text:
(CNN) -- The U.S. State Department said Sunday it was "deeply disturbed" at the deportation of 20 Uyghur asylum seekers from Cambodia back to China.

The deportation "will affect Cambodia's relationship with the U.S. and its international standing," said acting State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid in a statement.

It occurred on Saturday at the request of China, the U.S. said.

"The United States is deeply concerned about the welfare of these individuals, who had sought protection under international law," Duguid said.

"We are also deeply disturbed that the Cambodian government decided to forcibly remove the group without the benefit of a credible process for determining refugee status and without appropriate participation by the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees."

Kitty McKinsey, a coordinator with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees agency in Asia, told CNN on Saturday that the refugees had been seeking asylum. China's northwestern region was wracked by ethnic violence between Han Chinese and Uyghur Muslims earlier this year, and the Uyghurs fled to Cambodia to escape the unrest.

McKinsey said the UNHCR considers the deportation a breach of international law, and Uyghur human rights activists have expressed concern about the move. The Uyghur American Association also expressed concern in a statement.

The 20 were held in handcuffs and leg shackles and were not given any food to eat on Friday, according to the association. They were part of a group of 22 Uyghurs seeking refuge in Cambodia, all of whom were under UNHCR protection when taken into custody.

"The United States strongly opposed Cambodia's involuntary return of these asylum seekers before their claims have been heard," the State Department said.

Duguid urged the Chinese government to "uphold international norms and to ensure transparency, due process and proper treatment of persons in its territory" now that the Uyghurs have been returned.

Cambodian and Chinese officials could not immediately be reached for a response. But a Cambodian state media outlet, Agence Kampuchea Presse, reported that Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping is to arrive in Cambodia on Sunday for a three-day visit.

text: CNN

text: The

text: U.S.

text: State

text: Department

text: said

text: Sunday

text: it

text: was

text: deeply

text: disturbed

text: at

text: the

text: deportation

text: of

text: Uyghur

text: asylum

text: seekers

text: from

text: Cambodia

text: back

text: to

text: China

text: The

text: deportation

text: will

text: affect

text: Cambodia

text: 's

text: relationship

text: with

text: the

text: U.S.

text: and

text: its

text: international

text: standing

text: said

text: acting

text: State

text: Department

text: spokesman

text: Gordon

text: Duguid

text: in

text: a

text: statement

text: It

text: occurred

text: on

text: Saturday

text: at

text: the

text: request

text: of

text: China

text: the

text: U.S.

text: said

text: The

text: United

text: States

text: is

text: deeply

text: concerned

text: about

text: the

text: welfare

text: of

text: these

text: individuals

text: who

text: had

text: sought

text: protection

text: under

text: international

text: law

text: Duguid

text: said

text: We

text: are

text: also

text: deeply

text: disturbed

text: that

text: the

text: Cambodian

text: government

text: decided

text: to

text: forcibly

text: remove

text: the

text: group

text: without

text: the

text: benefit

text: of

text: a

text: credible

text: process

text: for

text: determining

text: refugee

text: status

text: and

text: without

text: appropriate

text: participation

text: by

text: the

text: Office

text: of

text: the

text: U.N.

text: High

text: Commissioner

text: for

text: Refugees

text: Kitty

text: McKinsey

text: a

text: coordinator

text: with

text: the

text: U.N.

text: High

text: Commissioner

text: for

text: Refugees

text: agency

text: in

text: Asia

text: told

text: CNN

text: on

text: Saturday

text: that

text: the

text: refugees

text: had

text: been

text: seeking

text: asylum

text: China

text: 's

text: northwestern

text: region

text: was

text: wracked

text: by

text: ethnic

text: violence

text: between

text: Han

text: Chinese

text: and

text: Uyghur

text: Muslims

text: earlier

text: this

text: year

text: and

text: the

text: Uyghurs

text: fled

text: to

text: Cambodia

text: to

text: escape

text: the

text: unrest

text: McKinsey

text: said

text: the

text: UNHCR

text: considers

text: the

text: deportation

text: a

text: breach

text: of

text: international

text: law

text: and

text: Uyghur

text: human

text: rights

text: activists

text: have

text: expressed

text: concern

text: about

text: the

text: move

text: The

text: Uyghur

text: American

text: Association

text: also

text: expressed

text: concern

text: in

text: a

text: statement

text: The

text: were

text: held

text: in

text: handcuffs

text: and

text: leg

text: shackles

text: and

text: were

text: not

text: given

text: any

text: food

text: to

text: eat

text: on

text: Friday

text: according

text: to

text: the

text: association

text: They

text: were

text: part

text: of

text: a

text: group

text: of

text: Uyghurs

text: seeking

text: refuge

text: in

text: Cambodia

text: all

text: of

text: whom

text: were

text: under

text: UNHCR

text: protection

text: when

text: taken

text: into

text: custody

text: The

text: United

text: States

text: strongly

text: opposed

text: Cambodia

text: 's

text: involuntary

text: return

text: of

text: these

text: asylum

text: seekers

text: before

text: their

text: claims

text: have

text: been

text: heard

text: the

text: State

text: Department

text: said

text: Duguid

text: urged

text: the

text: Chinese

text: government

text: to

text: uphold

text: international

text: norms

text: and

text: to

text: ensure

text: transparency

text: due

text: process

text: and

text: proper

text: treatment

text: of

text: persons

text: in

text: its

text: territory

text: now

text: that

text: the

text: Uyghurs

text: have

text: been

text: returned

text: Cambodian

text: and

text: Chinese

text: officials

text: could

text: not

text: immediately

text: be

text: reached

text: for

text: a

text: response

text: But

text: a

text: Cambodian

text: state

text: media

text: outlet

text: Agence

text: Kampuchea

text: Presse

text: reported

text: that

text: Chinese

text: Vice

text: President

text: Xi

text: Jinping

text: is

text: to

text: arrive

text: in

text: Cambodia

text: on

text: Sunday

text: for

text: a

text: three

text: day

text: visit

question: What is the reason the Uyghurs felled to Cambodia?

answer: escape the unrest.

text: escape the unrest.

question: Where do Uyghurs come from?

answer: Cambodia

text: Cambodia

question: How many Uyghurs where deported back to China?

answer: 20

question: What is the U.S. condemning?

answer: asylum seekers from Cambodia back to China.

text: asylum seekers from Cambodia back to China.


text:
(CNN) -- Key West's historic Duval Street reopened Monday morning after a fire swept through a building housing three well-known businesses and temporarily shut down other popular spots on the island city's main street.

A fire broke out late Sunday night on Duval Street in Key West.

The fire, which started at about 10:30 p.m. Sunday and was contained by 1 a.m. Monday, wiped out a crepe shop, an art gallery and a sign shop. Two firefighters suffered minor injuries, city spokeswoman Alyson Crean said.

The fire department was working Monday to determine the cause of the blaze, Crean said.

Singer Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville restaurant and store was one of the businesses initially shut down, halting late-night festivities at the popular watering hole in mid-pour.

"I was hoping to go back in, finish off my shift and clean up, but they wouldn't let us back in," said waitress Patricija Hambrook. "It became bigger than we thought.

"We couldn't close out checks, and the drinks we made were never served."

Margaritaville's restaurant reopened Monday afternoon, and its adjacent retail store reopened a few hours later, the fire department said.

In addition to protecting Margaritaville, firefighters kept flames away from the historic San Carlos theater, although the facility's administrator said that a large broken out window and about 2 inches of water on the floor of the lobby would keep it closed for a few days.

Alex Pascual said he anticipated the theater would reopen by Thursday, in time for a concert scheduled for that evening.

The San Carlos was founded in 1871 and was the site of Cuban patriot Jose Marti's 1892 speech launching his drive for Cuban independence.

Fire officials initially shut down Duval Street to vehicular traffic but allowed pedestrians to stroll the sidewalks. Traffic restrictions prompted some business owners to be concerned about their livelihoods, at least for the short term.

Robert Porter, assistant manager of Crazy Shirts, was concerned early Monday "because there aren't any cars driving through."

But Banana Republic general manager Darren Paugh said the foot traffic and onlookers curious to see the aftermath of the fire "should increase business for the day." Plus, he said, three cruise ships were in port Monday morning.

And Crean indicated life for tourists won't stop in Key West because of the fire.

"We have a lot of spring breakers on vacation and bikers coming from Bike Week in Daytona," Crean said.

All the concern proved unfounded when officials reopened Duval Street at about 10 a.m. Monday morning.

For the owners of the three businesses that took the brunt of the fire, however, it will be some time before it's business as usual.

"It's a big loss for us. And we worked so hard, it's not fair," said La Creperie Cafe owner Yolande Findlay in a story published on the Keynoter newspaper's Web site Monday. Findlay, according to the paper's Web site, opened the popular crepe shop with her partner, Sylvie Lenouail, six years ago. Both are from Brittany, France.

The American Royal Art gallery, which specialized in entertainment art, and the sign shop Montage were destroyed in the fire.

text: CNN

text: Key

text: West

text: 's

text: historic

text: Duval

text: Street

text: reopened

text: Monday

text: morning

text: after

text: a

text: fire

text: swept

text: through

text: a

text: building

text: housing

text: three

text: well

text: known

text: businesses

text: and

text: temporarily

text: shut

text: down

text: other

text: popular

text: spots

text: on

text: the

text: island

text: city

text: 's

text: main

text: street

text: A

text: fire

text: broke

text: out

text: late

text: Sunday

text: night

text: on

text: Duval

text: Street

text: in

text: Key

text: West

text: The

text: fire

text: which

text: started

text: at

text: about

text: p.m.

text: Sunday

text: and

text: was

text: contained

text: by

text: a.m.

