I can’t honestly say why, but I just have this nagging little sense going at the back of my neck that the Wassef Hassoun abduction and subsequent release is suspicous.
Why did they let him go? Because he promised to leave the military? Just about anyone knows that anything said under the threat of fatal injury holds little credibility - people tend to say whatever they have to, if it’s to save their own hides.
I mean, it’s absolutely wonderful that he’s okay, don’t get me wrong. I’m thrilled not to hear about another beheading. I’m thrilled for his family, who must be celebrating in serious style. But something is just not sitting right with me on this. I’m just wondering if I’m the only one?
I don’t know if it’s “spidy sense” but my natural skepticism tells me that if he’s alive, he wasn’t really abducted. Those terrorist thugs don’t let people go on a promise. They probably intend to kill everyone they abduct. That’s pretty much the essence of terror, isn’t it? On the other hand, Wassef Hassoun easily could have gotten friends to hood themselves and pose for a picture after he got to Lebanon.
A further question: If this was, indeed, a desertion and staged-abduction coverup, will the military pursue it? I daresay the same questions about how legit this is are being asked by the chain of command. If there’s enough evidence for a court-martial, will it happen? This is, after all, desertion during combat, and if not a hanging offense, still serious indeed. Or will the possibility of adverse publicity lead the highest levels to order the whole thing put on ice, at least until after the election? Considering all the issues that would get a messily public airing in any court-martial, I have to wonder.
A news report I saw this morning said he’s being returned to a base and an investigation is being started into the circumstances behind his abduction. Whether that will lead to a court martial I obviously don’t know.
However, there have been a few released hostages since this whole nightmare started, so I don’t think that it’s entirely out of the realm of possiblity that his story is legit.
My guess is they’d likely release a hostage if their demands are met. Not out of honor or anything, but because then there’d be a better chance of getting their demands met next time.
Of course, their demands are always stuff like “Withdraw from Iraq” which ain’t gonna happen. And it’s ridiculous to think anybody would withdraw over a single life, when the coalition forces already went into Iraq knowing there be losses. If hundreds of deaths are acceptable, then one more is not going to change their minds.
My spidy sense was saying something more along the lines of - He’s a muslim, he’s from Lebanon, and his mug was all over national TV…the terrorists smartened up and returned him to his nation of origin to avoid being counter productive and killing a fellow muslim, which would certainly have undermined their credibility.
That said - he was afterall an American Marine, which is like recieving a gold star in kindergarden i.e. a coveted prize. So why didn’t they kill him…
I can see it now…Hoods are off, the terrorists all look at each other and sratch their heads…“Uhhh, what the F*ck do we do now…he’s an American Marine…BBBUT he’s muslim…” More head scratching…
What Phlosphr said…
The terrorists are smart enough to know the whole “Muslim on Muslim” beheading thing was going to be a Public Relations nightmare for them.
And since we’re relying on “Spidey sense” conjecture:
BEGIN Spidey Sense conjecture
here’s my added 2 cents; I think he (Hassoun) was cooperating with the “abduction” process.