But if it was all a hoax, what was the motive? Who was behind it? No clues as of yet. From MSNBC, with thanks to Jjp Mackie:
Late Wednesday, FBI agents showed up at the Hassoun family home in West Jordan, Utah. And Pentagon officials tell NBC News that the Navy has now launched a criminal investigation into Hassoun’s disappearance, and the possibility that his kidnapping may be part of an elaborate hoax.
Hassoun disappeared from his Marine unit on June 20. He showed up a week later in a hostage-style video, with a sword held over his head and his alleged captors threatening to kill him. Terrorist experts say, however, the group said to have held Hassoun is unknown.
“We don’t know whether this group is simply an Internet address. … We don’t know if they were simply fabricated. We have no idea what’s going on here,” says terrorism expert Steve Emerson.