MORE ON THE CAUSE OF ARAFAT'S DEATH

Conspiracy Theories Persist on Arafat's Death
Unwilling to accept the official explanation that Arafat died of an illness, many Palestinians seem to favor the explanation that Israel, with help from a senior Arafat aide, poisoned him, a charge Israelis deny and many others have discounted. The French government went as far as it could on Wednesday to quash rumors that Arafat was poisoned. Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei on Wednesday ordered an inquiry to determine the cause of Arafat's death. "In the Western media, you think this is paranoid conspiracy theories, but here in the Arab world, that is not the case at all," said Hishad Ahmed, a political scientist at Bir Zeit University near Ramallah. (Washington Post)

See also Israel Examining Possibility Arafat Died of AIDS (Maariv International)

See also The Cause of Arafat's Death
The usually well informed French satirical weekly Le Canard Enchaine wrote that Arafat died of liver cirrhosis. Since this ailment is usually linked with heavy alcohol drinking, Arafat's family decided not to disclose the cause of his death. (Jerusalem Post)