The guy's a fucking a wing nut and likely became an extremist so, the Marine Corps should be doing alot more investigating using all resources available before they lay a desertion charge because where there's smoke there's fire and this guy is red hot. But on the odd chance he's just the coward he proved himself to be it's interesting to note that his defense is based on.
$1:
To prove desertion, the military must show a serviceman intended not to come back.
'The intent to remain permanently away isn't there,' Faraj said. 'Here we have a clear case of a person who came back.'
But Faraj may be barking up the wrong tree because:
$1:
If the intent of the absence was to "shirk important duty," such as a combat deployment, then the "intent to remain away permanently" to support a charge of desertion is not necessary. However, Such services as drill, target practice, maneuvers, and practice marches are not ordinarily "important duty." "Important duty" may include such duty as hazardous duty, duty in a combat zone, certain ship deployments, etc. Whether a duty is hazardous or a service is important depends upon the circumstances of the particular case, and is a question of fact for the court-martial to decide.
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/justicel ... ertion.htmSo banking on leniency because they gave it to the cowards in the Vietnam war isn't exactly the best way to go about getting this clown off and hopefully the Court Martial takes into account that this bastard deserted a combat post not once but twice.
So, the best place for Mr. Hassoun to meditate his transgressions would be Leavenworth Kansas, for about 25 years.
