Teen caller tricks White House
Wed Dec 12, 2007 10:28am EST
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.
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSKUA25562420071212
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