Arafat Dies

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Oh well.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1099451902163

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 4 November 2004 16:45 (twenty years ago)

(apparently, rumours are still flying, CNN is reporting it as fact, who knows what is really going on)

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 4 November 2004 16:46 (twenty years ago)

Oh shit.

Why do I think that Isreal/Palestine is about to erupt into flames?

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 4 November 2004 16:47 (twenty years ago)

Ha, now CNN is recanting!

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 4 November 2004 16:47 (twenty years ago)

bloody hell

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Thursday, 4 November 2004 16:47 (twenty years ago)

fuck.

― papa november (papa november), Thursday, 4 November 2004 16:47 (twenty years ago)

He shouldn't have started huffing paint.

http://www.trigonalmayhem.com/arafat-paint-saddam.jpg

: (

― trigonalmayhem (trigonalmayhem), Thursday, 4 November 2004 16:48 (twenty years ago)

Geez, CNN takes a super-cautious approach on the Electoral College, but they're gung-ho to bring out the undertaker?

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 4 November 2004 16:48 (twenty years ago)

Hospital officals say he's not dead.

― ..., Thursday, 4 November 2004 16:50 (twenty years ago)

Brain dead, says Reuters. No cerebral activity.

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Thursday, 4 November 2004 16:51 (twenty years ago)

Interesting week, this.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 4 November 2004 16:51 (twenty years ago)

Well, if he's just brain dead he can still lead his country.

I mean, it works for us here in the US, right?

― trigonalmayhem (trigonalmayhem), Thursday, 4 November 2004 16:52 (twenty years ago)

Castro next!

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Thursday, 4 November 2004 16:52 (twenty years ago)

And then Elizabeth Taylor.

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Thursday, 4 November 2004 16:53 (twenty years ago)

(Rule of threes, unless you count "American Democracy" as the first death).

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Thursday, 4 November 2004 16:53 (twenty years ago)

This is perhaps the shittiest possible timing. With Israel's planned pull out Palestine needs stability now more than ever.

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Thursday, 4 November 2004 16:53 (twenty years ago)

if arafat dies, what does it mean? I understand him to be a controversial figure even for Palestinians because he wasn't militant enough in recent years. But wasn't he also shacked up in a house for the past two years? Did he even have any influence or power beyond sinecure? Does this clear the way for a real militant to take control?

― kyle (akmonday), Thursday, 4 November 2004 16:54 (twenty years ago)

Civil War.

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Thursday, 4 November 2004 16:55 (twenty years ago)

I notice the BBC news website has a Q&A entitled "What follows Arafat?" What, not who.

― Madchen (Madchen), Thursday, 4 November 2004 16:55 (twenty years ago)

OK israeli military radio and the belgian prime minster say he's dead (according to TF1), the hosputal and his aides say he's not.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 4 November 2004 16:55 (twenty years ago)

Kyle, Arafat had absolute power. Many of the problems within the PA are rooted in Arafat's refusal to relinquish any of his power or groom a successor. They don't even have a proper succession policy for when he dies.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 4 November 2004 16:57 (twenty years ago)

great. now we will get to see people blowing themselves up over whether or not he will be buried in jerusalem, as sharon has vowed to keep this from happening. ugh.

― Emilymv (Emilymv), Thursday, 4 November 2004 16:58 (twenty years ago)

Liberation and Le Monde are both saying the reports aren't true. Damn, these French websites have a lot of pop ups.

― Madchen (Madchen), Thursday, 4 November 2004 16:59 (twenty years ago)

Just the time to be pushing out powell and installing wolfowitz as Sec of state.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 4 November 2004 17:00 (twenty years ago)

I don't see why they wouldn't let the man get buried there. That issue may be an invitation for trouble.

xpost

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Thursday, 4 November 2004 17:01 (twenty years ago)

He's not dead, he's brain dead. They could keep him "alive," but let's see how long until the plug is pulled.

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Thursday, 4 November 2004 17:01 (twenty years ago)

I find it hard to believe Wolfowitz will be Secretary of State.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 4 November 2004 17:02 (twenty years ago)

Peter Jennings just prefaced some statement with "if Arafat is dead - and if he's not, he will be shortly ..."

Damn, that's cold!

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Thursday, 4 November 2004 17:03 (twenty years ago)

Secretary of Defense though is not out of the question.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Thursday, 4 November 2004 17:03 (twenty years ago)

I should be secretary of state.

