2 Marines disciplined over puppy-tossing video

[thedrifter]

2 Marines disciplined over puppy-tossing video

(CNN) -- The U.S. Marine Corps has disciplined two Marines over a videotape that showed a Marine throwing a puppy over a cliff, the military said Wednesday.

Officials did not specify the role that each man played in the incident, which received international attention after a video of it appeared on YouTube.com March 3.

Lance Cpl. David Motari is being processed for removal for his role, the Marine Corps said, and Sgt. Crismarvin Banez Encarnacion also has been punished.

The video shows someone throwing a black-and-white puppy off a rocky cliff. The dog makes a yelping sound as it flies through the air.

"That's mean. That was mean," someone off-camera is heard saying.

YouTube removed the video about a day after it was posted, "due to terms of use violation," the site said.

The Marines were quick to condemn the video when it surfaced, calling it "shocking and deplorable."

Marine officials said the disciplinary action followed a thorough investigation, according to a statement that the Marine Corps Base Hawaii released Wednesday.
"The actions seen in the Internet video are contrary to the high standards we expect of every Marine and will not be tolerated," the statement said.

Ellie

[thedrifter]

Marines expelled, disciplined for video of puppy being thrown

Story Updated: Jun 11, 2008 at 11:15 PM PDT
By Associated Press

HONOLULU (AP) - The Marine Corps on Wednesday said it was expelling one Marine and disciplining another for their roles in a video showing a Marine throwing a puppy off a cliff while on patrol in Iraq.

The 17-second video posted on YouTube.com drew sharp condemnation from animal rights groups when it came to light in March.

The clip shows two Marines joking before one hurls the puppy into a rocky gully. A yelping sound is heard as it flips through the air.

"That's mean. That's mean, Motari," an off-camera Marine is heard telling the Marine who tossed the black and white dog. The off-camera Marine snickered slightly afterward.

Lance Cpl. David Motari, assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment at Kaneohe Bay, is "being processed for separation" from the Marine Corps, the Marine Corps said in a news release. He also received unspecified "non-judicial punishment."

The Marine Corps didn't specify what role the 22-year-old Motari, from Monroe, Wash., played in the clip.

The Herald of Everett, Wash., has reported that the video led to death threats to Motari's family in his hometown northeast of Seattle. The newspaper said his mother declined comment Wednesday.

The video was viewed tens of thousands of times before YouTube.com took it down due to a violation of the site's terms of use.

"The actions seen in the Internet video are contrary to the high standards we expect of every Marine and will not be tolerated," Marine Corps Base Hawaii said in a news release. "The vast majority of Marines conduct their duties with honor and compassion that makes American people proud."

The second Marine, Sgt. Crismarvin Banez Encarnacion, also received unspecified "non-judicial" punishment.

Encarnacion is assigned to the Weapons and Field Training Battalion, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.

It wasn't clear what role Encarnacion played in the video. Marine Corps Base Hawaii declined to answer a telephone inquiry about its press release and directed all questions to be submitted by e-mail.

Marine Corps public affairs offices in Hawaii and San Diego didn't immediately return e-mail messages requesting clarification.

The Marine Corps said the Privacy Act prevented it from releasing details about the disciplinary measures the two men received.

Video showing Marine throwing pup leads to probe

http://www.komonews.com/news/national/16203287.html

Ellie

[thedrifter]

June 13, 2008 <br />
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Marines not saying if video is real <br />
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Corps cites Privacy Act in withholding more information <br />
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By William Cole <br />
Advertiser Military Writer