In a message dated 02/15/2002 12:04:54 PM Eastern Standard Time, DZTOPS@aol.com writes: > Delayed Muslim Pilgrims Kill Afghan Minister > > KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - A mob of Muslim pilgrims enraged over flight > delays > for the pilgrimage to the Islamic holy city of Mecca stormed a plane at > Kabul > airport and beat Afghanistan's aviation minister to death, tossing his body > to the tarmac, > I don't think its that unusual for people to be crushed to death during this pilgrimage - accidentally or whatever -- but for what its worth, the story is now being reported differently.... << High-ranking officials in Afghanistan's interim government told CNN on Friday that Minister of Civil Aviation and Tourism Abdul Rahman was stabbed to death in a deliberate attack, and not beaten in a spontaneous outburst by frustrated Hajj pilgrims as was originally reported. A very high ranking official in the Defense Ministry called Rahman's death "an assassination," while another official said Rahman died in a planned, deliberate attack. Four independent government sources confirmed that Rahman was stabbed with a large knife, and a hospital source said the minister received two deep chest wounds and a third to the leg. Original reports said that Muslim pilgrims, frustrated at having waited as long as two days to get a flight from Kabul airport to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, stormed a plane carrying Rahman Thursday and beat him to death. >>