Gov. Perry: Urinating on Dead Afghans Not a Crime

Says Obama Criticism Proves 'Disdain for Military'

With Newt Gingrich the first candidate to claim Palestinians are a myth and Rick Santorum the first candidate to promise a more or less instant war on Iran if elected, the ways in which other candidates might single themselves out as uniquely jingoist appeared limited, but Gov. Rick Perry of Texas (who already tried with a promise to reinvade Iraq if elected) has found a way.

In an interview today with CNN’s State of the Union, Gov. Perry blasted the Obama Administration for its criticism of US Marines videotaped urinating on the corpses of slain Afghans, saying that it proved Obama’s “disdain for the military.”

“These kids made a mistake,” insisted Perry, adding that “to call it a criminal act is over the top.” US military officials have promised a full investigation of the video, though so far they have not indicated if charges will be filed.

The desecration of corpses during a war is considered a serious crime both under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and the Geneva Conventions. Such charges have not been common in the recent US wars, but given the videotape evidence has already gone public it seems virtually impossible to slip this particular genie back into the bottle.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.