Arafat’s widow demands justice over poisoning

Yasser Arafat’s widow said today the Palestinian leadership must seek justice for her husband after Swiss scientists found evidence suggesting he was poisoned by the radioactive substance polonium-210.

Suha Arafat was speaking today after she received the results of an examination of her husband’s remains.

Arafat died in 2004 in France, a month after falling ill at his Israeli-besieged West Bank compound. Palestinian officials have alleged Israel poisoned Arafat, a claim Israel denies.

Suha Arafat did not mention Israel, but said that only countries with nuclear capabilities have access to polonium. She said her husband’s death was a crime and that his successors “have to find the tools and pursue the legal case” in international courts.

Palestinian officials plan a news conference tomorrow.

Israel insisted today it did not poison Arafat.

"We never made a decision to harm him physically," energy minister Silvan Shalom, who in 2004 served as foreign minister and as a member of Israel's security cabinet, told Israel Radio.

“In my opinion, this is a tempest in a tea cup. But even if it was (poisoning), it certainly was not Israel. Maybe someone else inside had thoughts or an interest to do it.”

In the occupied West Bank, a senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization issued a new call for an international investigation into Arafat's death.

“This matter warrants the formation of an international judicial body to look into it and hold accountable the perpetrator,” Wasel Abu Yousef said.

“The one who had an interest in his death was the occupation (Israel),” he added.

Chief Palestinian peace negotiator Saeb Erekat made an appeal for an international tribunal over Arafat’s death last year, when the Qatar-based news channel first disclosed the presence of the polonium on the late president’s clothing.