Free Republic

A prisoner who says he was tortured while being held for nearly four years as a suspected terrorist can sue former Bush administration lawyer John Yoo for coming up with the legal theories that justified his alleged treatment, a federal judge in San Francisco ruled Friday. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White's decision marks the first time a government lawyer has been held potentially responsible for the abuse of detainees. "Like any other government official, government lawyers are responsible for the foreseeable consequences of their conduct," White said in refusing to dismiss Jose Padilla's lawsuit against Yoo. If Padilla, now serving...

Damascus, Aug. 1, 2008 (CWNews.com) - A top Islamic leader has issued an invitation for Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) to visit Syria during the current Pauline year, the Italian Apcom news agency reports. Sheik Ahmad Badereddine Hassoun, the grand mufti of Syria, told reporters that he hoped the Pope would visit "in the footsteps of St. Paul." He volunteered to travel to Rome to help the Pontiff prepare for such a trip. The Vatican acknowledged the invitation without making any commitment. Father Federico Lombardi, the director of the Vatican press office, observed that the invitation was a sign...

MIAMI (AFP) - Jose Padilla, the US citizen arrested in 2002 for an alleged dirty bomb plot only to see those charges disappear three years later, was sentenced to more than 17 years in prison Tuesday for supporting the Al-Qaeda terror network. ADVERTISEMENT Two other men accused of plotting with Padilla, Adham Amin Hassoun and Kifah Wael Jayyousi, also received lengthy prison terms: 15 years and eight months for Hassoun and 12 years and eight months for Jayyousi. Miami federal judge Marcia Cook said there was not enough support for the charges to give Padilla the maximum life sentence requested...

A verdict was reached Thursday in the trial of Jose Padilla and two co-defendants charged with supporting al-Qaida and other violent Islamic extremist groups overseas. The jury verdict was scheduled to be read at 2 p.m. EDT before U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke in Miami's downtown federal courthouse, according to an announcement from her chambers. The jury of seven men and five women deliberated for about a day and a half following a three-month trial. Padilla, Adham Amin Hassoun and Kifah Wael Jayyousi face possible life in prison if convicted of all three charges in the case

Official state news report quotes 'Purpose-Driven' author criticizing U.S. Syria's Grand Mufti Sheik Badr al-Din Hassoun and Rick Warren California mega-church pastor Rick Warren, author of the best-selling "Purpose-Driven Life," reportedly told a Syrian-controlled news agency the U.S. should have been holding dialogues with Damascus; Syrian Muslims and Christians co-exist peacefully; and the Syrian leadership is responsible for the nation's tolerance and stability. That's according to the news agency SANA, which has issued a number of reports this week as Warren visits Syria and meets various leaders and officials, much to the dismay of many in the U.S. "We at...

SALT LAKE CITY During her visit to Lebanon last week, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice sought extradition of five men–one of them missing Utah Marine Wassef Ali Hassoun, a Lebanese newspaper reported. The Daily Star said in a story posted on its Web site Monday that the Lebanese government has refused persistent U.S. requests to hand over the five Lebanese citizens. However, it quoted an unidentified Foreign Ministry spokesman as saying the refusal was not final, and the request was currently under study by officials. "We have no official final comment at this point,'' the spokesman told the newspaper. A...

MIAMI -- Attorneys for two terrorism suspects tied to an alleged al-Qaida dirty bomb suspect are asking for the dismissal of a federal indictment against them based on a jailer's mishandling of a Quran and intimidating jail cell searches that removed handwritten papers in Arabic. The defense claims the seizures from the cells of Adhan Amin Hassoun and Kifah Wael Jayyousi in May and June amount to government misconduct and an unconstitutional intrusion on trial preparation.

The brother of the AWOL Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun says there is nothing in a 3-inch-thick desertion case file that proves the Utah Marine wasn't captured by militants in Iraq last summer. "The entire report is all hearsay," Mohamad Hassoun told The Salt Lake Tribune on Friday. "No one has any proof or any evidence." Mohamad Hassoun, who said he kept the copy of the file his brother brought home in December, also can't reconcile how the Marines could levy a desertion charge after their "terrific support" during his two-month repatriation. "The way they treated him was like they believed...

