Ten Hut
Rusty Dennen covers military affairs and the environment for The Free Lance-Star. .
Marine Corps commandant weighs in on Afghanistan video
Here’s what Gen. James F. Amos, commandant of the Marine Corps, had to say about a video that surfaced yesterday, depicting what appears to be Marines urinating on the corpses of three Taliban fighters:
“I have viewed an internet video that apparently depicts Marines desecrating several dead Taliban in Afghanistan. I want to be clear and unambiguous, the behavior depicted in the video is wholly inconsistent with the high standards of conduct and warrior ethos that we have demonstrated throughout our history. Accordingly, late yesterday I requested that the Naval Criminal Investigative Service pull together a team of their very best agents and immediately assign them responsibility to thoroughly investigate every aspect of the filmed event. Additionally, I am assigning a Marine General Officer and senior attorney, both with extensive combat experience, to head up an internal – Preliminary Inquiry – into the matter. Once the investigation and Preliminary Inquiry are complete and the facts have been determined, then the Marine Corps will take the appropriate next steps. Rest assured that the institution of the Marine Corps will not rest until the allegations and the events surrounding them have been resolved. We remain fully committed to upholding the Geneva Convention, the Laws of War, and our own core values.”
