I reckon the victims lost some weight too.
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.