Captured or no?
The story involving Marine Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun is getting strange:
The strange disappearance of Marine Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, reportedly kidnapped in Iraq nearly three weeks ago, grows even more mysterious.
Senior Pentagon officials tell NBC News, a man claiming to be Hassoun, called his family in Lebanon and the U.S. embassy in Beirut, saying he was — “released by his kidnappers somewhere in Lebanon” and that he was “waiting to be picked up.”
But in Washington, Secretary of State Colin Powell said U.S. officials remain in the dark. “We have received reports that he may be in contact with various individuals and there are other reports that he might be in Lebanon. But we cannot confirm any of these at this time,” said Powell.
Late Wednesday, FBI agents showed up at the Hassoun family home in West Jordan, Utah. And Pentagon officials tell NBC News that the Navy has now launched a criminal investigation into Hassoun’s disappearance, and the possibility that his kidnapping may be part of an elaborate hoax.
A hoax? If that’s the case, it seems like a pretty elaborate plan to go AWOL.
July 8th, 2004 at 10:06 am
Strategypage.com reported that this guy deserted and had negotiated with some guys in Iraq to smuggle him into, I dunno, Lebanon or wherever the rest of his family lives.
But his new found smuggling buddies sold him to some insurgent group that wanted publicity. Whatta shock! Theives have no honor, forsooth!
I have no idea if the SP report is the real skinny, but it makes sense considering the way this is being soft-pedalled by everyone involved.
James
July 8th, 2004 at 10:25 am
Wow! That’s pretty abysmal.