The Marine Corps yesterday said it was expelling one Marine and disciplining another for their roles in a video that appeared to show a Marine throwing a puppy off a cliff while on patrol in Iraq.

The 17-second video posted on YouTube drew sharp condemnation from animal rights groups and general public outrage when it came to light in March.

The clip shows two Marines joking as one holds a docile puppy by the scruff of the neck, then apparently hurls it overhand into a ravine — with accompanying yelps from the puppy as it tumbles through the air.

"That's mean. That's mean, Motari," an off-camera voice is heard telling the Marine who tossed the black-and-white dog. The off-camera Marine snickers slightly afterward.

Lance Cpl. David Motari, assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment at Kane'ohe Bay, is "being processed for separation" from the service, the Marine Corps said in a news release. He also received unspecified "non-judicial punishment."

The Marine Corps didn't specify what role Motari played in the clip.

The video was viewed more than 100,000 times on YouTube, attracting international attention and condemnation.

Yesterday, reaction to the disciplinary action was swift. One posting on The Advertiser Web site following the Marines' announcement said: "How incredibly cruel can someone be? These guys are supposed to represent a safe united front for America. What a shame. They deserve all the punishment they can get."

The video was eventually taken off YouTube due to a violation of the site's terms of use.

"The actions seen in the Internet video are contrary to the high standards we expect of every Marine and will not be tolerated," Marine Corps Base Hawai'i said in a news release. "The vast majority of Marines conduct their duties with honor and compassion that makes American people proud."

The second Marine, Sgt. Crismarvin Banez Encarnacion, also received unspecified "non-judicial" punishment.

Encarnacion is assigned to the Weapons and Field Training Battalion, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.

It wasn't clear what role Encarnacion played in the video.

Marine Corps leaders in Kane'ohe said they learned of the video March 3 and immediately began an investigation.

One of the key questions was whether the video was genuine or a hoax. But yesterday's press release made no mention of a hoax.

First Lt. Binford Strickland, a Marine Corps Base Hawai'i spokesman, said the service may not reveal what roles the two men played in the video because that was part of the investigation. He said releasing such information would violate the Privacy Act.

Strickland declined to provide details about the disciplinary measures taken against the men for the same reason.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.