A U.S. Marine charged with deserting his unit while serving in Iraq has been labeled a deserter for a second time.
The Marines Corps said in a statement Wednesday that Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun failed to return to his base at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina Tuesday, after an authorized leave.
The statement said civilian law enforcement officials have been authorized to apprehend the corporal and return him to military control.
Corporal Hassoun was serving as an Arabic interpreter when he disappeared from his brigade last June. A videotape was aired on the Arab TV network al-Jazeera, showing him blindfolded and apparently being held hostage.
Corporal Hassoun turned up unharmed several weeks later at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.
Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.