http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/337789Ramallah -
The body of Yasser Arafat, former leader of the Palestine Liberation
Organization (PLO), was exhumed early Tuesday morning so samples could be taken
as part of an investigation into the cause of his death.
The area around the grave, which is located in a mausoleum
inside the Muqataa presidential compound, has been sealed off for two weeks so
that workers could remove layers of stone and concrete from the tomb.
Surrounded by blue tarpaulins, the exhumation took place out of the public eye
and without media presence. Arafat's remains were taken to a nearby mosque
where samples were taken.
In an effort to determine if Arafat was poisoned, experts
from France , Russia
and Switzerland
took samples from Arafat's remains and will examine them in their respective
countries according to a BBC report.
The experts will be testing to see if polonium-210 or
other lethal substances are present in the remains.
In July, Suha Arafat, widow of the former Palestinian
leader, spoke with Al
Jazeera and stated she wanted Arafat's body exhumed because she
believed he may have been poisoned with polonium. Suha gave Al Jazeera the
clothing worn by Arafat prior to him becoming ill. According to the New
York Times, the clothing was taken to the University
of Lausanne ’s Institute
of Radiation Physics in Switzerland
for examination. Doctors found a "high level" of the toxic isotope
polonium 210 on the clothing. They subsequently suggested the body be exhumed
so the remains could also be tested the presence of the isotope.
Tawfiq Tirawi, leader of the committee investigating
Arafat's death, believes that Arafat was intentionally poisoned with polonium.
The exhumation was conducted with a military ceremony. When
asked why the exhumation could not be witnessed by the media, Tirawi said
"Because [of the] sanctity of the symbol and the
sanctity of this event, [the exhumation] should not be permitted to be in front
of the media."
Arafat's body has been returned and the tomb has been
resealed.
Experts expect the examination and testing of the remains to
be a lengthy process, sayingresults
will not be available for several months.
Regardless of the results, it does not appear as if the
matter will be closed any time soon. Tirawi told WAFA:
“We are convinced Israel
assassinated Arafat… and no matter what the results given by Russian, Swiss and
French experts will be, the case will remain open.”
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