<

Death Was Not a Plot, Afghan Official Says
Wednesday, February 20, 2002
(10:28 AM)
The Associated Press

"We are investigating all the matter to find out how the incident took place, who was involved in the assassination and who was behind it," Abdul Khaliq Fazal, the minister of public works, told The Associated Press today.

KABUL, Afghanistan -- AP
Afghanistan's foreign minister said today the country's aviation minister was killed by an angry mob, not senior government conspirators as interim Prime Minister Hamid Karzai has claimed.

Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullah said that police had questioned dozens of witnesses and now believe that Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Abdul Rahman was killed last week at Kabul airport by Islamic pilgrims enraged that their flights to Saudi Arabia had been delayed.

Abdullah, who uses only one name, said the whole government now shares this view, although there was no comment on this from Karzai.

Karzai blamed the killing on a feud among members of his own government although witnesses earlier said the minister was killed by irate pilgrims.
(More: The Houston Chronicle News Source)
2002 © The Associated Press.

Dan