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Doctors deny reports of Arafat's death
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-11-05 01:04

French doctors announced Thursday that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who is in intensive care at a French military hospital, is still alive.

File photo of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat at a Palestinian police march in Gaza, July 8, 2000 to celebrate the sixth anniversary of his return to the Palestinian self rule area in 1994 and the founding of the Palestinian police.  [Reuters]
File photo of Cuban President Fidel Castro (L) shaking hands with PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat during a group portrait session of heads of state attending the eleventh annual Non-Aligned Summit conference, in Cartagena, Colombia on October 18, 1995. Arafat was declared clinically dead on Thursday in a French hospital, Israeli television said citing French sources. 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. [Reuters]

"The clinical situation of the first few days following admission has become more complex," Christian Estripeau, head of communications for French military health services.

"The state of health of the patient requires appropriate treatment that required his transfer on Wednesday afternoon of Nov. 3 to a unit adapted to his pathology," Estripeau said.

"Mr. Arafat is not dead," he said, concluding the brief statement.

Luxembourg's prime minister told reporters Thursday that Arafat had died. The conflicting statements came after Arafat's condition sharply worsened and aides said he was in a coma.

The statement put to rest for now reports that Arafat has died. Israeli TV on Thursday cited sources as saying Arafat had died, but the Palestinian prime minister denied the report.

Israeli TV's Channel Two cited Israeli security officials as saying they had been told by a reliable French source that Arafat had died.

However, Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia said there has been no change in Arafat's condition. Palestinian officials said Arafat was in a coma in the intensive care unit of a French military hospital.

"This statement has been drafted out of respect for the discretion demanded by his wife," Estripeau said.



 
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