Horrible Acts: U.S. Marine Hassoun Claims He Witnessed Beheadings While in Captivity in Iraq

ABC News ^ | July 19-20 2004 | ABC News

[walford]

	Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun made comments to reporters on July 19. ABCNEWS.com	Horrible Acts U.S. Marine Hassoun Claims He Witnessed Beheadings While in Captivity in Iraq ABCNEWS.com July 19— Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, the 24-year-old Marine who went missing in Iraq last month and says he was held by terrorists, has privately told military officials that he witnessed beheadings while he was held, ABC News has learned.

The beheadings horrified Hassoun and caused him to lose weight, sources told ABC News.

Also, according to Hassoun, after his captors realized he was a Muslim, they treated him much worse because, they said, a Muslim should not serve Americans.

After Hassoun disappeared from his base in Iraq on June 19, conflicting reports said first that he had been captured and beheaded, and later that he was alive. Hassoun, a Lebanese-American, ultimately turned up on July 8 at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, hundreds of miles from Iraq, raising questions about how he got there and whether he was ever captured at all.

Military officials admit they don't know what to believe. They have not yet begun intensive interrogation of Hassoun.

In his first public comments about his disappearance, Hassoun said today that he is not a deserter.

"I did not desert my post," he told reporters. "I was captured and held against my will by anti-coalition forces for 19 days. This was a very difficult and challenging time for me."

The Marine Corps said it was Hassoun's decision to break his public silence today. He clearly hoped to remove suspicion about himself.

Tough Questions Ahead

Hassoun, who did not answer reporters' questions following the press conference, will face some tough questions from military investigators.

He will have to answer why investigators found his locker empty after his disappearance, and reports that he cashed out his bank accounts, converting his money to Iraqi currency.

He will have to explain why, after announcing it had killed him, the Islamic extremist group that captured him instead permitted him to go to Lebanon, possibly to see his fiancée.

Despite reports that he promised his captors he would leave the Marines, Hassoun has not said anything about it since he returned.

"In the time that he's been here, he has not expressed any reluctance to return to full duty when the time is appropriate," Lt. Col. Dave Kaplan told reporters earlier today.

'Kid Glove' Treatment

The Marines are treating Hassoun with great care.

"They've got to treat him with kid gloves because they don't know at this point whether he's going to wind up as a defendant in a court martial or a great source of intelligence for what's happening on the other side in Iraq," said military law expert Eugene Fidell.

For now at least, the Marine Corps says it is treating Hassoun as one of their own who survived a harrowing ordeal.

ABC News' John Cochran contributed to this report.

[walford]

I'm still wondering about this one...some questions are left unanswered until I can form an opinion about this one. Such as, why would they let the hostages see each other?

[Paleo Conservative]

The beheadings horrified Hassoun and caused him to lose weight,

[krb]

Look, he's a Marine, and he's one of us, and he's alive. There is no reason to rush to anything on this one.

While I think his story does seem fishy sometimes, it also seems plausible that he could have been taken, the bad guys then realize that he was a Marine, the bad guys then show a moment of sanity and realize what would happen to them if they capped one of the Corp, then come up with a weird scheme to shed him.

Noy saying I buy it 100%, but I know if I was involved with a gang that took a Marine hostage I'd be looking for ways to make sure that Marine was getting room service.

[krb]

The beheadings horrified Hassoun and caused him to lose weight

I reckon the victims lost some weight too.

[South40]

Also, according to Hassoun, after his captors realized he was a Muslim, they treated him much worse because, they said, a Muslim should not serve Americans.

Much worse than what? Worse than those who were beheaded?

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

"I reckon the victims lost some weight too."

Actually, they lost some height.

[Floratina]

The "cleared bank account" among other things is troubling. But he did come back. He isn't exhibiting any reluctance to return to duty. I guess I would be naive if I didn't wonder if he wanted to continue in order to provide intel. The powers-that-be could keep an eye on him, just in case. I really hope that his story is true. Oy, what to believe?!

[krb]

sad, but good one. God rest their souls. No one deserves to die like that.

[walford]

"No one deserves to die like that."

Actually, the perps deserve something like this:
Don't Hate Them, Just  Take Them Out

[saquin]

Also, according to Hassoun, after his captors realized he was a Muslim, they treated him much worse because, they said, a Muslim should not serve Americans.

"Much worse than what? Worse than those who were beheaded?"

I'm wondering how they "treated him much worse" also. He has no physical injuries, not even a bruise. What did they do, look at him funny?

[Fred Nerks]

He had time to empty his locker and cash in his bank accounts and change his money before he was captured by anti-coalition forces?

Of course he didn't desert...he was just taking a few days off, he would have been right back. (If those nice terrorists hadn't picked him up, that is.)

Give him time. Each time he opens his mouth, the hole gets deeper. Hassoun's going to loose a lot more than weight before this story ends.

I believe there are some 15,000 muslims in the defense forces, and that's 15,000 too many IMHO.

[Chummy]

Call me a skeptic, but.....

Hassoun

Credibility


I'm just not getting these to match up real well.

[texasflower]

One of the other released hostages said the same thing.

He witnessed three of them, I think.

I sure wish I could remember which one it was.

[MarMema]

Pakistani hostage

[Brian Allen]

<< U.S. Marine Hassoun claims He Witnessed [Seventh-century barbaric slaughterings] while "in captivity in Iraq" .... [And that these events] horrified [Him] and caused him to lose weight ... [And] also [That] ... after his captors realized he was a muslim they treated him much worse .... >>

So where's the sack his head?

What a smelly story.

[azhenfud]

The "cleared bank account" among other things is troubling.

Could be. But cleared of how much? $100, $500, $1000?

A Corporal's pay might not leave a lot for a bank account to be cleared of, you know.

[texasflower]

Thank you very much. I have saved it this time.

[superiorslots]

Quote:I'm wondering how they "treated him much worse" also. He has no physical injuries, not even a bruise. What did they do, look at him funny?


They made him wear womens panties on his head.

[Chieftain]

You're a skeptic.

Hey, you asked for it. Besides, the Marine Corps will get to the truth and they aren't in any hurry to let the press know what this is.

Didya ever hear of dis-information?

[AgThorn]

He will have to answer why investigators found his locker empty after his disappearance, and reports that he cashed out his bank accounts, converting his money to Iraqi currency.

Well, let's just say that I was 'open' on this one until I read the above. This is more than just 'fishy' ... keep digging, the truth will come out soon enough. I do hope that he was taken prisoner and that the above is easily explainable but I can't for the life of me think how.