- A Lebanese-born US marine who was reported to have been
beheaded by his kidnappers in Iraq is alive and has been set free, his
brother said.
-
- Wassef Ali Hassoun's brother Sami said the family had
received word that he had been released early on Tuesday.
-
- He did not specify what the source of the information
was, but said the family had "received a sign from my brother reassuring
us".
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- On Saturday, a militant group claimed on a website it
had killed Mr Hassoun.
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- "We have received a call that reassured us. My brother
is alive and has been freed," Sami Hassoun said from the northern
Lebanese city of Tripoli, where the family originates.
-
- It is reported that the Lebanese Foreign Ministry had
been told by Lebanon's Baghdad Embassy that the US soldier was alive.
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- Moved to safety
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- The Tripoli- and Utah-based branches of the family have
been praying and pleading for a bloodless solution to the kidnapping since
a report on Arabic TV station al-Jazeera on Monday contradicted earlier
reports of the beheading.
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- Al-Jazeera quoted an Iraqi group - Islamic Response -
as saying that Cpl Hassoun had been moved to a safe place.
-
- There has been no confirmation of any of the developments
by the US military.
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- Family members said Wassef Hassoun was born in Lebanon,
educated at American schools there and then joined the United States Marines
after moving to Utah four years ago.
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- The 24-year-old is fluent in Arabic, French and English
and was reportedly serving as a translator in his second stint in Iraq
when he was captured.
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- © BBC MMIV http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3870393.stm
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