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November 07, 2004
Palestinian leaders head to Paris to announce Arafat's death

HAARETZ: Palestinian leaders head to Paris to announce Arafat's death

Former Palestinian prime minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), current Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia (Abu Ala) and Foreign Minister Nabil Sha'ath were due to leave for Paris on Sunday night, where they are expected to announce the death of Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat. Israeli sources believe the Palestinian leadership has accepted Arafat's death.

Sources in the defense establishment believe Tuesday will be the day on which the Palestinians will ask to disconnect Arafat from life support and announce his death.

Tuesday night marks Lailat al-Kader, the night Muslims believe God revealed the Koran to the prophet Mohammed. The death of the Palestinian leader on that day will, therefore, be symbolic.

UPDATE:
Reuters' Wafa Amr in serious denial and spin mode.

UPDATE 2:
Now Suha's shrieking in the headlines:

Yasser Arafat's wife says her husband is alive and claims Palestinian officials are traveling to Paris to "bury him alive."

Somebody give her Coretta Scott King and Yoko Ono's cell phone numbers.

UPDATE 3:
Trip cancelled. Sufa, having French citizenship, has the PA by the short hairs.

UPDATE 4:
Trip uncancelled and denial of the original cancellation.

"There is no change of plan. The delegation is going to Paris," said Dahlan.

UPDATE 5:
Reuters: Palestinian leaders en route to Paris to visit Arafat will meet with Chirac, other senior French officials.

UPDATE 6:
REUTERS: Palestinian leaders land at Paris` Le Bourget airport; Qureia, Abbas expected to see ailing Yasser Arafat on Tuesday

However:

Palestinian leaders rushed to Paris on Monday to check on the critically ill Yasser Arafat, but hospital officials said visiting rights were restricted — setting the stage for a dramatic showdown between the delegation and Arafat's wife.

Yasser is in a French military hospital, giving their commander-in-chief full authority to force access.

Sufa was granted French citizenship during her extended shopping spree in Paris, giving her full rights to control access to her husband.

You could say that Arafat is between Chirac and a Hard Place.

Posted by Laurence Simon at November 7, 2004 07:53 PM | TrackBack
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