Missing Marine from Salt Lake City suburb

[Sean Reynolds]

The Associated Press

West Jordan, Utah-AP -- A Utah family has confirmed that a relative is the missing U-S Marine threatened with being beheaded in a militant videotape.

The family of Wassef Ali Hassoun (wah-SEF' ah-LEE' hah-SAHN') in the Salt Lake City suburb of West Jordan issued a statement, saying they're praying and pleading for the Marine's safe release.

U-S officials in Iraq say Hassoun has been missing for nearly a week, but it was not clear whether he was being held hostage. A Hassoun family friend acting as a spokesman issued a brief statement, but did not take questions.

http://www.kbcitv.com/x5154.xml?ParentPageID=x5155&ContentID=x51828&Layout=KBCI.xsl&AdGroupID=x5154&URL=http://localhost/apwirefeed/d83fpf3g0.xml&NewsSection=NationalHeadlines

[Mnemosyne]

1. Could it be al CIA duh? n/t

[Media_Lies_Daily]

3. ????

[Mnemosyne]

6. answer...

CIA trained al qaeda in the 8o's under raygun regime.

[hlthe2b]

2. Wow.. the lack of any detail in this piece (about the man or his family)

seems strange and rather offensive, IMO.... Surely they could have gotten some information from public records, at least? Ir really seems to diminish him (but maybe I'm overreacting).

God, I hope he (and the three turkish capties), as well as the American held for weeks that we no longer hear about-- are all released safely. I also hope the family gets the support they need....

[TeeYiYi]

4. Marines thought he had gone AWOL . . .

. . . I just heard it on the radio. Also, apparently he's Lebanese. For what that's worth.? :shrug:

I wonder if that means (since they thought he was AWOL) that they haven't been trying to rescue him since he went missing. Hmmm.

TYY

[TeeYiYi]

5. Here's a link to the AWOL story . . .

. . . "Senior military officials confirm that a Marine with the same name has been missing for a week. Hassoun was of Lebanese descent, and the Marine Corps believed he had gone awol."

http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1971918&nav=1TjDOEh1

TYY

[TeeYiYi]

8. I wonder if the AWOL story is getting any press . . .

. . . now that it's so obvious that he wasn't. :(

TYY

[Scairp]

11. I heard it

It was either last night or this morning that I heard on t.v. the Marines believed he may have gone AWOL.

[TeeYiYi]

13. Thanks Scairp . . .

. . . I wonder if they still believe it? (Not that it matters, I guess.) :(

TYY

[Rhiannon12866]

7. This is really sad, and scary

I just don't think I can take another one of these beheadings. I exclaimed out loud in the car when I heard of the latest one on the radio and almost went off the road. I just cannot imagine the pain that his family is suffering. Here's the latest that I have on the missing Marine. God be with him.

Group Threatens Missing Marine
2 Americans Killed In Incidents in Iraq
(The Washington Post)

BAGHDAD, June 27 -- The Arab satellite TV network al-Jazeera aired a videotape Sunday from a group threatening to kill a U.S. Marine it claimed to have captured by luring him from his post, and two Americans and four Iraqi boys were among those killed across the country in a succession of attacks.

A Defense Department employee was killed when rifle shots were fired at a cargo plane taking off from Baghdad's main airport, and a U.S. soldier was killed in a rocket attack on a base on the outskirts of the city. The Iraqi boys were killed when they were hit by mortar shells that apparently missed their target.

Late Sunday, al-Jazeera broadcast a video showing a blindfolded man in military fatigues as well as photos that appeared to identify him as Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun. In a statement, the U.S. military said that Hassoun, a member of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, had been missing from his unit since June 21, but it could not confirm that he had been taken hostage. Al-Jazeera said a group calling itself Islamic Response claimed that it had captured the Marine. Unlike videos of two previous hostages who were beheaded, the broadcast tape had no audio.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9571-2004Jun27.html?referrer=email

[Bigmack]

9. Over the hill...

Since I'm an ex-Marine, I get to say it.

Maybe he went over the hill, intent on getting to Lebanon, and got picked up by the insurgents. I can't imagine one Marine straying far enough from his unit to get kidnapped, and the fact that he's of Middle Eastern descent, it makes it even more interesting.

Sounds like he's screwed, in either case.

The Marines will be MUCH less inclined to take prisoners now.

[TeeYiYi]

10. Did you read posts #4, #5 or #6 ?

TYY

[Bigmack]

14. 4 & 5 not there....

6 ain't related to what I said. Can you tell me what was in 4 & 5?

[Roaming]

12. I wonder if he is Muslim, and if so, whether that would make any

difference to his captors...

[Rhiannon12866]

15. I already signed on reply #7, but I really fear for this guy

Please, may there not be another be-heading. How bad is this thing going to get? I was vehemently opposed to Bush*s war, but it has become more horrific and bloody than I ever could have imagined.
:scared: