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CNN Live Today

Interview With Falah Hafuth

Aired August 11, 2003 - 11:14   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Dr. Falah Hafuth fled Iraq in 1988. He spent five days with Ali at a Kuwait hospital late last month and hopes to be reunited with him in Canada very soon. Dr. Hafuth Joins us now from Toronto this morning. Good morning to you, Doctor. Thanks for being here.
DR. FALAH HAFUTH, PROSPECTIVE ADOPTIVE FATHER: Good morning, Heidi. Thank you for having me.

COLLINS: You bet. Tell us, if you would, a little bit about how you came to know Ali. You say he stole your heart.

HAFUTH: Well Ali's story captured the heart of millions all over the world. We were watching TV, me and my wife that night. And when we saw his disability and devastation and we called the prime minister right away. I sent him an e-mail and asked the prime minister of Canada to help this boy to get him out of Baghdad.

In a few days he was airlifted from Baghdad to Kuwait. I was so happy for that. And He got very good treatment in Kuwait. And he's doing very good now. He's in very good general health.

COLLINS: So what is it that made you say, You know what? I want him to come to Canada and I want him to live with me.

HAFUTH: The fact that Ali and Ali's family wished to come to Canada and they applied for the Canadian immigration and their immigration paper was completed, probably just the final touches to hand him over the visa to come to Canada.

I was shocked today when I heard that in the news that he would like to stay in England. I don't know whether this is the words put in his mouth, is there any political flavor in this issue from the Kuwaitis, from British. I have no idea.

Here in Canada we are not interested in any politics involved. We want him to be in the best place to go to school, just like any kid. And just to have continued health care and education so he can be productive when he grows up.

COLLINS: We had an opportunity to speak with Ali, certainly concerning what you just said. If he wants to stay in London, will that be all right with you?

HAFUTH: Oh that's -- that's OK with me if he likes. But for the last two days I have been almost prevented from talking to him on the phone on the excuse that they say he does not have a phone line. Well I spent five days with him in Kuwait and find him a very clever boy and his family in agreement. The Canadian government immigration, in fact, went to his grandparents in Baghdad and took the permission for the boy to come to Canada. His stepmom has agreed for the boy to come to Canada. I did not hear anything from the family.

COLLINS: How does he seem to be doing to you, Dr. Hafuth? We know that his father, his pregnant mother, brother, and 13 other relatives were killed. That was part of the reason that he stole so many hearts of this world. How does he seem to be doing to you?

HAFUTH: I find him full of hope and confidence. And the boy, I think, he will do very well. When he grow up I think he will have a very good life if he is in a place where he can have training and some kind of education.

I don't think he will do good in Iraq at this stage. Iraq is as a country wounded now. They don't pay attention to the disabled. They only -- I mean, they care about political vacuums in Iraq. So I think he will have a good life in Canada or anywhere.

But I don't think he will have a good life when he gets in a political spin. I want him to be away so he can have a normal kid's life, go to school and just have fun with the kids in 12, 13-years- old.

COLLINS: If you could talk with him now, Dr. Hafuth, what would your message be to Ali?

HAFUTH: I would say, I wish you all the best, I want you to be in the best place you like. And if I get word from his family that they want him to be in England, I will back off on that and I would not do anything for him. That is his wish and his family's wish. In fact they even went to the fortune teller and they told them Canada is the best place for the boy.

COLLINS: They went to a fortune teller, huh? All right.

HAFUTH: They consulted the community in Iraq and in Kuwait, and everybody was happy for the boy to come to Canada. I think the reputation of the Canada is very well known. It's the best country in the world by the United Nations -- named by United Nations. So, somebody given the choice to go to the best country he will choose Canada. And that's what they did.

COLLINS: And quickly, Dr. Hafuth, I know that you are an emergency room doctor. Will you help Ali with his rehabilitation?

HAFUTH: I will, whether he will come here, whether he will stay. I'm not going to give up on advising him, helping him, whatever way I can do.

COLLINS: All right. Dr. Falah Hafuth, we certainly appreciate your time today. We wish you the best of luck. And we'll invite you back. You keep us updated on the situation, OK?

HAFUTH: Thank you, Heidi, for having me. Thank you.

