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Updated at 6:54 p.m. ET: WASHINGTON - The U.S. military on Monday dealt out punishment to six Army soldiers for burning Qurans at Bagram Air Base that ignited deadly protest in Afghanistan, and to three Marines for their roles in urinating on Taliban corpses.
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The Army handed out administrative discipline to four officers and two non-commissioned officers for the Quran burning but found no ill intent on the part of the soldiers so none will face criminal charges.
The administrative punishment, however, will likely result in the end of their military careers.
The investigation against one sailor was dropped when it was determined he was simply ordered to drive the truck with the material to the burn site at the base.
The burning of the Muslim holy books in February sparked weeks of protests that led to 30 Afghan deaths. U.S. officials said at the time the books were mistakenly sent along with garbage for disposal after detainees had written messages in them.
The investigation found up to 100 Qurans and other religious materials were burned in the incinerator at Bagram Air Field on Feb. 20.
An Army report released on the incident Monday shed new light on what happened that day.
Report: 5 soldiers involved in Quran burning
Members of the Military Police and Theater Intelligence Team had discovered that Bagram detainees were using library books to pass notes and messages. One interpreter determined that 60 percent to 75 percent of the books contained extremist content. So, soldiers were ordered to remove the books as contraband. In all, about 2,000 books, including Qurans and other religious material, were set to be destroyed.
An Afghan National Army soldier and and interpreter warned the troops not to dispose of the religious texts, but soldiers took some 100 books to the burn pit anyway.
A local man who worked at the burn pit discovered the Qurans and other texts were burning. He grabbed a front-end loader and doused the entire burn pit to extinguish the flames.
An angry crowd of Afghans gathered around the U.S. service members who drove the truck to the burn pit and were burning the material. The U.S. soldiers all fled.
"I absolutely reject any suggestion that those involved acted with any malicious intent to disrespect the Quran or defame the faith of Islam," an investigator wrote. "Ultimately, this was a tragic incident (that) resulted from a lack of cross-talk between leaders and commanders, a lack of senior involvement in giving clear guidance in a complex operation” and “distrust among our service members and our partners.”
Hoshang Hashimi / AP
More than ten years after the beginning of the war, Afghanistan faces external pressure to reform as well as ongoing internal conflicts.
In the other case, a statement from the Marine Corps said the three Marines received the punishment for "violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice for their role in the desecration and filming of deceased Taliban that became public in January 2012."
As part of a plea deal, three Marines pleaded guilty and will receive a permanent mark on their records that will impact any future promotions and re-enlistments.
Six more Marines are still awaiting their punishments in the urination incident, which was recorded on video. It was announced, however, that two officers will be charged with creating a command climate that led to acts of bad behavior, the Marine Corps said. It was unclear what disciplinary action the four other non-commissioned officers will face.
The three Marines were all members of the Third Battalion, Second Marine Regiment or in units that were attached to the "3/2" during their deployment. Their names were not released.
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One non-commissioned officer pleaded guilty to having violated a general order by wrongfully posing for an unofficial photograph with human casualties and urinating on the body of a deceased Taliban soldier, which conduct was prejudicial to good order and discipline.
Another non-commissioned officer pleaded guilty to wrongfully posing for an unofficial photograph with human casualties and wrongfully video recording the incident.
A staff non-commissioned officer pleaded guilty to failing to report the mistreatment of human casualties by other Marines and making a false official statement to a Naval Criminal Investigative Service investigator about the his knowledge of the video.
The incident took place during a counter-insurgency operation near Sandala, Musa Qala District in Helmand Province, Afghanistan around July 27, 2011.
According to The Wall Street Journal, officials in Afghanistan were bracing for public demonstrations over what might be viewed as lenient punishment of the troops.
Related stories:
- Report: 5 soldiers involved in Quran burning
- Afghan clerics demand trial of Quran burners at US base
- 'Deplorable': U.S. defense chief condemns urinating Marines video
- Extreme war stresses to blame in Marine urination video?
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Marines are soldiers, they are expected to act professionally and honorably even in the most stressful situations or environments. Yes, their job is to kill if the need arises, but they are expected to show dignity and respect to honor of the uniform they wear and the sacrifices of those who came before them.
Ignorant rednecks, uneducated bigots and the hateful cowards who never served their country in any capacity will never understand what being a soldier actually means.
The actions of these individuals is reprehensible, degrading and dishonorable... they got off lightly.
