A video allegedly showing United States Marines urinating on the bodies of dead Taliban militants in Afghanistan has prompted U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to order a full investigation. In a statement released this week, Panetta called the behavior of the four men in the video “utterly deplorable” and “entirely inappropriate.”
"This conduct is entirely inappropriate for members of the United States military and does not reflect the standards of values our armed forces are sworn to uphold. Those found to have engaged in such conduct will be held accountable to the fullest extent,” he said.
The video was posted on YouTube along with the description “scout sniper team 4 with 3rd battalion 2nd marines out of camp lejeune peeing on dead talibans." It shows four men in Marine combat gear urinating on three bodies.
The authenticity of the video is still being verified, according to the Marine Corps.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai called the Marines’ actions “inhuman.” "The government of Afghanistan is deeply disturbed by a video that shows American soldiers desecrating dead bodies of three Afghans," he said in a statement. "This act by American soldiers is simply inhuman and condemnable in the strongest possible terms."
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