A seriously ill Yasser Arafat, one of the world’s most malignant terrorists, was transported to France to undergo medical treatment. It’s no surprise that France would offer her services , since France has been a steady friend to Arafat for many years.
Will John Kerry take the time away from his floundering campaign to visit this mass murderer, who he called “a great statesman” and a “good role model”? From Newsday:
RAMALLAH, West Bank – After a confused 24 hours in which his aides described him as both close to death and near normal, Yasser Arafat bowed to the urging of his wife late yesterday and agreed to be flown to Paris for medical treatment.
Dozens of doctors from the Palestinian territories, Tunisia, Jordan and Egypt had arrived to examine Arafat, who lost consciousness during a meal the night before, but they were unable to explain his low blood count, weakness and confusion.
There was chaos at the entrance to his compound yesterday, a compound that has essentially been his prison for more than two years. A handful of soldiers tried to hold back hundreds of journalists as a steady stream of cars rushed in and out of the former British police station known as the Muqata, a 400- by 400-yard square of buildings and cars largely destroyed by Israel after two Palestinian suicide attacks in 2002.
Outside, Ibrahim al Rafi, mayor of a nearby village, shouted his support for the 75-year-old leader: “He is a lion. The president will never die. He will always be immortal in our hearts.” Inside, doctors and aides pondered what to do with the ailing president of the Palestinian Authority.
In other parts of Ramallah, political leaders met to discuss a future without Arafat.
While Arafat insisted he would not leave the home to which Israel confined him after the 2002 bombings, doctors agreed he should be flown abroad for more tests. Some suggested Jordan, others France.
Tests showed he had a falling white blood cell count, which could be associated with cancer and a host of other diseases.
