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Afghan Soldier Sentenced to Death for Killing French Troops

RIA Novosti

15:14 17/07/2012

MOSCOW, July 17 (RIA Novosti) - A military tribunal in Afghanistan has sentenced an Afghan soldier to death over a deadly gun attack on French soldiers he was serving with, the Afghan Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

Abdul Sabur, 21, opened fire on his French colleagues at a military base in the north-eastern Kapisa province on January 20, killing four and wounding another 17 soldiers. Another French serviceman attacked by Sabur died in hospital two months later.

Sabur told investigators his attack was prompted by a video posted on the internet showing U.S. troops desecrating bodies of killed Taliban militants.

A video of U.S. marines urinating on dead Taliban fighters was posted on the internet in early January. The video sparked outrage among Afghans, with many considering international troops as invaders.

Pentagon and NATO officials condemned the footage, which they said featured an act committed by “individuals,” and promised to punish those responsible.

The shooting was just one in a series of recent attacks by Afghan soldiers on international soldiers serving with the NATO-led ISAF mission, known as “green-on-blue” attacks. The “green” represents the color of the Afghan uniforms and the “blue” refers to the color of NATO uniforms.

Shortly after the attack, France imposed a freeze on participation by its troops in military operations in Afghanistan and raised the question of an early withdrawal of its forces from the country.

The bulk of French troops left the Kapisa province soon after the shooting incident and moved to the Kabul province, where the Taliban is less active.

Meanwhile, Afghan media reported on Tuesday that Taliban militants had attacked a central market in the town of Sangin, in the southern Helmand province late on Monday, killing one security officer and injuring nine people, including three policemen, a serviceman and five civilians. A motorbike laden with explosives was detonated in the market using remote control.