An investigation may be concluded soon into an online video that appeared to show a U.S. Marine throwing a puppy into a ravine in Iraq, an official said yesterday.

"I think they are about to wrap up the investigation, and they'll determine what they are going to do," said Maj. Chris Perrine, a spokesman at Marine Corps Base Hawai'i at Kane'ohe Bay.

The callousness of a Marine holding what appeared to be a docile puppy by the scruff of the neck and then throwing it overhand into a ravine — with accompanying yelps as it tumbled through the air — prompted public outrage.

The video was viewed more than 100,000 times on YouTube .com and quickly spread across the Internet.

The Marine Corps base said it learned of the video March 3 and immediately began an investigation in Hawai'i to confirm its authenticity and identify the people responsible.

One Marine in the video says what sounds like, "That was mean, Motari," to the puppy tosser, who shrugs and smiles.

The Kane'ohe Bay base previously said a Lance Cpl. David Motari is with the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, but officials have said they couldn't confirm Motari was in the video.

Motari returned to Hawai'i in October from Haqlaniyah, Iraq, after a seven-month deployment, Perrine said previously. The 1,000 Marines with the 1st Battalion were stationed in the "Triad" area of Haditha, Haqla-niyah and Barwana, northwest of Baghdad.

The criminal investigation division at the Kane'ohe Bay base is investigating the case, Perrine said.

"They are talking to numerous people in the chain of command — some are out of the Marine Corps, and some are at other duty stations," Perrine said.

The 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, are training for a return to Iraq, possibly in August or September.

An exercise was held at Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island in March, but Motari stayed behind at Kane'ohe Bay for unknown reasons, Perrine said.

Efforts to reach the Marine have been unsuccessful, and his family in Washington state have said little. Perrine said Motari is expected to to stay with the 1st Battalion at least for the time being.

"They are not going to let him go anywhere while the investigation is ongoing," Perrine said. No disciplinary action has been taken, he said.

Perrine also said it's unclear whether Motari would return to Iraq.

"We'll have to wait and see what happens with the situation," Perrine said. "If he's not in the Marine Corps anymore, he's not going. If there are no charges pressed, I'd imagine he would."

Motari is doing "normal working duties" as an infantryman in the meantime, Perrine said.