― TOMBOT, Thursday, 4 November 2004 17:04 (twenty years ago)

Dying during Ramadan is considered particularly blessed.

― Madchen (Madchen), Thursday, 4 November 2004 17:07 (twenty years ago)

he's not yet dead.

― m. (mitchlnw), Thursday, 4 November 2004 17:08 (twenty years ago)

As you might expect, the internal PA reports conflict with each other, some people say he's in a coma, some people say he's not.

It doesn't matter though, clearly he's in no condition to lead and they've got to choose his successor, like today.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 4 November 2004 17:09 (twenty years ago)

I should be Minister of the Interior

wait, do we have one of those?

― trigonalmayhem (trigonalmayhem), Thursday, 4 November 2004 17:09 (twenty years ago)

Yes finally that fucking Jewish cunt is dead!

― Ned Ragget, Thursday, 4 November 2004 17:09 (twenty years ago)

*scratches head* Most unusual, that post.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 4 November 2004 17:09 (twenty years ago)

wtf

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Thursday, 4 November 2004 17:10 (twenty years ago)

I hope he gets to say "The rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated".

The doctor says he is definitely alive and not in a coma.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Thursday, 4 November 2004 17:10 (twenty years ago)

*gets nob out and wanks* Yes, most unusual.

― Ned Ragget, Thursday, 4 November 2004 17:11 (twenty years ago)

You coming down with the turrets?

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Thursday, 4 November 2004 17:11 (twenty years ago)

I call shenanigans on that 'Ned'.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Thursday, 4 November 2004 17:11 (twenty years ago)

Like I said elsewhere, Calum must be very bored today.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 4 November 2004 17:12 (twenty years ago)

(I have no problem playing the Calum game here.)

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 4 November 2004 17:12 (twenty years ago)

I'll polish me knob wif q-tips whilst looking at cover of know yor Enemy I'm so horny

― Cawum (Gear!), Thursday, 4 November 2004 17:14 (twenty years ago)

maybe this will unstall the "peace process". At the very lesat it gives Bush one less excuse for being such a pussy towards the issue. Now would be a great time for the U.S. to push for whoever they think they *can* work with.

― bnw (bnw), Thursday, 4 November 2004 17:17 (twenty years ago)

ILX dies

xpost

― Freelance Hiveminder (blueski), Thursday, 4 November 2004 17:17 (twenty years ago)

bnw, the US can't grandfather every step of the process. They (rightly) cutoff Arafat after Karine-A, the PA saw the light and tried to put together a proper government. Except Arafat is a tool and can't deal with a proper government, he'd rather be a dictator. If Abbas or Qurei had been real leaders with tangible power then they would have been reasonable to work with. That's why we end up with unilateral disengagement plans.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 4 November 2004 17:23 (twenty years ago)

That's true, I still think they could have done more to be pro-another leader, rather then anti-Arafat. Being solely against Arafat doesn't move anything forward. Given I don't what's going on behind closed doors, but the result seemd to be a lot inaction. I mean if you have a plan for unilateral disengagement, why not loop in some Palestinian leadership, if just for good P.R. for both sides?

― bnw (bnw), Thursday, 4 November 2004 18:11 (twenty years ago)

But with Arafat still rigourously holding power, that is impossible. They could have backed somebody -- suppose they'd decided to back Abbas -- but Abbas had no binding power. Arafat was still pulling his strings. The entire PA cabinet is a puppet government that was constructed to convince the international community that change was afoot when in fact it was a PR shield for Arafat's continuing dictatorship.

Right now, the PA has had its own problems -- the gig is up, the Palestinians in Gaza don't trust the PA in the least (eureka), and no PR or "looping" in by Israel will change that.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 4 November 2004 18:41 (twenty years ago)

CBC Newsworld is doing a call-in show with a talking head who is possibly the most inarticulate person I have ever seen on TV. Not only that, he and all the callers are spewing garbage with zero basis in fact. I don't think I can take several days of this from CBC.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 4 November 2004 18:54 (twenty years ago)

Problem is if the Palestinians replace their trust in the PA with trust in Hamas.

(in other news: are there any big plans by the Arab Coalition to secure and support the Gaza area once Israel pulls out? I'm guessing not.)

― bnw (bnw), Thursday, 4 November 2004 18:55 (twenty years ago)

The Arabs that I work with are very pleased with this development, none of them like him or the $30billion they reckon he's looted, they don't hold out much hope for a successor or a successor situation that will be any better

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 4 November 2004 19:03 (twenty years ago)

(xpost to bnw)
I'm guessing not, either. That would involve planning, responsibility, and the other Arab regimes giving two shits about what happens to the Palestinians.

