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Yasser Arafat could be near death, sources say

Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, with tears in his eyes, after he was informed of the death of his sister Yousra Abdel Raouf Al Kidwah, mother of Palestinian UN representative Nasser Al Kidwa, at his compound in the West Bank town of Ramallah in this Aug. 13, 2003 file photo. PHOTO: AP

Palestinian President Yasser Arafat was in serious condition yesterday after collapsing and briefly losing consciousness, as his two-week illness took a sudden turn for the worse. Aides urgently summoned doctors from abroad and the 75-year-old Palestinian leader's wife was flying in from Paris to be by his side.

Fearing for Arafat's health, scores of top Palestinian officials descended late Wednesday on the sandbagged, partially demolished compound where he has been confined for two-and-a-half years.

Communications Minister Azzam Ahmed said that Palestinian leaders had asked all the members of Arafat's Fatah party living abroad to come to Ramallah.

"We are preparing ourselves for everything possible," he told the al-Jazeera satellite television station.

A bodyguard in the compound said Arafat was eating soup on Wednesday evening when he vomited. Arafat was taken to the clinic inside the building, where he collapsed and fell unconscious for about 10 minutes, the guard said. His doctors were urgently summoned, and a sense of fear fell over the Palestinian leadership.

A senior Palestinian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Arafat was in serious condition. One Palestinian official said Arafat has created a special committee consisting of Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia, former prime minister Mahmoud Abbas and head of the Palestinian National Council Salim Zaanoun to run the PLO and the Palestinian Authority while he is ill. But when asked if Arafat had set up such a committee, Arafat spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeneh said: "Nothing like that."

White House spokesman Scott McClellan, traveling in Michigan with US President George W. Bush, said US officials were monitoring the situation.

In Israel, defense officials were meeting yesterday to discuss the fallout from Arafat's possible death. Israel has prepared contingency plans, including how to deal with possible riots and prevent Palestinian attempts to bury Arafat in Jerusalem.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was to meet later in the day with Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz.

Speaking in radio and TV interviews, Israeli officials, who have ostracized Arafat as a leader tainted by terror, speculated about the repercussions of Arafat's possible death. A Palestinian Authority without Arafat could become a partner for peace, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said.

"We always said we would be willing to talk to a Palestinian leadership that would be willing once and for all to bring an end to the bloodshed," Shalom told Israel Radio.

A senior official in Sharon's office said the Palestinians had asked Israel to allow foreign doctors to come treat Arafat.

"The prime minister immediately instructed the security officials and others involved to facilitate the transfer and any medical equipment and facilities Arafat might need," the official said, adding that Israel would also allow Arafat to be transferred to any medical facility in the world.

Israeli security officials said Arafat's wife, Suha, who lives in France with their young daughter, was expected to arrive yesterday.

Arafat has been ill for two weeks, but reports about his ailment have varied widely.

Palestinian officials said he had the flu. Israeli officials speculated he might have stomach cancer, but two of his doctors said on Wednesday that a blood test and a biopsy of tissue from his digestive tract showed no evidence of that.

On Tuesday, a hospital official said Arafat was suffering from a large gallstone. The gallstone, while extremely painful, is not life-threatening and can be easily treated, the official said.
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