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Tawfiq Tirawi
Head of Palestinian Investigation Committee

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Frederik Pleitgen
Ramallah, West Bank

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In the West Bank, scientists are preparing to exhume the body of Yasser Arafat on Tuesday.
details from C-N-N's Fred Pleitgen in Ramallah.

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EVEN EIGHT YEARS AFTER YASSER ARAFAT'S DEATH - THE CIRCUMSTANCES REMAIN A MYSTERY.
WAS THE PALESTINIAN LEADER POISONED?
A TEAM OF INTERNATIONAL SCIENTISTS WILL TRY TO FIND CLUES
WORKING BEHIND THIS BLUE TARPAULIN
EXHUMING ARAFAT'S BODY AND TAKING SAMPLES FOR FORENSIC ANALYSIS
"I consider it a painful necessity. This is necessary to reach the truth in the death of president Yasser Arafat."
ARAFAT DIED IN 2004 AFTER A SHORT AND SEVERE ILLNESS - DOCTORS WERE NEVER ABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF DEATH.
EVEN AS HIS BODY WAS LAID TO REST - RUMORS BEGAN TO CIRCULATE - YASSER ARAFAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN MURDERED.
A RECENT INVESTIGATION FOUND TRACES OF THE RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCE POLONIUM - WHICH HAS BEEN USED IN ASSASSINATIONS IN THE PAST - ON SOME OF THE PALESTINIAN LEADER'S BELONGINGS.
FRENCH AUTHORITIES HAVE LAUNCHED A MURDER PROBE.
NOW EXPERT TEAMS FROM FRANCE, SWITZERLAND AND RUSSIA WILL EXAMINE ARAFAT'S REMAINS - ALSO LOOKING FOR A POSSIBLE POLONIUM CONCENTRATION.
"The exhumation process will only take a few hours. The samples will then be independently analyzed at labs in France, Switzerland and Russia. But it is not clear how long it will take before first results will be made public."
IN HIS LIFETIME AND EVEN AFTER HIS DEATH - YASSER ARAFAT REMAINS A TOWERING FIGURE FOR PALESTINIANS&
BUT DESPITE WANTING TO KNOW THE CIRCUMSTANCES BEHIND HIS ILLNESS - NOT EVERYONE AGREES WITH THE EXHUMATION.
"I don't support the exhumation process because the opening of the grave is disrespectful and insulting."
"I have no objection to exhuming him as long its done by professionals and in full respect of the leader."
"of course I am against it. It is insulting to the martyr and the Palestinian people."
THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY HAS ACCUSED ISRAEL OF BEING BEHIND ANY POISONING OF ARAFAT.
A CLAIM THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT REFUSES TO COMMENT ON.
IT'S NOT CLEAR IF POLONIUM CAN STILL BE TRACED ON HIS REMAINS EIGHT YEARS AFTER THE PALESTINIAN LEADER'S DEATH.
BUT IF HEIGHTENED LEVELS ARE FOUND - THE NEXT QUESTION FOR INVESTIGATORS WOULD THEN BE: WHO IS BEHIND YASSER ARAFAT'S DEATH?
FRED PLEITGEN CNN RAMALLAH.

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--KEYWORD TAGS--
YASSER ARAFAT EXHUMATION