If Palestinians want to put their trust in Hamas, that's their choice. Nobody, including Israel, the US, and the UN can prevent that. The only people that had the power to do anything about it was the PA. They chose to spend their billions on armies, weapons, and terror groups. And on themselves, can't forget about that. And state-sponsored Anti-Semitism, can't forget about that either. They cultivated a Palestinian culture that stands for hate and violence and now they've got a real problem because the fringe movements they nutured are now threatening to become more popular than they are.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 4 November 2004 19:05 (twenty years ago)

They cultivated a Palestinian culture that stands for hate and violence
To be clear, I'm not saying that all Palestinians stand for hate and violence, I'm saying that the PA tried to nurture such a culture. How successful they were at it is a debatable point, obv.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 4 November 2004 19:07 (twenty years ago)

You can't really refer to the PA as a "state", though.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Thursday, 4 November 2004 19:17 (twenty years ago)

Good idea Kevin, let's debate the semantics of the word "state" rather than calling out the PA for pouring money into promoting Anti-Semitism. Way to get at the heart of the issue.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 4 November 2004 19:32 (twenty years ago)

Sorry - I wasn't being picky; I think that we can accept that the word 'state' is a particularly strong one in this context. Also - I oppose any anti-semitism, so if you wish the PA to stop doing that, then fine. If you mean stop anti-occupation (non-violent, of course - I don't support violence) work then no, I don't think that needs to be done.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Thursday, 4 November 2004 19:39 (twenty years ago)

http://wizardishungry.com/lol/jon.arafart.jpg

ARGH

― Spinning Down Alone You Spin Alive (ex machina), Thursday, 4 November 2004 20:43 (twenty years ago)

Here we go.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 4 November 2004 20:45 (twenty years ago)

Can't Bush claim responsibility for this, somehow point to the removal of Saddam as the cause of Arafat's decline and death?

"You see, people in the middle east want to be free. When dictators see other dictators brought down, that has a, uh...a pow'rful eeffect. Sumtimes, they just up and die! And other times, they piss themselves and then dismantle their nucular programs, like Qaddafi. Either way, we are building a stronger, freer, more democratic middle east through all this...this pissing and dying."

― Hunter (Hunter), Thursday, 4 November 2004 22:00 (twenty years ago)

hunter, i just pictured that quote being acted out by will farrell...
and i laughed

― Felonious Drunk (Felcher), Thursday, 4 November 2004 22:36 (twenty years ago)

two years pass...

Terror chief: Arafat died of AIDS. Confidante says Abbas told him contents of French medical report

― Je4nne Fuhfuh, Thursday, 19 July 2007 15:40 (seventeen years ago)

Timing is curious, no?

― Hurting 2, Thursday, 19 July 2007 15:42 (seventeen years ago)

http://www.bushspeaks.com/img/yasser_gives_blood_for_WTC.jpg

― gr8080, Thursday, 19 July 2007 20:18 (seventeen years ago)

define:Frum

― Heave Ho, Thursday, 19 July 2007 20:25 (seventeen years ago)

monkey

― kenan, Thursday, 19 July 2007 20:28 (seventeen years ago)

Who dies from AIDS now anyways?

― libcrypt, Friday, 20 July 2007 02:44 (seventeen years ago)

africans

― hstencil, Friday, 20 July 2007 02:54 (seventeen years ago)

Yeah, but Arafat had more money than all Africans combined, approximately.

― libcrypt, Friday, 20 July 2007 02:58 (seventeen years ago)

To elaborate on my last comment, I would not be surprised if this was an attempt to tarnish a major martyr figure for Fatah as Hamas jockeys for position.

― Hurting 2, Friday, 20 July 2007 03:49 (seventeen years ago)

Yes, I would always give extreme credibility to any story I see in WorldNetDaily, as they are free of the "spin" of the ~~liberal~~communist media.

― libcrypt, Friday, 20 July 2007 04:05 (seventeen years ago)

The last place I heard this story was in Popbitch.

I have also heard that Arafat was poisoned by Mossad.

I understand also that he faked his own death and is still alive.

In fact, he is the Hidden Imam, and is consequently hiding somewhere.

