U.S. Marines To Investigate Video of Soldiers Urinating on Corpses

[paulitician]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9IA9IMfBy8]US Marines urinating on dead Afghans Censored - YouTube[/ame]

“While we have not yet verified the origin or authenticity of this video, the actions portrayed are not consistent with our core values and are not indicative of the character of the Marines in our Corps,” the USMC said in a statement. “The matter will be fully investigated.”

A Department of Defense spokesman offered scathing criticism of the conduct.

“Regardless of the circumstances or who is in the video, this is egregious, disgusting behavior,” defense spokesman Capt. John Kirby said, according to CNN. “It’s hideous. It turned my stomach.”

U.S. military law prohibits corpse desecration and the Geneva Convention requires honorable treatment for combatants and civilians after death.

"The government of Afghanistan is deeply disturbed by a video that shows American soldiers desecrating dead bodies of three Afghans," Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in a statement Thursday.

"This act by American soldiers is simply inhuman and condemnable in the strongest possible terms,” he said. “We expressly ask the US government to urgently investigate the video and apply the most severe punishment to anyone found guilty in this crime."

United States Marine Corps investigate desecration video, Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai calls footage 'simply inhuman' - NY Daily News
DRUDGE REPORT 2012®

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[bodecea]

Why do these stupid idiots take pictures? Geesh.

 

[truthsaga]

"The humanity that goes into war" - Rumsfeld

This is more evidence of what effects this continual warfare is having on our troops. The suicides, the post traumatic stress, and the pressures on the family life. I wonder who the troops support as their commander and chief?

 

[High_Gravity]

This is just one of the horrors or war.

 

[paulitician]

Why do these stupid idiots take pictures? Geesh.

Yeah,i often wonder about that myself. I think it has to do with this generation. It's all about the Facebook & Twitter for them. They feel an urgent need to photograph and video everything they do. This one really is gonna bite em.

 

[BlindBoo]

No it's not the next Abu Ghraib. Unless it turns out that their actions were the results of a standing policy of pissing on the dead, like the inhuman treatment at all of our detention facilities in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

[occupied]

When you make monsters for national defense, they cannot be unmade.

 

[High_Gravity]

Why do these stupid idiots take pictures? Geesh.

Yeah,i often wonder about that myself. I think it has to do with this generation. It's all about the Facebook & Twitter for them. They feel an urgent need to photograph and video everything they do. This one really is gonna bite em.

You are right my man, personal satisfaction just isn't enough anymore, these kids want everyone to see what they've done.

 

[The Infidel]

I just wish a big wig in The Marines would get on camera and tell the media to suck their (Marines) collectives dicks!

Maybe the guys were just trying to 'clean' the corpses

 

[High_Gravity]

I just wish a big wig in The Marines would get on camera and tell the media to suck their (Marines) collectives dicks!

Maybe the guys were just trying to 'clean' the corpses

Maybe they really had to go, the wind knocked open their zippers and it just came out, and some leafs got blown in their faces and tickled them so they laughed?

 

[The Infidel]

When you make monsters for national defense, they cannot be unmade.

You dickhead..... THEY ARE NOT MONSTERS!

FUCK YOU!

 

[bodecea]

Why do these stupid idiots take pictures? Geesh.

Yeah,i often wonder about that myself. I think it has to do with this generation. It's all about the Facebook & Twitter for them. They feel an urgent need to photograph and video everything they do. This one really is gonna bite em.

It's not just now, tho definitely more prevalent. I've seen private pics from Nam. But, if they take pics, the chances of it getting out are increased....stupid, stupid, stupid.

 

[paulitician]

Why do these stupid idiots take pictures? Geesh.

Yeah,i often wonder about that myself. I think it has to do with this generation. It's all about the Facebook & Twitter for them. They feel an urgent need to photograph and video everything they do. This one really is gonna bite em.

You are right my man, personal satisfaction just isn't enough anymore, these kids want everyone to see what they've done.

Surprised they didn't post the video & photos on Facebook & Twitter themselves.

 

[VaYank5150]

Why do these stupid idiots take pictures? Geesh.

Maybe we should send them to Gitmo and waterboard them until the tell us why?

 

[occupied]

When you make monsters for national defense, they cannot be unmade.

You dickhead..... THEY ARE NOT MONSTERS!

FUCK YOU!

Are you trying somehow to defend this behavior? Indefensible.

 

[VaYank5150]

"The humanity that goes into war" - Rumsfeld

This is more evidence of what effects this continual warfare is having on our troops. The suicides, the post traumatic stress, and the pressures on the family life. I wonder who the troops support as their commander and chief?

What is a commander and chief?

 

[The Gadfly]

Great point. Maybe more a failure in leadership. I realize that all troops cannot be supervised 24/7, especially in the USMC which is all about small unit leadership with corporals and sergeants enjoying huge responsibilities.

