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Title: Marine who vanished from his post in Iraq 10 years ago and ended up in Lebanon to stand trial for desertion
Source:
Daily Mail Online
URL Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art ... ial-decade-vanishing-Iraq.html
Published: Feb 10, 2015
Author: Associated Press and Flora Drury For Mai
Post Date: 2015-02-10 09:21:11 by cranky
Keywords: None
Views: 293
A U.S. Marine who is accused of faking his own kidnapping after vanished from his post in Iraq more than a decade ago is set to finally stand trial - 10 years after he disappeared for the second time. Corporal Wassef Hassoun has opted to be tried by a judge rather than a jury as he faces charges of desertion, larceny and destruction of property in a military court. The trial is expected to hear opening statements today, with the prosecution alleging Hassoun fled his post in 2004 because he was unhappy with his deployment and the treatment of Iraqis by American troops. The defence claim Hassoun did not flee, but was kidnapped and later became tangled up in Lebanese courts. However, the 35-year-old has conceded his second disappearance - after he was ordered to stand trial the first time, in 2005 - began with an unauthorised absence, entering a guilty plea to a lesser offence. Corporal Wassef Hassoun is accused of fleeing his post in Iraq in 2004 - but he says he was kidnapped Hassoun first disappeared from a base in Fallujah, Iraq, in June 2004. Days later, he appeared blindfolded and with a sword poised above his head in an image - purportedly taken by insurgents. An extremist group claimed to be holding him captive. Not long after, Hassoun turned up unharmed at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, saying he'd been kidnapped. But officials were suspicious, and he was brought back to Camp Lejeune in 2004 while the military considered charging him. Speaking in 2004, Hassoun told reporters: 'I did not desert my post. 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.' A five month investigation concluded with Hassoun being charged for desertion and theft of military property, including a military-issued M9 pistol he carried with him. It was then decided to allow Hassoun to visit family in Utah - at which point, he disappeared for a second time. In early 2005, and with a military court hearing looming, he traveled to Lebanon. He had not yet been formally charged. But once he was in the country, he was arrested by the Lebanese authorities after Interpol issued a bulletin. The defence says court proceedings in Lebanon lasted until 2013, and Hassoun turned himself in after the government there lifted travel restrictions. Prosecutors, on the other hand, say his whereabouts was unknown for years. Hassoun appeared in a video, purporting to be from his kidnappers, above, after his disappearance - but he reappeared shortly afterwards, handing himself in unharmed to the U.S. Embassy in Beirut Hassoun, left, being escorted to the courtroom on Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, N.C., then disappeared once more - this time to Lebanon in early 2005 Hassoun eventually surrendered to NCIS investigators in Bahrain in the middle of last year, reportedly telling them that he feared for his life in Lebanon. Back in the U.S., he could face as much as 27 years behind bars. In 2005, Hassoun faced a dishonorable discharge, in addition to five to 10 years incarceration. His brother has previously argued Hassoun chose to flee to his homeland of Lebanon because of pressure from the initial allegations, as well as a purported anti-Muslim bias in the military. 'Instead of them giving him medals and making him feel good about his service and what he was doing for his country, they gave him an Article 32,' Hassoun's brother said of the military court proceedings that his brother was to have faced in January 2005. The Marine Corps denied any anti-Muslim sentiment in their handling of Hassoun. The Marine returned to the U.S. last year, handing himself into NCIS investigators in Bharain - saying he was in fear of his life in Lebanon On Monday, judge Marine Major Nicholas Martz denied a defence motion to prevent prosecutors from calling an Iraqi who is now living in the United States. Defence attorney Haytham Faraj argued the witness interacted with his client long before the disappearance and those conversations weren't relevant. But prosecutor Captain Chris Nassar said Hassoun made incriminating comments to the witness, including that he didn't want to die in Iraq and wanted to leave the Marines. The judge also denied a prosecution motion seeking to bar the defence from referring in opening statements to the video that purportedly shows Hassoun being held by insurgents, nor mention Lebanese government documents related to court proceedings against Hassoun in that country. The judge allowed the evidence to be mentioned in opening statements, but warned that the defence must later show the trustworthiness of those documents. 
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