Palestinian President Yasser Arafat is dead, senior Palestinian political sources said on Tuesday. The information from sources close to Arafat could not immediately be confirmed. "He is dead," one of the sources close to Arafat said in Paris, where Arafat has been lying in a coma at a French hospital. Officials in the West Bank said they had not been informed that Arafat was dead. Fox News sez not comfirmed yet, but may be within hours. |
| DEBKA: Palestinians senior sources in Paris report Yasser Arafat is dead. Palestinian leader is said to have expired minutes after Palestinian PM Qureia visited him at Percy hospital in Paris. Fox News: Palestinian sources say plug will be pulled soon. |
Arafat Alive, on Life-Support - Palestinian Minister
Yasser Arafat is alive in a French hospital and no decision has been made to take him off life-support, a Palestinian cabinet minister said on Tuesday. "His state has worsened last night but there is no sign of ... death of any of his vital parts," Nabil Shaath told CNN from Paris. "We are not really believers in euthanasia ... It is out of the question that anyone will take any decision regarding life-support for him."
| "In fact, he's actually getting better. He's got a meeting scheduled this afternoon with General Franco..." |
HEALTH STATUS: Yasser Arafat's condition worsened overnight; an aide said he is suffering from bleeding in the brain.
Additional: Yasser Arafat was still alive and efforts are being made by his French doctors to stop the haemorrhaging of his brain, negotiations minister Saeb Erakat told reporters today. "All efforts are being made by our friends the French doctors to relieve this haemorrhaging," Mr Erakat said at the press conference, translating into English an announcement by the head of Arafat's office, Tayeb Abdel Rahim.
| Better put a drain in, I recommend a Black & Decker drill with a 1/2 inch bit. |