text: Monday

text: wiped

text: out

text: a

text: crepe

text: shop

text: an

text: art

text: gallery

text: and

text: a

text: sign

text: shop

text: Two

text: firefighters

text: suffered

text: minor

text: injuries

text: city

text: spokeswoman

text: Alyson

text: Crean

text: said

text: The

text: fire

text: department

text: was

text: working

text: Monday

text: to

text: determine

text: the

text: cause

text: of

text: the

text: blaze

text: Crean

text: said

text: Singer

text: Jimmy

text: Buffet

text: 's

text: Margaritaville

text: restaurant

text: and

text: store

text: was

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: businesses

text: initially

text: shut

text: down

text: halting

text: late

text: night

text: festivities

text: at

text: the

text: popular

text: watering

text: hole

text: in

text: mid

text: pour

text: I

text: was

text: hoping

text: to

text: go

text: back

text: in

text: finish

text: off

text: my

text: shift

text: and

text: clean

text: up

text: but

text: they

text: would

text: n't

text: let

text: us

text: back

text: in

text: said

text: waitress

text: Patricija

text: Hambrook

text: It

text: became

text: bigger

text: than

text: we

text: thought

text: We

text: could

text: n't

text: close

text: out

text: checks

text: and

text: the

text: drinks

text: we

text: made

text: were

text: never

text: served

text: Margaritaville

text: 's

text: restaurant

text: reopened

text: Monday

text: afternoon

text: and

text: its

text: adjacent

text: retail

text: store

text: reopened

text: a

text: few

text: hours

text: later

text: the

text: fire

text: department

text: said

text: In

text: addition

text: to

text: protecting

text: Margaritaville

text: firefighters

text: kept

text: flames

text: away

text: from

text: the

text: historic

text: San

text: Carlos

text: theater

text: although

text: the

text: facility

text: 's

text: administrator

text: said

text: that

text: a

text: large

text: broken

text: out

text: window

text: and

text: about

text: inches

text: of

text: water

text: on

text: the

text: floor

text: of

text: the

text: lobby

text: would

text: keep

text: it

text: closed

text: for

text: a

text: few

text: days

text: Alex

text: Pascual

text: said

text: he

text: anticipated

text: the

text: theater

text: would

text: reopen

text: by

text: Thursday

text: in

text: time

text: for

text: a

text: concert

text: scheduled

text: for

text: that

text: evening

text: The

text: San

text: Carlos

text: was

text: founded

text: in

text: and

text: was

text: the

text: site

text: of

text: Cuban

text: patriot

text: Jose

text: Marti

text: 's

text: speech

text: launching

text: his

text: drive

text: for

text: Cuban

text: independence

text: Fire

text: officials

text: initially

text: shut

text: down

text: Duval

text: Street

text: to

text: vehicular

text: traffic

text: but

text: allowed

text: pedestrians

text: to

text: stroll

text: the

text: sidewalks

text: Traffic

text: restrictions

text: prompted

text: some

text: business

text: owners

text: to

text: be

text: concerned

text: about

text: their

text: livelihoods

text: at

text: least

text: for

text: the

text: short

text: term

text: Robert

text: Porter

text: assistant

text: manager

text: of

text: Crazy

text: Shirts

text: was

text: concerned

text: early

text: Monday

text: because

text: there

text: are

text: n't

text: any

text: cars

text: driving

text: through

text: But

text: Banana

text: Republic

text: general

text: manager

text: Darren

text: Paugh

text: said

text: the

text: foot

text: traffic

text: and

text: onlookers

text: curious

text: to

text: see

text: the

text: aftermath

text: of

text: the

text: fire

text: should

text: increase

text: business

text: for

text: the

text: day

text: Plus

text: he

text: said

text: three

text: cruise

text: ships

text: were

text: in

text: port

text: Monday

text: morning

text: And

text: Crean

text: indicated

text: life

text: for

text: tourists

text: wo

text: n't

text: stop

text: in

text: Key

text: West

text: because

text: of

text: the

text: fire

text: We

text: have

text: a

text: lot

text: of

text: spring

text: breakers

text: on

text: vacation

text: and

text: bikers

text: coming

text: from

text: Bike

text: Week

text: in

text: Daytona

text: Crean

text: said

text: All

text: the

text: concern

text: proved

text: unfounded

text: when

text: officials

text: reopened

text: Duval

text: Street

text: at

text: about

text: a.m.

text: Monday

text: morning

text: For

text: the

text: owners

text: of

text: the

text: three

text: businesses

text: that

text: took

text: the

text: brunt

text: of

text: the

text: fire

text: however

text: it

text: will

text: be

text: some

text: time

text: before

text: it

text: 's

text: business

text: as

text: usual

text: It

text: 's

text: a

text: big

text: loss

text: for

text: us

text: And

text: we

text: worked

text: so

text: hard

text: it

text: 's

text: not

text: fair

text: said

text: La

text: Creperie

text: Cafe

text: owner

text: Yolande

text: Findlay

text: in

text: a

text: story

text: published

text: on

text: the

text: Keynoter

text: newspaper

text: 's

text: Web

text: site

text: Monday

text: Findlay

text: according

text: to

text: the

text: paper

text: 's

text: Web

text: site

text: opened

text: the

text: popular

text: crepe

text: shop

text: with

text: her

text: partner

text: Sylvie

text: Lenouail

text: six

text: years

text: ago

text: Both

text: are

text: from

text: Brittany

text: France

text: The

text: American

text: Royal

text: Art

text: gallery

text: which

text: specialized

text: in

text: entertainment

text: art

text: and

text: the

text: sign

text: shop

text: Montage

text: were

text: destroyed

text: in

text: the

text: fire

question: What day were several businesses damaged?

answer: Sunday

text: Sunday

question: What was damaged late Sunday night?

answer: a crepe shop, an art gallery and a sign shop.

text: a crepe shop, an art gallery and a sign shop.

question: What caused damage to several businesses?

answer: fire

text: fire

question: What initially opened to only pedestrians?

answer: Duval Street

text: Duval Street

question: Where is Duval Street?

answer: in Key West.

text: in Key West.

question: What was initially open just to pedestrians?

answer: Duval Street

text: Duval Street

question: What opened only to pedestrians?

answer: Duval Street

text: Duval Street

question: Who is working to determine the cause of the blaze?

answer: fire department

text: fire department


text:
New York (CNN) -- The man accused of attempting to set off a car bomb in Times Square considered other targets in and around New York before the failed attack, an investigator said.

Faisal Shahzad, 30, pondered attacks on Rockefeller Center, Grand Central Terminal, the World Financial Center and Connecticut helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky, going so far as to case some of the targets, a senior counterterrorism official with oversight of the investigation said Tuesday.

Dressed in a gray sweatsuit, free of handcuffs, Shahzad appeared before a federal magistrate on Tuesday afternoon to hear the charges against him. As he walked into courtroom, Shahzad gave a slight smile to his public defender, Julia Gatto. At the end of the hearing, Gatto requested that Shahzad be served halal food -- prepared according to Islamic dietary laws -- while jailed.

Gatto did not object to the government's request that he remain in federal custody. He did not enter a plea, and Magistrate Judge James Francis set his next hearing for June 1.

Shahzad faces five counts in connection with the attempted bombing in Times Square on May 1. He could face life in prison if convicted.

The Pakistani-born naturalized U.S. citizen has been in federal custody since his arrest two days after the bomb attempt. During that time, he "has provided valuable intelligence from which further investigative action has been taken," the U.S. attorney's office said.

After 15 days of questioning, Shahzad invoked his right to an attorney at Tuesday's hearing, a federal law enforcement official said.

According to court documents, Shahzad has admitted to law enforcement that he attempted to detonate the bomb and that he recently received bomb-making training in the Waziristan region of Pakistan.

Attorney General Eric Holder has said Shahzad was working with the Pakistani Taliban.

E-mails obtained by CNN indicate he was looking for a way to strike back against "foreign infidel forces" he believed were oppressing the Muslim world. In one, sent to a large group of recipients in February 2006, Shahzad wrote, "Everyone knows how the Muslim country bows down to pressure from the west. Everyone knows the kind of humiliation we are faced with around the globe."

At the time, he had been in the United States for about six years, had earned his MBA and was working as a financial analyst in Connecticut.

CIA Director Leon Panetta and National Security Adviser James Jones are traveling to Pakistan to meet with officials there about the status of the Times Square investigation, a U.S. official said Tuesday. They also plan to discuss efforts to prevent future terrorist attacks in their meetings there, the official added.

The U.S. government wants to see continued Pakistani cooperation in determining what role the Pakistani Taliban may have played in assisting Shahzad. Washington also wants an aggressive push by Pakistani authorities to take action against al Qaeda-linked groups in the largely ungoverned tribal areas along its border with Afghanistan.

CNN National Correspondent Susan Candiotti and National Security Analyst Frances Townsend contributed to this report.

text: New

text: York

text: CNN

text: The

text: man

text: accused

text: of

text: attempting

text: to

text: set

text: off

text: a

text: car

text: bomb

text: in

text: Times

text: Square

text: considered

text: other

text: targets

text: in

text: and

text: around

text: New

text: York

text: before

text: the

text: failed

text: attack

text: an

text: investigator

text: said

text: Faisal

text: Shahzad

text: pondered

text: attacks

text: on

text: Rockefeller

text: Center

text: Grand

text: Central

text: Terminal

text: the

text: World

text: Financial

text: Center

text: and

text: Connecticut

text: helicopter

text: manufacturer

text: Sikorsky

text: going

text: so

text: far

text: as

text: to

text: case

text: some

text: of

text: the

text: targets

text: a

text: senior

text: counterterrorism

text: official

text: with

text: oversight

text: of

text: the

text: investigation

text: said

text: Tuesday

text: Dressed

text: in

text: a

text: gray

text: sweatsuit

text: free

text: of

text: handcuffs

text: Shahzad

text: appeared

text: before

text: a

text: federal

text: magistrate

text: on

text: Tuesday

text: afternoon

text: to

text: hear

text: the

text: charges

text: against

text: him

text: As

text: he

text: walked

text: into

text: courtroom

text: Shahzad

text: gave

text: a

text: slight

text: smile

text: to

text: his

text: public

text: defender

text: Julia

text: Gatto

text: At

text: the

text: end

text: of

text: the

text: hearing

text: Gatto

text: requested

text: that

text: Shahzad

text: be

text: served

text: halal

text: food

text: prepared

text: according

text: to

text: Islamic

text: dietary

text: laws

text: while

text: jailed

text: Gatto

text: did

text: not

text: object

text: to

text: the

text: government

text: 's

text: request

text: that

text: he

text: remain

text: in

text: federal

text: custody

text: He

text: did

text: not

text: enter

text: a

text: plea

text: and

text: Magistrate

text: Judge

text: James

text: Francis

text: set

text: his

text: next

text: hearing

text: for

text: June

text: Shahzad

text: faces

text: five

text: counts

text: in

text: connection

text: with

text: the

text: attempted

text: bombing

text: in

text: Times

text: Square

text: on

text: May

text: He

text: could

text: face

text: life

text: in

text: prison

text: if

text: convicted

text: The

text: Pakistani

text: born

text: naturalized

text: U.S.

text: citizen

text: has

text: been

text: in

text: federal

text: custody

text: since

text: his

text: arrest

text: two

text: days

text: after

text: the

text: bomb

text: attempt

text: During

text: that

text: time

text: he

text: has

text: provided

text: valuable

text: intelligence

text: from

text: which

text: further

text: investigative

text: action

text: has

text: been

text: taken

text: the

text: U.S.

