Marines face criminal charges over Afghan urination video

[Rockntractor]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two Marines are facing criminal charges for urinating on the bodies of dead Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, actions caught on a video that was widely circulated on the Internet, the Marine Corps said on Monday.

The criminal charges are the first faced by anyone over the incident. The video triggered widespread anger in Afghanistan early this year, with Afghan President Hamid Karzai calling the Marines' actions "inhuman."

Staff Sergeants Joseph W. Chamblin and Edward W. Deptola, were also charged with "posing for unofficial photographs with human casualties," the Marine Corps said.

The investigation showed that although the video was only circulated on the Internet in January, the incident actually took place on or around July 27, 2011, during a counter-insurgency operation in Afghanistan's Helmand province.

The Marine Corps said on August 27 that three Marines pleaded guilty to charges over the video. But their punishment fell short of criminal prosecution.

Chamblin and Deptola, on the other hand, also face a series charges for failing to supervise junior Marines.

This includes simple things like failing to require them to wear protective equipment to more serious breaches, like failing to report the "negligent discharge" of a grenade launcher. Deptola is also charged with failing to stop the unnecessary damaging of Afghan compounds, the Marines said.

The Marines said there were other pending cases in the video investigation. They declined to elaborate on the incident in which the negligent actions took place. (Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/u-marines-f...182636710.html

I'm going to piss on an empty chair in protest.

[m00]

I have a feeling that even if Marines all wore muslim garb, spoke arabic, and prayed to the prophet 5 times a day... there would still be exactly the same number of embassy bombings and "outraged middle easterners"... it would just be like...

Those infidels had their prayer mats facing slightly North East instead of true East! AMERICAN FLAGS MUST BURN!

Not that I think it was a good idea to urinate on the bodies of fallen enemies and video tape it. But lets be honest. Whatever we do will put the outrage meter on maximum.

[Novaheart]

Two things:

Why are American servicemen doing stupid shit?

Why is someone recording it on video?

Seriously. What idiot is taking these kinds of pictures and why isn't some big guy named Bubba smashing the electronic device being used to do it?

[Hubie]

Dumb, yes, but compared to what the other side does to the bodies of our servicemen, they have no right to bitch. I'll take bodies being pissed on over bodies being used as booby traps any day.

[noonwitch]

Desecrating corpses is a crime in a lot of US states. It's generally a misdemeanor, but it's still a crime.

[Bailey]

Desecrating corpses is a crime in a lot of US states. It's generally a misdemeanor, but it's still a crime.

Well good thing they weren't in the states, shame they were dumb enough to film it.

[Odysseus]

Dumb, yes, but compared to what the other side does to the bodies of our servicemen, they have no right to bitch. I'll take bodies being pissed on over bodies being used as booby traps any day.

Considering what the Arabs claimed to have done to Ambassador Stevens, you are correct. However, it's still a UCMJ violation, and we have to uphold our own standards, even if our enemies don't.

Website: US Ambassador Stevens Raped and Dragged in Street (WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTO)

Author:

News Editor

Ambassador Stevens Raped Benghazi safe house christopher stevens Libyan security forces Tayyar Tayyar Lebanon
Official photo of Ambassador Stevens. Photo: State Department.


The blog-sphere is buzzing with a shocking unconfirmed report, originating from Lebanese based news website Tayyar, that Christopher Stevens, the US Ambassador to Libya was allegedly raped and dragged through the streets before he was murdered by Muslim extremists on September 11th.
The report originally cited the AFP news agency, however after AFP issued a denial saying “That report falsely quoted our news agency”,the website apologized, but said its still stands behind the report.

The report claims that “The U.S. ambassador to Libya was raped sexually before being killed by gunmen who stormed the embassy building in Benghazi”, the report also claims that Libyan security forces may have leaked the location of the safe house to the rioters.

An image from Arab TV, said to show the body of Ambassador Stevens.

Fortunately, the Libyans appear to be as outraged about this as most of us are (for example, they have driven the guilty militia out of Benghazi, and none of them have gone to Vegas for fundraisers or appeared on Letterman). Egypt is another story, of course.

Well good thing they weren't in the states, shame they were dumb enough to film it.

Don't do the crime if you can't do the time, and especially don't do the crime and disseminate the evidence. If nothing else, this should smarten up other Marines.

[Bailey]

Considering what the Arabs claimed to have done to Ambassador Stevens, you are correct. However, it's still a UCMJ violation, and we have to uphold our own standards, even if our enemies don't.

Website: US Ambassador Stevens Raped and Dragged in Street (WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTO)

Author:

News Editor

Ambassador Stevens Raped Benghazi safe house christopher stevens Libyan security forces Tayyar Tayyar Lebanon
Official photo of Ambassador Stevens. Photo: State Department.


