Where Are Arafat's Test Results?

[Bob]

Posted by panopticon (here)

Posted by Bobd (here)
Pan - Suha when I met her, her whole focus was to protect the children. That was in '87. Folks obviously can change, she wasn't even married to her "boss" who was Arafat. She showed me a black and white picture of her and her boss (Arafat) prior to the peace initiative. She struck me as not under any situation wanting Intifada. I do know at that time there were peace initiative miracles happening and a lot of opportunities to work things out. Not taking any sides just saying what I observed back in '87. She is a woman of strong compassion. I think her expression in the photo above is genuine. And that is how I remember her from the early days.

Thank you for sharing your personal insight into Arafat's widow.

I fear that what she wants has little to do with what will occur.

None of my information on PLO/Hamas is current circa 2013. Based on what I saw in UAE this last February, US sentiment was at an all time low. I had discussions with folks from Jordan and Lebanon, as well as UAE nationals. I got a cross sectional view, a pulse so to speak. Any discussions even mention of Israel were met with having spoken something that should never be discussed, met with a disdain like one could never imagine. To discuss philosophically was OK to see where mindsets were at. Historically in '87 when the "miraculous transformation happened" with Arafat, the discussion as I understand it, was to put the PLO in the background, dissolve all campaigns of terroristic activity, but leave HAMAS as the fallback just in case the maneuver towards "living together in peaceful relations" was not possible. If all failed with peace, Hamas would be the ones to carry out, "Istishhadi", or martyrdom as needed against those who block "freedom" and against the "oppressor". The definition of what and who exactly "is" the oppressor is vague.

This is where it becomes highly unstable and dangerous. Abbas as a figurehead, by no means has the charisma as a key rallying point figure. I agree with you, he will in no way have any way to influence any positive outcome in the region. Who is left then to set policy in Gaza? Hamas is governed by 3 wings, three organizational divisions, who carry out their specialty operations - military, it's "Political Bureau", and the "General Consultative Council". Those members set the policy and supposedly carry out the will of the organization. But the military often-times operates contrary and independently to the rest of the organization. Will they use Arafat's apparently murder as a rallying point?

What it "feels like" is there is a strong block wall that is present. Listening to Al Jazeera one can see the fueling of sentiment - tension is building. The powder-keg is being fueled, but there is also a type of stability. What Suha mentioned, and I believe it has stopped absolutely insane protests, was she wants to find the perpetrators - Arafat is dead by unnatural causes be it polonium or some other substance that destroyed his GI tract. I have no idea what immediate steps would be accomplished other than maybe setup who the 3rd Intifada may be centered upon. I suspect Istishhad would be the actions to be planned, tried and used in the tested ways of the past during the time of the PLO reign - against whom is the questions. From in the past having seen the sentiments and personalities, I would guess, against whom who had produced the Polonium as that seems to be the "agent" used. And that then narrows down to who has the substance, who has the reactor. Russia does have and has used polonium in the past to target, and Russia is as you point out, one of the groups to do the "testing".

My guess is don't ignore the underlying currents that are building and keep an eye on which groups are mobilizing. The chatter is monitorable and obviously NSA and NRO have their fingers on the pulse.

The prospect of a 3rd Intifada is one reason I view that Abbas is getting so much attention at the moment and why the US and Israeli governments are so focused on directing attention towards a peace process.

If she is still as you remember her I hope she has some input into how the Palestinian people express their emotions in this matter. I doubt that Abbas will be able to control Hamas or the other militant/political groups involved and the Israeli's already have their rhetoric intact. Not to forget of course that we haven't seen the Russian or French reports (which may sing from a different hymn book to the Swiss). Al Jazeera and the Palestinian Authority must have a reason they released this report and not the Russian one as we know they have copies of both.

