Yet another mercenary problem

Australian facing execution in Kabul

The Federal Government has confirmed an Australian man has been sentenced to death after being found guilty of murder in Afghanistan. Thirty-eight-year-old former soldier Robert William Langdon, from South Australia, was originally found guilty in October last year. The verdict was upheld by the Afghan Appeals Court last week.
The Australian newspaper reports that Langdon was found guilty of murdering an Afghan security guard and trying to blame the killing on the Taliban.
Langdon was arrested in May 2009 for fatally shooting the guard, a colleague of his named Karim, four times in the head and body.
Langdon was employed by US-based contractor Four Horsemen International as a security contractor at the time.
Langdon told a Kabul court he shot at Karim in self-defence during an argument he had with him while en route to assist a supply convoy which was under attack by insurgents.
Langdon said the heated argument saw Karim reach for his pistol.
"He reached across, and I am ex-military, so it was like bang-bang-bang. I didn't have time to think," he is quoted as saying in The Australian.
"We had just been hit [attacked by the Taliban], we didn't know what was happening, and everyone was antsy.
"I was, too. Karim probably was, too."
After Karim was shot, Langdon told his assigned unit to continue to their destination. The newspaper says he returned to Kabul, withdrew $US10,000 from his local bank account and purchased a ticket to Dubai.
He was arrested at the airport as he tried to board the flight.
Four Horsemen International specialises in hiring former special forces soldiers from around the world for guard duties in Afghanistan.

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