His wife Suha, the only one permitted into the patient's hospital room in Paris, gave vent to her emotions this morning when she yelled that Abu Mazen, Abu Ala and others are trying to "bury [her] husband alive."
In a voice filled with rage in a phone interview with Al-Jazeera television of Qatar, Mrs. Arafat warned the subjects of the Palestinian Authority against a plot by the PA heads. She is concerned that today's scheduled visit of Abu Ala, Abu Mazen and Nabil Shaath to Paris is designed only to officially declare the death of Yasser Arafat. Some French officials concurred, estimating that a short while after the three land in Paris, Arafat's death would be officially announced. Some feel that Arafat's death might be "put off" until tomorrow, a holy day according to Moslem belief.
"Let it be known to the honest Palestinian people that a bunch of those who want to inherit are coming to Paris," Suha Arafat screamed over the telephone. "You have to realize the size of the conspiracy. I tell you they are trying to bury Abu Amar [Arafat] alive. He is fine and he is going home." She made sure to cry out that not only is she not planning to take her husband off the machines, but that he is in good condition. Hospital officials have said that the arch-terrorist is not expected to awaken from his coma.
Following Suha's outburst, Abu Mazen and company had postponed their visit to Paris - but later reconsidered, and will in fact depart this afternoon.
Earlier, Arab sources reported that the three PA officials were making "intensive efforts" to meet French President Jacques Chirac and Foreign Minister Michel Barnier to discuss the situation and make funeral arrangements.
PA sources said that the PA leadership has "had enough" with Suha's control of the situation. They accuse her of taking charge of the spokesmen in Percy Hospital and of not allowing her husband to be disconnected from the life-support machine. Others accuse her of trying to "light a fire" in the PA and cause civil war.
Arab affairs expert Dr. Mordechai Keidar of Bar Ilan University told Arutz-7 today that he assumes Suha's purpose is to ensure herself a comfortable pension after her husband's death, and to delay as long as possible the publication of his illness. "Maybe they'll just give her a few millions so that she'll just shut up and go away," Dr. Keidar said. "I think the reason that the French officials are very closed-mouth about Arafat's condition," he added, "is because they are afraid that Israel has accurate information about Arafat's illness, and they don't want to say something that will later be proven wrong by Israel."
The issue of Arafat's tremendous fortune is always just below the surface. Suha Arafat reportedly asked her husband and/or his close aid Muhammed Rashid for access to the fortune, but was turned down.
In a voice filled with rage in a phone interview with Al-Jazeera television of Qatar, Mrs. Arafat warned the subjects of the Palestinian Authority against a plot by the PA heads. She is concerned that today's scheduled visit of Abu Ala, Abu Mazen and Nabil Shaath to Paris is designed only to officially declare the death of Yasser Arafat. Some French officials concurred, estimating that a short while after the three land in Paris, Arafat's death would be officially announced. Some feel that Arafat's death might be "put off" until tomorrow, a holy day according to Moslem belief.
"Let it be known to the honest Palestinian people that a bunch of those who want to inherit are coming to Paris," Suha Arafat screamed over the telephone. "You have to realize the size of the conspiracy. I tell you they are trying to bury Abu Amar [Arafat] alive. He is fine and he is going home." She made sure to cry out that not only is she not planning to take her husband off the machines, but that he is in good condition. Hospital officials have said that the arch-terrorist is not expected to awaken from his coma.
Following Suha's outburst, Abu Mazen and company had postponed their visit to Paris - but later reconsidered, and will in fact depart this afternoon.
Earlier, Arab sources reported that the three PA officials were making "intensive efforts" to meet French President Jacques Chirac and Foreign Minister Michel Barnier to discuss the situation and make funeral arrangements.
PA sources said that the PA leadership has "had enough" with Suha's control of the situation. They accuse her of taking charge of the spokesmen in Percy Hospital and of not allowing her husband to be disconnected from the life-support machine. Others accuse her of trying to "light a fire" in the PA and cause civil war.
Arab affairs expert Dr. Mordechai Keidar of Bar Ilan University told Arutz-7 today that he assumes Suha's purpose is to ensure herself a comfortable pension after her husband's death, and to delay as long as possible the publication of his illness. "Maybe they'll just give her a few millions so that she'll just shut up and go away," Dr. Keidar said. "I think the reason that the French officials are very closed-mouth about Arafat's condition," he added, "is because they are afraid that Israel has accurate information about Arafat's illness, and they don't want to say something that will later be proven wrong by Israel."
The issue of Arafat's tremendous fortune is always just below the surface. Suha Arafat reportedly asked her husband and/or his close aid Muhammed Rashid for access to the fortune, but was turned down.