We live in interesting time...
-- Pan

The biggest problem which I have seen time and time again, is folks never forget in that region. And folks continually will bring up past actions and use them as justifications to issue Fatwah(s), carry out Intifada, while committing Istishhad. That has been the old way, continually. When the "miracle" happened with Arafat, he was willing to be in the moment, to drop the issues of the past. That is what Suha had shared with him originally, and that was the change. To be in the moment, and hold being in the moment as more important than any errors committed in the past. I don't know if there is any charismatic figure these days willing to present themselves and bring people to the moment and only stay in the moment, not concerned about a future, not worried about the atrocities of the past, but to come up with a way of living together in the now, in the moment.

ref: Istishhad - (Arabic: استشهاد‎) heroism in the act of sacrifice" rather than "victimization," not "suicide".

ref: Hamas (Arabic: حماس‎ Ḥamās, "enthusiasm", an acronym of حركة المقاومة الاسلامية Ḥarakat al-Muqāwamah al-ʾIslāmiyyah, "Islamic Resistance Movement") is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist organization, with an associated military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, located in the Palestinian territories.

ref: Fatwā (Arabic: فتوى‎; plural fatāwā Arabic: فتاوى‎) In the Islamic faith that is the technical term for the legal judgment or learned interpretation that a qualified jurist or mufti can give on issues pertaining to the Islamic law.

ref: Mufti - (Arabic: مفتي‎ muftī ; Turkish: müftü ) A Sunni Islamic scholar who is an interpreter or expounder of Islamic law.


ED Note: from the Israeli Times, just in:
"US Secretary of State John Kerry launched an unusually bitter public attack on Israeli policies in the West Bank Thursday 7 Nov 2013, warning that if current peace talks fail, Israel could see a third Intifada and growing international isolation, and that calls for boycott, divestment and sanctions would increase. Kerry made the comments during a joint interview with Israel’s Channel 2 and the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation." - http://www.timesofisrael.com/kerry-w...if-talks-fail/ ...

"Israel’s Channel 2 news quoted unnamed officials in Jerusalem responding bitterly to the secretary’s remarks. Israel, said one official, would not “give in to the intimidation tactics” of the secretary, and would not compromise on its vital security needs."

That doesn't sound like things are calming down..

ref: Intifada - Intifada (انتفاضة intifāḍah) is an Arabic word which literally means "shaking off", sometimes translated to mean, a type of uprising against something.

[panopticon]

G'day Bobd,

I agree with your observations.

Your analysis of Abbas is spot on IMO and Al Jazeera (like all media organisations) talks to an audience so it is not surprising to me that they have been pushing a pro-Palestinian message.

The trouble in trying to anticipate actions in this region is that all it takes is one incident and everything changes (plus the "faceless men" are either completely anonymous or so powerful that they might as well be).

I wouldn't put to much hope in finding out where the isotopes were sourced. I would have thought that the level of degradation of samples would make testing almost meaningless and the reference samples are so small (traces really) that a signature wouldn't be identifiable (that's if any would dare try and trace it anyhow).

I agree that observation of underlying currents are important to watch.

Posted by Bobd (here)
The biggest problem which I have seen time and time again, is folks never forget in that region

The above part of your post is possibly the most important. When looking at anything that is going on in the Middle East it is important to think in terms of decades, if not centuries, to understand why something is happening.

Saw Bibi is up to his usual rhetoric in relation to the present negotiations with Iran and the Palestinian talks:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=4TMN4bXFoMY

All the reports coming out of Geneva seem to be indicating that the negotiations are going to be a success so that will be interesting.

Wonder what sort of Friday protests will be going on in Tehran, Gaza and Ramallah?

Seems a bit like that feeling when the Berlin Wall came down, just different...

[panopticon]

The Russian report says results of tests into Arafat's cause of death inconclusive.

The conclusion of the Russian report is available here:
http://www.aljazeera.com/investigati...959812216.html

Al Jazeera is claiming that the Russian Government had a part in the results through scientists being given instructions by the foreign minister.

Some questions being asked as to whether Arafat was poisoned by his inner circle (Arafat's widow is reported as questioning if it was his inner circle).

Lot more reports following the Palestinian line.
-- Pan

[Tesseract]

Al Jazeera has an agenda against Lavrov due to, amongst many things, his opposition to foreign intervention in Syria. Although it's good to see Al Jazeera present the reports on their website, I don't pay much attention to any type of editorial opinion that they have.

I read through a large part of the Swiss report - it is an excellent document, an excellent investigation, that addresses all concerns with the data and its interpretation. They tested a lot of control samples, and importantly looked at the level of supported Po vs. unsuported Po [read the document if you want to know what that's all about]. It's hard not to agree with their conclusions.

I have also looked at the Russian report today, so far it appears far less comprehensive and less detailed than the Swiss one.

[Bob]

Pan and Tesseract or anyone else reading this thread, has anyone followed the writings of, Michel Chossudovsky ? It may be that what he has posted can shed some light on the way the test results are "read", or why the different countries are taking "sides".



