Marine faces court martial over Taliban urinations

This still image made from a video posted on YouTube purports to show U.S. Marines urinating on the bodies of dead Taliban militants in Afghanistan. The image was obscured to disguise the men pictured before the video's authenticity was confirmed. / CBS

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. A U.S. Marine was set to face court martial Wednesday for urinating on the bodies of dead Taliban fighters in Afghanistan and then posing for photos with the corpses.

Staff Sgt. Edward W. Deptola is accused of the desecration of remains and posing for unofficial photographs with human casualties. He also is accused of failing to properly supervise junior Marines and not reporting the misconduct.

Deptola and another Marine based at Camp LeJeune, N.C., were charged last year after video surfaced showing four Marines in full combat gear urinating on the bodies of three dead Afghans in July 2011. In the video, one of the Marines looked down at the bodies and quipped, "Have a good day, buddy."

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Political fallout over Marines video

As CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reported after the video's disclosure last January, the Marines in the video were members of a 1,000-man battalion that had completed a combat tour in Afghanistan and returned to Camp Lejuene, where they apparently started showing the video around as a war trophy.

Staff Sgt. Joseph W. Chamblin pleaded guilty to similar charges last month. Chamblin was sentenced to 30 days confinement, reduced in rank, fined and ordered to forfeit part of his pay for six months. Three other Marines were given administrative punishments for their roles in the matter.

Marine's punishment scaled back in urination case

The urination video surfaced amid a string of embarrassing episodes for U.S. forces in Afghanistan. American troops were caught up in controversies over burning Muslim holy books, posing for photos with insurgents' bloodied remains and an alleged massacre of 16 Afghan villagers by a soldier.

The Marine Corps said the urination took place during a counterinsurgency operation in the Musa Qala district of Helmand province, located in the south of the country.

After the video garnered international attention on YouTube, senior military officials sternly condemned the behavior of the Marines involved.

The United States now has 66,000 troops in Afghanistan. The U.S. and its NATO allies agreed in November 2010 that they would withdraw all their combat troops by the end of 2014, but they haven't decided on the scope of future missions in the country and the size of any residual force remaining after that.

[quincytodd]

It was awfully nice of these clowns to disgrace this country by representing it! It makes one almost ashamed to even be an American. In the first place, we have absolutely no right whatsoever to even be in that country and to this day, that video over those clowns urinating on those dead men still makes my blood boil over!

[cleric77]

I have heard that within the living sexual perverts circles these marines were just giving their dead enemies "a golden shower"???

[acdcguy]

America has become so pussiefied....sick and tired of you bleeding heart liberals..... He pissed on someone that was trying to kill him!!! Big F'n deal!!! I would do same to someone if caught trying to break into my house!! Grow a pair would ya!!! Don't even get me started on the Ol Great One, The Almighty, issuing 23 executive orders today because he thinks he knows what is best for us!!!

[judymar14]

I'm not reading the comments as I should be. I do aplogized to any commentors who feel the same as I do. Especially kansascity-2010.

[judymar14]

kansascity-2012

Please my comment directed to you. I somettimes scan what I should read completely.

[KansasCity-2012]

Yes, I admit. Some grammar and verb errors slip past my proof reading. I'm challenging myself to improve in this area. Thanks.

[judymar14]

This country sends the military to a war that shouldn't be waged in the first place, then court martial them to please barbarians who would cut off their heads after cruel torture. Makes sense to me...NOT

[thechooch1]

judy these soldiers knew what they were doing was wrong. Sure maybe they shouldn't have been there to begin with, but that doesn't make their behavior ok. WE aren't those "barbarians" and shouldn't act like them.

[Kevin1261_]

This is just another example of Political Correctness. Does it mention this dead adversary tried to kill these solders. If you want to punish these solders fine them money but do not incarcerate any of them you put them in combat you trained them and they saw buddy's die in battle this is nothing or in the heat of battle. America trains their GI's to be the best of the best but to become the best of the best you change or flip the switch. Pissing on a dead adversary is nothing compared to the Nam WWII WWI. You put an America man or woman in combat switches will flip and keep PC out of WAR because there is nothing PC about killing the enemys of freedom.

[BWB2020]

What were those soldiers doing when their "adversary" was trying to kill them?

That's right, they were in their adversaries' homeland killing, raping, terrorizing, and otherwise harming their adversaries' families and friends, for no other real reason than so Bush and friends could steal US taxpayer money.

Fine them, bust them down to private, incarcerate them, then DD them.

Should have done the same to any soldiers doing such in any of America's wars, especially the fake ones like Vietnam.

If you represent my country, then your standard of conduct should reflect the better principles of my country.

Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.

[facelessdrone2005]

I strongly disagree with KEVIN1261. This is not about "political correctness," it is about protecting the rest of the troops and accomplishing our mission to stabilize the country. If the acts of this one soldier enraged the local population, he aided the enemy cause, gained local support for the Taliban, helped their terrorist recruiting, and encouraged the locals to hide the terrorists. This one act therefore threatens the lives of other soldiers and sets back in our goal to stabilize the country. And that cannot be tolerated. Has nothing to do with political correctness but is simply common sense. However, I also do not agree with what BWB2020 wrote. He makes us out to be bad guys, which we are not. I agree with only one thing he said: "If you represent my country, then your standard of conduct should reflect the better principles of my country."

[BWB2020]

How about we bring Bush and Cheney to justice, to answer for the lies they used to order the commission of crimes against humanity?

Then, after the proper sanctions are administered as per the international treaties we have signed, we should have President Obama answer for allowing them to continue on his watch.

Another idea, how about we allow the family members of the dead Afghanis and Iraqis to urinate on the bodies of Bush and Cheney after they croak?

And if we do that ourselves, can we expect the same slap on the wrist as given to these miscreant baggers?

[wantthebest]

If they are not already under some conduct requirement that plainly forbids such behavior I agree with UGA. These men have their lives at stake every day. I am much more concerned about justice for the families who lost loved ones at Fort Hood. I wish more men and women serving would have had the courage to protest so staunchly the manner Ft Hood was handled as to make it mandatory that the killer receive quick justice, never receive income or any other benefits. REMEMBER FT HOOD.

[BWB2020]

Why?

What's to remember, a disturbed person killed people who were training to go kill others, for no real reason.

It's not as if they were going to go protect the US, they were going to kill people who had nothing to do with harming any Americans, just so some rich war profiteers can steal even more of our money.

Nothing to be surprised, or indignant about.

[jnostromo]

Stop the madness of wasting money and American lives in a ridiculous attempt to bring democracy to countries ruled by religious fanaticism..It will never happen...time for America to put America first and the world last.