Nephew claims Arafat may have been poisoned

Published on 12/12/2004 02:45

YASSER Arafat’s nephew last night said the lack of a diagnosis, despite extensive tests, into his uncle’s death last month raised suspicions that the late Palestinian leader died of "unnatural" causes.

The comments by Nasser al-Kidwa, after he handed over the 558-page medical dossier to Palestinian officials in Ramallah, were certain to fuel speculation that Arafat was poisoned. He died in a French hospital on November 11 after a brief illness.

Al-Kidwa repeated his statement from last month that the French doctors were unable to rule out the possibility that Arafat had been poisoned, although they said they had not found traces of "any poison known to them".

Al-Kidwa said examinations of X-rays and all manner of tests had still not led to a clear diagnosis. "That is precisely the reason why suspicions are there, because without a reason you cannot escape the possibility that there is unnatural cause for the death," he said.

French officials have rejected rumours that Arafat, who died at the age of 75, was poisoned. They have declined to comment further on his case.