CANBERRA - Army personnel featured in a video in which one soldier appeared in a Ku Klux Klan outfit were only letting of a "bit of steam", Prime Minister John Howard says.
The video, posted on the YouTube website, features soldiers at Darwin's Robertson Barracks taking part indrinking games and stunts.
Howard yesterday urged the public not to overreact.
"I have some understanding of the disposition of people in these situations to let off a bit of steam," he said.
Whether to discipline the soldiers who featured in the video was a matter for the military to decide.
"Let the military deal with those things in their own way. I just think people can overreact with these things.
"People get into a lather and sweat and so on ... let's be sensible about this."
Brigadier Craig Orme, commander of Darwin's 1st Brigade, said the video had been shot by a now former member of the Australian Defence Force about three years ago.
"Some of the people involved are still serving but a significant number have left the service."
He said the Defence Force had been informed on Friday of the video's existence on YouTube and immediately did a quick assessment, which had revealed who was involved and when the video was made.
A broader inquiry would now be conducted to establish what further action would be taken.
Brigadier Orme said such behaviour was "not in the least" common, describing it as "abhorrent and inappropriate".
"It's a terrible thing - it reflects badly and we don't tolerate it."
He said the video had now been removed from the website by the person who posted it.
