PHP remote Include fails - telnet/web browser succeeds

[ChronoFish]

Hello,

I have a script that does a remote include (does not matter if I do
include(), file(), require(), etc, the result is the same).

The script spins for a long time and then will finally return (edited
for internet consumption):

Warning: blahFunction(http://www.someserver.org/header): failed to open
stream: Connection timed out in
/var/www/html/project/functions/myscript.php on line 28

Warning: blahFunction(): Failed opening
'http://www.someserver.org/header' for inclusion
(include_path='.:/usr/local/lib/php') in
/var/www/html/project/functions/myscript.php on line 28

I can succesfully run the same logic from a different server, and this
had been working prior to our move. If I telnet from the server to
"www.someserver.org 80" and issue a "get /header'" the expected result
comes back immediately. Also if I go to
"http://www.someserver.org/header" in my browser (the browser is not
being run from the server but same subnet) I get the results that I
expect back immediately.

Because of the move, I suspect it has to do with DNS issues. It's not
a matter of waiting for names to propagate as we are resolving them
internally and - as shown above - they do indeed resolve as expected.

I would buy it if you told me that I had a reverse-DNS issue - I just
don't know how to go about resolving it.

So I guess I'm asking

1: Does it seem like a reverse-DNS issue?
2: If it is, then how do I go about resolving it?
3: If it is not, then what are my other possibilities?

And just out of curiosity -

4: Why would telnet be able to resolve this correctly, but not PHP?
Especially since both are being tested from the same box.

Thanks!
CF