Marines are not soldiers! Marines are WARRIORS! Since your comment started off screwed up...the rest goes to follow. I am a very EDUCATED redneck and as far as coward, I would love to add to the list of the LIVING I have pissed on. I am a retired SOLDIER and have on several occasions been very "relieved" and blessed to have my a-- saved by WARRIORS and I do not really care if they p----d on some of the enemy on their way in or out. If you had ever been in the poiston you would be a little less self-righteous. Since you are so disrespectful I assume you have not been.
MJ I agree these guys expect everybody to give them discounts on Merchandise, free this and that and make the civilians feel like we owe these Clowns something for doing their job. Yes I could still be on the Internet if you weren't in Iraq stop making me feel like I would be in some Afghan Prison if it wasn't for you. Grow up and act like a Man who wears the Uniform then you might get some respect until then your just an Ordinary Joe to Me.
I doubt if BobW was ever a Marine or soldier. If he was, he probably got a dishonorable discharge for being a nut job. Those paid soldiers broke the code of conduct and will be punished accordingly. Those like BobW like the Pastor Terry Jones of Gainesville,, FL who burned the Quran despite General Petraeus' requests, are the ones that put our paid soldiers in harms way with their own sick ideology. They're the ones who shoot up movie theaters because they fail to live by the rules. We pay our soldiers to protect us and to "work" (fight) according to the rules and not to go off half cocked shooting from the hip. Failure to obey the rules have consequences. Too bad they can't revoke retirement pensions too.
TW
Smear and fear...you are really selling Romney/Ryan...thank you.
Mjolnir-889746: Get your @!#$%^$@$ ass over there and see how you like wondering day to day if you're going to murdered and seeing you're friends murdered by some Religious Nut Job. Now in MY opinion these guys are Hero's.
Tarzan7, it's clear that my "ignorant redneck" comment stung a little bit, thank you for rising to the bait.
MJ
I wonder who made you queen for a day? All you are is bait. The concept of wars and soldiering is something a pretty thing like you would not understand.
You speak of "honoring" a uniform. When there are people trying to kill you and yuor buddies and the politicians at home would rather grease each other's uh, palms, then false integrity means nothing. The honor guard that burries the bodies of the fallen soldier can have the luxury of thinking about compassionas he polishes his brass, but the rule of war is to do ANY thing possible to beat your enemy. If that means burning a stupid hateful book or piss-ng on dead enemies, then do it.
I wonder what you know of the honor of a uniform or the prices of veteran's gift to a nation? I would bet that you know less than nothing.
Do you know how a war is won? Kill as many of the agressors as possible until no more of them want to die. They will decide to go home and rape threir sisters instead of ever looking eye to eye at you again. The Muslims had their as-es handed to them by the SIKHS in the 8th century and they respect them for it to this day.
You ignorant liberals think that good will and more money will make friends of these rabid animals? I would love to line all of you up and march you into Afganistan or Iran so that you could put your false morality to the test.
How much fun would that be?
Lazarus
What is worthy of chastisement is that the Marines didn't do a Number 2.
I am not sure what is more disgusting. What they did, or some of the comments defending what they did. I am a Vietnam veteran who actually served in Vietnam. We were trained to be human beings, and abide by the Geneva Convention. (OK, they told us how to violate it, but that is a different issue.....)
We are supposed to be the 'good guys' representing a Nation that stands for the highest ideals we want people to aspire to. And then, soldiers show they can be the basest of the base.
Can one imagine the outcry if that was done to one of our soldiers? Yet, it hasn't happened. So now who is showing a higher level of humanity?
Those fighting against the US in Afghanistan are human beings. They have hopes, dreams, and families. Just like US soldiers. And the Taliban are not those who are responsible for 9/11.
Yes, the military teaches one to dehumanize the enemy so it is easier to kill them. But dehumanizing and treating them as non-humans is not the same, but some apparently don't know the difference.
An Article 15? They will probably wear that as a badge of honor. Yet they dishonored the Flag. They represent America, but they showed the basest part of America, and the propaganda on what they did will cause Americans to be killed.
Well said Robert !
If you served, as you claim, one thing is abundantly clear, it wasn't in a combat role!
....where is George Patton when you need him???...he would have given these Marines a medal.....
Then you're as ignorant about Patton's respect for his enemies as you are about personal hygiene.
Ever seen a book? Some of them don't even have pictures of Archie and Jughead in them. Maybe you should actually try reading one instead of spending all day on Facebook or Twitter.
