Posted on 11/19/2004 9:30:59 AM PST by Former Military Chick
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.
Yes there was, and let's hope that the military now gets to the TRUTH of it.
Don't GIs usually go for a walk outside post with extra BDUs and a passport?
I never believed this idiots story in the first place.
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.
Hmm. Bad Guys capture Marine, and put him on display. Why is it surprising that his stuff was found where the Bad Guys had imprisoned him?
Do y'all think that he stopped his escape to gather up all of the stuff that the Bad Guys stole from him? Why would that be smart? "Gee, I've got an opportunity to escape, let me throw that away by trying to get my paperwork back from wherever the Bad Guys have taken it."
As struwwelpeter said - they found his *passport* !?? I didn't know our troops went into battle with passports. Or, for that matter, stroll around with a spare uniform to get "captured". This guy's dirty, and needs a nice extended stay at army's club fed.
Seems like there were much closesr sanctuaries.
No matter what, I am confident that the Corps was and is looking very closely indeed at this incident.
Doing background checks on people just because they have Islamic backgrounds is discrimination, just because one idiot who happens to be muslim screws up it does not mean other muslims should be subject to rules that don't apply to non muslims. We are not waging a crusade, not all muslims are fundementalists.
Should we subject all hillbillies in the military to background checks after what those few did at Abu Ghraib??....no.
I have a really good friend who is a great Marine and who also happens to be muslim, instead of thanking him and patting him on the back after his second tour in Iraq he gets called 'Rag head' and other awful names by people who fear his color and his religion. The only thing that should be done to muslims in Uniform is for them to be thanked for their patriotic service to their country....they are proud americans too, just some people don't choose to see it.
I took my passport [both New Zealand and American] as well as $1000 cash with me whenever i went on patrol. If we had to E&E the money would be helpful...and you never know when your passport comes in handy, now i am not suggesting what he did was right or logical....i am only saying it is not as unreasonable as people are making it out to take money or travel documents with you, me and the 3 others guys in my team did it.
Hey, I'm 100% behind all those who serve, regardless of religeous orientation. Heck, one of my best friends from grade school's a muslim. I've know what true islam's about and what our islamic patriots think.
It's just that he disappeared under odd circumstances, and then reappeared in the end (miraculously) in another country... it just seems a bit... suspicious.
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