US marine 'was kidnapped' in Iraq

Hassoun faces questioning when he returns to the US

A Lebanese-born US marine corporal who went missing in Iraq says he was kidnapped, according to US sources.

Wassef Ali Hassoun, 24, is currently being debriefed at a US military hospital in Germany where he is having medical and psychological checks.

Cpl Hassoun appeared in Lebanon last week, two and a half weeks after disappearing from his unit in Iraq.

During his disappearance, he appeared blindfolded in a video, apparently having been captured.

The incident is being looked at by the US navy criminal investigation service.

They are likely to consider the possibility the video pictures were staged to cover-up an attempted desertion, defence sources have told the BBC's Pentagon correspondent, Nick Childs.

It is thought Cpl Hassoun will be questioned by investigators when he returns to the United States.

Long journey

A spokeswoman at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Centre in Germany said on Saturday Cpl Hassoun was "extremely tired" and had lost around 20 pounds (9 kgs) during his ordeal.

"He is having a debriefing. He slept well. He had chicken, rice and beans for lunch. His health is okay," she was quoted by Reuters as saying.

No details of the debriefing have been given.

Cpl Hassoun was flown to Germany on Friday, after turning himself in at the US embassy in Beirut on Thursday.

It is unclear how he was able to get from Iraq to Lebanon. He would have had to travel 800km, much of it across Syrian territory.

Cpl Hassoun was born in Lebanon, educated at American schools there and then joined the US marines after moving to the state of Utah four years ago.

He is fluent in Arabic, French and English and was reportedly serving as a translator in his second stint in Iraq when he was captured.