A US soldier was being investigated today for a "disgraceful" video on his Facebook page taunting Iraqi children by asking if they are gay, engage in sex acts and if they would grow up to be terrorists.
The two young boys did not appear to understand the questions, which were in English, but smiled at the camera and at times flashed the "thumbs up" gestures during the 30-second clip.
Spc Robert Rodriguez, based at Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, Alaska, was ordered to remove the video from his site, US Army spokesman Major Bill Coppernoll said.
"The incident is currently under investigation and the Army will take appropriate action based on the findings of the investigation," he said.
It was not immediately clear if Rodriguez shot the video or just posted it, Maj Coppernoll said.
The video was "disgraceful and clearly inconsistent" with standards expected of every soldier, he said.
Raleigh, North Carolina, television station WRAL first reported the video after another soldier stationed at Fort Wainwright shared it with friends in North Carolina, who took their concerns to the station.
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