Marines Face Possible War Crimes Accusation for Desecration Video

Footage purportedly showing four American soldiers urinating on the bodies of dead Taliban fighters surfaced on YouTube on Wednesday. The desecration of dead combatants is a serious crime under the Geneva Conventions and U.S. military law.

The Marine Corps assured the public that “the actions portrayed are not consistent with our core values and are not indicative of the character of the Marines in our Corps.” However, there have been incidents — including the slaying of three Afghan civilians and subsequent coverup by a “kill squad” two years ago, the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo and the slaughter of 24 Iraqis by a Marine staff sergeant in 2005 — that run against that claim. –ARK

The Guardian:

In the graphic short video, four soldiers in combat gear and carrying weapons are seen acting in unison as they urinate on three bloodied corpses. One of the soldiers sighs with relief, another says “yeah” and a third laughs. One remarks: “Have a great day, buddy”. Another says: “Golden, like a shower”.

A fifth soldier films the incident.

Read more