BEIJING, Nov. 8 (Xinhuanet) -- The head of the office for Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's, Tayeb Abdel Rahim, says the ailing President will reject his wife's claims that the visit by Palestinian leaders was to "bury him alive."

    In an interview with pan-Arab al-Jazeera TV, the President's wife Suha Arafat angrily said the Palestinian leaders who planned to visit Arafat in Paris wanted to bury him so they can inherit his power.

    Palestinian officials including Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei, had been scheduled to fly to Paris on Monday but cancelled the visit after Suha's accusation.

    Rahim said that "the leaders are not Arafat's successors, but his companions."

    The 75-year-old veteran leader was transferred to the Percy Military Hospital outside Paris late in October because his health condition was deteriorating rapidly.

    Conflicting reports emerged about Arafat's condition, with some saying Arafat is brain-dead and on a life support machine, while others say he is in a critical but stable condition. Enditem

(CRIENGLISH.com)