TORONTO — Canada’s military is investigating the circumstances surrounding a video played during a formal dinner that featured an unidentified member of the Canadian Forces pretending to be Osama bin Laden’s brother, the commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force said.
Lt. Gen. Yvan Blondin said in a statement Thursday that he was recently informed of complaints that the video was inappropriate and culturally insensitive. He said those involved may face administrative, disciplinary or corrective action.
The man playing bin Laden’s brother wears brown makeup, a turban and speaks with a thick accent in a fourminute excerpt of the video obtained by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. A woman playing the role of a news anchor interviews the character, who jokes that his brother always gets all the credit for their work. He refuses to reveal where bin Laden is hiding.
Blondin offered an apology to anyone who might have been offended.
Front Section, Pages 2 on 11/09/2012