Mjolnir.....Hey, stupid, I really wish Patton was there to bitch slap your worthless ass up and down your street......you anti- American POS......
Im a vietnam vet also. So Robert, did you HUG the dead vietcong and cry?!!Why dont you KISS the ASSES of as many MUSLIMS as you can!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
11C40 from Ft. Polk. Assigned to the 199th (Redcatcher). I guess those who disagree with my opinions are quick to throw out insults.
When I returned from Vietnam, I didn't get insults, just no one cared. But 40 years later, I find if I don't adhere to hardline war mongering, I get insults.
The actions of those soldiers will result in Americans being killed in Afghanistan. But I guess they didn't think how their actions reflected on the Flag they represent.
Pretty damn stupid and embarrassing. We are there to kill them, snuff them out, but somehow then peeing on them afterwards is wrong? After reading about the Taliban beheading 17 civilians yesterday because they had a "music party", after reading for years about all the ignorant, 13th century things the Taliban have done and still want to do, after seeing how they treat women and are lacking in any understanding of liberty or justice, any respect for diversity or modern society, I am all for ridding the world of them by any means/process necessary. Decency and human dignity require it.
So... genocide now, is it? That will win them over for sure.
D G
Better them than us. Do not agree? Then go join them in their Koran driven war to exterminate us. But do not complain if you get p----d on.
Bring home some troops from Afghanistan and station them in the troubled areas in the country like Chicago. Not only will they be closer to their families but have bigger guns and hopefully are better shots. Those little dummies haven't been taught a better way of life and have only endured the bad. Stop making excuses and lets start the change today. Bring the troops home.
Mjolinar
You are the most full of @!$%# SOB I have ever heard of!
If that's true, apparently you've been falling asleep in church again, Skippy.
That's really ashame - I would have shaken their hands!!!!! After they washed of course!
Tallyban are not muslims. Tallyban are not human. I urinate on both their living and their dead. I urinate on their unborn, their stillborn, and curse them seven times for seven generations. May they know only suffering and pain and disappointment. May their every hope and dream be shattered before their eyes, and may all that is holy turn away from them for all time.
Why were they punished? Should they have first mutilated their corpses and then dragged the bodies around the town for a while first?
Interesting! I just read something over the weekend how, in 1944, 5 Army Rangers were also disciplined for for giving their Nazi prisoners "the bird".
Artcle 15 is appropriate for this behaviour. It shows that their C.O. believes they have learned from the incident, and it preserves discipline.
Horse pucky!
It's hard to imagine why anyone would worry in the least about this! They are dead after all, the dead do not care! As a result of my tours in Nam, I can assure you they don't! I've droped them, steped on them and in two cases even intentionally used them for bullet shields. Not even one of them comp[lained about their treatment!
These poor bleeding hearts would do far more good if they were to worry a little about how these people treat our live prisoners, or for that matter even their own Citizens!
"Horse puckey!" How eloquent, Mr. Crawford!
Check Wikipedia - Code of the United States Fighting Force
It's not up to "us" to decide. There are codes of conduct and things like the Geneva Convention that we adhere to. Our "paid" soldiers are trained and educated about their code. When our soldiers act no better than our enemies, our country loses credibility. When General David Petraeus asked the civilian Pastor not to burn the Muslim Quran, he did it anyway not carrying how many of our soldiers and civilians he put in harms way. Even war has rules. You can view them by a Google search or Wikipedia. Things like "As far as I know" or "I thin" means nothing. There are laws.
If you're that dedicated to the Geneva Convention, join us in demanding George W. Bush be tried for war crimes.
I stand in the minority with "FormerMarineSergeant" and "ThinkWise". I also did my time in uniform. Conduct by the Marines in question is a bad refection upon our Armed Forces and the USA in general. It lowers us to the level of the enemy (whom we are supposed to be superior to), and moreover further inflames the enemy & the civilian population and generates sympathy and positive propaganda for them. Further, consider the increased torture and maltreatment upon any of ours who may be taken captive. The Marines should have at least received a General Discharge and be banned from future enlistment. And to those that sanction and applaud such conduct, you make me ashamed be to in the same country with you. And to those who will say "leave" ~ give me 300K and all you will eat is my dust! I can formalize my dual citizenship in Europe in 72 hours.
act in sela you are a funny one. Playing army isn't guite the same as being in the army.
So do us a favor and MOVE to EUROPE!!
