE

REYKJAVIK (Reuters) - A teen-ager says he convinced the White House he was Iceland's president and managed to schedule a call with George W. Bush but was found out before he got to talk to the U.S. president.

"My call was transferred around a few times until I got hold of Bush's secretary and managed to book a call meeting with Bush the following Monday evening," Vifill Atlason, 16, told Reuters.

The teen-ager posed as Icelandic President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson when he made the call on Dec 1.

Icelandic police turned up at his door two days later -- the day of the planned call -- and took him in for questioning.

"They told me the CIA had called the National Commissioner of the Icelandic police and asked if the police could try and find out where I received that phone number from," said Atlason.

The teen-ager said he was unable to recall where he discovered the telephone number for the White House.

"I know I've had it on my phone card for at least 4 years now and that an Icelandic friend gave it to me, but I don't remember who," he said.

At a White House news conference Monday, Bush spokeswoman Dana Perino said her understanding was that Atlason had called a public line "that anybody can call," according to a transcript.

Local police confirmed the National Security Unit at the national police headquarters had asked them to bring Atlason in.

Jon Bjartmarz, Chief Superintendent at Iceland's national police headquarters, said Icelandic police had not spoken to their U.S. counterparts about the matter. He declined to say how police were tipped off about Atlason's call.

"As far as we're concerned, there will not be any further investigation, and I don't know if the American government is taking any action because of this," he said.

drewsilla · 12-13-2007, 12:33 PM

Imagine being able to prank-call the White House.

"Mr. President, is your refrigerator running? Well, you better go catch it!!"

Renatus · 12-13-2007, 01:44 PM

I bet Bush would believe it.

Crying_Crimson_Tears · 12-13-2007, 04:18 PM

Ha ha. He would believe it.

And that kid was just genius.

Drake Dun · 12-13-2007, 07:52 PM

Someone should put a speaker under his bed and have Jesus tell him that he's had second thoughts about the mass murder of foreign peoples after all, and maybe the President should stick to fucking up American domestic policy.

Drake

Ruhiel · 12-13-2007, 07:58 PM

Maybe they're worried he'll wire a bomb to the white house?

Bush: "Hello, this is George Dubbya"
Atlason: "Mr. Dubbya?"
Bush: "Yeah?"
Atlason: "You ugly! Bwahaha!!11oneeleventy"
Bush: "Get Dick in here!"
Atlason: "I don't like where this is going." *Click*

Sorry, I felt the need to type out a joke that seems only funny to me.

In all honesty, isn't making it a public line kind of a bad idea? It would be tied up so many times would there even be a way to speak clearly if you get a call waiting signal? And even then, they'd expect to call Bush himself, but not all of it would be a "Way to go George!"

Smart kid. From out of the States being able to convince the white house, where the leader of the most powerful country in the world lives, that he's a foreign leader. Then again with the current administration...Yeah.

CptSternn · 12-14-2007, 03:48 AM

This was classic.

Why are they even investigating it? Is it illegal to dial a number?

Linen · 12-14-2007, 09:47 AM

^ Probably illegal to impersonate a political officer??.. plus deception with wrongful intentions? I dunno.

It's still funny though. I like the Jeebus speaker-box idea.

Lapin · 12-14-2007, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CptSternn

This was classic.

Why are they even investigating it? Is it illegal to dial a number?

Prank-calling is semi-illegal in the U.S.

Semi, as in, we're really not supposed to do it, but no one ever cares that much to press the charges. It's filed under harassment charges, I think.

CptSternn · 12-15-2007, 04:33 AM

Supposedly, the kid got the number off telly - his daughter has been on every talk show worldwide and the other day dialed her dad directly while on the air to ask him a question. Turns out - at least one person saw that and was able to read the number dialed by watching her on telly.

Again, like father like daughter. Seems lazy-brain must run in their family.

Lapin · 12-15-2007, 07:54 PM

The number has already been changed, I'm sure.

Sternn, I know his two daughters are completely unimportant, but have you ever looked closely at those two? It's pretty clear that they've never lived in the real world, just like their daddy. Her actions don't surprise me at all. What kind of nitwit interrupts the president at work for a talk show question in the first place?

Opteron_Man · 12-16-2007, 12:34 AM

Holly shit AngelikDemonik! what a cool thing to try!
no pun intended...

CptSternn · 12-16-2007, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lapin

The number has already been changed, I'm sure.

Sternn, I know his two daughters are completely unimportant, but have you ever looked closely at those two? It's pretty clear that they've never lived in the real world, just like their daddy. Her actions don't surprise me at all. What kind of nitwit interrupts the president at work for a talk show question in the first place?

Yeah yer one was one there talking about her new book. She talks about how she givingly spent her time helping a young girl born with HIV or some tripe like that. She goes on to say how she 'donated' her time and resources to 'help' other orpahns born with HIV in south america.

Here's the funny thing - I read an article a while back from a few papers that were in the area she was and turns out she had a HUGE security entourage - costing the US tax payers like $20,000 a day while she was there 'donating' her time writing this crap book. The money they spent on her security could have fed/clothed/helped ten times as many of the people she merely met with and claims to have helped by giving them some simple compassion (if thats what you want to call it).

Just one of many laughable stories to come out of that so far.

Lapin · 12-16-2007, 02:21 PM

On top of that, I heard it wasn't very well-written.

Still, 20k on security alone, my stars. "Compassion", my arse. That money could have built a hospital, bought medicine, fixed houses, bought and penned livestock, and a million other things those people genuinely need.

(Must supress urge to kick the entire first family in the shins)