Marines Corps investigates song about killing civilians
WASHINGTON (AP) — A music video posted on the Internet that tells a tale about a U.S. Marine killing members of an Iraqi family is being condemned by an Islamic group and investigated by the Marine Corps.
The four-minute song, “Hadji Girl,” appears to be sung by a Marine in front of a cheering audience. The lyrics talk about the Marine gunning down members of an Iraqi woman’s family after they confront him with automatic weapons.
Lt. Col. Scott Fazekas, a spokesman for the Marines, said Tuesday that the Marines were aware of the video. Fazekas said officials don’t know the identity of the singer or whether he is in the military.
The song was “inappropriate and contrary to the high standards expected of all Marines,” Fazekas said. He said Marine officers are looking in to the matter.
Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said that in light of recent allegations of atrocities committed by Marines in Haditha and other towns in Iraq, the video should be investigated by the Pentagon and Congress.
“The inappropriate actions of a few individuals should not be allowed to tarnish the reputation of all American military personnel,” said Awad. The video was posted anonymously on the www.youtube.com Web site, but was removed. It is still available on CAIR’s web site, www.cair-net.org. A hadji is a pilgrim who journeys to Mecca. CAIR said the word has often been used as a disparaging term by U.S. troops in Iraq.
Full story: http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/06/13/marine.video.ap/index.html