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Anti-Muslim bias prompted military officials to treat an AWOL Marine charged with desertion more harshly than others, the man's brother said in an interview with The Associated Press. The pressure of the charge filed against Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, coupled with an argument with his newlywed wife the day he was to return to his base, drove Hassoun to flee, said his brother, Mohamad. Neither Mohamad Hassoun nor military officials know where to find the younger Hassoun, a Lebanese-born, naturalized American citizen. He failed to return to Camp Lejeune, N.C., on Jan. 5 - the...

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraqi militants claimed in a Web statement Tuesday to have taken an American soldier hostage and threatened to behead him in 72 hours unless the Americans release Iraqi prisoners. The posting, on a Web site that frequently carried militants' statements, included a photo of what appeared to be an American soldier in desert fatigues seated with his hands tied behind his back. A gun barrel was pointed at his head, and he is seated in front of a black banner emblazoned with the Islamic profession of faith, "There is no god but God and Muhammad is...

The brother of a Utah Marine twice accused of desertion said he and his brother were in the middle of negotiating a $1 million book deal and movie rights up until Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun disappeared over the holidays. Wassef Ali Hassoun Mohamad Hassoun told the Deseret Morning News that his brother's second disappearance in the face of pending desertion and theft charges has soured any interest in selling the missing Marine's personal story. "There are no current negotiations right now," Mohamad Hassoun said Thursday from his home in West Jordan. Facing charges stemming from his disappearance from a Marine...

WEST JORDAN, Utah — A Marine who was declared a deserter days before military court proceedings stemming from an earlier disappearance from Iraq has been placed on a list of "most wanted" fugitives. A mug shot of Marine Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun appeared this week on a Navy criminal justice Web site, which claims the missing corporal now uses the alias "Jafar." His placement on the Navy list puts him among a select group of fugitives, some of whom are being hunted on allegations of terrorism, murder, conspiracy to commit murder, indecent assault and rape.

Alleged US deserter Hassoun may be in Lebanon US Marine Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun, charged with desertion in a mysterious case in which he left his unit in Iraq and turned up in Lebanon, has again gone absent and appears to have returned to Lebanon.The US military has tracked records from bank machines indicating that Hassoun made his way to Canada and then back to Lebanon, the country of his birth, said a US official, speaking on condition of anonymity.The Marine Corps formally declared him a deserter on Wednesday.Major Matt Morgan, a Marine Corps spokesman at Camp Lejeune, said Hassoun...

RALEIGH, N.C. — Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun (search), the Marine who was once thought kidnapped in Iraq only to be charged later with desertion, has disappeared, Marine officials announced Wednesday. Hassoun had been on leave with his family in West Jordan, Utah, when he was scheduled to return to Camp Lejeune (search), N.C., on Tuesday, military officials told FOX News. As of 3 p.m. EST, Hassoun's command "officially declared him a deserter and issued authorization for civil authorities to apprehend Hassoun and return him to military control," a military statement said. Sources told FOX News Hassoun had been allowed to...

WASHINGTON - Naval investigators continued a search Thursday for missing Marine Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, who surprised his family, attorney and military officials by not returning from a holiday leave to face charges that he deserted his unit in Iraq last summer. Hassoun, a 24-year-old Muslim with dual Lebanese and American citizenship, failed to return to the Marine base at Camp Lejeune, N.C., on Tuesday following an authorized holiday. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service was investigating, but a spokeswoman said she could not comment on details of the case. Hassoun's Marine Corps-appointed lawyer said there were no indications before the...

Relatives in Utah and Lebanon say they have no clue about the location, and mind-set, of Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, the Utah Marine who was charged with deserting his post in Iraq last year and who was again declared a deserter Wednesday. Hassoun, who spent a week with his family in West Jordan on holiday leave, was to report back for motor pool duty at Camp Lejeune, N.C., by noon Tuesday. By 3 p.m. Wednesday, his whereabouts still unknown, Hassoun's command authorized civil authorities to catch and return him to military control. Unconfirmed reports placed Hassoun, 24, en route to...

