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The video is believed to have been shot in July 2011 in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. Five other Marines have already pleaded guilty.
Two more Marines — including the first officer to be implicated — have been charged in connection with a video that became public last year showing Marines urinating on the dead bodies of insurgents in Afghanistan, the Marine Corps said Friday.
The video, which showed four Marines in full combat gear urinating on the bodies of three dead men, set off protests across Afghanistan after it was published on YouTube early last year. Five other Marines, two of them sergeants, have already pleaded guilty in plea arrangements that brought light sentences.
The two Marines named in the new charges include the highest-ranked Marine so far implicated in the scandal, Capt. James V. Clement, now stationed at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Quantico, Va.
He faces an Article 32 hearing — similar to civilian preliminary hearing — on a raft of serious charges, including dereliction of duty, failing to properly supervise junior Marines, failing to stop the misconduct of junior Marines, failing to report misconduct and making false statements to military investigators.
Sgt. Robert W. Richards, who is now stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C., was charged with dereliction of duty, violation of a lawful general order and conduct prejudicial to the good order and discipline of the armed forces. Richards is alleged to have taken improper photographs that showed the mistreatment of human casualties.
Lt. Gen. Richard Mills, former commanding general of the Marines' Combat Development Command in southwest Afghanistan, will decide on their fates after their Article 32 proceedings, the Marine Corps said.
The incident is believed to have occurred in July 2011 in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, a significant center of Taliban activity and the scene of prolonged fighting between the Taliban and U.S.-led international forces.
The impact of the video rivaled that of the release of photographs showing alleged U.S. torture and human rights abuses against prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq in 2003 and 2004, U.S. officials said last month when some of the other Marines pleaded guilty.
"Events like Abu Ghraib and the torture that happened there at that prison certainly acted as a recruiting tool for al-Qaida," said Navy Capt. John Kirby, a spokesman for the Defense Department. "Certainly, we are concerned about any backlash that might occur."
Then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said, "That kind of behavior is deplorable, and I condemn it."
No date was set for Clement's and Richards' hearings.
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the article said most snow was 27.5 inches in one storm for Boston HA Blizzard of 78 Boston got 6 feet of snow in two storms back to back no matter how you cut it that is at least 36 inches for one storm , I remember for I am still waiting for a hearing aginst the us post office for discrimination against disabled vets , shame how the storm and us vets were forgotton
They should of tied their dead bodies to a bumper of a Humvee and dragged them through the streets, then cut their heads off and sh.t down their necks. and when all is said and done give them a medal for it.
For all you that want to hang those Marines maybe you should pick up a weapon and go over their yourselves, thats right you are all to busy criticizing those that defend your rights to live, well piss on you.
Good thing, for them, these nambi-pambi's weren't around in Nam! We used to pose the dinks, in 69 positions and such. We smashed our Unit Crests into their foreheads with rifle butts and put Aces of Spades in thier mouths! We wanted the enemy to understand that if they picked a fight with us the were definately going to get one!
Probably didn't film yourselves doing it, then distribute to the world press, though...
What they did was stupid, but do Obama and others hope that by publicizing their trial the other side is going to reciprocate and put on trial those who drag the dead body of an American soldier through the streets. I'm not saying look the other way on this, the military needs to discipline (not crucify) these soldiers, but it should not be affected by the enemies response (or lack of response) and certainly not influenced by the current desire this administration seems to have to appease the enemy.
no - the other side is posting all the negative comments about these boys by the command in their camps and saying "see - we are winning the war - we have their command punishing them for the smallest little things as if they were murderers".
Thank God no musie never pulled a dead service member thru the street of their 3 world country when we had a blackhawk down Iam sure that those pepole were put in jail by thier leaders,O wait that was their leader who lead the street crowd. Are Marine should have been given a medal for pi--ing on the musie.
Im still struggling to figure out why this was a headline, or what they did wrong. Oh, wait, I got it!!!!
They were supposed to piss on the Taliban first, THEN kill them.
Brave men doing a thankless job. Guys, you have my sincere appreciation. I would buy all of them a beer or two (or three), anything to guarantee a healthy stream directed towards our enemy.
This is an example of the Kow-Towing brass kissing up to the turd in the White House. Georgie Patton where are you when we really need you?
I'm guessing that most of these BRASS have never even seen combat! They have a chest full of metals but not one "V" device among the lot of them!
Yeah Yeah Yeah it's all fun and games until we put women in combat and THEY start trying this! Now THAT would be a video!
Sgt. Robert W. Richards, Capt. James V. Clement, Sgt. Joseph Chapblim and Sgt. Edward Deptola are HERO'S! THESE SOLDIERS ARE HERO'S! What they did was correct and appropriate for war time. They demoralized the ENEMY- an ENEMY that should be destroyed from the face of this earth. if you disagree, thats fine,but i hope one day you will stop living the lie that peace will ever occur between us and terrorists. This is reality:Peace will never happen untill either terrorists are all dead or we are all dead.
Terrorist: A person, group, or organization that uses violent action, or the threat of violent action, to further political or religious goals or views.
