Hassoun's flight baffles his family and others

The news that Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun has reportedly fled the country to his native Lebanon raises the question of why the Utah Marine, already facing desertion and theft charges, was allowed to leave his base to visit family on holidays.

But Michael Wims, assistant Utah attorney general and a retired colonel who served as chief of military justice in the U.S. Air Force, said Hassoun's treatment is not all that different from other Marines facing similar charges.

"Pretrial confinement in the military is unusual," Wims said, noting the military usually must have a special reason, such as a danger to others or national security threat, before seeking confinement.

Hassoun's disappearance could reach outside the military justice system. If Hassoun is in Lebanon, which has no formal extradition treaty with the United States, it could set the stage for a diplomatic incident if the United States decides to go after Hassoun, according to one University of Utah Middle East professor.

"This looks very dim. AWOL doesn't exactly shine a bright light on things," said Peter Von Sivers. "I really must say, this latest development in Hassoun has thrown me for a loop."

Others, including Hassoun's own family in West Jordan, were also shocked when the Marine Corps on Wednesday listed the 24-year-old Marine corporal as having deserted once again. According to the command at Camp LeJeune, N.C., Hassoun failed to report for duty Tuesday after being granted holiday leave. A three-day hearing on the initial desertion charges was scheduled for next week.

Family members said Wednesday that Hassoun did spend Christmas at their West Jordan home and they had assumed he was on his way back to the Marine base. The last they had heard from him on Dec. 29, Hassoun told his family that he was in Washington, D.C., on his way back to base.

However, news reports from the Pentagon say Hassoun had changed his tickets to fly to Canada and from there flew to Lebanon.

Since charging him with desertion and theft several weeks ago, Marine officials said Hassoun has been allowed to continue to work as a truck dispatcher. Hassoun was also allowed to come and go off base as well as being granted leave on other occasions.

The fact that Hassoun turned himself over to U.S. officials when he showed up in Lebanon after his disappearance in Iraq last July figured in to the military allowing him such freedom, Wims said. "Ninety percent or more who end up in court martial don't see pretrial confinement."