Marines Face Charges for Desecrating Taliban Corpses

Two U.S. Marines accused of urinating on dead Taliban fighters in Afghanistan and posing for pictures with the corpses will face trial by court-martial for violations of the military’s code of justice, the Marine Corps said today in an e-mailed statement.

“The incident allegedly took place during a counter- insurgency operation in the vicinity of Sandala, Musa Qala District in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, on or about July 27, 2011,” according to the statement.

The Marines charged, Staff Sergeants Joseph W. Chamblin and Edward W. Deptola, are assigned to Third Battalion, Second Marine Regiment at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, the Marines said.