The US military was investigating a “disgusting” online video purportedly showing Marines urinating on the corpses of Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, a Pentagon spokesman said.
The video shows what appears to be four servicemen, dressed in US military uniform, relieving themselves onto three bloodied bodies on the ground, apparently aware that they are being filmed.
“Have a great day, buddy,” one of them says, giggling.
It is not clear from the video whether the dead Afghans were Taliban insurgents or civilians.
The Pentagon has not yet verified the video, but spokesman John Kirby told AFP: “Regardless of the circumstances or who is in the video, this is… egregious, disgusting behavior, unacceptable for anyone in uniform.”
“It turned my stomach,” he added of the video, which was posted on the Live Leak website.
The Afghan Taliban Thursday denounced the video as “barbaric.”
“This is a barbaric act. Over the past 10 years there have been hundreds of similar cases that were not revealed,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed told AFP.
If authenticated, the images — which conjure up previous abuses committed by US troops during the decade-long war — could spark deep anger and resentment in Afghanistan and the wider Muslim world.
A military official who asked not to be named said the helmet and weapon carried by one of the men seems to indicate the four could be members of an elite sniper team.
The official also said such conduct would be punishable under the US code of military justice.
The Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a prominent US Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, condemned the alleged desecration of corpses.
“If verified as authentic, the video shows behavior that is totally unbecoming of American military personnel and that could ultimately endanger other soldiers and civilians,” CAIR said in a statement on Thursday.
“We trust that this disturbing incident will be promptly investigated in a transparent manner and that appropriate actions will be taken based on the results of that investigation,” the statement said.
“Any guilty parties must be punished to the full extent allowed by the Uniform Code of Military Justice and by relevant American laws.”
A statement issued by the Pentagon said: “Headquarters Marine Corps has recently been made aware of a video that portrays Marines urinating on what appear to be deceased members of the Taliban.
“While we have not yet verified the origin or authenticity of this video, the actions portrayed are not consistent with our core values and are not indicative of the character of the Marines in our Corps.
“This matter will be fully investigated.”
U.S. Marines in Afghanistan urinating on dead Taliban fighters will be "fully investigated."
The video appeared to surface first on YouTube shortly before midnight Tuesday. It includes a caption indicating that the Marines were members of Scout Sniper Team 4, a Marine Corps unit that has served on the front lines of the war in Afghanistan this year.
The footage, lasting just 39 seconds, shows four Marines in full combat gear urinating on the bodies of three dead men, bearded and dressed in traditional Afghan garb. The Marines can be heard laughing and joking. "Have a great day, buddy," one says.
The desecration of corpses during wartime violates military law and can lead to court-martial.
Capt. Gregory Wolf, a Marine Corps spokesman said in an email that neither the origin nor authenticity of the video had been confirmed. He added that the "actions portrayed are not consistent with our core values and are not indicative of the character of the Marines in our corps."
"This matter will be fully investigated," Wolf said.
The video quickly went viral, appearing on hundreds of websites. On Wednesday afternoon, the Council on American-Islamic Relations released a statement condemning its contents.
