Marine Who Went Missing in Iraq Charged

[maddezmom]

RALEIGH, N.C. - A Marine who was reported abducted in Iraq (news - web sites) 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 at Camp Lejeune.

Hassoun, of West Jordan, Utah, is accused of taking unauthorized leave from the unit where he served as an Arabic interpreter.


Hassoun also is charged with loss of government property and theft of a military firearm for allegedly leaving the Marine camp while still in possession of his 9 mm service pistol, as well as theft and wrongful appropriation of a government vehicle.


Neither Hassoun nor his lawyer planned to make any public statement about the charges, brigade spokesman Maj. Matt Morgan said.


~snip~

more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=542&ncid=718&e=1&u=/ap/20041209/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/marine_iraq

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Of course, since he's Middle Eastern,

he's automatically guilty in the eyes of the Administration.

[sehlatik]

3. Re: "Of course, since he's Middle Eastern"

Well, that explains everything about these thugs in this administration, then. Thanks, ayeshahaqqiqa.

[sehlatik]

2. Marine who went missing in Iraq charged

WTF?!?! A Marine gets abducted by the enemy, and he's charged with desertion? These thugs, they just want cannon fodder in their oil war, so they'll do anything to lie about a soldier and make him out to be the bad guy.

[genieroze]

5. If he did desert, I don't blame him

Do you know what they do to Arabs working for Americans if they are caught? Lets just say they lose their heads.

[jmcgowanjm]

4. Wierd that IRR today would have news on this subject

Seven Americans trying to escape military duty in Iraq shot
dead by tribes near Syrian
border.

More and more US troops seek to escape the “hell” of Iraq
by sneaking across the border into Syria, Mafkarat al-
Islam reports. The route out is not necessarily safe, however,
as the Americans are sometimes spotted and targeted
by Bedouin tribes. The Mafkarat al-Islam correspondent
reported that seven US troops were trying to make the
Syrian border to get out of Iraq when they crossed the territory
of the Makr ad-Dib tribe at 1pm Wednesday. The
Bedouin spotted the Americans in uniform and killed
them.

Mafkarat al-Islam reports that the Syrian border has
witnessed numerous cases of US troops crossing over
to escape service with the occupation forces in Iraq. Many
have attained freedom by hiring guides in the area who
show them the way
out.

[hlthe2b]

6. These stories have my tin foil hat spinning...

I don't know the truth on this particular soldier, but my gut tells me that if he did desert and ends up in the brigg for a while, that ultimately he may come up lucky. Things are clearly not looking good for our soldiers in Iraq...