Can't use image as link using asfunction for some reason

Question

I have a pretty large which was coded using AS2 in about 2006 so I'm trying to make a few changes using AS2 which I'm pretty rusty on.  I have a swf which loads an xml file into a textarea in flash and it all works well.  I have to link some images which appear in the xml file but those images have to be links to external sites and that is where I am running into problems with my asfunction.  Here is the code.
Function in my AS:
function launchSite(arg) {
  if(arg == "agri") {
    getURL("http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome", "_blank");
then of course arg will take different values for the other links:
In the xml file, here is the asfunction code:
<a href='asfunction:_root.launchSite,agri'><img src="images/agri.gif"></a>
What is happening is the function is working and the external link is opening in a new browser window, but the xml stops at that point so most of the agri.gif image and the rest of the page are gone.  If I change the img tag to just a text link, then all is well .. but my client wants the images to be the link.
To further complicate, if I remove the link text and have only the img tag, the page is fine.  They just won't work together for some reason.  Any thoughts?
Thanks!
Nancy

Answer 1

>the cdata tag is needed so you can load the xml that contains html tags.
Interesting since my xml files are full of html tags and everything else renders just fine without CDATA tags.  My textarea is configured to allow HTML.
AS as follows:
//set up the textarea
//init TextArea component
myText.html = true;
myText.wordWrap = true;
myText.multiline = true;
myText.label.condenseWhite=true;
//set up the XML
myXML = new XML();
myXML.ignoreWhite = true;
myXML.load("xml/acts.xml");
myXML.onLoad = function(success)
var myArray:Array = myXML.firstChild.childNodes;
myTitle.text = myXML.firstChild.attributes.title
myLoader.contentPath = myXML.firstChild.nextSibling.attributes.src
myText.text = myXML.firstChild.nextSibling.nextSibling
function loadFunction(target){
myXML.load(target);
myXML.onLoad = function(success)
var myArray:Array = myXML.firstChild.childNodes;
myTitle.text = myXML.firstChild.attributes.title
myLoader.contentPath = myXML.firstChild.nextSibling.attributes.src
myText.text = myXML.firstChild.nextSibling.nextSibling
//function to load the external XML
function launchSite(arg) {
  if(arg == "agri") {
    getURL("http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome", "_blank");
pertinent part of the xml as follows (portion of the text node which displays all the text):
<a href='asfunction:_root.launchSite,agri'><![CDATA[<img src="images/agriculture.gif">]]></a> Department of Agriculture:  The Department of Agriculture began in 1862.  The main job of this department is to keep our food is safe and healthy.  They also work with farmers if they need help selling their crops both in the US and around the world.  Secretary of Agriculture is Mr. Thomas J. Vilsack.
I added the CDATA tags at your suggestion.  What that gives me in the browser is a working function (loads the external site in a new window as desired) but instead of the image, I have the img tag printed out due to the CDATA tags (which by definition is not parsed).
I have had pages on pages like this in this site since 2006 (which is why it's done in AS2 and not 3) and have never had a problem until the client wanted the images to be links to the external sites.  If I put in the image tag without the link, it works.  If I put in the link tag with a text link rather than the image, it works.  It's the two together that do not work.
Does that make sense?
Thanks again!
Nancy
  after that you need to parse the xml correctly and assign to your textarea.  are you?