Posted on 11/19/2004 4:54:56 AM PST by LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget
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 Hassoun had been beheaded.
On July 8, however, Hassoun turned up at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut. How he traveled through Iraq to Lebanon remains a mystery, the Salt Lake Tribune said.
Following a repatriation process and a 30-day compassionate leave in Utah, Hassoun returned to duty at Camp Lejeune, N.C., in September and had his first meeting with military investigators.
He was on leave for much of October, spending the Islamic holy month of Ramadan with his family in West Jordan. He returned to Camp Lejeune Wednesday.
Surprise, surprise.
PING..........
Things that make you go hummmmmmmmmm........
'troops recently discovered several of his personal items, including his passport, military ID and uniform in Fallujah.'
how do they find anything in that hell-hole?
ping for walking out and dozing it.
Where I hope he is already in the brig.
"Walking out and dozing it" Should have been done before we lost 51 of our fellow Americans.
Funny how you want him in the brig when the Marines are comfortable with him traveling overseas.
I am a retired Marine and I know that the Corps isn't stupid about matters like this. We will find out in due time about Cpl. Hassoun, but I am not going to condemn him till I know the WHOLE story. Just like I am not going to condemn the Marine for the recent shooting incident. As one who has been there, done that, and suffered the scourge of the LIES of Hanoi Kerry, I will NEVER attack our troops. The military will get to the bottom of all of these incidents and they deserve our support as they investigate while they are prosecuting the war.
Don't jump to conclusions - you don't want to be another Kerry, blaming the troops when you have NO IDEA of what transpired.
I agree tossing him in the Brig is inappropriate at this time. But the whole thing was very fishy. Probably not 'beyond a reasonable doubt' convict him and toss him in the brig fishy...but I wouldn't want him on my fire team either. My guess is that this new find is not nearly enough to clarify exactly what happened either way.
I think he probably deserted. And I think we'll probably never be able to prove that.
I wouldn't let him set foot outside of the brig at this point. Talk about your flight risk.
Prairie
See reply number 7, and don't be another Kerry!
Valid point. I still wouldn't let him off base though. But that's me.
Prairie
What's so hard to understand about his effects showing up in Falluja? There doesn't seem to be any controversy about him actually being captured.
The terrorists were just going by SOP in keeping his things together...future OPs ya know. Never know when it may come in handy to impersonate a Marine.
I don't trust this guy. I'm very happy to hear they've taken up the matter again. This demands full investigation. The *last* thing we need is a double-agent, a mole, a terrorist among our forces.
Once again I agree with you...brilliant minds think alike!
There is a reason he wasn't thrown in the brig. a couple ideas come to mind:
1) He freaked out and dashed off, had second thoughts and returned and the military didn't want to punish him and make it a big negative morale issue to weigh on our troops. 2) He was Lebanese and maybe just wanted to see a girlfriend there (duh, he is a guy.ha)
3) ( my most likely scenario)...since he was Lebanese, he was our spy and of course, the military is not going to say anything.
Ergo....Let's leave the idea of trashing this Marine to Matt Lauer and Katie Couric...they're sooo good at that.
Let us stand behind ALL our military. Well, all except Kerry and other avowed traitors.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.