Powell said Washington had received unconfirmed reports about the fate of Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun, including that he had established contacts with several individuals and might be in Lebanon.

The Lebanese foreign ministry had said that its embassy in Iraq had informed Beirut that the marine "was in a safe place," but gave no further details.

Wassef's brother Sami Hassoun, who lives in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, said that his family had received a call that Wassef was alive and had been freed.

On Monday, a statement attributed to the Islamic Retaliation Movement - Armed Resistance Wing and read on Al-Jazeera television said Hassoun was safe and had been released.

But the US military has been unable to confirm the fate of Hassoun, who served as an interpreter.

Asked about the marine's latest status and whether he had been in touch with the US embassy in Beirut, Powell said: "We have received reports that he may be in contact with various individuals. And there are other reports that he might be in Lebanon.

"But I can't confirm any of these at this time. And we'll just have to wait and see. But I don't think we have anything more to add to it at this point."

His presumed captors had said the marine had been set free and taken to a safehouse because he had promised to take off his uniform. "Hassoun promised not to go back to the US army," the statement added.

Hassoun, born in Tripoli before emigrating to the United States, went missing near the flashpoint town of Fallujah, west of the Iraqi capital.

He married two years ago and has no children.

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