Arafat's Health Reported to Have Turned Sharply Worse
By GREG MYRE
The New York Times
JERUSALEM - Yasir Arafat's uncertain health took a sharp turn for the worse on Wednesday night with an ambulance and medical teams summoned to his West Bank compound amid unconfirmed reports that Mr. Arafat, the Palestinian leader, had collapsed and lost consciousness at least once.
Mr. Arafat, 75, remained in the compound in Ramallah, where he has been confined for nearly three years. Top members of the Palestinian leadership were summoned to his headquarters and his wife, Suha, who lives in Paris, was due to arrive on Thursday.
Palestinian officials gave conflicting accounts about whether Mr. Arafat had approved the formation of a three-person committee to watch over Palestinian affairs while he battled his illness.
Aides to the prime minister, Ahmed Qurei, said Mr. Arafat had agreed to the committee, whose members would be Mr. Qurei, Mahmoud Abbas, the former prime minister, and Salim Zanoun, a top official in the Palestine Liberation Organization. But an aide to Mr. Arafat denied that he had authorized such a panel.
The exact nature of Mr. Arafat's illness has not been revealed. Aides said he was quite weak with a bad case of stomach flu that he has had for two weeks. But they dismissed reports by Reuters and The Associated Press that he had lost consciousness.
The Associated Press, citing a bodyguard in the compound, said that Mr. Arafat had vomited at dinner with Mr. Qurei. Mr. Arafat was taken to the medical clinic in the compound where he was unconscious for about 10 minutes, The A.P. reported that the guard had said.
Reuters quoted officials and medics as saying that he was slipping in and out of consciousness. A Palestinian minister, who asked not to be named, was quoted by Reuters as describing him as "very, very sick."
The Palestinian leadership has never been very forthcoming about Mr. Arafat's health. He has had persistent vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pains, aides have said. In recent days, there have been daily reports and rumors that he has something more serious than the flu.
As the speculation mounted Wednesday night, a spokesman for Mr. Arafat, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, told reporters at the compound: "The situation is stable now. He is in a stable condition, but he needs more rest and more medical care."
Yasir Abed Rabbo, the former information minister and a longtime aide, emerged from the compound and denied that Mr. Arafat had collapsed. "He's weak, but he's conscious," Mr. Abed Rabbo said. Doctors planned to decide Thursday whether Mr. Arafat needed to be transferred to a hospital, he said.
Palestinian and Tunisian doctors have been monitoring Mr. Arafat at the compound. Additional doctors from Egypt and Jordan were expected on Thursday. Mr. Arafat's personal physician, Dr. Ashraf Kurdi, said he would come from his home in Amman, Jordan, to see Mr. Arafat.
The Associated Press, citing Palestinian medical officials, said Mr. Arafat had a painful gallstone, but blood tests and a biopsy had ruled out stomach cancer.
Until the last couple of days, Mr. Arafat had ignored doctors who told him to rest. He held meetings, and until Tuesday, was maintaining the dawn to dusk fast that Muslims undertake during the holy month of Ramadan, aides said.
Israel said on Monday that it had given Mr. Arafat permission to receive treatment at a Ramallah hospital, though he would have to return to his compound afterward.
An Israeli government official said Wednesday night that Mr. Arafat would be allowed to seek treatment anywhere he wanted, or could have any medical equipment brought in.
Israel confined Mr. Arafat to his compound in December 2001 after suicide bombings against Israel. Israel has said repeatedly that he is free to travel abroad, but that his return could not be guaranteed.
Mr. Arafat, the dominant Palestinian leader for close to four decades, has resisted talk of a successor. Mr. Qurei and Mr. Abbas have generally been seen as the most likely candidates. Both are in their 60's and have had health problems.
Polls show that the most popular Palestinian leader after Mr. Arafat is Marwan Barghouti, a leader in the Fatah movement in his early 40's.
The New York Times
JERUSALEM - Yasir Arafat's uncertain health took a sharp turn for the worse on Wednesday night with an ambulance and medical teams summoned to his West Bank compound amid unconfirmed reports that Mr. Arafat, the Palestinian leader, had collapsed and lost consciousness at least once.
Mr. Arafat, 75, remained in the compound in Ramallah, where he has been confined for nearly three years. Top members of the Palestinian leadership were summoned to his headquarters and his wife, Suha, who lives in Paris, was due to arrive on Thursday.
Palestinian officials gave conflicting accounts about whether Mr. Arafat had approved the formation of a three-person committee to watch over Palestinian affairs while he battled his illness.
Aides to the prime minister, Ahmed Qurei, said Mr. Arafat had agreed to the committee, whose members would be Mr. Qurei, Mahmoud Abbas, the former prime minister, and Salim Zanoun, a top official in the Palestine Liberation Organization. But an aide to Mr. Arafat denied that he had authorized such a panel.
The exact nature of Mr. Arafat's illness has not been revealed. Aides said he was quite weak with a bad case of stomach flu that he has had for two weeks. But they dismissed reports by Reuters and The Associated Press that he had lost consciousness.
The Associated Press, citing a bodyguard in the compound, said that Mr. Arafat had vomited at dinner with Mr. Qurei. Mr. Arafat was taken to the medical clinic in the compound where he was unconscious for about 10 minutes, The A.P. reported that the guard had said.
Reuters quoted officials and medics as saying that he was slipping in and out of consciousness. A Palestinian minister, who asked not to be named, was quoted by Reuters as describing him as "very, very sick."
The Palestinian leadership has never been very forthcoming about Mr. Arafat's health. He has had persistent vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pains, aides have said. In recent days, there have been daily reports and rumors that he has something more serious than the flu.
As the speculation mounted Wednesday night, a spokesman for Mr. Arafat, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, told reporters at the compound: "The situation is stable now. He is in a stable condition, but he needs more rest and more medical care."
Yasir Abed Rabbo, the former information minister and a longtime aide, emerged from the compound and denied that Mr. Arafat had collapsed. "He's weak, but he's conscious," Mr. Abed Rabbo said. Doctors planned to decide Thursday whether Mr. Arafat needed to be transferred to a hospital, he said.
Palestinian and Tunisian doctors have been monitoring Mr. Arafat at the compound. Additional doctors from Egypt and Jordan were expected on Thursday. Mr. Arafat's personal physician, Dr. Ashraf Kurdi, said he would come from his home in Amman, Jordan, to see Mr. Arafat.
The Associated Press, citing Palestinian medical officials, said Mr. Arafat had a painful gallstone, but blood tests and a biopsy had ruled out stomach cancer.
Until the last couple of days, Mr. Arafat had ignored doctors who told him to rest. He held meetings, and until Tuesday, was maintaining the dawn to dusk fast that Muslims undertake during the holy month of Ramadan, aides said.
Israel said on Monday that it had given Mr. Arafat permission to receive treatment at a Ramallah hospital, though he would have to return to his compound afterward.
An Israeli government official said Wednesday night that Mr. Arafat would be allowed to seek treatment anywhere he wanted, or could have any medical equipment brought in.
Israel confined Mr. Arafat to his compound in December 2001 after suicide bombings against Israel. Israel has said repeatedly that he is free to travel abroad, but that his return could not be guaranteed.
Mr. Arafat, the dominant Palestinian leader for close to four decades, has resisted talk of a successor. Mr. Qurei and Mr. Abbas have generally been seen as the most likely candidates. Both are in their 60's and have had health problems.
Polls show that the most popular Palestinian leader after Mr. Arafat is Marwan Barghouti, a leader in the Fatah movement in his early 40's.
(C) 2004 The New York Times Company
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