captured marine was AWOL

[booger711]

thats what you get for deserting

WEST JORDAN, Utah (CNN) -- The military thinks Marine Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, now listed as captured, initially left his base in Iraq on unauthorized leave, a Pentagon official said Tuesday.

A senior Defense Department official said Hassoun, who did not report to duty on June 20, might have been trying to reach his family in Lebanon and left his base under his own free will.

Sunday, the Arab-language network Al-Jazeera aired video of a man identified as Hassoun, who was surrounded by armed men. The captive displayed his Marine identification papers, and one of the captors brandished a sword above his head.

On the tape, a speaker said the man was lured from his base and captured, and his captors threatened to kill him unless U.S. military authorities release Iraqi prisoners.

Shortly after his disappearance, Hassoun's family was notified he was missing, but there was no public announcement, the Pentagon official said, because the military did not want to signal insurgents that a Marine might be out in the countryside unprotected.

The military and the family made the announcement about the status change at a news conference in Hassoun's hometown of West Jordan, Utah, on Tuesday night.

"The Marine Corps have officially notified the family that Wassef's status of desertion is being revoked and has been changed to captured," family spokesman Tarek Nosseir said.

A Marines spokeswoman said Hassoun's status was changed from missing to captured after the video aired, but questions remain about how he was abducted.

"The circumstances regarding his absence remain under investigation," Capt. Amy Malugami said. "His whereabouts are currently unknown."

The military believes it was "highly unlikely" that Hassoun was captured from the base, according to the Defense Department official. The current assessment is he was having "family problems," although that possibility is still being investigated.

Hassoun, a Marine translator who speaks Arabic, was last seen on June 19. Hassoun is a member of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force and is a native of Lebanon. He had been living with some family members in Utah before joining the Marines.

The Pentagon official said the military is investigating whether Hassoun had money when he disappeared. He was last seen with his M9 service pistol.

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[dabuddha]

Where do you get that he was probably trying to join militants?

 

[toekramp]

this is how rumors are started

 

[yukichigai]

Originally posted by: dabuddha
Where do you get that he was probably trying to join militants?

Yeah. If you were a reporter they'd Blair you in a second.

 

[Electric Amish]

They said on the news last night that the military believed that he was captured and WAS NOT AWOL.

 

[Nikamichi]

Figures, how could a marine be lured from his base and captured so easily?

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: dabuddha
Where do you get that he was probably trying to join militants?

 

[StageLeft]

How does going AWOL to visit your family in lebanon equate with "probably trying to join militants"? Talk about deceptive thread summary.

He shouldn't have gone awol, but he doesn't deserve this in either case.

 

[SuperTool]

I think they are just saying it so the militants will treat him better

 

[Isshinryu]

Is desertion not punishable by death under the US military law?

 

[jman19]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
How does going AWOL to visit your family in lebanon equate with "probably trying to join militants"? Talk about deceptive thread summary.

He shouldn't have gone awol, but he doesn't deserve this in either case.

No kidding it's deceptive.

Booger, try not to be a sensationalist and change the summary.

 

[EXman]

It's CNN what you expect this story has already been laid to rest he is listed Missing now by pressure from his family.

Guy has Lebanese roots though.

 

[Shelly21]

What a moronic fool! If he was the type that would go AWOL and join the militants, why would his marine buddies back him up and wanted to seek revenge on his behalf?

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Shelly21
What a moronic fool! If he was the type that would go AWOL and join the militants, why would his marine buddies back him up and wanted to seek revenge on his behalf?

It's only snot's summary that mentions joining militants. This guy went AWOL, but no mention of joining militants.

 

[Isshinryu]

Originally posted by: Shelly21
What a moronic fool! If he was the type that would go AWOL and join the militants, why would his marine buddies back him up and wanted to seek revenge on his behalf?

I think you might underestimate the bond that individual marines have with each other, especially after serving together during war. I'm not saying that he went AWOL or had intentions of joining the militants, I'm simply stating that the bond between servicemen is strong.

 

[booger711]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
How does going AWOL to visit your family in lebanon equate with "probably trying to join militants"? Talk about deceptive thread summary.

He shouldn't have gone awol, but he doesn't deserve this in either case.

chill out.

the guys a total dumbass for going awol. and is he really stupid enough to leave his base by himself still in uniform and armed (from picture, mention of his service pistol). what was he going to do, walk to lebanon through hostile territory? if that was his true intent, why didnt he get into civilian clothes so he wouldnt be shot/captured/whatever by militants. had he been out of uniform, he could have avoided capture (he's Lebanese and could have passed off as an iraqi or something)

 

[sygyzy]

Wow, you make a pathetic first impression. Once a liar, always a liar.

 

[yukichigai]

Originally posted by: booger711
the guys a total dumbass for going awol. and is he really stupid enough to leave his base by himself still in uniform and armed (from picture, mention of his service pistol). what was he going to do, walk to lebanon through hostile territory? if that was his true intent, why didnt he get into civilian clothes so he wouldnt be shot/captured/whatever by militants. had he been out of uniform, he could have avoided capture (he's Lebanese and could have passed off as an iraqi or something)

If that was supposed to somehow even vaguely indicate the guy was trying to join the militants you must be Schizophrenic.

 

[FuZoR]

thought i walked into P&N....

 

[Shortcut]

Originally posted by: booger711

Originally posted by: Skoorb
How does going AWOL to visit your family in lebanon equate with "probably trying to join militants"? Talk about deceptive thread summary.

He shouldn't have gone awol, but he doesn't deserve this in either case.

chill out.

the guys a total dumbass for going awol. and is he really stupid enough to leave his base by himself still in uniform and armed (from picture, mention of his service pistol). what was he going to do, walk to lebanon through hostile territory? if that was his true intent, why didnt he get into civilian clothes so he wouldnt be shot/captured/whatever by militants. had he been out of uniform, he could have avoided capture (he's Lebanese and could have passed off as an iraqi or something)

stop being a d!ck. own up to your mistake and make the topic summary accurate