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CNN Live At Daybreak

Afghan Minister Killed by Angry Crowd

Aired February 15, 2002 - 06:02   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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The interim government of Afghanistan is expressing a shock at the killing of that official by Pilgrims headed for Mecca.

CNN's Brian Palmer reports on a bizarre series of events.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN PALMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): On Thursday at about 5:00 p.m. Kabul time, a disastrous incident occurred here at Kabul Airport. A government minister was thrown from an airliner, beaten, trampled and kicked to death by a group of people who were waiting for an aircraft to take them to the Hajj, the holiest of pilgrimages to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

Dr. Abdul Rahman was the Minister of Civil Aviation and Tourism. He was apparently a very popular minister here in Afghanistan. But he was boarding a regularly scheduled flight as these people making the Hajj had seen aircraft come and they'd seen aircraft go, but there was still no aircraft for them.

That apparently set them off. They attacked the civil aviation minister, killing him. They also attacked the head of the nation's airline -- the national airline, Ariana Airlines. He -- that official was taken to the airport by members of the international security and assistance force. No word yet on his condition.

Now, the interesting thing about this is that two flights to Mecca took off a few hours after this incident presumably with witnesses to this incident and perpetrators. No one has been arrested in connection with this incident yet.

Brian Palmer, CNN, Kabul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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