Dignitaries pay tribute to slain Afghan ex-leader at funeral ceremony

(23 Sep 2011) SHOTLIST
1. Coffin for former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani, who was killed by a suicide bomber
2. Various of international diplomats paying respects in front of coffin
3. Wide of Afghan officials
4. Mid of Afghan President Hamid Karzai
5. Diplomats paying respect
6. SOUNDBITE (Dari) Hamid Karzai, President of Afghanistan:
"The cost of his excellency''s blood and the sacrifices of many others on the path of freedom for Afghanistan obligates us to continue our struggle in reaching peace and stability."
7. Various of of mourners and officials saying prayers
8. SOUNDBITE (Dari) Salahuddin Rabbani, Burhanuddin Rabbani''s son:
"As the followers and sons of the martyred professor (referring to Rabbani) our request to the Afghan government is to try their best in investigating and getting to those who are behind his killing. The Afghan nation and the followers of the martyred professor will cooperate with the Afghan government and the international community in achieving a successful result for the peace process, which is a need for our country and is in accordance with values such as jihad and resistance."
9. Various of tank carrying the coffin followed by officials and relatives
STORYLINE
Dignitaries on Friday paid their respects before the coffin of former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani, who was killed by a suicide bomber claiming to carry a message of peace from the Taliban.
One by one, lawmakers and foreign envoys stepped up to pay tribute in front of Rabbani''s casket, draped in a red, black and green national flag.
Speaking to mourners, President Hamid Karzai, hailed Rabbani as a tireless advocate for reconciliation.
"The cost of his excellency''s blood and the sacrifices of many others on the path of freedom for Afghanistan obligates us to continue our struggle in reaching peace and stability," said Karzai.
He also urged Afghans to shun despair over the death of Rabbani in an attack at his home on Tuesday, and instead escalate efforts to bring an end to the fighting.
"The Afghan nation and the followers of the martyred professor will cooperate with the Afghan government and the international community in achieving a successful result for the peace process, which is a need for our country," said Salahuddin Rabbani, the former president''s son.
He urged the Afghan government to aggressively investigate the killing.
A procession of vehicles, some bearing large portraits of Rabbani, showing him dignified in robes and with a long white beard, drove up a hill overlooking Kabul, the capital.
There, the observances turned unruly.
Gunfire erupted briefly, possibly because guards were jittery about the possibility of an attack.
Supporters of the former president''s political faction, chanting and distraught, reached out to the coffin and the funeral at one point resembled an opposition rally.
"Death to those wanting to make a deal," they said. "We don''t want Karzai."
The US-led coalition seeks to exit by the end of 2014, raising questions about whether Afghan forces will be able to maintain security on their own.
The 70-year-old Rabbani was the leader of Afghanistan''s Northern Alliance, which helped overthrow Taliban rule during the US-led invasion in 2001.
His death threatens to deepen rifts between the country''s ethnic minorities, especially between those who made up the Northern Alliance - including Tajiks like Rabbani - and the majority Pashtun, who make up the backbone of the Taliban.
Karzai, who is Pashtun, had appointed Rabbani to Afghanistan''s High Peace Council, which was seeking to reconcile the nation''s warring factions.

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