RICHMOND, Va. – The latest on the federal trial for a Russian military veteran who is accused of leading a Taliban attack on U.S. forces in Afghanistan (all times local):
1:15 p.m.
A jury has begun deliberations in the trial of a Russian military veteran charged with leading a Taliban attack on U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
Irek Hamidullin is charged with 15 counts, including providing material support to terrorism and trying to destroy U.S. military aircraft.
Prosecutors say Hamidullin is a Russian veteran of the Soviet war in Afghanistan who stayed in the country and joined a Taliban affiliate. He is accused of leading insurgents in a 2009 attack on Afghan border police and U.S. soldiers.
The case is an example of the effort by President Barack Obama's administration to show it can use criminal courts to deal with terror suspects — a move criticized by some lawmakers who believe such cases should be handled by military tribunals.
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