If they were real Taliban, if they were people who burn down girls’ schools, you know, and do honor rapes, threw acid in people’s faces, [then] I’m not that upset about [Marines] pissing on them, dead or alive. — Bill Maher
Exactly.
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The State Department's public reaction to this incident is risible if not contemptible. To be clear, the Taliban are not soldiers recognized under the Geneva or any other conventions; urinating on their corpses violated no treaty or international law. Any damage to so-called negotiations with the Taliban should be welcomed by rational observers, since, under all circumstances preceding this incident, there was no basis for peace with the Taliban; their behavior and their existence are intolerable.
I'm not familiar with present DOD or Marine Corps policy on the matter — the ‘hearts and minds’ issue is no small consideration — so I can't comment on the DOD's reaction. In any case, those boys certainly did show poor judgment. The breach of professionalism and discipline, here, must especially gall a Marine commander and so these boys will surely be subject to ‘non-judicial’ punishment under Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), to include reduction in grade (rank) and loss of pay. This is their commander's prerogative and, I think, his responsibility. Anything more, especially in time of war, is bullshit.
Update: Rep. (formerly Col.) Allen West agrees:
The Marines were wrong. Give them a maximum punishment under field grade level Article 15 (non-judicial punishment), place a General Officer level letter of reprimand in their personnel file, and have them in full dress uniform stand before their Battalion, each personally apologize….
As for everyone else, unless you have been shot at by the Taliban, shut your mouth, war is hell.
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