Investigators exhume body of Yasser Arafat
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Forensic experts from France, Russia and Switzerland on Tuesday took 20 samples each from the remains of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat after his grave in the presidential headquarters was opened.
The international experts will take the samples to their respective countries to carry out tests to determine if Arafat, who died Nov. 11, 2004, in France, was killed by polonium, a poi- sonous radioactive material.
French hospital reports at the time said hedied from a massive brain hemorrhage but gave no details on what caused a related blood condition, giving rise to Palestinian suspicions that Arafat was killed by Israel.
Arafat’s wife requested at the time that no autopsy be performed, and Israeli officials have labeled as ridiculous allegations that they played a role in his death.
The process Tuesday took only a few hours.
The grave, buried at 12 feet, was opened in the morning, and Palestinian forensic technicians removed samples for the experts.
Members of the media were not allowed to witness the grave opening; the site was sealed from view by blue industrial sheeting.
Abdullah al-Bashir, a Jordanian doctor who heads a Palestinian medical com- mittee empowered to follow up on the circumstances of Arafat’s death, said results should be available in about three months.
“If polonium was evident, we would have reached the truth,” he said, “and if it was not, we would want them (the experts) to continue searching until they determine what kind of poison was used.”