Arafat's Nephew Says Cause of Death Inconclusive - a "Mystery"

Yasser Arafat's nephew said on Monday that medical records released by France showed no trace of known poisons in the late Palestinian leader but the cause of death remained a mystery. Nasser al-Kidwa, Palestinian envoy to the United Nations, said the 558-page medical report gave "no clear diagnosis" of what caused his uncle's death in a French military hospital on Nov. 11 and he refused to rule out foul play. The question of what killed Arafat at age 75 is likely to keep the rumor mill churning and to fuel conspiracy theories for years to come. Strict privacy laws prevent French doctors from releasing details. "Toxicology tests were made, and no poison known to the doctors was found," al-Kidwa said, basing his comments at a news conference on the medical dossier released to him by the French military. "Because of the lack of clear diagnosis, a question mark remains there (about why Arafat died). Personally I believe it will remain there for some time to come," he added. Arafat, penned into West Bank headquarters by Israeli forces for 2-1/2 years, died of multiple organ failure. Al-Kidwa would not rule out the possibility Arafat had been poisoned by a toxin unknown to his doctors. Asked if he could assure Palestinians Arafat was not killed by poison, al-Kidwa said: "No I cannot assure you. This possibility could not be excluded." [more]