A Utah Marine, already charged with deserting his post in Iraq, was branded a deserter once again Wednesday afternoon by U.S. Marine Corps officials who said Wassef Ali Hassoun failed to return to duty after holiday leave. Hassoun, instead of returning to Camp Lejune, N.C., apparently traveled to Canada then on to Lebanon, his birthplace, Pentagon authorities told NBC television Wednesday night. However, Marine spokesman Maj. Matthew Morgan said the Marine Corps had not received confirmation to validate Hassoun's flight to Lebanon as of Wednesday night. He added that the Corps will be working with the FBI and the State...

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS WASSEF ALI HASSOUN?  By Michelle Malkin   ·   January 05, 2005 08:23 PM Surprise, surprise. Wassef Ali Hassoun, the Lebanon-born Muslim Marine who claimed to have been kidnapped and then was charged with desertion, has disappeared again. From FOX News: Hassoun had been on leave with his family in West Jordan, Utah, when he was scheduled to return to Camp Lejeune (search), N.C., on Tuesday, military officials told FOX News. As of 3 p.m. EST, Hassoun's command "officially declared him a deserter and issued authorization for civil authorities to apprehend Hassoun and return him to...

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The Marine charged with desertion after he claimed to have been kidnapped last year in Iraq was again declared a deserter yesterday after he failed to return from a holiday leave.     Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun was required to return to Camp Lejeune by noon Tuesday, but did not report for duty in a motor pool, said Maj. Matt Morgan, a spokesman for the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade.     Cpl. Hassoun was still missing at 3 p.m. yesterday, Maj. Morgan said.

U.S. Marine in Mysterious Case Declared Deserter   Jan 5, 5:05 PM (ET) By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Marine Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, charged a month ago with desertion in a mysterious case in which he left his unit in Iraq only to turn up in Lebanon, has failed to return to his base in North Carolina, the Marine Corps said on Wednesday. In a statement, the Marines said that Hassoun "has been declared a deserter" after not returning on Tuesday to Camp Lejeune from authorized leave. The statement said Hassoun had been required to return to the...

RALEIGH, N.C. — Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, the Marine who was once thought kidnapped in Iraq only to be charged later with desertion, has disappeared, Marine officials announced Wednesday. Hassoun had been on leave with his family in West Jordan, Utah, when he was scheduled to return to Camp Lejeune on Tuesday, military officials told FOX News. Hassoun's family said they do not know his whereabouts, and the military began notifying civilian law enforcement of his fugitive status. The U.S. Marine Corps again listed Hassoun as a deserter on Wednesday. He had been charged in December with unauthorized leave following...

Breaking

Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun charged with desertionDec 9, 2004 CAMP LEJEUNE, NC -- The U.S. Marine Corps has charged Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun with desertion following a five-month investigation into his disappearance from a U.S. military camp near Fallujah, Iraq in June. Hassoun is alleged to have taken unauthorized leave of the unit where he served as an Arabic interpreter. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service submitted the completed Report of Investigation to Hassoun's command Nov. 30. Charges were preferred Dec 9. Hassoun was also charged with loss of government property and theft of a military firearm for allegedly leaving the...

United Press International November 19, 2004 WASHINGTON - The U.S. Marines have reopened their investigation in Cpl. Wassef Hassoun, who went missing in June in Fallujah and turned up in Lebanon, CNN reports. The move was sparked when troops recently discovered several of his personal items, including his passport, military ID and uniform in Fallujah. Hassoun vanished June 20 and was listed as a deserter. His status was changed to captured after the release of a videotape that showed him blindfolded with a sword suspended over his head. A few days later, a posting to three Islamist Web sites claimed...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Marine Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, who disappeared in Iraq in June and later turned up in Lebanon claiming he had been kidnapped by militants, was charged on Thursday with desertion, the Marine Corps said. After a five-month investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Hassoun "is alleged to have taken unauthorized leave of the unit where he served as an Arabic interpreter," the service said in a release from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Hassoun was also charged with loss of government property and theft of a 9mm military pistol. The charges will now be considered by...

