Hassoun's Trip Home Postponed

BERLIN – The U.S. homecoming of a Marine who disappeared in Iraq (search) and turned up in Lebanon nearly three weeks later was postponed until Thursday, military officials said.

Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun (search) left the U.S. military hospital at Landstuhl on Wednesday and had been expected to be flown home the same day from the Ramstein Air Base.

But Ramstein spokeswoman Darlene Cowsert later said his departure was postponed and she had no explanation.

"Missions change," she said.

Earlier, Hassoun made his first public comments since vanishing June 20 from his base near the troubled city of Fallujah (search). He reappeared July 8 at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, and it remains unclear how he made the 500-mile journey.