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Latest update. Methinks the treasure trove he'll be leaving behind will cause an internal squabble amongst the Palestinians. They'd better be careful not to lose focus of what's important in all of this!
| quote: | By Gabriele Parussini
Nov. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat
slipped into a deeper coma in the French hospital where he is
being treated for a blood disorder, France's chief military
doctor said.
The state of health of Arafat, 75, deteriorated overnight
and the ``coma which led to his admission to the intensive care
unit became deeper this morning,'' General Christian Estripeau
said at the Percy hospital south of Paris, reading from a
statement. Arafat's ``prognosis is doubtful,'' he said.
Arafat has ``a brain hemorrhage,'' Palestinian Negotiations
Minister Saeb Erekat told a press conference in Ramallah, in the
West Bank. He said French doctors are working to stop the
hemorrhaging.
Unidentified Palestinian officials in Paris said Arafat may
only live a few hours, al-Arabiya Television said.
The news of Arafat's worsening health came as Palestinian
Authority Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia saw Arafat in the hospital
today, Reuters said. Other leaders also arrived from Ramallah to
visit the ailing PA president amid a disagreement with his wife,
Suha, over access to him. Palestinian officials are scheduled to
hold a press conference at 6:00 p.m. Paris time.
The English-language Arab News said today that Arafat signed
over as much as $6.5 billion to his wife before he fell into the
coma last week.
Arafat's Will
Arafat's will, giving his wife authority over an estimated
$4.5 to $6.5 billion, pitched her into a fight with Palestinian
leaders who believe the money belongs to the Palestinian people,
the Saudi-owned newspaper said, citing unidentified Palestinians.
Suha Arafat wanted to keep the Palestinian officials from
seeing her husband, saying in an interview with al-Jazeera
television that they wanted to ``bury Arafat alive.''
Qureia and the other members of his delegation left the
hospital after spending two and a half hours inside. They drove
out without talking to the media. Qureia and Arafat's wife were
seen walking through the hospital grounds together at one point
during the visit.
Qureia, Palestine Liberation Organization deputy chairman
Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Nabil
Shaath and Palestinian Legislative Council speaker Rawhi Fattouh
are meeting French President Jacques Chirac today, Chirac's
office said.
Before going to Arafat's hospital, the four officials had
talks this morning with French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier.
They made no comment on leaving Barnier's office. |
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