So its ok for obama to draw up a kill list and kill the innocent with the alleged guilty (innocent until proven guilty) but these soldiers face charges? No wonder this Country is falling apart.
I notice Georgie Jr is walking around free Mr. Navyvet
The Democratic Congress that VOTED to go to war are also walking around!
Keep in mind that all of you idiots are saying it's okay when we do these things to others in THEIR country. Treat others the way you want to be treated. I would be appalled if someone was urinating on a US soldier's dead body. Think before you type people!
Patricia. I see that you really need to sign up to go to Afghanistan. I am sure that the Afghan Men would welcome you with open arms. If you go, you cant come home and complain about anything that they did to you. They would love to have you.
You dont read the news much. The mooselimbs are a thousand times worse in the way they treat a US prisoner, and thats before they kill them.
Pissing on a filthy Taliban corpse? I'd describe it as sending them to Allah with all the dignity and respect they deserve.
You sound like you expect these soldiers to conduct themselves like they were going to an elaborate dinner party. I guess next they will have to dress formally to do battle. While you want proper decorum to be maintained by our soldiers, have you ever stopped to think about the strain these men must be under during battle. Their lives are on the line so that twits like you can sit and mouth off about something of this kind. Hey, if peeing on a few dead terrorist works as a tension release after a battle, I got no problem with it. These are men with feelings and these are men with a tough job to do and these are men who are fighting a very deceitful treacherous enemy and doing it on foreign soil. These men weren't raping innocent women or killing innocent children. They simply peed on a few dead enemy and who knows what they might have endured previously. Bringing this whole incident to the extent of charges against these men is totally ludicrous. I wonder what their commanding officers were thinking. I get sick of the politically correct BS which appears to be more important than the wellbeing of our own soldiers.
I served 10 years in the Army. Had I the chance to off some Commies, I might have pissed on them or sh*t down their neck. Big deal. No one would have said a word about it back then either.
Could you imagine what would have happened if the current regime of pansies were in charge on December 7th, 1941?
My answer to you - brought down to simple terms for a simple mind like yours - takes one to know one
Pat, I am so glad you get to serve in a combat role now. Be gentle.
They should train these young kids to give their enemies a choice; either I get to piss on you or I shot you in the fricken head. They can only do one or the other but the enemy gets to choose which one.
One more insult to Americans and our soldiers who risk their lives and for what a drug producing country whose men don't care enough about anyone to change?
When are they going to charge obama?
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
Carryingconcealed - seriously, anti-american disloyal libs because they don't happen to agree with what these soldiers did? Yours is a typical, right wing fantical response. My daughter is in the military, did four years of ROTC and enlisted right after high school and will be spending a year in Afghanistan before 2013 comes to a close, and she is a liberal and is a proud American Soldier who loves to shoot guns - she also has class and knows that to do something like this would make us no better than the terrorists. It's called taking the higher ground - something you obviously know nothing about.
I wonder if anyone has considered how hard it must be to fight a war and be politically correct. It is time for our government to stop listening to every whining Muslim because no one wants to appear not politically correct. Muslims kill Americans for religious reasons and the American people should just grin and bear it. A few marines pee on dead bodies during war time and charges are brought against them. That's about as twisted as it gets. Guys next time just don't take pictures so that idiot government members can't use them to further their worthless careers at your expense. Oh by the way, Good Job!
Don't worry Bugsy your butt will never be in a combat zone.
The United States still has to abide by the code and conduct of the Geneva Convention, whether the enemy does or does not. We do not need to stoop to their level.
This is not addressed by the Geneva Convention. Nice try...
DING, DING, DING!
Desecrating human remains is a war crime.
We just need to keep our young men from signing up for this bull$hit - fixes this little problem with a few good men having a little fun. Does the U.C.M.J. address Generals/Admirals and other elected officials that operate the prisoner camp in Cuba? You know the one where the prisoners aren't even formally charged with a crime. Just wondering. Anybody??
I have more fear of the news media putting my life in jeopardy than all the assault weapons on earth. Why is the media even allowed to print bull sh!t like this?
The constitution?
My father only told me one story about WW2, he rarely talked about it...This is nothing compared to what really happens in war. Leave these men alone. I think we need to go piss on the sociologist who fill people's heads full of crap. Like thinking this must be punished. The men merely need a good talking to, at the most.
Today's liberal media with their sensationalism about everything is unbelievable! Constantly exagerating situations, fabricating situations, etc when did it get so out of control? Don't believe anything you read, it's all bu— — sh— t!
Three words for DC, Piss on you! You go fight them! There is one bright spot thought all this crap,they made it back alive! Well done Men!
Piss on them, don't take pictures.
Ah yes this is the new and improved feminized marine corps brass going after its combat soldiers. We will be at war with Islam very shortly and we will all be urinating on the Koran.
Mikeyknows described it perfectly.
Classic Freudian peni$ envy. Feminized marine corps brass are jealous about the guys paying proper respect to dead taliban, and doing it while standing proud and tall. Grow up, girls.
I salute these Marines for a job well done.