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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