"In order to prevail, for the good of the coalition nations and the Afghan people, we can do no less."  The video surfaced as the United States and the Taliban have taken tentative steps toward peace negotiations and as the U.S. and its allies plan to withdraw troops by the end of 2014.  The general's directive instructed officers to ensure subordinates know that they are obligated to report any allegations of misconduct involving corpses. He promised swift investigations and "appropriate actions" against offenders.  The directive notes that "defiling, desecrating, mocking, photographing or filming for personal use insurgent dead constitutes a grave breach" of the armed-conflict laws. It also violates "basic standards of human decency, and can cause serious damage to relations with the Afghan government."  The directive is dated Thursday, one day after a video surfaced online showing four men equipped with what a Marine official described as sniper gear urinating on what appeared to be the bodies of three men on the ground.  One of the men says, "Have a great day, buddy." A voice asks, "You got it on the video?" to which another voice responds, "Yeah." Another jokes, "Golden, like a shower."  It was not clear who shot or posted the 39-second video or where, though a U.S. official said it was a "reasonable conclusion" it was filmed in Afghanistan.  Commanders have identified the four Marines who appear in the video, but those names have not yet been made public, said spokeswoman Maryann Cummings of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS).  NCIS has talked to the Marines and all four are currently in the United States, she said. Investigators are still tracking down information on the person or people who created and posted the video.
The deputy commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan ordered troops Friday to treat the corpses of slain insurgents and civilians with "appropriate dignity and respect."The order follows a video that...