Marine's disappearance horrific

There's an old saying that truth is often the first casualty of war. That maxim has certainly played out with regard to U.S. Marine Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, whose official status is "captured," according to a Department of Defense statement issued Thursday.

Earlier this week, a New York Times report intimated that Hassoun had deserted the military. The report was disputed by Hassoun's cousin Tarek Hassoun, who resides in Utah and was one source for the news report. The problem was, his quote was taken out of context. Had the quote been used in its entirety, Tarek Hassoun said he was sure his cousin didn't run away from his military unit.

The constant in this story is the horror the Hassoun family has experienced knowing their son is missing after he appeared on camera blindfolded with a hand behind him holding a sword. Al-Jazeera, the Arabic news outlet, posted a view of the image on its Web site. Al-Jazeera reported that a group called "The Islamic Retaliation Movement/Armed Resistance Wing" would behead Hassoun "if detainees in U.S.-led occupation prisons were not freed." No deadline for the event was stated.

Regardless, family members and friends of American service members and civilian contractors are fully aware of the dangers coalition forces face in Iraq. Savage beheadings of other Americans and allies have been widely reported. For the Hassoun family to see their son vulnerable to a similar fate must have been terrifying.

The family will need the ongoing support of the community, although Hassoun's father remains in Lebanon and his mother reportedly left Utah on Wednesday to join him. Still, prayers and other demonstrations of support are, undoubtedly, appreciated by extended family members in the area.

Utahns should also be mindful of members of Utah's Islamic community, who have worried about being targets of violence and hatred since the Sept. 11 attacks on America. Utah Muslims are praying that Hassoun's life will be spared. But if his captors release him because of his national origin (he's Lebanese) and his Muslim faith while other Americans have been decapitated, some may question if Muslims can be trusted in the U.S. military.

Still others may not make the distinction between faithful followers of Islam and radical Muslim sects that perpetrate violence. It's the difference between day and night.

The real story, as the Utah Islamic Forum's Asha Patel told the Deseret Morning News, is "that (Hassoun) is captive and may be killed." That is where all Americans should focus their concern.