Kidnapped US journalist faces Taliban captor in court as 42-year sentence caps long saga

Article excerpt

Haji Najibullah, a former Taliban commander, received a 42-year prison sentence in Manhattan federal court for his role in the 2008 kidnapping of New York Times journalist David Rohde and other acts of violence committed during his time as a Taliban leader. Najibullah appeared unmoved as he entered the courtroom in shackles Monday morning to hear the sentence that caps a lengthy legal saga stemming from the seven-month abduction, which drew international attention to the dangers journalists face in conflict zones.