text: attorney

text: 's

text: office

text: said

text: After

text: days

text: of

text: questioning

text: Shahzad

text: invoked

text: his

text: right

text: to

text: an

text: attorney

text: at

text: Tuesday

text: 's

text: hearing

text: a

text: federal

text: law

text: enforcement

text: official

text: said

text: According

text: to

text: court

text: documents

text: Shahzad

text: has

text: admitted

text: to

text: law

text: enforcement

text: that

text: he

text: attempted

text: to

text: detonate

text: the

text: bomb

text: and

text: that

text: he

text: recently

text: received

text: bomb

text: making

text: training

text: in

text: the

text: Waziristan

text: region

text: of

text: Pakistan

text: Attorney

text: General

text: Eric

text: Holder

text: has

text: said

text: Shahzad

text: was

text: working

text: with

text: the

text: Pakistani

text: Taliban

text: E

text: mails

text: obtained

text: by

text: CNN

text: indicate

text: he

text: was

text: looking

text: for

text: a

text: way

text: to

text: strike

text: back

text: against

text: foreign

text: infidel

text: forces

text: he

text: believed

text: were

text: oppressing

text: the

text: Muslim

text: world

text: In

text: one

text: sent

text: to

text: a

text: large

text: group

text: of

text: recipients

text: in

text: February

text: Shahzad

text: wrote

text: Everyone

text: knows

text: how

text: the

text: Muslim

text: country

text: bows

text: down

text: to

text: pressure

text: from

text: the

text: west

text: Everyone

text: knows

text: the

text: kind

text: of

text: humiliation

text: we

text: are

text: faced

text: with

text: around

text: the

text: globe

text: At

text: the

text: time

text: he

text: had

text: been

text: in

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: for

text: about

text: six

text: years

text: had

text: earned

text: his

text: MBA

text: and

text: was

text: working

text: as

text: a

text: financial

text: analyst

text: in

text: Connecticut

text: CIA

text: Director

text: Leon

text: Panetta

text: and

text: National

text: Security

text: Adviser

text: James

text: Jones

text: are

text: traveling

text: to

text: Pakistan

text: to

text: meet

text: with

text: officials

text: there

text: about

text: the

text: status

text: of

text: the

text: Times

text: Square

text: investigation

text: a

text: U.S.

text: official

text: said

text: Tuesday

text: They

text: also

text: plan

text: to

text: discuss

text: efforts

text: to

text: prevent

text: future

text: terrorist

text: attacks

text: in

text: their

text: meetings

text: there

text: the

text: official

text: added

text: The

text: U.S.

text: government

text: wants

text: to

text: see

text: continued

text: Pakistani

text: cooperation

text: in

text: determining

text: what

text: role

text: the

text: Pakistani

text: Taliban

text: may

text: have

text: played

text: in

text: assisting

text: Shahzad

text: Washington

text: also

text: wants

text: an

text: aggressive

text: push

text: by

text: Pakistani

text: authorities

text: to

text: take

text: action

text: against

text: al

text: Qaeda

text: linked

text: groups

text: in

text: the

text: largely

text: ungoverned

text: tribal

text: areas

text: along

text: its

text: border

text: with

text: Afghanistan

text: CNN

text: National

text: Correspondent

text: Susan

text: Candiotti

text: and

text: National

text: Security

text: Analyst

text: Frances

text: Townsend

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: What tourist spots were considered?

answer: Rockefeller Center, Grand Central Terminal, the World Financial Center

text: Rockefeller Center, Grand Central Terminal, the World Financial Center

question: Who enter no plea?

answer: Faisal Shahzad,

text: Faisal Shahzad,

question: Who did not enter a plea deal?

answer: Faisal Shahzad,

text: Faisal Shahzad,

question: Who is seeking Pakistan's help?

answer: CIA Director Leon Panetta and National Security Adviser James Jones

text: CIA Director Leon Panetta and National Security Adviser James Jones

question: Who considered attacks on Rockefeller Center?

answer: Faisal Shahzad,

text: Faisal Shahzad,

question: Who asked that he be served food prepared according to Islamic dietary laws?

answer: Gatto

text: Gatto

question: Name the Times Square bomb plot suspect

answer: Faisal Shahzad,

text: Faisal Shahzad,

question: Who was seeking what?

answer: U.S. government wants to see continued Pakistani cooperation in determining

text: U.S. government wants to see continued Pakistani cooperation in determining


text:
(CNN) -- Longtime "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell said he'll be leaving the popular Fox talent show at the end of the season, the network announced Monday at the Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena, California.

Cowell's popular U.K. talent show, "The X Factor," will be coming to the United States in the fall of 2011 with the acerbic critic in tow, according to Fox.

"I want to leave 'Idol' this year bigger and better than it was in the past," Cowell said at the TCA tour Monday.

Cowell will be both executive producer and judge on "The X Factor."

"I'm thrilled that we have put a date on the launch of the U.S. version of 'The X Factor,' and delighted to be continuing to work with Fox," said Cowell in a statement. "We have a fantastic relationship, a great team and are all very excited about this." iReport: Will you watch "Idol" without Simon?

Speculation has raged for weeks as to Cowell's future. Though he's well paid for his "Idol" work -- an estimated $36 million per season -- he has expressed a desire to focus on "The X Factor."

Cowell said at the press session that it's taken some time to reach an agreement for his new duties, hence the buzz. (Indeed, he signed the last page of his "contract" on stage with Fox executives Peter Rice and Kevin Reilly.)

"[I] didn't think it was right to do two shows in America at the same time, so [I] decided to leave one and start another," he said.

He said he missed Paula Abdul, the former "Idol" judge who left the show in August, but wouldn't confirm or deny whether she would appear on "X Factor" in the U.S. Cowell and Abdul had a good-naturedly contentious relationship on "Idol," with the tough-minded Brit often acting as bad cop to the "Forever Your Girl" singer's good cop.

Ellen DeGeneres, who's taking over Abdul's judging slot, joked about Cowell's announcement on her talk show Monday -- getting in a dig at NBC's late-night troubles as well.

"So this just happened, Simon Cowell just announced that he's leaving 'Idol.' This will be his last season. He announced he's leaving on my first day. I'm trying not to take it personally," she said. "But seriously, I am going to be very, very sad to see him go, because I think he's made the show what it is. He's a huge part of that show but he wanted a change. I wish him all the luck in the world hosting 'The Tonight Show,' " said DeGeneres, referring to widespread speculation about how NBC will resolve its issues with its late-night talk shows. In reality, of course, Simon Cowell has not been part of that speculation.

Since its premiere in 2002, "Idol" has been an entertainment phenomenon, regularly ranking as TV's top show, creating several musical stars and pulling in millions more viewers than its closest competition. Its new season premieres Tuesday.

Cowell's presence has been credited as a major reason. The British music executive was a judge on the British version of "Idol," "Pop Idol," and came to the United States when Fox imported the show. Unlike judges on many American talent shows, Cowell didn't sugar-coat his criticisms to contestants.

With the show's growing popularity -- by its fourth season it was the top show on television, a rank it has held ever since -- Cowell and fellow "Idol" players Abdul, judge Randy Jackson and amiable host Ryan Seacrest became stars in their own right.

Though the show continues to dominate American TV, ratings have started sliding in "Idol's" past two seasons. But Cowell told the TCA audience he had no doubt about the show's future.

It will "continue to be the No. 1 show" in the country, Cowell said. The show has given him "the best days of my life."

Asked who should replace him, he jokingly suggested Seacrest, with whom Cowell has also good-naturedly tangled. The Fox executives said they're not going to rush to find Cowell's replacement.

CNN's KJ Matthews contributed to this story.

text: CNN

text: Longtime

text: American

text: Idol

text: judge

text: Simon

text: Cowell

text: said

text: he

text: 'll

text: be

text: leaving

text: the

text: popular

text: Fox

text: talent

text: show

text: at

text: the

text: end

text: of

text: the

text: season

text: the

text: network

text: announced

text: Monday

text: at

text: the

text: Television

text: Critics

text: Association

text: press

text: tour

text: in

text: Pasadena

text: California

text: Cowell

text: 's

text: popular

text: U.K.

text: talent

text: show

text: The

text: X

text: Factor

text: will

text: be

text: coming

text: to

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: in

text: the

text: fall

text: of

text: with

text: the

text: acerbic

text: critic

text: in

text: tow

text: according

text: to

text: Fox

text: I

text: want

text: to

text: leave

text: Idol

text: this

text: year

text: bigger

text: and

text: better

text: than

text: it

text: was

text: in

text: the

text: past

text: Cowell

text: said

text: at

text: the

text: TCA

text: tour

text: Monday

text: Cowell

text: will

text: be

text: both

text: executive

text: producer

text: and

text: judge

text: on

text: The

text: X

text: Factor

text: I

text: 'm

text: thrilled

text: that

text: we

text: have

text: put

text: a

text: date

text: on

text: the

text: launch

text: of

text: the

text: U.S.

text: version

text: of

text: The

text: X

text: Factor

text: and

text: delighted

text: to

text: be

text: continuing

text: to

text: work

text: with

text: Fox

text: said

text: Cowell

text: in

text: a

text: statement

text: We

text: have

text: a

text: fantastic

text: relationship

text: a

text: great

text: team

text: and

text: are

text: all

text: very

text: excited

text: about

text: this

text: iReport

text: Will

text: you

text: watch

text: Idol

text: without

text: Simon

text: Speculation

text: has

text: raged

text: for

text: weeks

text: as

text: to

text: Cowell

text: 's

text: future

text: Though

text: he

text: 's

text: well

text: paid

text: for

text: his

text: Idol

text: work

text: an

text: estimated

text: million

text: per

text: season

text: he

text: has

text: expressed

text: a

text: desire

text: to

text: focus

text: on

text: The

text: X

text: Factor

text: Cowell

text: said

text: at

text: the

text: press

text: session

text: that

text: it

text: 's

text: taken

text: some

text: time

text: to

text: reach

text: an

text: agreement

text: for

text: his

text: new

text: duties

text: hence

text: the

text: buzz

text: Indeed

text: he

text: signed

text: the

text: last

text: page

text: of

text: his

text: contract

text: on

text: stage

text: with

text: Fox

text: executives

text: Peter

text: Rice

text: and

text: Kevin

text: Reilly

text: I

text: did

text: n't

text: think

text: it

text: was

text: right

text: to

text: do

text: two

text: shows

text: in

text: America

text: at

text: the

text: same

text: time

text: so

text: I

text: decided

text: to

text: leave

text: one

text: and

text: start

text: another

text: he

text: said

text: He

text: said

text: he

text: missed

text: Paula

text: Abdul

text: the

text: former

text: Idol

text: judge

text: who

text: left

text: the

text: show

text: in

text: August

text: but

text: would

text: n't

text: confirm

text: or

text: deny

text: whether

text: she

text: would

text: appear

text: on

text: X

text: Factor

text: in

text: the

text: U.S.

