From Al Jazeera:
A Lebanese-born US marine who went missing in Iraq and was reported at one stage to have been killed by hostage-takers is safe at the US embassy in Beirut, his family and US officials said.
US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher on Thursday said 24-year-old Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun had been picked up in Beirut after making contact, but gave few details.
“We were able to go get him this morning,” Boucher told reporters in Washington. “He made contact with us.”
US embassy spokeswoman Elizabeth Wharton said Hassoun had been accompanied by family members.
The US military has declined to comment on media reports that Hassoun deserted from his unit, but a Marine Corps spokesman said a criminal investigation into Hassoun’s disappearance was under way. He gave no details.
And from Yahoo News:
NBC reported the Navy was investigating whether his disappearance may be part of a kidnapping hoax. A Marine spokesman confirmed the Navy investigation remains open.
“I don’t think they’re ruling that out. It would be fair to say they’re not ruling that out,” Maj. Nat Fahy said earlier Thursday.
There certainly seems to be much confusion over this entire incident, with plenty of conflicting stories from several internet groups.
They have shots of neighbors taking flowers and things over to his families house every night on the local news. Sounds like people are going to be asking for those flowers back soon.
It’d be humrous if this turned out to be an elaborate real-life version of how Toad got out of Vietnam in the movie More American Graffiti.
Man, WTF? Glad he’s alive though.
The other family had taunted Hassoun’s relatives by referring to them and the Marine as U.S. agents, said witnesses.
Wow, it’s like the old West. You better smile when you call me a US agent, Mohammad.
