Politics & Government

Pass State Senator: 'Don't Court-Martial Marines Who Urinated on Dead Taliban'

State Sen. Bill Emmerson, R-Hemet, who represents the San Gorgonio Pass in the 37th State Senate District, will be running for re-election in the newly-created 23rd District in November.

Nine Republican lawmakers in Sacramento, including State Sen. Bill Emmerson, R-Hemet, have signed a letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta urging him not to court-martial Marines videotaped urinating on dead Taliban fighters.

A video of the incident went viral in January, sparking international outrage.

Emmerson represents the San Gorgonio Pass in the 37th State Senate District, and he will be running for re-election in the newly-created 23rd District in November.

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The state senators who signed the letter dated Feb. 21 said they agree with Rep. Duncan D. Hunter, R-Alpine, that the Marines should be disciplined but not face possible prison time.

"We concur with Congressmen Duncan Hunter and Alan West concerning the punishment being considering for the U.S. Marines involved in the recently leaked video," said the letter signed by Emmerson, Joel Anderson, Tom Berryhill, Bob Dutton, Ted Gaines, Bob Huff, Doug La Malfa, Tony Strickland, Mimi Walters and Mark Wyland.

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"The actions of the Marines were disgusting and totally wrong. However, the incident needs to be taken in the proper context of the battlefield conditions," the letter states.

"These men put their lives on the line every single day of their engagement in the war against terrorism. They have seen their brothers and sisters in arms targeted and killed while they fought alongside them."

The letter notes "numerous instances of atrocities to captured U.S. troops and civilians. Can you ever forget those awful scenes of U.S. soldiers being dragged through the streets of Mogadishu or when Blackwater contractors were killed, their bodies burned and hung from a bridge in Fallujah?"

The letter also stated: "As Congressman West so rightfully pointed out, there was no indignation from the news media or outrage from the government when Americans were killed or mistreated."

A pdf copy of the signed letter to Panetta is attached to this report.

The four Marines involved in the January incident served in the Third Battalion, Second Marines, and were based at Camp Lejuene in North Carolina, the New York Times reported in January.

The commander of the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command and deputy commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan posted a letter on Facebook on Jan. 13.

"Defiling, desecrating, mocking, photographing or filming for personal use insurgent dead constitutes a grave breach of the LOAC (law of armed conflict), violate basic standards of human decency, and can cause serious damage to relations with the Afghan government," U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti said in the letter.

"Such actions bring dishonor to those who commit them, and violate the core values of all military services, regardless of service or nation," Scaparrotti said. "We must treat the living and the dead with respect, and we must comply with the LOAC and act honorably at all times."


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