Crap: The Captive Marine Has Been Beheaded

The militants supposedly holding this young man have announced that they have beheaded him:

A message -- purportedly from Abdullah al Hasan ben Mahmoud, who claims to be emir of a group that calls itself Ansar al-Sunna -- addressed President Bush when describing the alleged fate of Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, a Marine translator of Lebanese descent

"We inform you, your excellency, your military officer who is originally Lebanese has been beheaded. And you will see that with your own eyes," the statement said.

Unfortunately, "his excellancy", Mr. Bush, does not read newspapers or attend the funerals of fallen or decapitated soldiers.

I remain infuriated that the military spent all week questioning whether this man had gone AWOL or possibly even defected when the Marine could hardly defend himself against such charges. Didn't this man - fighting under our name - deserve better than that until there was proof and a conviction? When he may very well have been a prisoner of war (war of liberation my ass), undergoing who knows that, until he may have been executed as a sacrifice?

Corporal Hassoun was there in our name. In some respects, it's like the military questioned all of us and they certainly disrespected one of their own. He should have been sought out for rescue rather than his reputation impugned without evidence!