The blog-sphere is buzzing with a shocking unconfirmed report, originating from Lebanese based news website Tayyar, that Christopher Stevens, the US Ambassador to Libya was allegedly raped and dragged through the streets before he was murdered by Muslim extremists on September 11th.
The report originally cited the AFP news agency, however after AFP issued a denial saying “That report falsely quoted our news agency”,the website apologized, but said its still stands behind the report.

The report claims that “The U.S. ambassador to Libya was raped sexually before being killed by gunmen who stormed the embassy building in Benghazi”, the report also claims that Libyan security forces may have leaked the location of the safe house to the rioters.

An image from Arab TV, said to show the body of Ambassador Stevens.

Fortunately, the Libyans appear to be as outraged about this as most of us are (for example, they have driven the guilty militia out of Benghazi, and none of them have gone to Vegas for fundraisers or appeared on Letterman). Egypt is another story, of course.



Don't do the crime if you can't do the time, and especially don't do the crime and disseminate the evidence. If nothing else, this should smarten up other Marines.

I don't see what crime the committed, unless there is some UCMJ rule, i dont see.

[Odysseus]

I don't see what crime the committed, unless there is some UCMJ rule, i dont see.

US General Order 1B, which lists prohibited activities by US forces, forbids photographing or filming human bodies:

2. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES:

f. Photographing or filming detainees or human casualties, as well as the possession, distribution, transfer, or posting, whether electronically or physically, of visual images depicting detainees or human casualties, except as required for official duties. “Human Casualties are defined as dead, wounded or injured human beings, to include separated body parts, organs and biological material, resulting from either combat or noncombat activities. This prohibition does not apply to the possession of such visual images acquired from open media sources (e.g., magazines and newspapers), nor is the distribution of these unaltered images, subject to copyright markings or notices. Additionally, possession and distribution of open media source images is not prohibited if required for official duties. Finally, with their express consent, the photographing and possession of images of wounded personnel while within medical facilities and during periods of recovery is also not prohibited.

Failure to obey a lawful order is punishable under Article 92 of the UCMJ:

892. Art. 92. Failure to obey order or regulation

Any person subject to this chapter who- (1) violates or fails to obey any lawful general order or regulation; (2) having knowledge of any other lawful order issued by a member of the armed forces, which it is his duty to obey, fails to obey the order; or (3) is derelict in the performance of his duties;
shall be punished as a court-martial may direct

The general article applies:

934. Art. 134. General article

Though not specifically mentioned in this chapter, all disorders and neglects to the prejudice of good order and discipline in the armed forces, all conduct of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces, and crimes and offenses not capital, of which persons subject to this chapter may be guilty, shall be taken cognizance of by a general, special, or summary court-martial, according to the nature and degree of the offense, and shall be punished at the discretion of that court.

So, the urination may or may not be forbidden by UCMJ, but photographing the act was. Go figure.

[Bailey]

US General Order 1B, which lists prohibited activities by US forces, forbids photographing or filming human bodies:

2. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES:

f. Photographing or filming detainees or human casualties, as well as the possession, distribution, transfer, or posting, whether electronically or physically, of visual images depicting detainees or human casualties, except as required for official duties. “Human Casualties are defined as dead, wounded or injured human beings, to include separated body parts, organs and biological material, resulting from either combat or noncombat activities. This prohibition does not apply to the possession of such visual images acquired from open media sources (e.g., magazines and newspapers), nor is the distribution of these unaltered images, subject to copyright markings or notices. Additionally, possession and distribution of open media source images is not prohibited if required for official duties. Finally, with their express consent, the photographing and possession of images of wounded personnel while within medical facilities and during periods of recovery is also not prohibited.

Failure to obey a lawful order is punishable under Article 92 of the UCMJ:

892. Art. 92. Failure to obey order or regulation

Any person subject to this chapter who- (1) violates or fails to obey any lawful general order or regulation; (2) having knowledge of any other lawful order issued by a member of the armed forces, which it is his duty to obey, fails to obey the order; or (3) is derelict in the performance of his duties;
shall be punished as a court-martial may direct

The general article applies:

934. Art. 134. General article

Though not specifically mentioned in this chapter, all disorders and neglects to the prejudice of good order and discipline in the armed forces, all conduct of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces, and crimes and offenses not capital, of which persons subject to this chapter may be guilty, shall be taken cognizance of by a general, special, or summary court-martial, according to the nature and degree of the offense, and shall be punished at the discretion of that court.

So, the urination may or may not be forbidden by UCMJ, but photographing the act was. Go figure.

That doesn't make any sense, photos bad but peeing not so bad. Ok give them a slap on the wrist and send them on their merry way.