text: Cowell

text: and

text: Abdul

text: had

text: a

text: good

text: naturedly

text: contentious

text: relationship

text: on

text: Idol

text: with

text: the

text: tough

text: minded

text: Brit

text: often

text: acting

text: as

text: bad

text: cop

text: to

text: the

text: Forever

text: Your

text: Girl

text: singer

text: 's

text: good

text: cop

text: Ellen

text: DeGeneres

text: who

text: 's

text: taking

text: over

text: Abdul

text: 's

text: judging

text: slot

text: joked

text: about

text: Cowell

text: 's

text: announcement

text: on

text: her

text: talk

text: show

text: Monday

text: getting

text: in

text: a

text: dig

text: at

text: NBC

text: 's

text: late

text: night

text: troubles

text: as

text: well

text: So

text: this

text: just

text: happened

text: Simon

text: Cowell

text: just

text: announced

text: that

text: he

text: 's

text: leaving

text: Idol

text: This

text: will

text: be

text: his

text: last

text: season

text: He

text: announced

text: he

text: 's

text: leaving

text: on

text: my

text: first

text: day

text: I

text: 'm

text: trying

text: not

text: to

text: take

text: it

text: personally

text: she

text: said

text: But

text: seriously

text: I

text: am

text: going

text: to

text: be

text: very

text: very

text: sad

text: to

text: see

text: him

text: go

text: because

text: I

text: think

text: he

text: 's

text: made

text: the

text: show

text: what

text: it

text: is

text: He

text: 's

text: a

text: huge

text: part

text: of

text: that

text: show

text: but

text: he

text: wanted

text: a

text: change

text: I

text: wish

text: him

text: all

text: the

text: luck

text: in

text: the

text: world

text: hosting

text: The

text: Tonight

text: Show

text: said

text: DeGeneres

text: referring

text: to

text: widespread

text: speculation

text: about

text: how

text: NBC

text: will

text: resolve

text: its

text: issues

text: with

text: its

text: late

text: night

text: talk

text: shows

text: In

text: reality

text: of

text: course

text: Simon

text: Cowell

text: has

text: not

text: been

text: part

text: of

text: that

text: speculation

text: Since

text: its

text: premiere

text: in

text: Idol

text: has

text: been

text: an

text: entertainment

text: phenomenon

text: regularly

text: ranking

text: as

text: TV

text: 's

text: top

text: show

text: creating

text: several

text: musical

text: stars

text: and

text: pulling

text: in

text: millions

text: more

text: viewers

text: than

text: its

text: closest

text: competition

text: Its

text: new

text: season

text: premieres

text: Tuesday

text: Cowell

text: 's

text: presence

text: has

text: been

text: credited

text: as

text: a

text: major

text: reason

text: The

text: British

text: music

text: executive

text: was

text: a

text: judge

text: on

text: the

text: British

text: version

text: of

text: Idol

text: Pop

text: Idol

text: and

text: came

text: to

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: when

text: Fox

text: imported

text: the

text: show

text: Unlike

text: judges

text: on

text: many

text: American

text: talent

text: shows

text: Cowell

text: did

text: n't

text: sugar

text: coat

text: his

text: criticisms

text: to

text: contestants

text: With

text: the

text: show

text: 's

text: growing

text: popularity

text: by

text: its

text: fourth

text: season

text: it

text: was

text: the

text: top

text: show

text: on

text: television

text: a

text: rank

text: it

text: has

text: held

text: ever

text: since

text: Cowell

text: and

text: fellow

text: Idol

text: players

text: Abdul

text: judge

text: Randy

text: Jackson

text: and

text: amiable

text: host

text: Ryan

text: Seacrest

text: became

text: stars

text: in

text: their

text: own

text: right

text: Though

text: the

text: show

text: continues

text: to

text: dominate

text: American

text: TV

text: ratings

text: have

text: started

text: sliding

text: in

text: Idol

text: 's

text: past

text: two

text: seasons

text: But

text: Cowell

text: told

text: the

text: TCA

text: audience

text: he

text: had

text: no

text: doubt

text: about

text: the

text: show

text: 's

text: future

text: It

text: will

text: continue

text: to

text: be

text: the

text: No

text: show

text: in

text: the

text: country

text: Cowell

text: said

text: The

text: show

text: has

text: given

text: him

text: the

text: best

text: days

text: of

text: my

text: life

text: Asked

text: who

text: should

text: replace

text: him

text: he

text: jokingly

text: suggested

text: Seacrest

text: with

text: whom

text: Cowell

text: has

text: also

text: good

text: naturedly

text: tangled

text: The

text: Fox

text: executives

text: said

text: they

text: 're

text: not

text: going

text: to

text: rush

text: to

text: find

text: Cowell

text: 's

text: replacement

text: CNN

text: 's

text: KJ

text: Matthews

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: story

question: Who is leaving American Idol?

answer: Simon Cowell

text: Simon Cowell

question: Who is leaving the show?

answer: Simon Cowell

text: Simon Cowell

question: When is the X factor coming?

answer: fall of 2011

text: fall of 2011

question: What show is coming to the U.S.?

answer: "The X Factor,"

text: "The X Factor,"


text:
PARKER, Colorado (CNN) -- Matt Keil didn't wait for a call to serve his country.

Six weeks after Tracy and Matt Keil married in 2007, he was hit by a sniper fire while serving in Iraq.

He enlisted in the Army after graduating from high school in 2000, and when the Iraq war started, Keil volunteered to go. Because he was single, he wanted to take the place of a parent, wife or husband who would otherwise be sent.

"I wanted to go over and serve my country," he recalled.

After a year-long tour of duty in Iraq, Keil returned home to Colorado, where he met a young woman named Tracy who lived in the same apartment complex. He says he knew they were meant to be.

"I woke up one morning, and my roommate was gone. I called him up and asked him what he was doing. He said he was down by the pool hanging out," Keil said. "I asked him if there were any hot girls down there, and he said, 'Yeah, there are.' "

And the rest is history.

Matt and Tracy began dating and fell in love, but he was soon told that his unit was being sent back to Iraq. Even though he knew redeployment was part of his job, this time things were different. He and Tracy were engaged to be married.  Watch their story of love interrupted Â»

At the time, the enemy in Iraq was growing stronger, and Keil's unit was headed to Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province and a violent insurgent stronghold. Keil had been in Ramadi in 2004 and knew the mission would be dangerous.

"They were definitely built up a lot more on our second tour," he said. "Fallujah had just ended, and a lot of fighters from Fallujah had fled to nearby cities, and that's what we were up against."

Though their wedding plans were put on hold, Matt and Tracy decided to marry as soon as he could get a leave of absence.

"He got one of the earliest leaves you could take and came home in January," Tracy Keil remembered. "The main reason we got married was, even though we planned on having a bigger wedding later, what if something happened?"

On February 24, 2007, six weeks after their wedding, something did happen.

Keil, an infantry squad leader, was part of a major offensive to reclaim a portion of the city. His squad was ambushed, leaving 11 men severely wounded.

After helping evacuate his wounded men, Keil and his men entered an abandoned house. He went to the roof to look out for any potential danger.

"I jumped up on the tallest part of the roof to lay a camel net on top of the stairwell to kind of hide us from sniper fire," Keil said. "That's when I got shot right in the right side of the neck. Hit me like a ton of bricks."

It wasn't until he was back at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington that the couple realized the severity of his injury. Tracy was abruptly informed of his condition while Keil was heavily sedated.

"A doctor came in, thought I knew and made a comment about being paralyzed from the neck down," Tracy Keil recalled. "He didn't know that nobody had sat down to tell me. ... I just collapsed."

When Keil awoke, a doctor informed him that the bullet had hit his spinal cord and explained that he had a "Christopher Reeve-type injury." After the initial shock, Matt and Tracy began to understand the full implications.

For Keil, who was independent and admits to being stubborn, that was hard to swallow.

"Realizing that my wife was going to be helping me eat, cleaning me up, doing things like that, it was kind of devastating," he admitted.

But the newlyweds stayed optimistic and started focusing on the next steps. One of the most urgent issues was figuring out where they would live once Keil was out of the hospital. Tracy and her mother would bring Keil house-hunting.

"They would get me in a manual wheelchair and carry me up flights of stairs," Keil explained.

But they quickly became frustrated by what they found. Every house they saw would have to be dramatically modified to meet Keil's needs. And that meant costs that he and Tracy could not afford.

Then, in August 2007, when Keil was just a month away from being released from the hospital, his wife received news that would change this lives. This time the news was good. A friend of the couple's had submitted their story to Homes for Our Troops, an organization that builds specially adapted homes for disabled veterans.

John Gonsalves, founder and president of Homes for Our Troops, and the organization had selected Matt and Tracy to receive a house built specifically to meet their needs. Best of all, it was free.

"It's one of the most life-changing events that's ever happened to us, especially after being injured," Keil said. "We're going to be in this house that's fully accessible, has everything that it needs to take care of me, wide-open floor plan easy for Tracy to take care of me, and it's just an absolutely beautiful house."

After breaking ground in April, Homes for Our Troops utilized hundreds of volunteers, donations and community outreach to build the house so it would be ready for the dedication ceremony September 27.

Gonsalves, who started his career in construction, said he realized how many men and women would be returning home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with severe injuries and very specific needs. He wanted to volunteer with an organization that built homes designed for these disabled veterans. When he realized none existed, he started his own.

He says he's frustrated by the lack of urgency in helping America's veterans.

"It just seems like this time around, we weren't really asked to do anything. It was kind of 'go about your lives,' and I'm thinking, how can everybody just put it in the back of their mind and go about their daily lives when our sons and daughters and mothers and fathers are in a faraway place putting their lives on the line?" Gonsalves said.

Homes for Our Troops spends an average of $250,000 on each home, and only 7 percent of the group's money goes to administrative overhead. The rest goes directly to helping disabled veterans. It gives people in the community an opportunity to give back through volunteering.

The Keils' home is the 33rd project the organization has completed, and the group has 40 homes in the works.

There are 3 million veterans receiving disability compensation, and more than 250,000 of those are 100 percent disabled, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

With two wars still being waged and hundreds of thousands of America's military men and women fighting, it's likely the need for these homes will increase.

The home has given Tracy and Matt hope for their future together, and they look forward to giving back.

"This gives us security for our life," Tracy Keil said. "This is where we can have our kids, and this is where we can raise our family."

