1 foot in the grave, the other on a banana peel for Arafat?

[JMT]

Ailing Arafat 'Being Taken To Paris'

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat is to be taken to Paris for treatment as concern grows over his health, his doctors have said. Fifteen doctors, including local physicians and spe******ts from Jordan, Tunisia and Egypt, examined Arafat and decided he would be able to get the best treatment in Paris, one of the doctors said.

It will be the first time that Mr Arafat will have left his compound in Ramallah in nearly three years.

Arafat, 75, has suffered stomach pains since last week, but his health deteriorated on Wednesday and there have been claims that he lost consciousness.

Doctors have spent a long time examining him, and initial reports suggest that he has a blood disorder.

Mr Arafat has reportedly spent most of the day sleeping, and has been having trouble keeping food down.

Meanwhile, his wife Suha has arrived in the West Bank, having travelled from France. She has not seen her husband since a Palestinian revolt against Israel broke out in 2000.

Mr Arafat had earlier said there was no cause for concern over his health.

Munib al-Masri, a businessman close to Arafat, saw the Palestinian leader and said: "The president wants to tell the Palestinian people and the whole world that he is OK and there is no need to worry about him."

Mr Arafat had an exploratory operation earlier this week after suffering stomach pains and vomiting.

Doctors carried out an endoscopy, an investigative procedure in which a small scope is inserted into the body.

Questions about Mr Arafat's health have raised Palestinian fears of a bloody power struggle after his death. He has never picked a successor.

[web_norah]

Israelis are foolish to think that the death of Arafat is going to change their ordeal just like that......

[JMT]

the next guy could be much worse.

[web_norah]

absolutely

-they'll be fighting for a good while no matter. i dont see Hamas giving it up

[JMT]

[web_norah]

oh dear.

[JMT]

Arafat Reported Clinically Dead; PM Denies

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Palestinian President Yasser Arafat was declared clinically dead on Thursday in a French hospital, Israeli television said citing French sources.

But Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie denied the report, saying: "I have just spoken to the officials in Paris and they say the situation is still as it was. He is still in the intensive care unit."

Israel's Channel Two television cited unnamed sources in Paris saying that Arafat underwent a brain scan and was found to be "no longer alive."

Palestinian sources earlier told Reuters that the Palestinian president, who was admitted to hospital last week with a mysterious stomach illness, had slipped into a coma.

[guyman1966]

There will be a blood bath. The Palestinians will kill eachother for power.

[web_norah]

and there will be a storm of israeli bombs to follow....

[guyman1966]

You bet there will. Now that "W" has 4 more years, watch out terrorists.