US Marine Who Vanished In Iraq Goes On Trial

The trial of a Marine who vanished in Iraq a decade ago and then wound up in Lebanon is set to open on charges he deserted the military.

Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun, an Arabic interpreter, was listed as a deserter for almost a decade before being taken into military custody last year.

His defence lawyers say he was kidnapped in 2004 by insurgents and later became tangled up in Lebanese courts.

Prosecutors allege Hassoun fled his post because he was unhappy with his deployment and how US troops treated Iraqis.

The trial is being held at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

The case began when Hassoun disappeared from a base in Fallujah in June 2004.

Days later, he appeared blindfolded and with a sword poised above his head in a photo purportedly taken by insurgents. An extremist group claimed to be holding him captive.

Not long after that, Hassoun turned up unharmed at the US Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, saying he had been kidnapped.

But officials were suspicious, and after investigating his claim, the military accused Hassoun of taking unauthorised leave from his unit.

After he was brought back to Camp Lejeune in 2004, Hassoun was allowed to visit family in Utah, but he disappeared again.

Prosecutors have said his whereabouts were unknown for years.

Hassoun travelled to Lebanon but was arrested by that country's authorities after Interpol issued a bulletin triggered by his deserter status.

Hassoun's case occupies some of the same murky territory as that of Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl , a soldier who left his post in Afghanistan and was held by the Taliban for five years.

The Army is considering what, if any, charges or punishment he should face.