"We're going to live in this house for the rest of our lives, and eventually when it's our time to pass, we're going to find a family to donate it to that really needs it," Matt Keil said. "Our kids will be made well aware of that!"

text: PARKER

text: Colorado

text: CNN

text: Matt

text: Keil

text: did

text: n't

text: wait

text: for

text: a

text: call

text: to

text: serve

text: his

text: country

text: Six

text: weeks

text: after

text: Tracy

text: and

text: Matt

text: Keil

text: married

text: in

text: he

text: was

text: hit

text: by

text: a

text: sniper

text: fire

text: while

text: serving

text: in

text: Iraq

text: He

text: enlisted

text: in

text: the

text: Army

text: after

text: graduating

text: from

text: high

text: school

text: in

text: and

text: when

text: the

text: Iraq

text: war

text: started

text: Keil

text: volunteered

text: to

text: go

text: Because

text: he

text: was

text: single

text: he

text: wanted

text: to

text: take

text: the

text: place

text: of

text: a

text: parent

text: wife

text: or

text: husband

text: who

text: would

text: otherwise

text: be

text: sent

text: I

text: wanted

text: to

text: go

text: over

text: and

text: serve

text: my

text: country

text: he

text: recalled

text: After

text: a

text: year

text: long

text: tour

text: of

text: duty

text: in

text: Iraq

text: Keil

text: returned

text: home

text: to

text: Colorado

text: where

text: he

text: met

text: a

text: young

text: woman

text: named

text: Tracy

text: who

text: lived

text: in

text: the

text: same

text: apartment

text: complex

text: He

text: says

text: he

text: knew

text: they

text: were

text: meant

text: to

text: be

text: I

text: woke

text: up

text: one

text: morning

text: and

text: my

text: roommate

text: was

text: gone

text: I

text: called

text: him

text: up

text: and

text: asked

text: him

text: what

text: he

text: was

text: doing

text: He

text: said

text: he

text: was

text: down

text: by

text: the

text: pool

text: hanging

text: out

text: Keil

text: said

text: I

text: asked

text: him

text: if

text: there

text: were

text: any

text: hot

text: girls

text: down

text: there

text: and

text: he

text: said

text: Yeah

text: there

text: are

text: And

text: the

text: rest

text: is

text: history

text: Matt

text: and

text: Tracy

text: began

text: dating

text: and

text: fell

text: in

text: love

text: but

text: he

text: was

text: soon

text: told

text: that

text: his

text: unit

text: was

text: being

text: sent

text: back

text: to

text: Iraq

text: Even

text: though

text: he

text: knew

text: redeployment

text: was

text: part

text: of

text: his

text: job

text: this

text: time

text: things

text: were

text: different

text: He

text: and

text: Tracy

text: were

text: engaged

text: to

text: be

text: married

text: Watch

text: their

text: story

text: of

text: love

text: interrupted

text: Â

text: At

text: the

text: time

text: the

text: enemy

text: in

text: Iraq

text: was

text: growing

text: stronger

text: and

text: Keil

text: 's

text: unit

text: was

text: headed

text: to

text: Ramadi

text: the

text: capital

text: of

text: Anbar

text: province

text: and

text: a

text: violent

text: insurgent

text: stronghold

text: Keil

text: had

text: been

text: in

text: Ramadi

text: in

text: and

text: knew

text: the

text: mission

text: would

text: be

text: dangerous

text: They

text: were

text: definitely

text: built

text: up

text: a

text: lot

text: more

text: on

text: our

text: second

text: tour

text: he

text: said

text: Fallujah

text: had

text: just

text: ended

text: and

text: a

text: lot

text: of

text: fighters

text: from

text: Fallujah

text: had

text: fled

text: to

text: nearby

text: cities

text: and

text: that

text: 's

text: what

text: we

text: were

text: up

text: against

text: Though

text: their

text: wedding

text: plans

text: were

text: put

text: on

text: hold

text: Matt

text: and

text: Tracy

text: decided

text: to

text: marry

text: as

text: soon

text: as

text: he

text: could

text: get

text: a

text: leave

text: of

text: absence

text: He

text: got

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: earliest

text: leaves

text: you

text: could

text: take

text: and

text: came

text: home

text: in

text: January

text: Tracy

text: Keil

text: remembered

text: The

text: main

text: reason

text: we

text: got

text: married

text: was

text: even

text: though

text: we

text: planned

text: on

text: having

text: a

text: bigger

text: wedding

text: later

text: what

text: if

text: something

text: happened

text: On

text: February

text: six

text: weeks

text: after

text: their

text: wedding

text: something

text: did

text: happen

text: Keil

text: an

text: infantry

text: squad

text: leader

text: was

text: part

text: of

text: a

text: major

text: offensive

text: to

text: reclaim

text: a

text: portion

text: of

text: the

text: city

text: His

text: squad

text: was

text: ambushed

text: leaving

text: men

text: severely

text: wounded

text: After

text: helping

text: evacuate

text: his

text: wounded

text: men

text: Keil

text: and

text: his

text: men

text: entered

text: an

text: abandoned

text: house

text: He

text: went

text: to

text: the

text: roof

text: to

text: look

text: out

text: for

text: any

text: potential

text: danger

text: I

text: jumped

text: up

text: on

text: the

text: tallest

text: part

text: of

text: the

text: roof

text: to

text: lay

text: a

text: camel

text: net

text: on

text: top

text: of

text: the

text: stairwell

text: to

text: kind

text: of

text: hide

text: us

text: from

text: sniper

text: fire

text: Keil

text: said

text: That

text: 's

text: when

text: I

text: got

text: shot

text: right

text: in

text: the

text: right

text: side

text: of

text: the

text: neck

text: Hit

text: me

text: like

text: a

text: ton

text: of

text: bricks

text: It

text: was

text: n't

text: until

text: he

text: was

text: back

text: at

text: Walter

text: Reed

text: Army

text: Medical

text: Center

text: in

text: Washington

text: that

text: the

text: couple

text: realized

text: the

text: severity

text: of

text: his

text: injury

text: Tracy

text: was

text: abruptly

text: informed

text: of

text: his

text: condition

text: while

text: Keil

text: was

text: heavily

text: sedated

text: A

text: doctor

text: came

text: in

text: thought

text: I

text: knew

text: and

text: made

text: a

text: comment

text: about

text: being

text: paralyzed

text: from

text: the

text: neck

text: down

text: Tracy

text: Keil

text: recalled

text: He

text: did

text: n't

text: know

text: that

text: nobody

text: had

text: sat

text: down

text: to

text: tell

text: me

text: I

text: just

text: collapsed

text: When

text: Keil

text: awoke

text: a

text: doctor

text: informed

text: him

text: that

text: the

text: bullet

text: had

text: hit

text: his

text: spinal

text: cord

text: and

text: explained

text: that

text: he

text: had

text: a

text: Christopher

text: Reeve

text: type

text: injury

text: After

text: the

text: initial

text: shock

text: Matt

text: and

text: Tracy

text: began

text: to

text: understand

text: the

text: full

text: implications

text: For

text: Keil

text: who

text: was

text: independent

text: and

text: admits

text: to

text: being

text: stubborn

text: that

text: was

text: hard

text: to

text: swallow

text: Realizing

text: that

text: my

text: wife

text: was

text: going

text: to

text: be

text: helping

text: me

text: eat

text: cleaning

text: me

text: up

text: doing

text: things

text: like

text: that

text: it

text: was

text: kind

text: of

text: devastating

text: he

text: admitted

text: But

text: the

text: newlyweds

text: stayed

text: optimistic

text: and

text: started

text: focusing

text: on

text: the

text: next

text: steps

text: One

text: of

text: the

text: most

text: urgent

text: issues

text: was

text: figuring

text: out

text: where

text: they

text: would

text: live

text: once

text: Keil

text: was

text: out

text: of

text: the

text: hospital

text: Tracy

text: and

text: her

text: mother

text: would

text: bring

text: Keil

text: house

text: hunting

text: They

text: would

text: get

text: me

text: in

text: a

text: manual

text: wheelchair

text: and

text: carry

text: me

text: up

text: flights

text: of

text: stairs

text: Keil

text: explained

text: But

text: they

text: quickly

text: became

text: frustrated

text: by

text: what

text: they

text: found

text: Every

text: house

text: they

text: saw

text: would

text: have

text: to

text: be

text: dramatically

text: modified

text: to

text: meet

text: Keil

text: 's

text: needs

text: And

text: that

text: meant

text: costs

text: that

text: he

text: and

text: Tracy

text: could

text: not

text: afford

text: Then

text: in

text: August

text: when

text: Keil

text: was

text: just

text: a

text: month

text: away

text: from

text: being

text: released

text: from

text: the

text: hospital

text: his

text: wife

text: received

text: news

text: that

text: would

text: change

text: this

text: lives

text: This

text: time

text: the

text: news

text: was

text: good

text: A

text: friend

text: of

text: the

text: couple

text: 's

text: had

text: submitted

text: their

text: story

text: to

text: Homes

text: for

text: Our

text: Troops

text: an

text: organization

text: that

text: builds

text: specially

text: adapted

text: homes

text: for

text: disabled

text: veterans

text: John

text: Gonsalves

text: founder

text: and

text: president

text: of

text: Homes

text: for

text: Our

text: Troops

text: and

text: the

text: organization

text: had

text: selected

text: Matt

text: and

text: Tracy

text: to

text: receive

text: a

text: house

text: built

text: specifically

text: to

text: meet

text: their

text: needs

text: Best

text: of

text: all

text: it

text: was

text: free

text: It

text: 's

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: most

text: life

text: changing

text: events

text: that

text: 's

text: ever

text: happened

text: to

text: us

text: especially

text: after

text: being

text: injured

text: Keil

text: said

text: We

text: 're

text: going

text: to

text: be

text: in

text: this

text: house

text: that

text: 's

text: fully

text: accessible

text: has

text: everything

text: that

text: it

text: needs

text: to

text: take

text: care

text: of

text: me

text: wide

text: open

text: floor

text: plan

text: easy

text: for

text: Tracy

text: to

text: take

text: care

text: of

text: me

text: and

text: it

text: 's

text: just

text: an

text: absolutely

text: beautiful

text: house

text: After

text: breaking

text: ground

text: in

text: April

text: Homes

text: for

text: Our

text: Troops

text: utilized

text: hundreds

text: of

text: volunteers

text: donations

text: and

text: community

text: outreach

text: to

text: build

text: the

text: house

text: so

text: it

text: would

text: be

text: ready

text: for

text: the

text: dedication

text: ceremony

text: September

text: Gonsalves

text: who

text: started

text: his

text: career

text: in

text: construction

text: said

text: he

text: realized

text: how

text: many

text: men

text: and

text: women

text: would

text: be

text: returning

text: home

text: from

text: the

text: wars

text: in

text: Iraq

text: and

text: Afghanistan

text: with

text: severe

text: injuries

text: and

text: very

text: specific

text: needs

text: He

text: wanted

text: to

text: volunteer

text: with

text: an

text: organization

text: that

text: built

text: homes

text: designed

text: for

text: these

text: disabled

text: veterans

text: When

text: he

text: realized

text: existed

text: he

text: started

text: his

text: own

text: He

text: says

text: he

text: 's

text: frustrated

text: by

text: the

text: lack

text: of

text: urgency

text: in

text: helping

text: America

text: 's

text: veterans

text: It

text: just

text: seems

text: like

text: this

text: time

text: around

text: we

text: were

text: n't

text: really

text: asked

text: to

text: do

text: anything

text: It

text: was

text: kind

text: of

text: go

text: about

text: your

text: lives

text: and

text: I

text: 'm

text: thinking

text: how

text: can

text: everybody

text: just

text: put

