A former Taliban commander was sentenced to 42 years in prison for kidnapping a New York Times journalist and for the deaths of three U.S. servicemembers.
- Haji Najibullah orchestrated the 2008 kidnapping of David Rohde and two Afghan nationals. - He was held responsible for a 2008 convoy attack that killed three U.S.
soldiers and an interpreter. - The judge cited his difficult upbringing and prison conditions in not imposing a life sentence.
- Rohde described the kidnapping as a cruel crime and expressed regret for pursuing the interview. The sentence ensures Najibullah will remain imprisoned into his nineties.