― The Real Dirty Vicar, Friday, 20 July 2007 12:19 (seventeen years ago)

he's betting on horses, including Shergar, ridden by 2Pac, owned by Lord Lucan

― blueski, Friday, 20 July 2007 12:21 (seventeen years ago)

I heard something about him making an appearence in the USA last November, when Rick Santorum lost some election.

― The Real Dirty Vicar, Friday, 20 July 2007 13:17 (seventeen years ago)

six years pass...

Polonium 210, just like Litvinenko? It's being said in The Lancet, apparently.

― StanM, Monday, 14 October 2013 19:52 (eleven years ago)

So it was him! He must have poisoned Litvinenko!

― StanM, Monday, 14 October 2013 19:53 (eleven years ago)

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/10/arafat-and-polonium-poisoning-a-sort-of-update/

― Mordy , Monday, 14 October 2013 19:54 (eleven years ago)

Belgian papers are running the story, which is where I got it from - should have known this is yet another one of the typical "first get the scoop and the clicks, then publish a correction a couple of days later" stories again. :-/

― StanM, Monday, 14 October 2013 20:20 (eleven years ago)

The head of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency (FMBA) Vladimir Uiba believes that the cause of death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat could not be polonium poisoning.

"He could not have been poisoned with polonium. Russian experts conducting a study said traces of this substance were not found," - said Uiba to "Interfax" on Tuesday.

He added that experts FMBA conducted a detailed examination of the remains of Arafat. However, they regularly inform the Russian Foreign Ministry on the progress of investigations.

― Mordy , Tuesday, 15 October 2013 18:18 (eleven years ago)

three weeks pass...

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/06/yasser-arafat-poisoned-polonium-tests-scientists

Lead story on Guardian website now.

― Ramnaresh Samhain (ShariVari), Wednesday, 6 November 2013 16:17 (eleven years ago)

So last month's story that was kinda debunked is now officially rebunked again?

― StanM, Wednesday, 6 November 2013 18:38 (eleven years ago)

From the BBC:

The scientists - from the Vaudois University Hospital Centre (CHUV) in Lausanne, Switzerland - carried out a detailed examination of Arafat's medical records, samples taken from his remains and items he had taken into the hospital in Paris where he died in 2004.
Continue reading the main story
Swiss scientists' findings
Experts at the Vaudois University Hospital Centre (CHUV) in Lausanne, Switzerland, conducted tests on samples taken from Yasser Arafat's exhumed body in November 2012
Samples also analysed by Palestinian, French and Russian teams, whose findings have yet to be published by the Palestinian Authority
Swiss report says "unexpectedly high levels of polonium-210 and lead-210 activity" found in specimens taken from Arafat's ribs, pelvis and soil that absorbed his bodily fluids
It notes a lack of adequate biological specimens, particularly soft tissues, and the eight years between death and the investigation, rendering detection subject to uncertainties
But it concludes results "moderately support the proposition that the death was the consequence of poisoning with polonium-210"
They stressed that there were several critical problems with their investigations, including the time passed since Arafat's death, the limited samples available and the confused "chain of custody" of some of the specimens.
But they concluded: "Taking into account the analytical limitations aforementioned, mostly time lapse since death and the nature and quality of the specimens, the results moderately support the proposition that the death was the consequence of poisoning with polonium-210."
Polonium-210 is a highly radioactive substance. It is found in low doses in food and created naturally in the body, but can be fatal if ingested in high doses.
Parallel investigations are being carried out by French and Russian experts - one Russian official said last month that no traces of polonium had been found.

― Mordy , Wednesday, 6 November 2013 18:57 (eleven years ago)

I'm very skeptical of any results for now - there are a lot of people involved in this project that have a vested interest in producing a particular answer. That's generally a good sign to be wary of any findings until all the data is in.

― Mordy , Wednesday, 6 November 2013 18:57 (eleven years ago)

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/11/08/a_martyr_unmartyred_yasser_arafat_last_days

― Mordy , Saturday, 9 November 2013 02:58 (eleven years ago)

morde d'arfat

― buzza, Saturday, 9 November 2013 03:54 (eleven years ago)

http://www.nature.com/news/no-firm-proof-arafat-was-poisoned-1.14130

― Mordy , Monday, 11 November 2013 23:50 (eleven years ago)

three weeks pass...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25205170#TWEET973778

Yasser Arafat 'was not poisoned' - leaked French report

― Mordy , Tuesday, 3 December 2013 20:22 (eleven years ago)

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