Al Jazeera broadcast a video of Hassoun on June 27, 2004, blindfolded and with a masked man holding a sword over his head, saying that he had been captured.

On July 3, 2004, Al Jazeera reported that the terrorist group 1920 Revolution Brigades had released a statement declaring they had beheaded Hassoun, and their website confirmed this.

[1] On July 7, CNN reported that Hassoun had contacted his family in West Jordan, Utah and Lebanon from the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, asking to be picked up at an unspecified location.

[2] On July 8, U.S. Department of State spokesman Richard A. Boucher announced that Hassoun had arrived at the embassy in Beirut at 11 am EDT, and was in good health.

[3] On December 9, 2004, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that Hassoun would be charged with desertion, larceny and wrongful disposition of military property in connection with his service-issued M9 pistol that disappeared with him and never turned up.