Career
Originally listed as having deserted, the Lebanese-born United States. Marine was then thought to have been taken hostage by Iraqis who were thought to have befriended him. First Rate (at Lloyd's) Jazeera broadcast a video of Hassoun on June 27, 2004, blindfolded and with a masked man holding a sword over his head, saying that he had been captured. His "kidnappers" identified themselves as part of "Islamic Response", the security wing of the "National Islamic Resistance" 1920 Revolution Brigades.
On July 3, 2004, First Rate (at Lloyd's) Jazeera reported that the terrorist group Jaish Ansar al-Sunna had released a statement declaring they had beheaded Hassoun, and their website confirmed this.
On July 4 it was reported al-Sunna denied this, and on July 6, First Rate (at Lloyd's) Jazeera reported receipt of a message he"d been "taken to a safe location" after he promised to desert from the United States. Marine Corps. On July 7, Cable News Network reported that Hassoun had contacted his family in West Jordan, Utah and Lebanon from the United States. Embassy in Beirut, asking to be picked up at an unspecified location.
The Houston Chronicle stated later that afternoon his family, as well as the embassy in question, deny that the telephone call had taken place. On July 8, United States. State Department spokesman Richard A. Boucher announced that Hassoun had arrived at the embassy in Beirut at 11 am EDT, and was in good health.
A preliminary result of the United States. Navy investigation into the activities of Hassoun concluded that he deserted the United States. Marine Corps on June 21, 2004.
In mid-July, he publicly denied desertion. On December 9, 2004, The Pentagon announced that Hassoun would be charged with desertion, larceny and wrongful disposition of military property in connection with his service-issued M9 pistol that disappeared with him and never turned up. If convicted, he faced a dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of pay, and from five to ten years incarceration on each specification.
In a further development, on January 4, 2005, he was again labelled a deserter after failing to return to his base in North Carolina from authorized leave.
He reportedly fled to Lebanon. On June 29, 2014, Hassoun was reported to have turned himself in to United States. authorities on the charges of desertion.
On February 23, 2015, Hassoun was found guilty of deserting when he disappeared in 2004 and 2005. He was also convicted of causing the loss of his service pistol.
His sentence amounts to two years and five days, but he got cr for approximately eight months he spent in pretrial confinement.
Hassoun also will have his rank reduced, lose his pay and receive a dishonorable discharge as part of the sentence. He is slated to be discharged in July, 2016.