I was reading a post of his on http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-ass...arafat/5357121
entitled, "The Assassination of Yasser Arafat was Ordered by The Israeli Cabinet: “We will Choose the Right Way and the Right Time to Kill Arafat." "

I would be curious to see if there is any possible read on that article, if the data is accurate or not. tnx.

ref: http://www.aljazeerah.info/News/2013...07,%202013.htm scroll down to: "Evidence Indicates that Ariel Sharon Ordered the Assassination of Yasser Arafat"

(From his bio - he is an award-winning author, Professor of Economics (emeritus) at the University of Ottawa, Founder and Director of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG), Montreal and Editor of the globalresearch.ca website. He is the author of The Globalization of Poverty and The New World Order (2003) and America’s “War on Terrorism”(2005). His most recent book is entitled Towards a World War III Scenario: The Dangers of Nuclear War (2011). He is also a contributor to the Encyclopaedia Britannica. His writings have been published in more than twenty languages. He can be reached at crgeditor@yahoo.com)

[panopticon]

G'day Bobd,

Posted by Bobd (here)
Pan and Tesseract or anyone else reading this thread, has anyone followed the writings of, Michel Chossudovsky ? It may be that what he has posted can shed some light on the way the test results are "read", or why the different countries are taking "sides".

No, I'm not familiar with Chossudovsky's work, though I've read a few articles from that site over the years.

Posted by Bobd (here)
I was reading a post of his on http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-ass...arafat/5357121
entitled, "The Assassination of Yasser Arafat was Ordered by The Israeli Cabinet: “We will Choose the Right Way and the Right Time to Kill Arafat." "

I would be curious to see if there is any possible read on that article, if the data is accurate or not. tnx.

As with everything like this it needs to be placed into context.

The Who, What, Where, When, Why & How questions need to be asked.

Arafat died in office and at the time was largely ineffectual as a leader, he was more a figure head than a leader.

He died on November 11 2004 (significant date -- Remembrance/Armistice Day), roughly a year and a half after Abbas had been appointed PM (I agree with Chossudovsky on Abbas being a quisling).

All of the documents cited in the article by Chossudovsky were from the period either immediately following the start of the 2nd Intifada (late September 2000) or a few years after and reflect Israeli/US government concerns. I don't find it particularly surprising that given the context these sort of discussions/decisions occurred.

Following Arafat's death the 2nd Intifada started to falter. It is usually agreed that within 6 months of Arafat's death the 2nd Intifada ended (coinciding with the mid-period removal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip and the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit). There has been numerous conflicts since that time between Israeli troops and the various groups in The Gaza Strip as well as the conflict between Hamas and Fatah over governance of that region which is on-going (article here on one recent disagreement).

The international community has been fairly constant in their support for the differing groups. The US being the main supporter of Israel.

A general guide I use for the positions held by different countries is the voting record from the 1975 UN General Assembly Resolution #3379 (see here). While positions may have altered since then in the abstaining voters the yes and no votes have remained largely consistent.

So, getting back to your question, it is possible that Israel did execute Arafat but, in my opinion, this would only have been able to occur with the assistance of someone in the compound. So, it is probable that Israel provided the substance that Arafat was poisoned with (if indeed he was poisoned) to a person or persons with access to both the compound and Arafat.

I hope this helps.
-- Pan

[panopticon]

The new documentary "Killing Arafat" has just been made available on Youtube:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=qr2DULWPzAs

A world exclusive investigation tells the inside story of the fight for the facts behind Yasser Arafat's death. Following What killed Arafat? which led French prosecutors to open a murder inquiry, this documentary follows the struggle to convince the Palestinian Authority to allow an exhumation of Arafat's body to test for radioactive poison. Al Jazeera's Clayton Swisher reports on the tests that led to the Swiss scientists reporting high levels of polonium Yasser Arafat's bones.

Article on investigation and results reported in documentary:
http://www.aljazeera.com/investigati...955541864.html
-- Pan

[panopticon]

I just finished watching the documentary I posted above and agree with the findings.

Namely that it appears that:

• Arafat was killed.
• An outside group/country were responsible for supply of polonium.
• It was administered by someone who had access to either Arafat, his food or medication.

Also, from the report and the supposed Russian lab results, that Russian officials influenced the Russian lab results.

