March 4, 2008

SECAUCUS, N.J. - Posted on the Web site YouTube.com, a short video shows a U.S. Marine throw a puppy down an Iraq hillside.

In the horrific scene, two Marines are present when one launches a black and white puppy down a desert-like pitch into a gully, while the other recorded the event.

The video was released Monday and soon after became the focus of news stories and blogs worldwide.

It is unknown whether or not the dog survived.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The events depicted below may not be suitable for some readers.

In the 17-second video clip, a Marine is shown holding up a dog, which appears to be about eight weeks-old, and is heard saying, “Cute little puppy, huh?”

Then the second Marine, who was videotaping the incident, ducks into the frame and said, “Oh so cute, so cute, little puppy.”

Both the men could be seen smiling before the first Marine, holding the dog by the scruff, winds up and tosses it into the distance.

“Uh, uh, uh I tripped,” said the Marine as he threw the dog.

As the camera pans to follow the puppy’s flight and descent, it is heard yelping in distress before a thud is made from its impact.

The Marine filming the incident, flatly stated, “That’s mean. That was mean, Motari.”

“I do what I do,” said the alleged Motari in response.

While the legitimacy of the video cannot be confirmed, Marine Corps representatives are taking the matter seriously and are currently investigating the incident.

“We do not tolerate this type of behavior and will take appropriate action,” said Marine spokeswoman Captain Blanca Binstock.

According to the Honolulu Advertiser and Pet Pulse research, it is believed that Lance Corporal David Motari is the Marine shown throwing the puppy. As of press time, the Marine Corps has not yet confirmed or denied Motari's involvement.

The suspected 22 year-old is based out of the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment in Honolulu, and is said to have returned stateside in October 2007 from a seven-month deployment in Iraq. The actual date of the incident is unknown but will be determined upon further investigation.

Marine Spokesman for Marine Corps Base Hawaii, the station for Lcpl. Motari, responded quickly citing the Corps’ desire to get to the bottom of the matter.

"We need to find out who is this person, is this a legitimate video? Was it edited?" Maj. Perrine said.

The film is being discussed by veterinarian and film experts, who are working to determine whether or not the recording is real or a dubbed stunt. The speculation is that possibly the puppy was dead before it was thrown and the audio clip of the yelping was added later.

If the video proves to be authentic, the Marines in the clip could face judicial charges, demotions in rank and pay and even a court-martial. They could also be discharged.

Cpt. Binstock, a media officer for the Division of Public Affairs at the Marines' Pentagon headquarters, said, during an interview with Pet Pulse, that the incident “was shocking, really devastating, and going against everything we stand for as Marines.”

Although there is not yet conclusive proof that Lcpl. Motari is actually the Marine in the video, he has received backlash both through Internet blogs and on his personal page on the social networking Web site Bebo.com.

His profile has since been made private, but before that happened, a number of Bebo users posted attacking remarks and other threatening comments on his page.

On another Web site, a user went so far as to post Motari's home address and phone number, which raises safety concerns for the Marines’ family members.

To see the video, which has since been removed from YouTube, click on the video version of this story. A cautionary note: the video is very graphic and may not be suitable for some viewers.

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Matt Van Hoven contributed to the print version of this story.