An official in Palestine Liberation Organization’s executive committee called for international inquiry into the death of Arafat, a day after Swiss scientists said he probably died from polonium poisoning
An official in Palestine Liberation Organization’s executive committee called for international inquiry into the death of former Paletinian Authority Chief Yasser Arafat, a day after Swiss scientists said he probably died from polonium poisoning.
"The (test) results proved Araf
at was poisoned by polonium, and this substance is owned by states, not people, meaning that the crime was committed by a state," said Wasel Abu Yusef.
"Just as a committee was formed to investigate the killing of (slain Lebanese prime minister) Rafiq Hariri, there must be a international committee to investigate the killing of president Arafat," he told AFP.
The central committee of the Fatah party, which is headed by PA Chief Mahmud Abbas and which dominates the PLO, was to meet on Thursday at 1:00 pm (1100 GMT) to discuss the latest findings, said senior party official Amin Maqbul.
Swiss scientists, who carried out tests on Arafat's remains, concluded he probably died from polonium poisoning, according to a text of their findings published by Al-Jazeera television on Wednesday.
The results "moderately support the proposition that the death was the consequence of poisoning with polonium-210," said the 108-page analysis posted on the Qatar-based satellite broadcaster's website.
The experts who penned the report are also to give a news conference in Lausanne on Thursday at 1245 GMT to discuss the results.
And the Palestinian committee investigating Arafat's death was to hold a news conference Friday at 10:00 am (0800 GMT) in Ramallah, with head Tawfiq Tirawi discussing the report's content, Fatah spokesman Ahmed Assaf told AFP.
