126.9
17th Feb 2002, 12:50
As someone that was there on the afternoon and evening concerned: it appears to me that the minister was getting on board the Ariana B727 in order to get away from the angry pilgrims that were chasing after him. The B727 was NOT due to pick up people to fly the Hajj. It was scheduled to go elsewhere. We have been contracted to take them to Jeddah with 2 B747's. We continue to do so.
The pilgrims had been at the airport in the freezing cold waiting for us to pick them up for more than 48 hours. 2 of them had frozen to death the night before! After the stabbing our 2 aircraft were boarded and we flew on to Jeddah. The Afghan "Chairman" is claiming that it was a pre-meditated assasination which had nothing to do with angry pilgrims. The major news companies are reporting that the "murderers" escaped to Saudi. If that is the case, I probably flew them there. Furthermore; they would have been armed at the time.
It is my summation that this was no more than an angry crowd getting out of control. But then again, I'm no intelligence officer.
The pilgrims had been at the airport in the freezing cold waiting for us to pick them up for more than 48 hours. 2 of them had frozen to death the night before! After the stabbing our 2 aircraft were boarded and we flew on to Jeddah. The Afghan "Chairman" is claiming that it was a pre-meditated assasination which had nothing to do with angry pilgrims. The major news companies are reporting that the "murderers" escaped to Saudi. If that is the case, I probably flew them there. Furthermore; they would have been armed at the time.
It is my summation that this was no more than an angry crowd getting out of control. But then again, I'm no intelligence officer.