RALEIGH, N.C. — A Marine who was reported abducted in Iraq last summer and later turned up in his native Lebanon was charged Thursday with desertion. Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun was charged following a five-month investigation into his June disappearance from a U.S. military camp near Fallujah, Iraq, according to a statement from the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (search) at Camp Lejeune. Hassoun, of West Jordan, Utah, is accused of taking unauthorized leave from the unit where he served as an Arabic interpreter.

Marine Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun of West Jordan, who has been the subject of a five-month investigation into his June disappearance from a U.S. military camp near Fallujah, Iraq, has been charged with desertion by the U.S. Marine Corps. Hassoun, 24, will also be charged with loss of government property and theft of a military firearm for allegedly leaving his post still in possession of his 9mm handgun, as well as theft of wrongful appropriation of a government vehicle, according to officials at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Hassoun remains on duty at Camp Lejeune and has not been taken into custody....

No article yet. Breaking news on Fox that Hassoun, who appeared as a "hostage" in a videotape and then was found, will be charged with desertion and eventually court martialed. Stay tuned for more details as they are reported.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Marines have reopened their investigation in Cpl. Wassef Hassoun, who went missing in June in Fallujah and turned up in Lebanon, CNN reports. The move was sparked when troops recently discovered several of his personal items, including his passport, military ID and uniform in Fallujah. Hassoun vanished June 20 and was listed as a deserter. His status was changed to captured after the release of a videotape that showed him blindfolded with a sword suspended over his head. A few days later, a posting to three Islamist Web sites claimed Hassoun had been beheaded. On July...

New evidence found in Falluja WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Military investigators have re-opened the case of U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Wassef Hassoun after several personal items -- including his military ID and civilian passport -- were found in Falluja, the city where he disappeared in June. Hassoun reappeared July 7 in Lebanon, where he was born and has relatives. What happened to Hassoun during that time has been a mystery to military investigators who recently closed two separate investigations into the disappearance. Because of the new evidence, the case of Hassoun's disappearance is unexpectedly open again. Investigators are assessing the evidence...

Pair Charged With Terror Recruiting in U.S. Thursday, September 16, 2004 WASHINGTON — Two men were charged Thursday with providing financial support to terrorists and recruiting terror group members, including one person identified by U.S. authorities as alleged "dirty bomber" Jose Padilla (search). A 10-count grand jury indictment handed up in federal district court in Miami charges Adhan Amin Hassoun (search) and Mohamed Hesham Youssef (search) with providing material support to terrorists and conspiracy to provide support. The indictment contends Hassoun helped recruit individuals from the United States for groups engaging in Islamic "jihad," or holy war, in countries such as Afghanistan,...

Marine feared beheaded in Iraq on leave The Associated Press 7/31/2004, 12:06 p.m. PT SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Marine once feared beheaded by terrorists in Iraq has gone on leave and reportedly was headed to his brother's home in Utah. Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun has been at Camp Lejeune, N.C., since July 20 undergoing what the military calls a "repatriation process." The Naval Criminal Investigative Service has been looking into Hassoun's disappearance from his base near Fallujah, Iraq. "Cpl. Hassoun has gone on leave," 1st Lt. Clark D. Carpenter, a Camp Lejeune spokesman, said Saturday. "That's a standard...

FReeper Race Bannon started this thread Thursday night, and it is now Friday afternoon and very few FReepers have seen it. Many here at FR were skeptical of Cpl Hassoun because of the rather bizarre circumstances surrounding his disappearance. The good news, brought by Race Bannon in this thread is that highly placed sources in the Marines have vouched for Cpl Hassoun's legitimate HERO status!

  Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun made comments to reporters on July 19.ABCNEWS.com Horrible Acts U.S. Marine Hassoun Claims He Witnessed Beheadings While in Captivity in Iraq ABCNEWS.com July 19— Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, the 24-year-old Marine who went missing in Iraq last month and says he was held by terrorists, has privately told military officials that he witnessed beheadings while he was held, ABC News has learned. The beheadings horrified Hassoun and caused him to lose weight, sources told ABC News. Also, according to Hassoun, after his captors realized he was a Muslim, they treated him much worse because,...

Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, the Lebanese-born Marine who went missing from his post in Iraq last month said during public remarks Monday afternoon that he did not desert his base, but gave no details about how he arrived at the U.S. embassy in Beirut almost three weeks later. “I did not desert my post. I was captured and held against my will by anti-coalition forces for 19 days,” said Hassoun in a brief statement at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va. “This was a very difficult and challenging time for me. “I thank everyone who was looking for me and give...

The Washington Timeswww.washingtontimes.com Marine insists he was captured in IraqPublished July 20, 2004 QUANTICO, Va. (AP) -- Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, the Marine who disappeared under mysterious circumstances while on duty in Iraq, insisted yesterday that he was captured by enemy forces and that he remains a loyal Marine.     "I did not desert my post," he told reporters outside Quantico Marine Corps Base. "I was captured and held against my will by anti-coalition forces for 19 days. This was a very difficult and challenging time for me."     He did not answer questions during his brief appearance. He was joined by...

QUANTICO, Va. - Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, the Marine who disappeared under mysterious circumstances while on duty in Iraq, insisted on Monday that he was captured "I did not desert my post," he told reporters outside Quantico Marine Corps Base. "I was captured and held against my will by anti-coalition forces for 19 days. This was a very difficult and challenging time for me." He did not answer any questions during his brief appearance. He was joined by his brother, who had recently arrived at Quantico from Utah. Hassoun is in the midst of what the Marines call a "repatriation...

QUANTICO, Va., July 15 - An American marine who turned up in Beirut last week after vanishing in Iraq was returned to the United States on Thursday for questioning and a "repatriation process" to assess his physical and mental condition, Marine Corps officials said. The marine, Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, arrived at Quantico Marine Corps base in Virginia from Germany, where he had undergone six days of evaluation in a military hospital, "in good condition and in good spirits," said Lt. Col. David Lapan, a spokesman for the Second Marine Expeditionary Force. Colonel Lapan said that Quantico, 35 miles south...

QUANTICO, Va. (AP) - A U.S. Marine who disappeared in Iraq and turned up in Lebanon three weeks later arrived at a Marine Corps base south of Washington, D.C., on Thursday after six days of evaluation in a U.S. military hospital in Germany, a military official said. Lt. Col. David Lapan, a Marine Corps spokesman, said Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun would continue to undergo a "repatriation" process until it is determined he is fit and capable of returning to normal duty. He said the process could take from weeks to months. Hassoun was not made available at Quantico for questions...

July 15, 2004 -- WASHINGTON — Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun professed loyalty to the Marines yesterday, but he has failed to answer crucial questions about his bizarre disappearance in Iraq in his talks with military specialists, according to Pentagon officials.

BERLIN - A U.S. Marine who disappeared in Iraq and turned up in Lebanon nearly three weeks later said he was excited to be going home, but his return trip was unexpectedly delayed at the last minute, military officials said Wednesday. Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun left the U.S. military hospital at Landstuhl on Wednesday and had been expected to be flown home the same day from Ramstein Air Base. Instead, his departure was postponed until Thursday, without explanation. But Ramstein spokeswoman Darlene Cowsert later said his departure was postponed and she had no explanation. "Missions change," she said. Earlier, Hassoun...

Contrast the statements concerning Marine Hassoun's reasons for enlistment in the U.S. Marines. Then: NY Daily News article, June 28, 2004 "Hassoun, 24, is a devout Muslim who joined his family in the suburbs of Salt Lake City shortly before 9/11. His neighbors in Utah said he was so affected by the terror attacks that he enlisted in the Marines." And now... Associated Press, July 11,2004 BEIRUT, Lebanon - Relatives of a U.S. Marine who surfaced in Beirut nearly three weeks after an apparent kidnapping in Iraq appealed for understanding from fellow Arabs on Saturday, saying the Lebanese-born man emigrated...

