Responding to a video that has emerged showing US marines urinating over the bodies of three, apparently lifeless Afghans, the US military said it was "deeply troubled by the video" and promised a full investigation.
In a statement, the Marine Corps headquarters at the Pentagon said,
"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."
The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), led by NATO, said it "strongly condemns the actions depicted in the video, which appear to have been conducted by a small group of US individuals, who apparently are no longer serving in Afghanistan".
Afghanistan's president, Hamid Karzai, also condemned the video, describing the act as "simply inhuman and condemnable in the strongest possible terms".
A statement released by Karzai's office read,
"The government of Afghanistan is deeply disturbed by a video that shows American soldiers desecrating dead bodies of three Afghans."
"This act by American soldiers is simply inhuman and condemnable in the strongest possible terms. We expressly ask the US government to urgently investigate the video and apply the most severe punishment to anyone found guilty in this crime."
The source of the video is unknown.
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