Guess we'll just have to wait and see what comes out in the French investigation.
-- Pan

[Hervé]

Did George W. Bush Bless Israel’s Killing of Yasser Arafat With Polonium?

Middle East03:35 18.06.2016
(updated 08:17 18.06.2016)

© AFP 2016/ JAMAL ARURI

French jurists delayed their decision on whether to reopen an investigation into the cause of Yasser Arafat’s death, but mounting evidence of polonium poisoning and shocking admissions suggest an explosive assassination cover-up has been underway for over a decade.

On Friday, a French court ruled to postpone a decision on whether to resume an investigation into the death of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat until June 24 or July 8. This comes amid growing suspicions that Israeli agents assassinated him using polonium poisoning.

In 2012, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) leader’s widow, Suha Arafat, filed a complaint after traces of polonium, a highly toxic radioactive substance, were found on Yasser Arafat’s personal effects.

Arafat drifted into a coma and passed away on November 11, 2004 at the age of 75, after suffering nausea, massive stomach problems, and other gastrointestinal related issues. His illness initially began on October 12, 2004, despite have previously been given a clean bill of health.

The French hospital treating the Palestinian leader determined that the cause of Yasser Arafat’s death was a stroke triggered by blood poisoning. Inexplicably, French officials have never inquired about the type of blood poisoning to which Arafat eventually succumbed.

Yasser Arafat’s demise is consistent with polonium poisoning, which causes gradual deterioration of the body, ending in death over the course of several weeks or months. Victims experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and hair loss.

Recognized as the leader of the Palestinian movement, some viewed Arafat as the father of Palestine.

On Thursday, Loud & Clear’s Brian Becker sat down with Dr. Ghada Talhami of Lake Forest College to examine what the evidence suggests about Arafat’s death.

​"Well, the first thing that we know is that Souha Arafat succeeded in convincing the Palestine Authority in Ramallah to exhume his body so that they could take samples in order to have it investigated individually," Talhami says.

"Additionally, according to Al Jazeera, she sent his toothbrush and some of his clothing to a Swiss agency to be tested for polonium and that was last year. The Swiss lab confirmed that there were, in fact, traces of polonium on his effects," the professor explains. "Polonium is a radioactive material that has no smell, no visible color, and it is very secretive."

"In order to pursue this one step further she would need to get a verdict, which can be done either by opening a new court case, that he was actually assassinated," she adds.

Do Palestinians and Israelis believe that Yasser Arafat was assassinated?
"This is what I can tell you: According to a very well-known article by Uri Avnery, a member of the Knesset and a famous peace activist in Israel, said that he himself got some kind of confirmation by an individual named Uri Dan who was the loyal mouthpiece of Ariel Sharon for nearly 50 years," she says.

According to professor Talhami, President George W. Bush authorized the assassination of the revered Palestinian leader when asked directly by then-Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

"Uri Dan said that there was a conversation that Sharon had with him and President Bush, and Sharon apparently asked for permission to kill Arafat and Bush gave it to him on the condition that it must be done very quietly under the table," Talhami says.

"When Uri Dan asked Sharon if it had been carried out, the former Prime Minister said that 'it is better not to talk about that,' so Dan took that to be a confirmation."

Is there reason to believe that Israel would have killed Yasser Arafat?
"We have this and several instances that are very well known in Israel where the press would actually ask Sharon why didn’t you kill him when he was right under your nose, especially after Israel held Arafat’s headquarters under siege during the Second Intifada," the professor says. "Sharon would say that I couldn’t do it because he had Israelis protecting him and living with him in his headquarters."

"One of those Israelis was Uri Avnery who, along with two other Israelis, decided to live with Arafat as a human shield in order to protect him," Talhami explains. "We also know during the Israeli siege of Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War that as soon as the Israelis invaded Beirut on the eve of the massacres of Sabra and Shatilla, that Israeli soldiers would actually scour Beirut looking for Arafat."

© AP Photo/ Doug Mills George W. Bush sits in front photo of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat.

"You put all of this together and the fact that there was this strange illness that struck Arafat which nobody knew what it was. Was it the flu? No. The French hospital decided that he had died of a stroke caused by blood poisoning, but providing no further details," she adds.

"Either the French hospital that was treating him does not want to release the full story or French authorities are masking the truth. In Israel, the story is really linked to Sharon."