John Kerry endorsers health worsens:
Palestinian Official: Arafat's Health Worse
Oct 27, 4:51 PM (ET)
By MOHAMMED DARAGHMEH
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - Yasser Arafat's health worsened Wednesday, and a team of doctors went to his compound to examine the Palestinian leader, who summoned the prime minister and another top politician to his bedside, according to a Palestinian official close to Arafat.
Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia and former Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas met alone with Arafat in his room, the official said. Many other Palestinian officials - including security officials - arrived at Arafat's Ramallah compound and milled about the courtyard outside.
However, Arafat spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeneh later told reporters that Arafat remained in good health. He said Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordanian King Abdullah had offered to send medical teams Thursday for follow-up checks.
"President Arafat still needs more rest ... The situation is stable now, he is in a stable condition, but he needs more rest and more medical care," he told reporters. He refused to answer any questions.
The 75-year-old Arafat has been ill for two weeks, suffering from what Palestinian officials said was the flu. Israeli officials speculated he might have stomach cancer, but two of his doctors said Wednesday that a blood test and a biopsy of tissue from his digestive tract showed no evidence of cancer.
On Tuesday, a hospital official said Arafat was suffering from a large gallstone. The gallstone, while extremely painful, is not life-threatening and can be easily treated, the official told The Associated Press.
Late Wednesday, Arafat's condition worsened, an official in his office said, and doctors were sent to examine him at the headquarters compound in the West Bank city of Ramallah where he has been confined for 2 1/2 years.
Israeli security officials said they were aware that something had happened to Arafat, but they did not disclose details. The Palestinians did not ask Israel for permission to move Arafat to a hospital.
Qureia and Abbas have both been touted as possible political heirs to Arafat, though the Palestinian leader has bickered with both and blocked their attempts to limit his powers. Arafat has refused to groom a successor, for fear of nurturing a rival, and no clear challenger has emerged.
Arafat's health has been the subject of intense speculation. One of his doctors said earlier Wednesday that Arafat's medical team was concerned that he did not appear to be improving.
On Wednesday, Arafat continued to rest and broke his Ramadan fast for a second straight day, aides said.
After doctors diagnosed the gallstone Tuesday, Arafat underwent more medical tests.
A member of the medical team, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a blood test showed no signs of cancer. A second doctor said a biopsy of tissue taken during an endoscopy Monday also showed no signs of cancer in Arafat's digestive tract.
Teams of Egyptian and Tunisian doctors have examined Arafat in recent days.
Arafat has not left his sandbagged, partially demolished Ramallah headquarters since 2002 because of Israeli threats he would not be allowed to return.
Arafat's doctors have equipped two rooms in the compound with medical equipment so routine tests can be carried out there instead of in a hospital.
A medical official said the clinic contains X-ray and ultrasound machines as well as equipment for emergency resuscitation. During the test, Arafat was in his pajamas and wore a blue wool hat, instead of his trademark black-and-white checkered headscarf, the medical official said.
Palestinian doctors and lab workers conducted the tests, which were then analyzed by five visiting specialists from Tunisia.
Arafat chatted with the visitors, telling them about previous Israeli incursions into his compound.
The medical official said Arafat continues to sleep in a small room, which has only one window and is furnished with a bed and a closet, even though a new, sunnier room has been refurbished for him on another floor.
From his small window, Arafat looks out on rubble and heaps of cars flattened in previous Israeli raids. |
