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Arafat's grave a pilgrimage site for ... diplomats
From the Rantburg Diplomacy Desk:The tomb of Yasser Arafat has become a pilgrimage site for visiting diplomats, many of whom shunned the veteran Palestinian leader before his death last month. Joschka Fischer, the German foreign minister, added a wreath yesterday to the dozens already decorating the burial site in Ramallah. Others were placed in recent days by Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary, and the foreign ministers of Russia, Japan and Spain. Mr. Arafat died in a French hospital at the age of 75 on 11 November. Since then, violence has dropped considerably and diplomats are talking optimistically about the possibility of new peace moves. In parallel, Palestinians are sensing a posthumous easing in world attitudes toward Mr. Arafat. "Many parties are now reviewing their positions," said Abdallah Abdallah, the deputy foreign minister for Palestine. "Even US officials now are talking about Arafat serving his people and the peace process." Posted by: Seafarious 2004-12-06 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=50543 |