Yasser Arafat

Yasser Arafat (Arabic: ???? ?????‎) (August 4 or August 24, 1929 – November 11, 2004), born Muhammad `Abd ar-Ra'uf al-Qudwa al-Husayni (???? ??? ?????? ?????? ???????) and also known as Abu `Ammar (??? ?????), was Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) (1969–2004); President{{fn|1}} of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) (1993–2004); and a co-winner of the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize.

Aftermath

Israel refused Arafat's wish to be buried in or near the Al Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem citing widespread security concerns. http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/11/7/113931.shtmlhttp://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0411120332nov12,1,3231913.story?ctrack=1&cset=true Following a state funeral in Cairo, attended by many Arab leaders, Arafat was "temporarily" laid to rest on November 12 within his former headquarters in Ramallah in the West Bank watched by a large crowd.

Related Topics:
Israel - Al Aqsa Mosque - East Jerusalem - Cairo - November 12 - Former headquarters - Ramallah - West Bank

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On November 16, 2004, the Canard Enchaîné newspaper reported alleged leaks of information unnamed medical sources at Percy hospital having had access to Arafat and his medical file. According to the newspaper, the doctors at Percy hospital suspected, from Arafat's arrival, grave lesions of the liver responsible for an alteration of the composition of the blood, thus Arafat was placed in a hematology service. Leukemia was soundly ruled out. According to the same source, the reason why this diagnosis of cirrhosis could not be made public was that, in the mind of the general public, cirrhosis is generally associated with the consequences of alcohol abuse – even though the diagnosis was not of an alcoholic cirrhosis and Arafat did not consume any alcohol, there would have probably been rumors. The source then explained that Arafat's conditions of life during the last three years did not improve the situation: Arafat did not get health care appropriate to his state. There has been some speculation that Arafat's cause of death was AIDS, though that finding has not been conclusively substantiated. Thus, according to the source, the probable causes of the disease are multiple; Arafat's coma was a consequence of the worsened cirrhosis. Finally, he had a brain haemorrhage. http://news.tf1.fr/news/monde/0,,3185912,00.html

Related Topics:
November 16 - 2004 - Canard Enchaîné - Percy hospital - Liver - Hematology - Leukemia - Cirrhosis - Alcohol - AIDS - Haemorrhage

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The French newspaper Le Monde quoted doctors as saying that he suffered from "an unusual blood disease and a liver problem". http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6841700

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Paris deputy Claude Goasguen asked for a parliamentary inquiry commission on the death of Arafat in an attempt to quell rumors. http://news.tf1.fr/news/monde/0,,3185912,00.html On November 17, the French government insisted that there was no evidence Arafat had been poisoned, otherwise a criminal investigation would have necessarily been opened.

Related Topics:
Paris - Deputy - Claude Goasguen - November 17

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After Arafat's death, the French Ministry of Defence said that Arafat's medical file would only be transmitted to his next of kin. It was determined that Arafat's nephew, Nasser al-Kidwa, was a close enough relative, thus working around Suha Arafat's mutism on her husband's illness. On November 22, Nasser al-Kidwa was given a copy of Arafat's 558-page medical file by the French Ministry of Defense.http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=272727

Related Topics:
French - Ministry of Defence - Next of kin - November 22

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A controversy erupted around Arafat's death certificate, which listed Jerusalem as his birth place. This was the location specified by the official foreign documents that were shown to the French ministry of foreign affairs when Arafat's wife acquired French citizenship. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-mideast-arafat-france.htmlhttp://www.liberation.fr/page.php?Article=254483http://www.primo-europe.org/documents.php?numdoc=Do-837641817

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Israel asked French officials to provide proof that Arafat was born in Jerusalem,http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2004/11/29/arafat-certificate-france-israel-041129.html and the Simon Wiesenthal Center called on France "to investigate the circumstances of the false and incomplete registration of Arafat's death certificate, to correct the erroneous details of his birthplace, adding the truth of his parentage and the cause of his death."http://www.wiesenthal.com/site/apps/s/content.asp?c=fwLYKnN8LzH&b=253162&ct=294116

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So far, no party to the controversy has brought the case to a court to ask for a rectification of the certificate (see French Civil Code, L99-101).

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Upon Arafat's death, Speaker Rawhi Fattuh succeeded Arafat as interim President of the Palestinian Authority. PLO Secretary-General Mahmoud Abbas was selected Chairman of the PLO and Foreign Minister Farouk Kaddoumi became head of Fatah. Ahmed Qurei remained as Prime Minister and took additional security responsibilities. Abbas won the January 2005 presidential election by a comfortable margin, solidifying himself as the successor to Arafat as leader of the Palestinians.

Related Topics:
Rawhi Fattuh - Palestinian Authority - PLO - Mahmoud Abbas - Fatah - Ahmed Qurei - January 2005 presidential election - Palestinians

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