French tests conclude Arafat did not die of poisoning
- 11 years ago
French scientists conclude Yasser Arafat did not die of poisoning.
The newly-released findings contradict a Swiss report that the former Palestinian leader probably was killed by radioactive polonium.
On Tuesday, Arafat's widow - Suha - who contends her husband's death was a political assassination - disputed the French results.
SOUNDBITE: Suha Arafat, Yasser Arafat's widow
"You can imagine how much I am shaken by the contradictions between the findings of the best experts in Europe in this domain."
Arafat - the longtime leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization - or P.L.O. - signed the 1993 Oslo interim peace accords with Israel and then led an uprising after talks broke down in 2000.
He died at the age of 75 - in a French hospital in 2004 - four weeks after he became sick after eating.
The official cause of death was a stroke - but - at the time - French doctors were unable to find the cause of his illness and no autopsy was carried out
The newly-released findings contradict a Swiss report that the former Palestinian leader probably was killed by radioactive polonium.
On Tuesday, Arafat's widow - Suha - who contends her husband's death was a political assassination - disputed the French results.
SOUNDBITE: Suha Arafat, Yasser Arafat's widow
"You can imagine how much I am shaken by the contradictions between the findings of the best experts in Europe in this domain."
Arafat - the longtime leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization - or P.L.O. - signed the 1993 Oslo interim peace accords with Israel and then led an uprising after talks broke down in 2000.
He died at the age of 75 - in a French hospital in 2004 - four weeks after he became sick after eating.
The official cause of death was a stroke - but - at the time - French doctors were unable to find the cause of his illness and no autopsy was carried out