Afghan court sentences Australian contractor to death

Australia’s government says an Australian security contractor has been sentenced to death in Afghanistan for fatally shooting an Afghan colleague. The contractor reportedly tried to blame the slaying on the Taliban.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Wednesday his government was working hard to prevent the former Australian soldier from being executed, but conceded it may not work.

Australia has around 1,500 active troops in Afghanistan.

The Australian newspaper reported that Robert William Langdon killed an Afghan guard identified only as Karim last May during a heated argument about security for a convoy just south of the capital, Kabul.

It said Langdon was working for Four Horsemen International, a US-based private security and logistics company.

 

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