ISRAEL ‘PRIME SUSPECT’ IN ARAFAT’S DEATH
Gaza City, 6 Muharam 1435/10 November 2013 (MINA) – Palestinian investigators say Israel is the ‘prime and only suspect’ in the death of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) leader Yasser Arafat.
On Friday, the Palestinian team tasked with finding the truth about Arafat’s mysterious death accepted Swiss and Russian reports indicating that the late Palestinian President had been poisoned to death.
“We say that Israel is the prime and only suspect in the case of Yasser Arafat’s assassination, and we will continue to carry out a thorough investigation to find out and confirm all the details and all elements of the case,” said Palestinian inquiry chief Tawfiq Tirawi in a press conference, Al Ray reported as monitored by Mi’raj News Agency (MINA).
Tirawi added that the investigation team studied the detailed report released by Swiss scientists on November 6, which said that the results of tests on remains of Arafat’s body “moderately support the proposition that the death was the consequence of poisoning with polonium-210.”
“This is the crime of the 21st century,” said the Palestinian inquiry official, adding, “The fundamental (goal) is to find out who is behind the liquidation of Yasser Arafat.”
On Thursday, Wasel Abu Yousef of the PLO executive committee called for an international inquiry into the “killing” of Yasser Arafat after the Swiss scientists published their findings.
“President Arafat passed away as a victim of an organized terrorist assassination perpetrated” by Tel Aviv “which was looking to get rid of him,” he said.
Yasser Arafat died in France in 2004 after falling sick a month earlier. His body was exhumed in November 2012 after continuing claims from his widow, Suha Arafat, that he was murdered.
Many Palestinians believe that Israel was responsible for poisoning the late Palestinian leader. However, Tel Aviv has denied any connection to Arafat’s death. (T/P02/P03)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