This is a land of opportunity, Mr. Sela. You must not depend on gifts and welfare to get by. Work for and earn your own $300,000, though I think a ticket to Europe is much much cheaper than that. You are both greedy and lazy.
Yes Mario, this is a land of opportunity + my opportunity to tell you VAFA! I do not nor have ever applied for or collected welfare. I do receive a pension from the VA as a result of 85% disability for wounds incurred in the line of duty during ODS + what did YOU ever do for this country? Oh, Sorry, you are doing something, showing the few decent folks on here what MERDA you are.
Mr. Sela -
You might consider retracting, "give me 300K." We are not the right venue for your begging.
Good they were punished. What they did was a bad mark against the military.
I think it is understandable if you have lost friends to zealots who are not following a religion they claim to follow to urinate on their corpses during combat stress.
They are in a combat environment. People through no fault of their own take on a whole new mindset and thought process during war. I say give them an honorable discharge and ban them from military service if you think you wouldn't be subject to the same hostility. It's not like they murdered anyone.
These guys are in some cushy job back home.
These guys are not in some cushy job back home. Urinating on your enemies who have killed friends is normal.
Were the guys who armed zealots and lied to American public about a Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, when the Soviets were invited by moderate Muslims to fight against the initial elements of the Taliban ever punished?
The CIA's interference with an invited Russian army and subsequent defeat with the CIA's help is the whole reason we are doing clean up in Afghanistan, when the USA should have let Russian soldiers do their job.
Punishing these guys versus giving them an honorable discharge is hypocrisy.
i REALLY DO NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH WHAT THEY DID EXCEPT THAT THEY WERE STUPID IN USING A CAMERA. Now, we should start chasing down these americanized d-bags, followers of a jerk by the name of Faraqueen Louis Faraqueen. It's high time we went into LA, rounded up him and his followers, shoot them then piss all over their corpses. And dont film it.
I am not a soldier. I am not a Marine. I am not there. I have a personal opinion which is worthless to the warriors who wake every morning in that hell hole.
So I leave it to them to pass judgement on their comrades; it's not my place to do so.
In a democracy in which the military is under the control of a civilian government that derives its legitimacy from the consent of the governed your refusal to pass any judgement on the soldiers who represent you is extraordinarily dangerous.
Lev I would also argue a civilians spouting off judgement with ABSOLUTELY no idea what the heck these guys are going through day in day out is equally dangerous. I am not in the military, nor have I been. I have had the extraordinary privilege of working along side military staff stateside and hearing some of the stuff they have gone through over there.
I personally am amazed this does not happen a LOT more or worse. We train our Marines to kill. To slaughter our enemies. To utterly crush them in a manner that makes them look up and say "OH S*(* here come the US Marines!!!". You cannot beat that into a soldier and then act all shocked when he takes such a hatred for his enemy. These guys were dealt with as their commander saw fit. The commander was not acting off a single picture and a biased news story but by facts. I would definitely defer to the commander to do his job.
No, military personnel are not "better" than civilians. However, they do deserve our respect and special consideration for what they do. They are 100% volunteers, they do volunteer to pick and go at a moments notice, no questions asked and go into harms way without any consideration for the politics behind the order. They do that as a service to our nation. I do not think proper respect is too much to ask.
And if the majority of the people in this country said they saw no problem with the actions of the three men? If they said they understood the feelings inherent in the actions? What difference would it make to the decision of the military command? None, as they appease our enemy ally.
What is the purpose of typing on my computer how I feel about it? I am not there but I know how I feel about leaving our men in a country where our "allies" are killing them as they sit down to dinner with them, as they walk beside them in the same uniform, as they sit beside them in a locked office where they are supposed to feel safe from harm.
What those men do on the battlefield to a corpse is as far removed from me as my elected government officials in Washington are from them.
The Armed Forces are under command of Mr. Obama as Commander in Chief. He oversees discipline and some times will act to pardon or commute a sentence or on rare occassion order a Court Martial convened.
Military Discipline will never be put to a referendum or plebcite of the people.
Thank you, Mario.
Wow, did they have Casey Anthony's lawyer???
They got off easy.
We help the Muslim world, The Muslim kills the troops helping them, then we burn the koran 'cause the muslim are some bunch of narcissistic people then Obama the Muslim wants our troops punished for it ... I say nuke the Whole Muslim world and drill for oil in our own backyard, make solar farms and wind farms ...
