Former US security men deny Afghan civilian killings

Two ex-employees of a US security company killed two Afghan nationals while fuelled by alcohol and rage, a US court has heard.

Prosecutors in the state of Virginia say that Justin Cannon and Christopher Drotleff opened fire at the scene of a road accident in Kabul.

They worked for a security company run by a firm formerly known as Blackwater.

Their lawyers deny murder charges, saying they opened fire because they believed they were under attack.

If convicted of murder, assault and weapons charges, Mr Cannon, from Texas, and Mr Drotleff from Virginia, could be imprisoned for life.

Their trial began on Wednesday in a US District Court and is expected to last two to three weeks.

They worked for Paravant, part of Xe - formerly Blackwater - which was blamed for killing civilians in Iraq in 2007.

The pair were in Afghanistan to provide weapons training to the Afghan National Army as contractors with Paravant.

Prosecutors said the pair were "a disaster waiting to happen" in May last year, as they had been drinking for several hours after two of their superiors were fired.

"They were drinking. They were driving. They were armed and they were out of control," said Robert McGovern, a Department of Justice lawyer.

Both sides agree that the men left their camp to drive two Afghan interpreters and another man to a taxi stand late at night on a road known for attacks on Americans.

When one of the vehicles in their convoy crashed, they allegedly shot at a car that sped from the crash scene.

Prosecutors say that the men fired about 30 rounds - Mr Cannon with an AK47 and Mr Drotleff with a 9mm pistol - hitting two men in the car and a man who was walking his dog with a friend.

One man in the car and the man on the street died from bullet wounds.

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Who was the soldier shot in Afghanistan died in UK

The soldier, from 2nd Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, was shot in southern Afghanistan on 23 August.

The 22-year-old, from Bolton, died in hospital on Friday.

Kingsman Deady's family, who were with him when he died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, said he fought to make a difference.

The death brought the total number of British military personnel killed in Afghanistan since the conflict began to 335.

Kingsman Deady joined the army in 2008 and was based in Cyprus before he was sent to Afghanistan.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said he was helping to protect a "vital location" in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand when his unit came under "prolonged, intense small arms and rocket propelled grenade fire".
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“Start Quote

    Kingsman Deady was an old fashioned Kingsman - wiry, tough, humorous, never afraid to voice his opinion”

End Quote Captain Bowden Williams The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment

Kingsman Deady was fatally wounded and given first aid by comrades which kept him alive, the MoD said.

His family were present when he died.

They said in a statement: "Darren was proud to do a job that he loved and most of all believed in.

"His little brother once turned round to him and asked him, 'Why do you fight?'

"Darren simply replied, 'To make a difference'."

The statement concluded: "There is only one thing left to say now - please don't forget him."

Lt Col Robbie Boyd, his commanding officer, said: "Kingsman Darren Deady was a tiny man with the heart of a lion.

"No one in my battalion was as good or as accurate with a grenade launcher - he fired it time and again on two separate tours to protect the team he was ferociously loyal to."

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UK Soldier Dies

A British soldier has died in hospital from injuries he suffered in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has said.

The soldier, from 2nd Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, was shot in the south of Afghanistan.

He died from his wounds in a British hospital on Friday, the Ministry of Defence revealed.

The family of the soldier, who was part of the Combined Force Nahr-e Saraj, has been told of his death.

The serviceman was shot on 23 August in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand.

He died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

Lt Col James Carr-Smith, spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said: "It is with great sadness I must inform you that a soldier died of his wounds yesterday.

"He was serving as part of the Royal Gurkha Rifles Battle Group."
'Bravery and commitment'

Lt Col Carr-Smith continued: "The soldier was conducting interdiction and disrupt operations in southern Nahr-e Saraj when he was struck by small arms fire.

"His bravery and commitment in the face of danger will never be forgotten."

The death brings the total number of British military personnel killed in Afghanistan since the conflict began to 335

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Petraeus has Taken The Charge Of International Forces In Afghanistan

Gen. David Petraeus formally assumed command of the 130,000-strong international force in

Afghanistan on Sunday, declaring "we are in this to win" despite rising casualties and

growing skepticism about the nearly 9-year-old war.

 Petraeus received two flags — one for the U.S. and the other for NATO — marking his formal

assumption of command during a ceremony at NATO headquarters,.

He said it was important to demonstrate to the Afghan people and world that al-Qaida and its

extremist allies will not be allowed to once again establish sanctuaries in Afghanistan from

which to launch attacks on the United States and other countries.

"We are in this to win," Petraeus told a crowd of several hundred NATO and Afghan officials

at the ceremony at a grassy area just outside coalition headquarters. "We have arrived at a

critical moment."

Petraeus said the change in command did not signal a radical shift in McChrystal's strategy

of making the protection of the Afghan people the focus of the military mission.

"Recent months in Afghanistan have seen hard fighting," he said. "As we press on in our

vital mission, we must continue our efforts to reduce the loss of innocent civilians to an

absolute minimum."

But Petraeus said he would examine the civilian and military mission "to determine where

refinements might be needed."

In a message to his troops, Petraeus said he would "not hesitate to bring all assets to bear

to protect you and the Afghan forces with which you are fighting shoulder to shoulder."

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