text: it

text: in

text: the

text: back

text: of

text: their

text: mind

text: and

text: go

text: about

text: their

text: daily

text: lives

text: when

text: our

text: sons

text: and

text: daughters

text: and

text: mothers

text: and

text: fathers

text: are

text: in

text: a

text: faraway

text: place

text: putting

text: their

text: lives

text: on

text: the

text: line

text: Gonsalves

text: said

text: Homes

text: for

text: Our

text: Troops

text: spends

text: an

text: average

text: of

text: on

text: each

text: home

text: and

text: only

text: percent

text: of

text: the

text: group

text: 's

text: money

text: goes

text: to

text: administrative

text: overhead

text: The

text: rest

text: goes

text: directly

text: to

text: helping

text: disabled

text: veterans

text: It

text: gives

text: people

text: in

text: the

text: community

text: an

text: opportunity

text: to

text: give

text: back

text: through

text: volunteering

text: The

text: Keils

text: home

text: is

text: the

text: project

text: the

text: organization

text: has

text: completed

text: and

text: the

text: group

text: has

text: homes

text: in

text: the

text: works

text: There

text: are

text: million

text: veterans

text: receiving

text: disability

text: compensation

text: and

text: more

text: than

text: of

text: those

text: are

text: percent

text: disabled

text: according

text: to

text: the

text: U.S.

text: Department

text: of

text: Veterans

text: Affairs

text: With

text: two

text: wars

text: still

text: being

text: waged

text: and

text: hundreds

text: of

text: thousands

text: of

text: America

text: 's

text: military

text: men

text: and

text: women

text: fighting

text: it

text: 's

text: likely

text: the

text: need

text: for

text: these

text: homes

text: will

text: increase

text: The

text: home

text: has

text: given

text: Tracy

text: and

text: Matt

text: hope

text: for

text: their

text: future

text: together

text: and

text: they

text: look

text: forward

text: to

text: giving

text: back

text: This

text: gives

text: us

text: security

text: for

text: our

text: life

text: Tracy

text: Keil

text: said

text: This

text: is

text: where

text: we

text: can

text: have

text: our

text: kids

text: and

text: this

text: is

text: where

text: we

text: can

text: raise

text: our

text: family

text: We

text: 're

text: going

text: to

text: live

text: in

text: this

text: house

text: for

text: the

text: rest

text: of

text: our

text: lives

text: and

text: eventually

text: when

text: it

text: 's

text: our

text: time

text: to

text: pass

text: we

text: 're

text: going

text: to

text: find

text: a

text: family

text: to

text: donate

text: it

text: to

text: that

text: really

text: needs

text: it

text: Matt

text: Keil

text: said

text: Our

text: kids

text: will

text: be

text: made

text: well

text: aware

text: of

text: that

question: Where did the bullet hit Matt's body?

answer: the neck.

text: the neck.

question: What paralyzed Matt?

answer: shot right in the right side of the neck.

text: shot right in the right side of the neck.

question: When did the Keils marry?

answer: 2007,

question: Where was Matt Keil deployed?

answer: Iraq.

text: Iraq.

question: Where did a sniper bullet hit Matt?

answer: right side of the neck.

text: right side of the neck.

question: What organization builds homes for disabled veterans?

answer: Our Troops

text: Our Troops

question: What caused Matt's paralysis?

answer: hit by a sniper fire while serving in Iraq.

text: hit by a sniper fire while serving in Iraq.

question: What did Matt and Tracy Keil do after he was redeployed to Iraq?

answer: married

text: married

question: What is the name of the organization that builds homes for disables veterans to meet their needs?

answer: Our Troops,

text: Our Troops,

question: Who received the 33rd home built by the group?

answer: Keils'

text: Keils'

question: Who builds homes for disabled veterans?

answer: Our Troops,

text: Our Troops,

question: What organization builds houses for disabled veterans?

answer: Our Troops,

text: Our Troops,


text:
(CNN) -- Jeremy Poincenot can no longer read, drive a car or even recognize faces.

But the 20-year-old, who lost his central vision two years ago, can successfully hit a small white ball into a slightly larger hole from considerable distance.

Chipping from off the green at a tournament in August, the American won a nerve-wracking playoff to officially become the world's best blind golfer.

Poincenot, a college student from San Diego, has an extremely rare disease called Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). And not long ago, he feared he'd never play golf again.

He woke up the day before Thanksgiving in 2008 to notice his formerly perfect vision was a little blurry. A routine trip to the optometrist to pick up a pair of glasses ended up with him being diagnosed with a suspected brain tumor.

The subsequent holidays were spent having an MRI scan, a spinal tap and then a catheter placed in his jugular as doctors struggled to diagnose the cause of his vanishing sight.

It wasn't until his mother discovered it on the Internet that Jeremy was successfully diagnosed with LHON -- a hereditary disease with no treatment and no cure that only affects one in 50,000 people.

Lissa Poincenot has since set up the website LHON.org to support fellow sufferers and their families, and to help raise funds for the USC Doheny Eye Institute, where Dr. Alfredo Sadun is researching a cure.

Faced with the onset of blindness, Jeremy admits he slipped into depression for a couple of months until one afternoon he was jerked back into action.

"I saw this guy who had just lost his wife and baby daughter when a plane crashed down on his house," he told CNN.

"The guy was in a press conference crying, saying 'If anybody knows how to handle something this tragic, please tell me.' I just thought, 'Hey if this guy can make it through this then I can survive having no central vision.' That became my motto: 'Things could be worse.'"

So six months after losing his sight, Poincenot decided to pick up his clubs again.

A keen golfer with a handicap of just four, he had played every Sunday since the age of 12 with his Dad Lionel, a club engineer at golf firm Callaway.

Blind golf brought them even closer because, unlike the regular version of the sport, it's a team game.

Lionel acts as his son's sighted coach on the course, describing the hole he's playing, the bunkers, the water hazards and the dog-legs -- as well as adjusting his son's feet and club-face alignment before every shot.

Then he'll point in the direction that the shot should be played, while Jeremy places his chin on his dad's shoulder to get a sense of the correct alignment.

"He's the one who does all the work, lining me up and reading the putts -- I'm just the one who executes the shots," Jeremy laughs.

They played their first tournament together in Texas, and then qualified from the nationals in California despite a few teething problems.

"He forgot to tell me about a few bunkers, and I wasn't as nice to him as I should have been," Jeremy recalls.

But before the International Blind Golf Association's World Championships began in Britain in August, Jeremy made a pact with his dad: "We realized that our attitude needed to improve as a team, so we decided to focus more on having fun rather than stressing out about every shot."

The new approach clearly worked, because at the end of the first day, Poincenot was tied for third out of 60 competitors and just one shot away from the leader.

"The whole second day, my stomach was in my throat -- I was extremely nervous on every shot," he admits. "But I think Dad was even more nervous than me; after I take my shot he's freaking out watching my ball go towards the rough, while I can't even tell."

Nevertheless, Poincenot still managed to shoot 89 for a net score of 70, tying him with British champion Simon Cookson. A playoff hole was then required to find the winner.

"I hit my third shot short of the green. Simon also hit his second short of the green but I got a stroke on the hole because I'm a 'B2' and Simon's a 'B3'," he said.

Not every competitor has the same degree of visual impairment, so a three-tier handicap system is used to level the playing field.

Those who are completely blind are B1s, while those -- like Poincenot -- with up to six percent of vision are B2s. Cookson, who has 10 percent of his vision, is a B3 -- the category of player with the most sight.

Despite this potential disadvantage, however, the international business major from San Diego University had saved the best for last.

"I paced the shot to work out the yardage, and when I got to the pin there was a crowd there watching so I thought, 'You know what, I'm not going to be in this situation many times in my life,' so I waved to the crowd real quick and then got back to my shot.

"I took what I thought was a nice chip and even heard someone in the crowd say, 'That's a nice chip.' Then I heard the ball hit the pin and fall into the hole. My dad shouted, 'It went in!' so I threw my hat in the air and gave my dad a big hug."

As well as winning his first World Blind Golf Championship, Poincenot has been raising money and awareness of LHON with sponsored bike rides, half-marathons and even sky dives.

He is now setting his ambitions on the next tournament in Canada's Nova Scotia in 2012.

"To be able to share being world champion with my dad is incredible, I don't know if it's hit me yet," he says. "It's a great feeling and I hope it will help raise awareness of LHON, because that's the greater purpose of why I do anything."

text: CNN

text: Jeremy

text: Poincenot

text: can

text: no

text: longer

text: read

text: drive

text: a

text: car

text: or

text: even

text: recognize

text: faces

text: But

text: the

text: old

text: who

text: lost

text: his

text: central

text: vision

text: two

text: years

text: ago

text: can

text: successfully

text: hit

text: a

text: small

text: white

text: ball

text: into

text: a

text: slightly

text: larger

text: hole

text: from

text: considerable

text: distance

text: Chipping

text: from

text: off

text: the

text: green

text: at

text: a

text: tournament

text: in

text: August

text: the

text: American

text: won

text: a

text: nerve

text: wracking

text: playoff

text: to

text: officially

text: become

text: the

text: world

text: 's

text: best

text: blind

text: golfer

text: Poincenot

text: a

text: college

text: student

text: from

text: San

text: Diego

text: has

text: an

text: extremely

text: rare

text: disease

text: called

text: Leber

text: 's

text: hereditary

text: optic

text: neuropathy

text: LHON

text: And

text: not

text: long

text: ago

text: he

text: feared

text: he

text: 'd

text: never

text: play

text: golf

text: again

text: He

text: woke

text: up

text: the

text: day

text: before

text: Thanksgiving

text: in

text: to

text: notice

text: his

text: formerly

text: perfect

text: vision

text: was

text: a

text: little

text: blurry

text: A

text: routine

text: trip

text: to

text: the

text: optometrist

text: to

text: pick

text: up

text: a

text: pair

text: of

text: glasses

text: ended

text: up

text: with

text: him

text: being

text: diagnosed

text: with

text: a

text: suspected

text: brain

text: tumor

text: The

text: subsequent

text: holidays

text: were

text: spent

text: having

text: an

text: MRI

text: scan

text: a

text: spinal

text: tap

text: and

text: then

text: a

text: catheter

text: placed

text: in

text: his

text: jugular

text: as

text: doctors

text: struggled

text: to

text: diagnose

text: the

text: cause

text: of

text: his

text: vanishing

text: sight

text: It

text: was

text: n't

text: until

text: his

text: mother

text: discovered

text: it

text: on

text: the

text: Internet

text: that

text: Jeremy

text: was

text: successfully

text: diagnosed

text: with

text: LHON

text: a

text: hereditary

text: disease

text: with

text: no

text: treatment

text: and

text: no

text: cure

text: that

text: only

text: affects

text: one

text: in

text: people

text: Lissa

text: Poincenot

text: has

text: since

text: set

text: up

text: the

text: website

text: LHON.org

text: to

text: support

text: fellow

text: sufferers

text: and

text: their

text: families

text: and

text: to

text: help

text: raise

text: funds

text: for

text: the

text: USC

text: Doheny

text: Eye

text: Institute

text: where

text: Dr.

