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Ailing Arafat Still in Serious Condition
 An ailing Yasser Arafat collapsed Wednesday night, was unconscious for about 10 minutes and remained in a serious condition. A team of Jordanian doctors was urgently summoned to treat the ailing Palestinian leader, whose wife headed to her husband's side from Paris. An official in Arafat's office said the Palestinian leader had created a special committee of three senior officials, including Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia, to run Palestinian affairs the while 75-year-old Arafat during his continuing illness. Other Palestinian officials, including his spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeneh, denied a temporary leadership group was formed. The Palestinian leader was eating soup during a meeting with Qureia, former Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, and another official between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. (2 p.m. or 3 p.m. EDT) when he vomited, a bodyguard said.  Arafat was taken quickly to the clinic inside his Ramallah compound, where he collapsed and was unconscious for about 10 minutes, the guard said.Palestinian officials soon descended on the sandbagged, partially demolished compound where Arafat has been confined for 2 1/2 years. The officials milled about the courtyard, waiting for news outside Arafat's three-story headquarters that was bathed in spotlights. Israeli security officials said Arafat's wife, Suha, who lives in France with their young daughter, was expected to arrive Thursday, as were the Jordanian doctors who were called to treat Arafat. Posted by: Fred 2004-10-28 |
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