A US marine who disappeared in Iraq, was filmed being threatened with a sword and was later reported to have been beheaded is in excellent physical condition without a mark on him, according to doctors treating him after he reappeared at the American embassy in Beirut. Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun, who is of Lebanese origin and was missing for 19 days, had lost 20lb and appeared to be exhausted when he arrived at Ramstein air base in Germany for the start of what promises to be a long debriefing. He told a psychologist at the base that he had slept...

Mystery Marine in Germany for DebriefingBy David ThibaultCNSNews.com Managing EditorJuly 09, 2004 (CNSNews.com) - Did Islamic terrorists kidnap Marine Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, or was the videotape showing Hassoun blindfolded and a sword hanging over his head a hoax staged by a 24-year-old wanting out of the military? Following Hassoun's arrival Friday at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, American officials will debrief him and try to find out the truth. Hassoun came in on a C-17 transport plane from Beirut, Lebanon and was immediately taken in a green ambulance to the medical center. Hassoun was reported missing June...

July 10, 2004 -- WASHINGTON — Marine Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun is believed to have made phone calls during the period he went missing in Iraq — raising serious doubts among investigators about whether he was kidnapped by terrorists, military officials said yesterday. In the latest twist to an increasingly bizarre story, U.S. intelligence agencies, which have extensive listening posts in Iraq, picked up a handful of cellphone conversations involving a man investigators believe was Hassoun. The calls were made before and shortly after he went missing, military officials familiar with the investigation said.

The bizarre case of Marine Corps Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun should be showing those among us who are still learning-impaired that a large percentage of Muslims in this country cannot be trusted in sensitive military or intelligence positions. As has been demonstrated in an alarming number of cases, the loyalty of most Muslims is to their religion and not to any adopted country, nation-state or fellow citizens. In addition, as we have discovered since 9/11, Muslim terrorists are not all Arab or Pakistani. Muslim terrorists come in all shapes, sizes and colors, whether Anglo, Black, Hispanic, or Asian. Overindulged American-born...

TRIPOLI, Lebanon (Reuters) - Lebanese-born U.S. marine Wassef Ali Hassoun, who turned up in his native country after going missing in Iraq, will leave today for Germany and then most likely head to the United States, his brother says. Queried about reports Hassoun had left Lebanon, where he turned himself over to the U.S. embassy on Thursday, his brother Sami told reporters: "He's leaving today." He added that Hassoun would go to a U.S. military base in Germany and likely proceed to the United States from there. The U.S. embassy in Beirut said on Friday Hassoun was still in its...

OCEANSIDE – "You want to dance?" 18-year-old Nichole Merzi asked the Marine shuffling his feet alone in a corner of the club Margarita Rocks. Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun accepted and by the end of the night he was smitten by the friendly girl who wore a T-shirt with a heart and the word "Lebanon," her father's country. "I'm from Lebanon," Hassoun said, and so began a courtship that involved Merzi and her Oceanside family. Nineteen days ago, the Camp Pendleton Marine went missing from his unit in Iraq, and it was feared he had been beheaded by Iraqi insurgents. Yesterday,...

ONE American serviceman's family got some relief yesterday — even as an other's agony dragged on. Marine Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun showed up at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, after having disappeared from a Marine base near Falluja... <--SNIP--> No such luck for the family of Pfc. Keith "Matt" Maupin. For them, the horror of not knowing just keeps building.... <--SNIP--> Meanwhile, an American media obsessed with the events at Abu Ghraib can't seem to summon outrage over the calculated cruelty inflicted on Maupin's loved ones by his Islamist captors. The Geneva Conventions? Not for Pfc. Maupin. Such is to...

A U.S. Marine who was reported missing in Iraq more than two weeks ago is alive and at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, where American officials are meeting with him, authorities said Thursday. Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun is safe and appears to be in good health, said a Pentagon official, speaking on condition of anonymity. In making the announcement about Hassoun, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said in Washington: "We were able to go get him."