text: Alfredo

text: Sadun

text: is

text: researching

text: a

text: cure

text: Faced

text: with

text: the

text: onset

text: of

text: blindness

text: Jeremy

text: admits

text: he

text: slipped

text: into

text: depression

text: for

text: a

text: couple

text: of

text: months

text: until

text: one

text: afternoon

text: he

text: was

text: jerked

text: back

text: into

text: action

text: I

text: saw

text: this

text: guy

text: who

text: had

text: just

text: lost

text: his

text: wife

text: and

text: baby

text: daughter

text: when

text: a

text: plane

text: crashed

text: down

text: on

text: his

text: house

text: he

text: told

text: CNN

text: The

text: guy

text: was

text: in

text: a

text: press

text: conference

text: crying

text: saying

text: If

text: anybody

text: knows

text: how

text: to

text: handle

text: something

text: this

text: tragic

text: please

text: tell

text: me

text: I

text: just

text: thought

text: Hey

text: if

text: this

text: guy

text: can

text: make

text: it

text: through

text: this

text: then

text: I

text: can

text: survive

text: having

text: no

text: central

text: vision

text: That

text: became

text: my

text: motto

text: Things

text: could

text: be

text: worse

text: So

text: six

text: months

text: after

text: losing

text: his

text: sight

text: Poincenot

text: decided

text: to

text: pick

text: up

text: his

text: clubs

text: again

text: A

text: keen

text: golfer

text: with

text: a

text: handicap

text: of

text: just

text: four

text: he

text: had

text: played

text: every

text: Sunday

text: since

text: the

text: age

text: of

text: with

text: his

text: Dad

text: Lionel

text: a

text: club

text: engineer

text: at

text: golf

text: firm

text: Callaway

text: Blind

text: golf

text: brought

text: them

text: even

text: closer

text: because

text: unlike

text: the

text: regular

text: version

text: of

text: the

text: sport

text: it

text: 's

text: a

text: team

text: game

text: Lionel

text: acts

text: as

text: his

text: son

text: 's

text: sighted

text: coach

text: on

text: the

text: course

text: describing

text: the

text: hole

text: he

text: 's

text: playing

text: the

text: bunkers

text: the

text: water

text: hazards

text: and

text: the

text: dog

text: legs

text: as

text: well

text: as

text: adjusting

text: his

text: son

text: 's

text: feet

text: and

text: club

text: face

text: alignment

text: before

text: every

text: shot

text: Then

text: he

text: 'll

text: point

text: in

text: the

text: direction

text: that

text: the

text: shot

text: should

text: be

text: played

text: while

text: Jeremy

text: places

text: his

text: chin

text: on

text: his

text: dad

text: 's

text: shoulder

text: to

text: get

text: a

text: sense

text: of

text: the

text: correct

text: alignment

text: He

text: 's

text: the

text: one

text: who

text: does

text: all

text: the

text: work

text: lining

text: me

text: up

text: and

text: reading

text: the

text: putts

text: I

text: 'm

text: just

text: the

text: one

text: who

text: executes

text: the

text: shots

text: Jeremy

text: laughs

text: They

text: played

text: their

text: first

text: tournament

text: together

text: in

text: Texas

text: and

text: then

text: qualified

text: from

text: the

text: nationals

text: in

text: California

text: despite

text: a

text: few

text: teething

text: problems

text: He

text: forgot

text: to

text: tell

text: me

text: about

text: a

text: few

text: bunkers

text: and

text: I

text: was

text: n't

text: as

text: nice

text: to

text: him

text: as

text: I

text: should

text: have

text: been

text: Jeremy

text: recalls

text: But

text: before

text: the

text: International

text: Blind

text: Golf

text: Association

text: 's

text: World

text: Championships

text: began

text: in

text: Britain

text: in

text: August

text: Jeremy

text: made

text: a

text: pact

text: with

text: his

text: dad

text: We

text: realized

text: that

text: our

text: attitude

text: needed

text: to

text: improve

text: as

text: a

text: team

text: so

text: we

text: decided

text: to

text: focus

text: more

text: on

text: having

text: fun

text: rather

text: than

text: stressing

text: out

text: about

text: every

text: shot

text: The

text: new

text: approach

text: clearly

text: worked

text: because

text: at

text: the

text: end

text: of

text: the

text: first

text: day

text: Poincenot

text: was

text: tied

text: for

text: third

text: out

text: of

text: competitors

text: and

text: just

text: one

text: shot

text: away

text: from

text: the

text: leader

text: The

text: whole

text: second

text: day

text: my

text: stomach

text: was

text: in

text: my

text: throat

text: I

text: was

text: extremely

text: nervous

text: on

text: every

text: shot

text: he

text: admits

text: But

text: I

text: think

text: Dad

text: was

text: even

text: more

text: nervous

text: than

text: me

text: after

text: I

text: take

text: my

text: shot

text: he

text: 's

text: freaking

text: out

text: watching

text: my

text: ball

text: go

text: towards

text: the

text: rough

text: while

text: I

text: ca

text: n't

text: even

text: tell

text: Nevertheless

text: Poincenot

text: still

text: managed

text: to

text: shoot

text: for

text: a

text: net

text: score

text: of

text: tying

text: him

text: with

text: British

text: champion

text: Simon

text: Cookson

text: A

text: playoff

text: hole

text: was

text: then

text: required

text: to

text: find

text: the

text: winner

text: I

text: hit

text: my

text: third

text: shot

text: short

text: of

text: the

text: green

text: Simon

text: also

text: hit

text: his

text: second

text: short

text: of

text: the

text: green

text: but

text: I

text: got

text: a

text: stroke

text: on

text: the

text: hole

text: because

text: I

text: 'm

text: a

text: and

text: Simon

text: 's

text: a

text: he

text: said

text: Not

text: every

text: competitor

text: has

text: the

text: same

text: degree

text: of

text: visual

text: impairment

text: so

text: a

text: three

text: tier

text: handicap

text: system

text: is

text: used

text: to

text: level

text: the

text: playing

text: field

text: Those

text: who

text: are

text: completely

text: blind

text: are

text: while

text: those

text: like

text: Poincenot

text: with

text: up

text: to

text: six

text: percent

text: of

text: vision

text: are

text: Cookson

text: who

text: has

text: percent

text: of

text: his

text: vision

text: is

text: a

text: the

text: category

text: of

text: player

text: with

text: the

text: most

text: sight

text: Despite

text: this

text: potential

text: disadvantage

text: however

text: the

text: international

text: business

text: major

text: from

text: San

text: Diego

text: University

text: had

text: saved

text: the

text: best

text: for

text: last

text: I

text: paced

text: the

text: shot

text: to

text: work

text: out

text: the

text: yardage

text: and

text: when

text: I

text: got

text: to

text: the

text: pin

text: there

text: was

text: a

text: crowd

text: there

text: watching

text: so

text: I

text: thought

text: You

text: know

text: what

text: I

text: 'm

text: not

text: going

text: to

text: be

text: in

text: this

text: situation

text: many

text: times

text: in

text: my

text: life

text: so

text: I

text: waved

text: to

text: the

text: crowd

text: real

text: quick

text: and

text: then

text: got

text: back

text: to

text: my

text: shot

text: I

text: took

text: what

text: I

text: thought

text: was

text: a

text: nice

text: chip

text: and

text: even

text: heard

text: someone

text: in

text: the

text: crowd

text: say

text: That

text: 's

text: a

text: nice

text: chip

text: Then

text: I

text: heard

text: the

text: ball

text: hit

text: the

text: pin

text: and

text: fall

text: into

text: the

text: hole

text: My

text: dad

text: shouted

text: It

text: went

text: in

text: so

text: I

text: threw

text: my

text: hat

text: in

text: the

text: air

text: and

text: gave

text: my

text: dad

text: a

text: big

text: hug

text: As

text: well

text: as

text: winning

text: his

text: first

text: World

text: Blind

text: Golf

text: Championship

text: Poincenot

text: has

text: been

text: raising

text: money

text: and

text: awareness

text: of

text: LHON

text: with

text: sponsored

text: bike

text: rides

text: half

text: marathons

text: and

text: even

text: sky

text: dives

text: He

text: is

text: now

text: setting

text: his

text: ambitions

text: on

text: the

text: next

text: tournament

text: in

text: Canada

text: 's

text: Nova

text: Scotia

text: in

text: To

text: be

text: able

text: to

text: share

text: being

text: world

text: champion

text: with

text: my

text: dad

text: is

text: incredible

text: I

text: do

text: n't

text: know

text: if

text: it

text: 's

text: hit

text: me

text: yet

text: he

text: says

text: It

text: 's

text: a

text: great

text: feeling

text: and

text: I

text: hope

text: it

text: will

text: help

text: raise

text: awareness

text: of

text: LHON

text: because

text: that

text: 's

text: the

text: greater

text: purpose

text: of

text: why

text: I

text: do

text: anything

question: who won the World Blind Golf Championship?

answer: Jeremy

text: Jeremy

question: who acts as the blind golfer's eyes?

answer: Dad Lionel,

text: Dad Lionel,

question: when is the next World Blind Golf Championship?

answer: 2012.

question: who has won the World Blind Golf championship?

answer: Jeremy

text: Jeremy

question: When is the next tournament?

answer: 2012.

question: Who feared he'd never play golf again after being blinded by rare disease?

answer: Jeremy

text: Jeremy

question: What did a young American win two years after losing his vision?

answer: World Blind Golf Championship,

text: World Blind Golf Championship,

question: Where is it to be held?

answer: in Britain

text: in Britain


text:
ISTANBUL, Turkey (CNN) -- Regular programming has just been interrupted by a news conference. A slender black man in a suit steps up to a podium, flanked by American flags and a White House logo.

