 Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qorei set up a special committee Wednesday to probe the cause of Yasser Arafat'sdeath as officials were to head to Paris to seek answers from French medics. After chairing a meeting of his national security council, Qorei revealed he had ordered the establishment of the committee, including representatives from the health and interior ministries as well as the intelligence services. "The committee was asked to make contact with all individuals and parties who can contribute towards clarifying the ambiguity that has been surrounding the death of President Arafat and also in view of the surfeit of questions that have been raised by the Palestinian public," a statement from his office said.
| Translation: "We need to get our stories straight so this coverup can work." |
Arafat died in a French military hospital last Thursday at the age of 75 after sinking into a coma. The Arab world has been abuzz with suspicions that he was poisoned, with many conspiracy theorists pointing the finger at Israel. To date, French officials have said that Arafat's medical file can be released only to "eligible parties", such as his family. Arafat's former senior advisor, Nabil Abu Rudeina, also revealed that a special delegation was to head to France within the next few days. "A Palestinian delegation is going to France to ask the French government to hand over the medical report about the real reason for Arafat's death," Abu Rudeina told AFP in Ramallah. Abu Rudeina did not give exact details of the make-up of the delegation nor its timetable but added that it would head to France "very soon." |