Interesting article- petty responses.

Why is it OK for somebody to have "theories" about the President, but they are a "bigot" if they have a theory on a current event?

War is not logical- you have to think outside the box.  Anything (like this theory) is possible. 

[moderator] attack the message, not the messenger [/moderator]

Citing: http://www.news24.com/News24/World/Iraq/0,,2-10-1460_1550386,00.html news24.com, also found in The Mercury News, The New York Times and Miami Herald. Hmmm guess I was closer to the truth than I really wanted to be.. in todays news ...


Washington - A Lebanese-American Marine under threat of beheading by an armed group in Iraq deserted his post in shock after seeing one of his sergeants blown apart and was heading to his native Lebanon when he was kidnapped, the New York Times said on Wednesday.

The daily said Marine Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun has been missing since June 21 but marine officials had not announced this until late on Sunday, hours after Arab satellite news channel Al-Jazeera broadcast a tape from an armed group threatening to behead a US marine unless all detainees in US-led coalition prisons in Iraq were freed.

A marine officer who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the New York Times that after suffering emotional trauma from seeing one of his sergeants blown up by a mortar shell Ali Hassoun tried to make his way home to Lebanon but was betrayed by Iraqis he had befriended on his base.

"It was very disturbing to him," the officer said. "He wanted to go home and quit the game but since he was relatively early in his deployment, that was not going to happen anytime soon.

"So he talked to some folks on base he befriended, because they were all fellow Muslims, and they helped sneak him off.

"Once off, instead of helping him get home, they turned him over to the bad guys... It's all we know right now," the officer added.

Sword hanging over his head

The tape from the armed group calling itself the "Islamic Retaliation Movement - Armed Resistance Wing", showed a blindfolded man with a moustache, dressed in camouflage garb, with a sword brandished over his head and close-ups of identification cards.

The group said it had abducted the missing marine after "infiltrating a US military base in Iraq" but gave no deadline for carrying out the threatened execution.

Hassoun went missing on June 21 near the flashpoint town of Fallujah, although military officials have not confirmed that he was being held hostage.

Qatar-based Al-Jazeera said on Tuesday it had received video footage of the execution of US soldier Keith Maupin who had been held captive for more than two months. Maupin was the first US soldier to be taken hostage since the war in Iraq began.

Beside Ali Hassoun, a Pakistani hostage has also been threatened with decapitation by his kidnappers unless detained Iraqis are released.

SW - ... Do you know what I'm going to ask for? Can you guess it? CITE!?!?

Anyway, CNN has a more conservative version of events, here: Link

Anyway, CNN has a more conservative version of events, here: Link

OK the Communist News Network is not my first choice. But hey what do you think they would say, no one wants to upset the family, the Muslims or any other politically correct group. If you can stop being PC for a bit and just hit the plain truth, its uglier than most would like to admit.

Maybe we need a dose of plain unwashed truth in this nation. Take PC out of it, take bias out of it and call it like it is and maybe just maybe people would see what really is the story behind the story.

I've just realized that the article you posted (and correctly pointed me to, thanks) uses the New York Times as a reference. And you complain of me referencing CNN?
This is a South African news agency?

I guess the AWOL thing isn't really new news, tho, as it might've been interpreted as such when his captivity was announced: Link

And here's another different view of the events (this time from FOX, if that suits you better): Link

Honestly, it doesn't change the fact that this is horrible, and that this guy doesn't deserve to be beheaded more than anyone else. Down deep I wish it were all a big fake thing or something, even if the guy was working with terrorists. At least then someone woulnd't be looking forward to a beheading.

I don't think ShadowWar meant to disparage anyone, there was just a lot of oddities to this one. I had the same questions.

It sounds like he just wanted to go home. I'd have to say "There but by the grace of God go I." Here's hoping they cut him the same "Brother Muslim" slack they cut the Turkish prisoners. And here's hoping they drop dead soon after, before they can find anyone else to behead.

I've just realized that the article you posted (and correctly pointed me to, thanks) uses the New York Times as a reference. And you complain of me referencing CNN? This is a South African news agency?I guess the AWOL thing isn't really new news, tho, as it might've been interpreted as such when his captivity was announced: LinkAnd here's another different view of the events (this time from FOX, if that suits you better): Link

Pseudo I was just citing as many as I could. I actually don't trust any media until I check it out on several and then sift through the bias, left or right additions. I think the Army is changing its tune because they are afraid of causing a problem with the Muslim community if they accuse a Muslim military member of deserting. So lets call him AWOL instead. I hate this PC crap. I am so tired of the sugar coating of everything because they don't want to "upset" this or that group. Call it like it is, let the people decide for themselves.

Baker, thanks your right I was not trying to disparage anyone, just that when I first heard this story it struck me as strange the way it was written and the lack of facts or those that were presented. Having been Army myself I thought the circumstances were strange. And I guess I was part right. Anyway we see now that he was AWOL or deserting or whatever you want to call it (I personally call it deserting, leaving your post to flee home?) and tried to make contact with Muslim Iraq's in the camp to help him. I would like to find those guys also and check them out (which I am sure the Army is doing). Anyway the whole thing struck me as strange. I hope the guy gets out of it, and then the Army puts him away as a deserter. Personal point of view...