Michael Lamar was laid off in January but has a new job as a Barack Obama look-alike.

"I wish I could announce such an economic package," he says, "but there is a bank in Turkey that did it. It is Garanti. I wish we had Garanti in America."

Don't be fooled. This is a commercial on Turkish TV. The actor is a 44-year-old Barack Obama look-alike from Whitehall, Pennsylvania, named Michael Lamar. And he is shilling for a Turkish bank.

In the month before the real Barack Obama is to visit Turkey, this ad campaign went out all across the country on television and on billboards, using the iconic, Warholian image of the American president to sell low-interest loans.

The "Mad Men" behind the concept say their Obama look-alike was the perfect guy to sell what they described as Garanti Bank's own economic stimulus package.

"We probably wouldn't be doing this commercial if it was the previous president," said Can Celikbilek, a copy writer at the advertising company, Alametifarika. "But in the case of Obama, he does represent hope, not only for the States but for the whole world."

For Obama look-alike actor Lamar, there was some irony about getting flown to Turkey to star in a commercial for a bank. He is a recent casualty of the global economic crisis.

"I was laid off in January of this year from JP Morgan Chase Bank in the U.S.," Lamar said, in a telephone interview from Pennsylvania. "After 18 years in the company, I was just laid off. One of the cutbacks. I'm currently unemployed right now."

Or, was unemployed.

Lamar's striking resemblance to the American president has suddenly offered the former software analyst a possible new career for supporting his wife and child.

"I'm available full-time now," Lamar said. "I'm going to see where this leads me."

Lamar is now being represented by a casting agency in Los Angeles that specializes in celebrity look-alikes.

Since he discovered his new "talent," he has traveled to the Netherlands to appear in a commercial for a liquor chain and to Paris, where an activist organization brought him in to meet lawmakers at the National Assembly, as part of a campaign to raise awareness about racism and racial profiling in France.

"This was very exciting for me, a true privilege!" Lamar said.

During his brief visit to Turkey, locals did double-takes when they saw Lamar walk past.

"Even in the studio, the crew [members] were like, 'Oh! Is that Obama?" said Celikbilek of Alametifarika advertising.

Using the image of an American president to promote anything in Turkey is a remarkable reversal.

U.S. approval ratings in Turkey plunged to 9 percent, according to a 2007 Pew Research poll, making America less popular in Turkey then almost anywhere else in the world, even though the two countries are NATO allies.

There was widespread anger among Turks at the war in neighboring Iraq. But the election of Barack Obama appears to have dramatically improved perceptions of America.

"Bush was a dictator who attacked other countries," said Abdurrahman Ozdemir, who sells cigarettes from a small stall on the street. "But we love Obama ... because he does not want to go to war with other countries."

"We started to love and like America because of Obama," said a 33-year-old woman named Begum Arinc. "I don't want to see people dying. I don't want to see any war. That's why I want to believe in Obama."

text: ISTANBUL

text: Turkey

text: CNN

text: Regular

text: programming

text: has

text: just

text: been

text: interrupted

text: by

text: a

text: news

text: conference

text: A

text: slender

text: black

text: man

text: in

text: a

text: suit

text: steps

text: up

text: to

text: a

text: podium

text: flanked

text: by

text: American

text: flags

text: and

text: a

text: White

text: House

text: logo

text: Michael

text: Lamar

text: was

text: laid

text: off

text: in

text: January

text: but

text: has

text: a

text: new

text: job

text: as

text: a

text: Barack

text: Obama

text: look

text: alike

text: I

text: wish

text: I

text: could

text: announce

text: such

text: an

text: economic

text: package

text: he

text: says

text: but

text: there

text: is

text: a

text: bank

text: in

text: Turkey

text: that

text: did

text: it

text: It

text: is

text: Garanti

text: I

text: wish

text: we

text: had

text: Garanti

text: in

text: America

text: Do

text: n't

text: be

text: fooled

text: This

text: is

text: a

text: commercial

text: on

text: Turkish

text: TV

text: The

text: actor

text: is

text: a

text: old

text: Barack

text: Obama

text: look

text: alike

text: from

text: Whitehall

text: Pennsylvania

text: named

text: Michael

text: Lamar

text: And

text: he

text: is

text: shilling

text: for

text: a

text: Turkish

text: bank

text: In

text: the

text: month

text: before

text: the

text: real

text: Barack

text: Obama

text: is

text: to

text: visit

text: Turkey

text: this

text: ad

text: campaign

text: went

text: out

text: all

text: across

text: the

text: country

text: on

text: television

text: and

text: on

text: billboards

text: using

text: the

text: iconic

text: Warholian

text: image

text: of

text: the

text: American

text: president

text: to

text: sell

text: low

text: interest

text: loans

text: The

text: Mad

text: Men

text: behind

text: the

text: concept

text: say

text: their

text: Obama

text: look

text: alike

text: was

text: the

text: perfect

text: guy

text: to

text: sell

text: what

text: they

text: described

text: as

text: Garanti

text: Bank

text: 's

text: own

text: economic

text: stimulus

text: package

text: We

text: probably

text: would

text: n't

text: be

text: doing

text: this

text: commercial

text: if

text: it

text: was

text: the

text: previous

text: president

text: said

text: Can

text: Celikbilek

text: a

text: copy

text: writer

text: at

text: the

text: advertising

text: company

text: Alametifarika

text: But

text: in

text: the

text: case

text: of

text: Obama

text: he

text: does

text: represent

text: hope

text: not

text: only

text: for

text: the

text: States

text: but

text: for

text: the

text: whole

text: world

text: For

text: Obama

text: look

text: alike

text: actor

text: Lamar

text: there

text: was

text: some

text: irony

text: about

text: getting

text: flown

text: to

text: Turkey

text: to

text: star

text: in

text: a

text: commercial

text: for

text: a

text: bank

text: He

text: is

text: a

text: recent

text: casualty

text: of

text: the

text: global

text: economic

text: crisis

text: I

text: was

text: laid

text: off

text: in

text: January

text: of

text: this

text: year

text: from

text: JP

text: Morgan

text: Chase

text: Bank

text: in

text: the

text: U.S.

text: Lamar

text: said

text: in

text: a

text: telephone

text: interview

text: from

text: Pennsylvania

text: After

text: years

text: in

text: the

text: company

text: I

text: was

text: just

text: laid

text: off

text: One

text: of

text: the

text: cutbacks

text: I

text: 'm

text: currently

text: unemployed

text: right

text: now

text: Or

text: was

text: unemployed

text: Lamar

text: 's

text: striking

text: resemblance

text: to

text: the

text: American

text: president

text: has

text: suddenly

text: offered

text: the

text: former

text: software

text: analyst

text: a

text: possible

text: new

text: career

text: for

text: supporting

text: his

text: wife

text: and

text: child

text: I

text: 'm

text: available

text: full

text: time

text: now

text: Lamar

text: said

text: I

text: 'm

text: going

text: to

text: see

text: where

text: this

text: leads

text: me

text: Lamar

text: is

text: now

text: being

text: represented

text: by

text: a

text: casting

text: agency

text: in

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: that

text: specializes

text: in

text: celebrity

text: look

text: alikes

text: Since

text: he

text: discovered

text: his

text: new

text: talent

text: he

text: has

text: traveled

text: to

text: the

text: Netherlands

text: to

text: appear

text: in

text: a

text: commercial

text: for

text: a

text: liquor

text: chain

text: and

text: to

text: Paris

text: where

text: an

text: activist

text: organization

text: brought

text: him

text: in

text: to

text: meet

text: lawmakers

text: at

text: the

text: National

text: Assembly

text: as

text: part

text: of

text: a

text: campaign

text: to

text: raise

text: awareness

text: about

text: racism

text: and

text: racial

text: profiling

text: in

text: France

text: This

text: was

text: very

text: exciting

text: for

text: me

text: a

text: true

text: privilege

text: Lamar

text: said

text: During

text: his

text: brief

text: visit

text: to

text: Turkey

text: locals

text: did

text: double

text: takes

text: when

text: they

text: saw

text: Lamar

text: walk

text: past

text: Even

text: in

text: the

text: studio

text: the

text: crew

text: members

text: were

text: like

text: Oh

text: Is

text: that

text: Obama

text: said

text: Celikbilek

text: of

text: Alametifarika

text: advertising

text: Using

text: the

text: image

text: of

text: an

text: American

text: president

text: to

text: promote

text: anything

text: in

text: Turkey

text: is

text: a

text: remarkable

text: reversal

text: U.S.

text: approval

text: ratings

text: in

text: Turkey

text: plunged

text: to

text: percent

text: according

text: to

text: a

text: Pew

text: Research

text: poll

text: making

text: America

text: less

text: popular

text: in

text: Turkey

text: then

text: almost

text: anywhere

text: else

text: in

text: the

text: world

text: even

text: though

text: the

text: two

text: countries

text: are

text: NATO

text: allies

text: There

text: was

text: widespread

text: anger

text: among

text: Turks

text: at

text: the

text: war

text: in

text: neighboring

text: Iraq

text: But

text: the

text: election

text: of

text: Barack

text: Obama

text: appears

text: to

text: have

text: dramatically

text: improved

text: perceptions

text: of

text: America

text: Bush

text: was

text: a

text: dictator

text: who

text: attacked

text: other

text: countries

text: said

text: Abdurrahman

text: Ozdemir

text: who

text: sells

text: cigarettes

text: from

text: a

text: small

text: stall

text: on

text: the

text: street

text: But

text: we

text: love

text: Obama

text: because

text: he

text: does

text: not

text: want

text: to

text: go

text: to

text: war

text: with

text: other

text: countries

text: We

text: started

text: to

text: love

text: and

text: like

text: America

text: because

text: of

text: Obama

text: said

text: a

text: old

text: woman

text: named

text: Begum

text: Arinc

text: I

text: do

text: n't

text: want

text: to

text: see

text: people

text: dying

text: I

text: do

text: n't

text: want

text: to

text: see

text: any

text: war

text: That

text: 's

text: why

text: I

text: want

text: to

text: believe

text: in

text: Obama

question: Where will Obama visit soon?

answer: Turkey,

text: Turkey,

question: Where will Obama be soon on presidental visit?

answer: Turkey,

text: Turkey,

question: How much have U.S approval ratings pluged in Turkey over the past few years?

answer: 9 percent,

text: 9 percent,

question: Who did Lamar work for?

answer: JP Morgan Chase Bank

text: JP Morgan Chase Bank

question: Where Obama going?

answer: Turkey,

text: Turkey,

question: Who is Michael Lamar?

answer: Barack Obama look-alike.

text: Barack Obama look-alike.

question: How long did Lamar work for JP Morgan Chase?

answer: 18 years

text: 18 years