CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. – A Marine officer in charge of snipers shown in a 2011 video urinating on the corpses of Taliban fighters Afghanistan will be court-martialed.
The U.S. Marine Corps announced Monday that Capt. James V. Clement will be tried for dereliction of duty, conduct unbecoming an officer and failure to stop misconduct by those under his command. The charges were referred for trial following an evidentiary hearing held last month at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
A date for the upcoming court-martial has not been set. Two Marine sergeants have already been convicted in the case with another enlisted soldier still awaiting trial.
Defense lawyer John Dowd says Clement is being scapegoated a result of political correctness and hysteria. Video of the incident posted on YouTube caused widespread outrage among Afghans.
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
