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Breaking News

Security Personnel of Assassinated Afghan Leader Arrested

Aired July 06, 2002 - 07:20   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ROBIN MEADE, CNN ANCHOR: Right now, if you don't mind, I'm going to get you an update on the story that we've talking about today, this breaking news coming to us out of Afghanistan that the deputy president there, Abdul Qadir -- I think it's Haji Abdul Qadir -- was assassinated earlier today.

Well, the update on the story is that apparently, Afghan officials have arrested several members of Haji Abdul Qadir's security personnel today, and that was shortly after that minister for public works was assassinated earlier today.

I think what you're looking at right here is the car that he was riding in, and you can see it was riddled with bullets.

Well, this happened in broad daylight, in front of a ministry building there, and the folks who were arrested, they're part of his security personnel, and they were arrested -- before you jump to conclusions here -- for negligence.

Well, Haji Qadir also served in the deputy president, as we said, in this transitional government in Afghanistan. We understand, too, that he helped fight the Taliban and that he was a Pashtun.

Now, Afghanistan sources say that they blame terrorists for the assassination. So that's not why these folks are being arrested. Apparently, they are being arrested as security personnel, for negligence, because this fellow, this leader, was assassinated.

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