PA leaders cancel Paris trip in uproar over Arafat's wife

BenReilly · Nov 8, 2004

Palestinian leaders abruptly canceled a trip to Paris on Monday to check on the condition of Yasser Arafat, after Arafat's wife publicly accused them of seeking to "bury alive" the ailing PA chairman, a Palestinian official said Monday.

Former Palestinian prime minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), current Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia (Abu Ala) and Foreign Minister Nabil Sha'ath were to have left early Monday for Paris, where they had been expected to announce the Palestinian leader's death.

But in what she called "an appeal to the Palestinian people," broadcast live by the pan-Arab network, Suha Arafat accused Palestinian officials on their way to Paris of conspiring to usurp the role her husband has held for four decades as Palestinian leader.

"Let it be known to the honest Palestinian people that a bunch of those who want to inherit are coming to Paris," she screamed in Arabic over the telephone.

"You have to realize the size of the conspiracy. I tell you they are trying to bury Abu Ammar alive," she continued, using Arafat's nom de guerre. "He is all right and he is going home. God is great."

(...)
On Sunday, Hamas and Islamic Jihad sources began attacking Abbas and Qureia personally and undermining their legitimacy as leaders of the Palestinian cause. Apparently the groups' real demand is for the immediate formation of a joint leadership representing all the organizations which will make immediate decisions until elections are held in the territories.
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http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/498661.html

Dan Loney · Nov 8, 2004

Someone's been reading about Nancy Reagan and Edith Wilson.

Dr. Wankler · Nov 8, 2004

And here I thought "PA" meant "Pennsylvania."

Well, I guess my questions about Ed Rendell's vacation plans are still unanswered. But regarding the actual story, BBC played part of the interview this morning. When they write in the Haaratz article Ben posted ""Let it be known to the honest Palestinian people that a bunch of those who want to inherit are coming to Paris," she screamed in Arabic over the telephone." they're not kidding about the screaming. She was pissed.

Peretz48 · Nov 8, 2004

Wah Wah Wah!!!!!!!!!!!!

352klr · Nov 8, 2004

Dr. Wankler said:

And here I thought "PA" meant "Pennsylvania."

Well, I guess my questions about Ed Rendell's vacation plans are still unanswered. But regarding the actual story, BBC played part of the interview this morning. When they write in the Haaratz article Ben posted ""Let it be known to the honest Palestinian people that a bunch of those who want to inherit are coming to Paris," she screamed in Arabic over the telephone." they're not kidding about the screaming. She was pissed.
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She's just pissed because she's not going to be able to afford all her Paris shopping sprees anymore.

Claymore · Nov 8, 2004

The woman hasn't seen her husband in three years, she lives in Paris on the generosity of the Palestinian Authority (well, Arafat) while thousands of Palestinians live on squalor.

She knows full well that her gravy train ride ends when her husband dies, so she's trying to set herself up as some kind of martyr.