As you stated, Marine snipers are well trained and are among the world's best. This group was probably operating fairly independently with not a lot of SNCO or officer supervision. In fact, STA platoons get assigned officers with the MOS 0203. They are intell ofiicers who have been to the infantry officer course at Quantico but have not been through sniper school. Not all platoons get these officers but if these dumbasses had an 0203 as a platoon leader, that would further distance them from supervision.

As a CAR wearing Corpsman with three FMF tours from when I was an E-3 through the ranks to E-8, I understand the stresses of combat, multiple tours, etc, blah, blah and whatnot. The fact remains that these highly trained US Marines who have been trusted with making the decision on who lives or dies, knew that pissing on dead bodies, regardless of nationality, religion, enemy, or otherwise, was wrong as hell. They will pay a heavy price for their deeds.

In your opinion what "heavy price" should they pay? I am under no illusions I'm pretty sure these guys careers are done, this is all over the news and internet now around the world, the White House will demand heads on a plate for this. But what do you think should happen to them? should their careers really end for this? we send them over there to kill, but we punish them for urinating on Taliban?

Now don't get me wrong, I know what the Marine's did was wrong and they made the Military look bad, however if these guys have been on multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan I can see why the Marines had this much contempt for the enemy, these guys are getting to see the enemy up close and personal and see what they are doing to our troops over there. They were probably in a fire fight for hours with the guys they pissed on for all we know.

I didn't say they should. I said they will. Chances are that they would have gotten out anyway. Regardless, I would bet that these Marines will be staying with Uncle Sam a bit longer than their EAS. I am just guessing here when I say they will go to a GCM as well as possibly those one or two levels up in their chain of command. Probably get a BCD.

As you said, we sent them there to kill, not to abuse a corpse and cause an international incident. I doubt these men were in a firefight with the pissees. One Marine was still holding his sniper rifle while urinating. Marine snipers are also trained in small arms and other weapons but chances are they killed from afar. I don't write this in sympathy for the enemy. Everyone is saying how this is no big deal. Yes it is. These Marines failed in maintaining their discipline and professionalism and in the process, let down the country that employs them.

I think you nailed it. These individuals probably had no direct supervision at the time; if they had, we probably would not be having this discussion.

My experience was with an army that included a fair percentage of conscripts. I would think it is possible (and probably desirable) to maintain a higher level of discipline and professionalism with an all-volunteer force. Obviously this is a different military than we fought WW II, or even Vietnam with. In any case, one cannot simply let his troops run amok in combat without the risk of having behavior that is distasteful escalate into something completely beyond the pale. The question then becomes on of where the line is drawn Some of the standards you were taught, and which are in place now, are in some measure a result of our experience in Vietnam, where the loose discipline found in many units eventually led to acts that were (and frankly ought to be) unacceptable.

I do wonder, though, where the point comes that a higher standard of discipline collides with the psychological realities of high operational tempo and repeated combat deployments, especially for troops in high-intensity, high-demand specialties (of which Marine Scout Sniper is one). This is no longer one or two tours and done; I don't know that we can tell yet what the full psychological impacts of so many and so frequent repeated exposures to intensive combat actually are. What we do know suggests that the emotional impacts are cumulative. It may be that personnel in these billets need more supervision, with special attention paid to their apparent psychological status; absent that, we may well see more "lapses in judgment/professionalism".

You are likely correct that these men will eventually get BCD's. The natural response of command when embarrassed is punitive. What we have to ask, is whether that is the best approach in this instance. I don't think we know yet.

 

[The Infidel]

When you make monsters for national defense, they cannot be unmade.

You dickhead..... THEY ARE NOT MONSTERS!

FUCK YOU!

Are you trying somehow to defend this behavior? Indefensible.

No.... I am defending the Marines!

THEY ARE NOT MONSTERS!

Plus... I am not going to judge these guys for their actions. This is nothing compared to what they have seen the ENEMY do to their friends and fellow Marines.

So yes.... they were wrong for doing it, but SO THE FUCK WHAT!

 

[occupied]

You dickhead..... THEY ARE NOT MONSTERS!

FUCK YOU!

Are you trying somehow to defend this behavior? Indefensible.

No.... I am defending the Marines!

THEY ARE NOT MONSTERS!

Plus... I am not going to judge these guys for their actions. This is nothing compared to what they have seen the ENEMY do to their friends and fellow Marines.

So no.... they were wrong for doing it, but SO THE FUCK WHAT!

Other than being soldiers, they are our representatives in a foreign land. This kind of thing reflects very badly on us as a nation and puts their fellow soldiers in danger of retribution from the enemy. You may not judge them but I have no such blind spot, they are doing the kind of thing we went to war to fight and have no business wearing that uniform.

 

[bodecea]

You dickhead..... THEY ARE NOT MONSTERS!

FUCK YOU!

Are you trying somehow to defend this behavior? Indefensible.

No.... I am defending the Marines!

THEY ARE NOT MONSTERS!

Plus... I am not going to judge these guys for their actions. This is nothing compared to what they have seen the ENEMY do to their friends and fellow Marines.

So yes.... they were wrong for doing it, but SO THE FUCK WHAT!

I was with you til that last line.