French official: Arafat to be exhumed in November

Tuesday October 30, 2012 9:00 AM

MOHAMMED DARAGHMEH

The Associated Press

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — A French official says criminal investigators from France will exhume Yasser Arafat's remains next month to try to find out how the Palestinian leader died.

Palestinian authorities confirmed the timetable and said a separate Swiss investigative team would arrive in the West Bank city of Ramallah at the same time. No exact date was disclosed.

All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

The push to re-examine circumstances surrounding Arafat's November 2004 death came after a Swiss lab recently discovered traces of polonium-210, a deadly radioactive isotope, on clothes said to be his.

The discovery revived suspicions of poisoning.

The immediate cause of Arafat's death was a stroke, but the underlying source of an illness he suffered in his final weeks has never been clear.

©2013 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Currently in Columbus
79°
Partly Cloudy

Today

Full schedule
8:00
Crimetime Saturday - Elementary
9:00
Crimetime Saturday - Criminal Minds
10:00
48 Hours Special: The War In Chicago
11:00
10TV News @ 11PM
11:35
Wall to Wall Sports