US Marines charged in Afghan urination case

Two US soldiers are to face criminal charges for urinating on the bodies of dead Taliban fighters in Afghanistan, the Marines Corps has said.

The criminal charges are the first faced by anyone over the incident, a video of which was widely circulated on the internet, sparking protests in Afghanistan earlier this year.

At the time, Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, called the Marines' actions "inhumane".

Staff Sergeants Joseph Chamblin and Edward Deptola were also charged with "posing for unofficial photographs with human casualties" the Marine Corps said, and will face a court martial.

The Marine Corps' investigation showed that although the video was only circulated on the internet in January, the incident actually took place on or around July 27, 2011, during an operation in Helmand province.

The Marine Corps said on August 27 that three soldiers had pleaded guilty to charges over the video. Their punishment, however, fell short of criminal prosecution.

Chamblin and Deptola also face a series of charges related to being in dereliction of their duties, including failing to supervise junior soldiers. The charges also include failing to report the "negligent discharge" of a grenade launcher.

Deptola is also charged with failing to stop the unnecessary damaging of Afghan compounds.

The Marine Corps said there were other pending cases in the video investigation. They declined to elaborate on the incident in which the negligent actions took place.

In the video, someone can be heard saying: "Have a good day, buddy."

Their identities have not been revealed and the Marine Corps said it would provide details of disciplinary actions against them at a later date.

The footage surfaced at a sensitive time for US-Afghan relations, as American officials attempted to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table.

One month later, violent protests broke out in Afghanistan after it emerged US troops had incinerated a number of Korans.

The holy books had been confiscated from prisoners, amid claims they were being used to pass secret messages.

The ensuing unrest claimed 30 lives and saw two US troops shot dead.