Afghan exchange student says he's OK, but flight to Canada remains a mystery

By Jean Torkelson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published May 5, 2008 at 9:25 p.m.
Updated May 5, 2008 at 9:25 p.m.

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A 17-year-old Afghan exchange student who bolted to Canada from his host home in Littleton has been e-mailing program organizers in the past few days saying he's OK, but perplexed that his disappearance has caused a media storm.

"He's wondering what's going on," said Ben Gaylord, a program manager at the American Councils for International Education (ACIE), which brought the student to the U.S. "He's kind of confused about all the noise — why is he being singled out?"

Mesbah Habibi vanished last Monday. He was a junior at Columbine High School, worked for the school newspaper and took part in track and field.

His host family has declined to be interviewed.

Habibi is one of six Afghans studying in the U.S. — five males and one female — who have headed for the Canadian border over the past four weeks. Several Afghan students disappeared into Canada last year, too, Gaylord said.

While he discounted the possibility himself, Gaylord said the vanishings have raised questions, especially on the Internet, over a possible terrorism link.

He said the students had all been vetted and undergone extensive background checks by the State Department.

"There's a concern out there of them being a risk to us," Gaylord said. "I don't see (that). They've been very open to learning about America and sharing their culture and being good representatives of their culture."

Still, he said the students' motives remain a mystery. He said Habibi reveals very little in his e-mail exchanges except that he is safe "and waiting for things to work out."

"I don't know what that means," Gaylord said.

It's generally assumed the students went to Canada because it has more lenient immigration policies than the U.S. By leaving the U.S., they have violated the terms of their visas and are no longer ACIE's responsibility, Gaylord said.

ACIE was founded in 1974 as an educational exchange and language-study program. It brings students from more than 20 countries into the U.S.

Gaylord said the organization has contacted the students' families in Afghanistan to tell them their children have gone to Canada. None expressed any concern.

"I would have heard if they were concerned," Gaylord said.

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