Editor's Note: Work began Tuesday to exhume the body of Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat amid an investigation of his 2004 death.
[Update 8:48 a.m.] The process of removing the marble tombstone on Arafat's grave to allow for exhumation of the body is under way, a Palestinian source said. The glass surrounding the mausoleum has been removed.
The exhumation process is likely to take at least two weeks, with the more delicate work being done by hand, the source said.
Scientists from France, Switzerland and Russia are expected in Ramallah when the process of removing the earth around Arafat's body begins.
[Posted 7:21 a.m.] Work has begun to exhume the body of Yasser Arafat.
The Palestinian leader's mausoleum is in the Palestinian presidential compound in Ramallah.
Palestinian officials approved the move over the summer, after investigators said they found high levels of a radioactive substance on some of Arafat's personal belongings. Suha Arafat, the former leader's widow, told CNN that she wanted his body exhumed to find out whether he was poisoned.
A French prosecution official said in August that France has launched a murder inquiry into Arafat's death in 2004.
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
not buyin'it...they're collecting dna t'clone him...
watch out Israel if it turns out he WAS radioactively poisoned! scary times, as middle east is unsettled !
Right. They might do something hostile, like fire Iranian made rockets into Israel, or set off suicide bombs, or kidnap and kill people. No, wait. They're already doing that. So what's the difference.
Dang, talk about digging up someones past______________
Wow. I hope they don't get the idea to use fracking.
Hmmmm. Curious.
Look at his life line, looks splintered. Many roads he could have chosen.
Who cares what that terrorist died from. He might have gotten contaminated trying to get the bomb for himself.
When this is all done and over..One way or the other ....What exactly will this prove?
Even if it is found that Israel was responsible for his death, hardly any change would occur in ground realities. Palestinians would protest and call for some sort of denouncement from US – end of story.
Good morning all.
more posts blocked as usual. How are you folks faring @banasy@portland tony@bobcat@scottish mama@ Rascal Rabble?
We can't dismiss the possibility that his OTHER enemy (Hamas) did it.
Just dismissing him as a terrorist reflects on our poor knowledge of the region. A political biography of Arafat by Berry M.Rubin and Judith Colp Rubin shows him as a remarkable political figure who dominated the M.East politics for 4 decades.
Trying to Post!!
Hello Banasy
How are you this fine fine day.
Lot of blocks.