Yasser Arafat 'very sick'
man whan he dies the Palestinians are going to have a civil war after all
mr Arafat holds the hole thing together
ARAFAT 'VERY SICK'
A team of emergency doctors has been rushed to the bedside of ailing Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
A Palestinian cabinet official said Arafat is "very, very sick", as leading officials were summoned to his West Bank headquarters.
Palestinian security services have been put on alert following the news.
A team of doctors was tonight sent to his Ramallah compound in the West Bank tonight to examine Arafat, 75, who has been suffering from a lengthy bout of flu.
Israeli radio reported that the he had lost consciousness, a report denied by Palestinian officials who insist his conditions is "stable".
It has also been reported that Arafat has been given permission by Israel to leave his compound to seek hospital treatment. He has been under virtual house arrest for three years.
Arafat had an exploratory operation earlier this week after suffering stomach pains and vomiting.
Doctors carried out an endoscopy, an investigative procedure in which a small scope is inserted into the body.
Israel had given permission for Arafat to leave his compound for the treatment, but he refused.
Arafat's foreign minister, Nabil Shaath, said this week that the leader was in pain because of serious intestinal flu but doctors flown in earlier this week from Egypt and Tunisia expected him to recover.
Questions about Arafat's health have raised Palestinian fears of a bloody succession struggle after his death. He has never picked a successor.
Source : Sky News
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