What killed Arafat? Palestinians will be informed soon

The medical file of the deceased Palestinian leader &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/world/20/91/366/14554_.html ' target=_blank>Yasser Arafat is done and is expected to be handed over to his legal assignees "without delay", French Defense Ministry said on Friday, while one of Arafat's nephews is heading for Paris.

According to a Palestinian official, Arafat's nephew, Nasser al-Qidwa, left Gaza on Friday and is on his way to Paris to pick up the file as his next of kin.

"We have worked four days on this file. It's ready to be given to the next of kin according to applicable rules," a Defense Ministry source said.

"On the kin list, there's no priority order. A nephew is justified to ask for the medical file, for the same reason as a wife or a child," the ministry said, without specifying the date for transfer, as Xinhua News reported.

Nearly a week after his death, speculation still swirls around what killed Yasser Arafat. Cirrhosis of the liver, &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/printed.html?news_id=14436 ' target=_blank>AIDS, a blood disorder and poisoning are frequently mentioned in unconfirmed reports — all consistent with the little that is publicly known about the medical condition that landed the Palestinian leader in a French hospital.

"The full medical report of President Arafat is a historical document for the Palestinian people," Hassan Abu Libdeh, the Palestinian Cabinet secretary, said on Thursday.

"We will get the report and the Palestinian Authority will take the necessary decisions, including informing the Palestinian people about the full details of the report", wrote the Economic Times.

According to the Guardian, officials here insist that French law prevents them from making Arafat's medical records public - but they can give them to family members, who can then reveal information if they wish.