Yasir Arafat

Chronology of Coverage

1. Dec. 27, 2013

   Russian investigation into death of former Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat concludes that his death was not caused by radiation; finding comes after French inquiry found traces of radioactive isotope of polonium and Swiss investigation said time frame of Arafat’s illness and death was consistent with that of polonium poisoning. MORE

2. Dec. 4, 2013

   French investigators studying the remains of Yasir Arafat conclude that the Palestinian leader most likely did not die of radiation poisoning. MORE

3. Nov. 9, 2013

   Abdullah Bashir, Palestinian official in charge of investigating 2004 death of Yasir Arafat, renews his accusation that Israel had poisoned Arafat with radioactive polonium-210, despite lack of sufficient evidence. MORE

4. Nov. 7, 2013

   Swiss scientists post forensics report that lends support to theory that Yasir Arafat, symbol of Palestinian national struggle, died of poisoning with radioactive polonium-210; findings, which take into account analytical limitations, come after nine years of mystery and intrigue surrounding Arafat's death. MORE

5. Oct. 16, 2013

   Vladimir Uiba, head of Russia's forensics agency, says that samples from body of Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat revealed no traces of radioactive polonium; findings, if confirmed, would deal blow to Palestinian suspicions that Arafat was assassinated by Israel. MORE

6. Nov. 28, 2012

   Op-Ed article by author Bess Lovejoy, citing exhumation of former Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat, questions when scientific imperative shades into idle curiosity. MORE

7. Nov. 14, 2012

   Palestinian authorities are preparing to exhume body of Yasir Arafat four months after television investigation raised new suspicions that he was poisoned. MORE

8. Oct. 31, 2012

   French criminal investigators will exhume remains of Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat to try to determine cause of death; push to re-examine Arafat's 2004 death is prompted by Swiss lab's discovery of traces of polonium 210, deadly radioactive isotope, on clothes said to be his. MORE

9. Aug. 29, 2012

   French court will open a homicide investigation into the 2004 death of the former Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat; Arafat's widow, Suha, had petitioned for an investigation after a Swiss laboratory suggested that he may have been exposed to the radioactive isotope polonium 210. MORE

10. Aug. 1, 2012

    Suhu Arafat, widow of the former Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat, petitions French authorities to investigate his death in 2004 as a homicide; request comes after a Swiss laboratory found that Arafat may have been poisoned with polonium 210, a rare radioactive isotope. MORE

11. Jul. 5, 2012

    Suha Arafat, Yasir Arafat's widow, calls for the exhumation of her husband's body, after Al Jazeera, the Arabic television channel, reported that he might have been poisoned with polonium, a radioactive element associated with KGB-style assassination intrigues; the report in Al Jazeera rekindles unresolved questions about the death and theories that Arafat had been killed by agents of Israel or by Palestinian rivals. MORE

12. Jul. 4, 2012

    Suha Arafat, widow of Yasir Arafat, will seek permission to exhume his remains for an inquest following a report by Al Jazeera that he may have been poisoned with a rare radioactive isotope; Arafat, the father figure of Palestinian nationalism, died mysteriously in 2004. MORE

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Articles

Attacks on Fatah Sites Sharpen Tensions in Gaza

By ISABEL KERSHNER and MAJD AL WAHEIDI

The series of explosions, which caused property damage but no casualties, sharpened mistrust between Fatah and its longtime rival, Hamas. No group has taken responsibility for the blasts.

November 8, 2014, Saturday

John Edwin Mroz, Clandestine Envoy to Arafat, Dies at 66

By BRUCE WEBER

Mr. Mroz was a co-founder and the chief executive of the EastWest Institute, a New York-based group specializing in international conflict resolution.

September 3, 2014, Wednesday

The Man on the Wall

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

Ariel Sharon was an enduring presence in Israeli political life.

January 15, 2014, Wednesday

Russian Inquiry Finds No Radiation Link to Arafat’s Death

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Teams of scientists from France, Switzerland and Russia had been asked to determine whether polonium played a role in the 2004 death of Yasir Arafat, the former Palestinian leader.

December 27, 2013, Friday

Tests on Arafat Find No Proof of Radiation Poisoning

By SCOTT SAYARE

French investigators’ conclusion partly contradicted and partly confirmed those of Swiss scientists who found abnormal polonium-210 levels in the remains of Yasir Arafat.

December 4, 2013, Wednesday

Palestinian Investigator Blames Israel in Arafat’s Death

By SAID GHAZALI and JODI RUDOREN

Though conceding there was not enough evidence that Yasir Arafat was poisoned with a radioactive substance, Palestinians said Israel was the main suspect.

November 9, 2013, Saturday

Swiss Report Supports Theory Arafat Was Poisoned

By ISABEL KERSHNER

A forensics report said that taking into account analytical limitations, its findings “moderately support the proposition” that Yasir Arafat’s death was the consequence of polonium poisoning.

November 7, 2013, Thursday

Latin America Brings Up Its Dead, Seeking Truth to Help Settle the Past

By SIMON ROMERO

Exhuming the remains of the notable dead has become increasingly common in Latin American countries. Brazil, the latest, plans to exhume a former civilian president to investigate assassination claims.

October 17, 2013, Thursday

Russia: Head of Agency Claims It Found No Poison on Palestinian Leader’s Body

By REUTERS

The head of a Russian forensics agency said Tuesday that samples from the body of Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat had revealed no traces of radioactive polonium, a Russian news agency reported.

October 16, 2013, Wednesday

Israel Should Annul the Oslo Accords

By DANNY DANON

The government of Israel should declare that the Oslo process has failed. Only then will we have the opportunity to lay the foundations for a more realistic peace.

September 21, 2013, Saturday