COLLINS: All right. You bet. Have a great day. Thanks again.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired August 11, 2003 - 11:14   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Dr. Falah Hafuth fled Iraq in 1988. He spent five days with Ali at a Kuwait hospital late last month and hopes to be reunited with him in Canada very soon. Dr. Hafuth Joins us now from Toronto this morning. Good morning to you, Doctor. Thanks for being here.
DR. FALAH HAFUTH, PROSPECTIVE ADOPTIVE FATHER: Good morning, Heidi. Thank you for having me.

COLLINS: You bet. Tell us, if you would, a little bit about how you came to know Ali. You say he stole your heart.

HAFUTH: Well Ali's story captured the heart of millions all over the world. We were watching TV, me and my wife that night. And when we saw his disability and devastation and we called the prime minister right away. I sent him an e-mail and asked the prime minister of Canada to help this boy to get him out of Baghdad.

In a few days he was airlifted from Baghdad to Kuwait. I was so happy for that. And He got very good treatment in Kuwait. And he's doing very good now. He's in very good general health.

COLLINS: So what is it that made you say, You know what? I want him to come to Canada and I want him to live with me.

HAFUTH: The fact that Ali and Ali's family wished to come to Canada and they applied for the Canadian immigration and their immigration paper was completed, probably just the final touches to hand him over the visa to come to Canada.

I was shocked today when I heard that in the news that he would like to stay in England. I don't know whether this is the words put in his mouth, is there any political flavor in this issue from the Kuwaitis, from British. I have no idea.

Here in Canada we are not interested in any politics involved. We want him to be in the best place to go to school, just like any kid. And just to have continued health care and education so he can be productive when he grows up.

COLLINS: We had an opportunity to speak with Ali, certainly concerning what you just said. If he wants to stay in London, will that be all right with you?

HAFUTH: Oh that's -- that's OK with me if he likes. But for the last two days I have been almost prevented from talking to him on the phone on the excuse that they say he does not have a phone line. Well I spent five days with him in Kuwait and find him a very clever boy and his family in agreement. The Canadian government immigration, in fact, went to his grandparents in Baghdad and took the permission for the boy to come to Canada. His stepmom has agreed for the boy to come to Canada. I did not hear anything from the family.

COLLINS: How does he seem to be doing to you, Dr. Hafuth? We know that his father, his pregnant mother, brother, and 13 other relatives were killed. That was part of the reason that he stole so many hearts of this world. How does he seem to be doing to you?

HAFUTH: I find him full of hope and confidence. And the boy, I think, he will do very well. When he grow up I think he will have a very good life if he is in a place where he can have training and some kind of education.

I don't think he will do good in Iraq at this stage. Iraq is as a country wounded now. They don't pay attention to the disabled. They only -- I mean, they care about political vacuums in Iraq. So I think he will have a good life in Canada or anywhere.

But I don't think he will have a good life when he gets in a political spin. I want him to be away so he can have a normal kid's life, go to school and just have fun with the kids in 12, 13-years- old.

COLLINS: If you could talk with him now, Dr. Hafuth, what would your message be to Ali?

HAFUTH: I would say, I wish you all the best, I want you to be in the best place you like. And if I get word from his family that they want him to be in England, I will back off on that and I would not do anything for him. That is his wish and his family's wish. In fact they even went to the fortune teller and they told them Canada is the best place for the boy.

COLLINS: They went to a fortune teller, huh? All right.

HAFUTH: They consulted the community in Iraq and in Kuwait, and everybody was happy for the boy to come to Canada. I think the reputation of the Canada is very well known. It's the best country in the world by the United Nations -- named by United Nations. So, somebody given the choice to go to the best country he will choose Canada. And that's what they did.

COLLINS: And quickly, Dr. Hafuth, I know that you are an emergency room doctor. Will you help Ali with his rehabilitation?

HAFUTH: I will, whether he will come here, whether he will stay. I'm not going to give up on advising him, helping him, whatever way I can do.

COLLINS: All right. Dr. Falah Hafuth, we certainly appreciate your time today. We wish you the best of luck. And we'll invite you back. You keep us updated on the situation, OK?

HAFUTH: Thank you, Heidi, for having me. Thank you.

COLLINS: All right. You bet. Have a great day. Thanks again.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com