Sepcial report: Concern mounts over Arafat's health

French military doctor and spokesman General Christian Estripeau reads a statement at the entrance of the Percy Military Hospital where Palestinian President Yasser Arafat is receiving treatment in the intensive care unit November 9. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's condition has worsen overnight and he is in deeper coma, spokesman of Percy military hospital said Tuesday. (Xinhua Photo)

    CLAMART, France, Nov. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's condition has worsen overnight and he is in deeper coma, spokesman of Percy military hospital said Tuesday.

    "The state of health of President Yasser Arafat deteriorated inthe night of November 8 to 9, 2004. The state of coma which led tohis admission to the intensive care unit became deeper this morning," Gen. Christian Estripeau, the chief doctor treating Arafat, read a statement outside Percy hospital at Clamart near Paris.

    "This marks a significant step towards a development whose prognosis is doubtful," he said.

File photo of Yasser Arafat. Ailing Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat who is under intensive care in a Paris hospital has slipped into a deeper coma, said the hospital on Tuesday.(Xinhua file photo) Left to right: Acting Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) leader Mahmoud Abbas, Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath, and Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei.They had canceled the trip after Arafat's wife Suha Arafat said that they "want to bury Arafat alive" to inherit his power. But they later decided to go ahead with the trip.  (Xinhua photo) Arafat's wife Suha Arafat and their daughter, West Bank, Dec. 15, 1998. Suha said that the Palestinian leaders "want to bury Arafat alive" to inherit his power.  (Xinhua File photo)

    Arafat, 75, was hospitalized on Oct. 29 due to blood disorder.

    The statement came when four Palestinian leaders, who arrived in Paris Monday evening, are prepared to see Arafat in order to confirm in person Arafat's health condition.

    Earlier in the day, Palestinian representative in Paris Leila Shahid announced that Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei, Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath, acting Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) leader Mahmoud Abbas and Parliament Speaker Rawhi Fattuh were to see Arafat before giving a news conference scheduled for late Tuesday afternoon.

    They came to Paris amid Arafat's wife Suha Arafat's critical comments that they want to "bury Arafat alive" to inherit his power. Enditem¡¡