A former Taliban commander pleaded guilty Friday in a U.S. federal courtroom to providing weapons and support for attacks that killed American soldiers, as well as orchestrating the 2008 kidnapping of a New York Times journalist and two others.
Speaking through an interpreter at the Manhattan federal courthouse, 49-year-old Haji Najibullah admitted to conspiring to commit acts of terrorism and hostage-taking.
“Najibullah committed his crimes in Afghanistan over 15 years ago and now faces justice in an American courtroom,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton in a statement.
Wearing a black skull cap and speaking calmly, Najibullah told Judge Katherine Polk Failla that from 2007 to 2009, he provided material support — including weapons and manpower — to Taliban fighters with the specific intent of targeting U.S. soldiers stationed in Afghanistan.
“As a result of the material support I provided to the Taliban, U.S. soldiers were killed,” Najibullah admitted in court.
Deadly Ambushes and a High-Profile Kidnapping
Najibullah outlined how, as a Taliban commander in Afghanistan’s Wardak Province, his fighters launched attacks using suicide bombers, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), rocket-propelled grenades, and automatic weapons.
In June 2008, fighters under his command ambushed a U.S. military convoy in Wardak Province, killing three U.S. Army soldiers — Sergeants First Class Matthew L. Hilton and Joseph A. McKay, and Sergeant Mark Palmateer — along with their Afghan interpreter. Several other American servicemembers were injured during the attack.
Najibullah also admitted to playing a central role in the 2008 gunpoint kidnapping of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Rohde, Afghan journalist Tahir Ludin, and their driver, Asadullah Mangal. The hostages were abducted while traveling to interview a Taliban leader, then forced to hike across the Afghanistan-Pakistan border where they were held captive for over seven months.
“I created proof-of-life videos of David Rohde and his companions in which they were forced to convey the Taliban’s demands,” Najibullah said.
Rohde and Ludin eventually managed a daring escape from a Taliban compound in Pakistan’s tribal areas. Their driver escaped separately weeks later.
Rohde, who now serves as Senior Executive Editor for National Security at NBC News, attended Friday’s hearing.
“I am pleased that he admitted his guilt today and grateful to all the U.S. officials who brought him to justice,” Rohde said in an email to the Associated Press. “Most of all, my heart goes out to the families of the three U.S. soldiers and the Afghan translator who were killed.”
Facing a Lifetime Behind Bars
Najibullah was led from the courtroom in shackles after entering his plea. He now faces a potential life sentence when he returns for sentencing on October 23, as outlined in his plea agreement with federal prosecutors.
A spokesperson for The New York Times, Danielle Rhoades Ha, thanked U.S. authorities for pursuing justice and highlighted the growing dangers journalists face worldwide.
“More than 120 journalists were killed in 2024, the most on record,” she said. “Governments must protect journalists by investigating attacks and publicly condemning threats.”
For now, Najibullah awaits his final reckoning — decades after his reign of terror first left a trail of blood and fear across Afghanistan.