But the administrative punishments fell short of criminal prosecution and it was unclear whether they would satisfy Afghan demands for justice.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai branded the Marine’s actions in the video as “inhuman,” and he initially called for a public trial for the soldiers over the Koran incident.
The military did not disclose precise punishments for the troops but Army and Marine Corps spokesmen said they fell into a category that includes administrative sanctions, like a reduction in rank or forfeiture of pay.
The Marine Corps announced three Marines had pleaded guilty to charges over the video, which was widely seen on the Internet in January and showed Marines urinating on the corpses of what the Marine Corps said were dead Taliban fighters. One can be heard saying, “Have a nice day, buddy.”
The identities of the three Marines were not disclosed and disciplinary actions against additional Marines would be announced at a later date, the Marine Corps said. It said its investigation showed the incident actually took place on or around July 27, last year, during a counter-insurgency operation in Afghanistan’s Helmand province.