Brownface video in poor taste, Defence Minister Peter MacKay says

CFB GREENWOOD, N.S. – The defence Minister says a video showing a Canadian Forces officer with his face in brown makeup pretending to be Osama bin Laden’s brother is in poor taste but does not reflect the wider military community.

Peter MacKay issued a statement today in response to a video made in 2010 that features an unidentified member stationed at 14 Wing Greenwood wearing a fake beard and turban, boasting he worked with the leader of al-Qaida.

The CBC says it was leaked a copy of the video, which shows the military member calling a woman a “silly infidel,” saying he drives a taxi and then later yelling at someone off-screen to get away from his car bomb.

MacKay says he is awaiting the results of an investigation into what happened.

Capt. John Pulchny, a spokesman at 14 Wing Greenwood, says the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service is trying to determine who made the video and whether any military rules were broken.

He says at least one officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force was involved in the production of the video, which was shown at a formal dinner at the Nova Scotia airbase.