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Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Findings of Arafat Death Probe Handed to Palestinians
2013-11-06
[An Nahar] Paleostinian authorities have received the reports of Swiss and Russian forensic investigations into the 2004 death of Yasser Arafat, an official said Tuesday, without disclosing the findings.

"The report was delivered" by the Swiss laboratory, Tawfiq Tirawi, who heads the Paleostinian investigation into Arafat's death, told Agence La Belle France Presse.

Official Paleostinian news agency WAFA said that a Russian team appointed by the Paleostinian Authority also handed in its report on November 2 and that its conclusions would be made public in due course.

Some 60 samples were taken from the remains of the late Paleostinian leader in November last year for a probe into whether he was poisoned by polonium.

The samples were divided between the Swiss and Russian Sherlocks and a French team carrying out a probe at the request of Arafat's widow Suha.

Arafat died in hospital in La Belle France on November 11 2004 at the age of 75, but doctors were unable to specify the cause of death.

No autopsy was carried out at the time, in line with his widow's request.

Arafat's remains were exhumed from his tomb in the West Bank city of Ramallah in November 2012 and samples taken, partly to investigate whether he had been poisoned -- a suspicion that grew after the liquidation of Russian ex-spy and Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko in 2006.
Posted by:Fred

#8  "He said that last boy from Gaza was hot. Turns out he was right"
Posted by: Frank G   2013-11-06 21:50  

#7  The official report will only be given when there is a rigorous forensic audit of Palestinian financial records and where the billions went.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2013-11-06 21:09  

#6  Interesting that the Swiss and French said "Yep, its polonium alright" and the Russkies are saying "Nope, ain't no polonium here."

So who had the most to gain by bumping off Arafat?

I say it is the Iranians. The Israelis really had nothing to gain from killing him.
Posted by: Bill Clinton   2013-11-06 20:44  

#5  It's actually pretty good, Ship.

(I don't think B's comment was about the polonium - rugulah (rugulach) is usually considered a Jewish pastry.) ;-p
Posted by: Barbara   2013-11-06 18:11  

#4  I am not going to Google rugulah, I haven't cooked yet.
Posted by: Shipman   2013-11-06 17:42  

#3  My sources tell me he was very fond of rugulah.
Posted by: Besoeker   2013-11-06 15:10  

#2  Guardian via Al Jazeera: David Barclay, a British forensic scientist who had studied the report, told al-Jazeera: "The report contains strong evidence, in my view conclusive evidence, that there's at least 18 times the level of polonium in Arafat's exhumed body than there should be." He said the report represented "a smoking gun"...(Suha) With Zahwa, 18, her daughter by Arafat, she said she suspected a "conspiracy to get rid of him", adding: "My daughter and I have to know who did it. We will not stop in our quest to find out. I hope the Palestinian Authority goes further on it, searching every single aspect of it. It is of course a political crime." She said: "This is separate from the peace process or talks. Any judicial investigation is separate from the peace process."
Posted by: Flaiger Uneamp8181   2013-11-06 15:04  

#1  Findings of Arafat Death Probe Handed to Palestinians

"Here, hold this"
"Ewwwwwwwww!"
Posted by: Frank G   2013-11-06 08:02  

00:00