If we "nuke[d] the Whole Muslim world" we wouldn't have too much time to be constructing wind farms as we'd probably have our hands full with the apocalyptic consequences of dropping enough nuclear ordinance to exterminate well over a billion people. I'm sure you've thought all that through though.
Drill for oil in our own back yard? Oh, no. That is just silly. Let's use their oil up first.
You are trying to be logical, grump. You will cause their heads to explode.
One can only hope.
The Afghans beheaded 17 of their own this morning for having a party with music and girls attending.
How many Americans are there who need to be sent back to kindergarten?
How hard is this to understand? TWO. WRONGS. DON'T. MAKE. A. RIGHT.
The attack on the party was awful, inexcusable, and undoubtedly several orders of magnitude more heinous than the crimes committed by these marines. So what? Can I cheat on my wife and then justify it by saying, "Honey, Charles Manson killed a lot of innocent people?"
nevermind
Present Law - Practice Relating to Rule 113. Treatment of the DeadSection A. Respect for the deadQuick navigationI. TreatiesGeneva Convention IVArticle 16, second paragraph, of the 1949 Geneva Convention IV provides: “As far as military considerations allow, each Party to the conflict shall facilitate the steps taken … to protect [the killed] against … ill-treatment.” Additional Protocol IArticle 34(1) of the 1977 Additional Protocol I provides: “The remains of persons who have died for reasons related to occupation or in detention resulting from occupation or hostilities … shall be respected”. Additional Protocol IIArticle 4 of the 1977 Additional Protocol II provides:1. All persons who do not take a direct part or who have ceased to take part in hostilities, whether or not their liberty has been restricted, are entitled to respect for their person [and] honour …2. Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, the following acts against the persons referred to in paragraph I are and shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever:…(e) outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment … ICC StatutePursuant to Article 8(2)(b)(xxi) and (c)(ii) of the 1998 ICC Statute, “[c]ommitting outrages upon personal dignity” constitutes a war crime in both international and non-international armed conflicts. Back to topII. Other InstrumentsOxford ManualArticle 19 of the 1880 Oxford Manual provides: “It is forbidden to … mutilate the dead lying on the field of battle.” Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam Article 3(a) of the 1990 Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam provides: “In the event of the use of force and in case of armed conflict … it is prohibited to mutilate dead bodies.” Go argue with a lawyer and not me.
I'm losing respect for the United States with every single one of these racist, hateful posts. You're bad people.
If you really think that these soldiers (who are representing our country) are justified then you are as sick as they are. NO ONE has the right to desecrate someone's corps, or make a joke of killing someone. Even if they're your enemy. All these soldiers, and anyone agreeing with them, are doing is proving to the rest of the world how backwards Americans are. Risking your life for this country means nothing if you're just becoming exactly like the enemy.
And for the person who says
"Urinating on their corpse or grave is a release of anger and some form of satisfaction against the soldiers hate for their enemy. What release does of Military provide for these soldiers to be rid of their anger in the field."
- They don't GET to release their anger like that. Don't forget they signed up for the military and everything that comes with it. Like respect, honor is earned. You don't just sign up for it and get a license to be a douche.
You're pathetic.
HaHa. I'm sure at some point, the soldiers begin to ask themselves, "are these people even human"? Seriously, 17 people beheaded at a party, acid thrown in women's faces, their own supposed colleagues opening fire on their friends, the list goes on and on. Live this day in and day out and even you might be affected. So stop with judgment.
Seriously, this is war and it is simply the way it is. I can't believe you are so angry about this. Can you even get your poor head around the true horrors of war? Try reading any book of eyewitness accounts from WWII or even the American Westward Expansion. You might have a nervous breakdown.
Please spare me any response. Yes, I am a bad person.
I agree you are a bad person. So we're on the same page.
I know about the horrors of war, but in no universe should that justify them for ANY of the combatants. All I'm saying is if you are proving to the enemy that we are as bad as they say we are and making them want to bomb us then you are one of the people directly responsible for attacks on our country and our people.
You can go to icrc dot org and get the information:
United States of AmericaThe US Field Manual (1956) provides that “maltreatment of dead bodies” is a war crime. United States of AmericaThe US Instructor’s Guide (1985) states: “In addition to the grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions, the following acts are further examples of war crimes: … mutilating or mistreating dead bodies”. United States of AmericaThe US Naval Handbook (1995) provides that “mutilation and other mistreatment of the dead” are representative war crimes.