ariweiner
06-29-2004, 02:01 PM
"On a day that American and Iraqi officials had hoped would be dominated by images of the transfer of formal sovereignty to a new Iraqi government, military officials also confirmed that the marine whose captors have threatened him with beheading had been missing for more than a week.
The officials said they had been reluctant to publicize the disappearance of the marine, Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, because the area in western Iraq where he was stationed is so anti-American. They also said they had suspected that he had deserted his Marine outpost.
"We knew we had a missing marine out there, but in a hostile area like this where you're surrounded by the enemy, the last thing you want to do is raise a flag and broadcast this," said Maj. T. V. Johnson, a Marine spokesman.
Marine officials said they had little further information on the situation of Corporal Hassoun, a Lebanese-born Muslim who appeared blindfolded and with a sword hanging over his head in a video released Sunday night on Al Jazeera.
Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, the occupation forces' deputy director of operations, was quoted by The Associated Press as saying Corporal Hassoun had gone "on an unauthorized absence."
"Based on his personal situation, there was reason to suspect that he was heading over to Lebanon," General Kimmitt said, without providing details. - NY Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/29/politics/29MARI.html)
The officials said they had been reluctant to publicize the disappearance of the marine, Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, because the area in western Iraq where he was stationed is so anti-American. They also said they had suspected that he had deserted his Marine outpost.
"We knew we had a missing marine out there, but in a hostile area like this where you're surrounded by the enemy, the last thing you want to do is raise a flag and broadcast this," said Maj. T. V. Johnson, a Marine spokesman.
Marine officials said they had little further information on the situation of Corporal Hassoun, a Lebanese-born Muslim who appeared blindfolded and with a sword hanging over his head in a video released Sunday night on Al Jazeera.
Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, the occupation forces' deputy director of operations, was quoted by The Associated Press as saying Corporal Hassoun had gone "on an unauthorized absence."
"Based on his personal situation, there was reason to suspect that he was heading over to Lebanon," General Kimmitt said, without providing details. - NY Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/29/politics/29MARI.html)