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Late Palestinian Authority chairman Yasser Arafat in his Ramallah office in December, 2001. (Archives)
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Last update - 10:32 12/08/2007
Arafat's doctor: There was HIV in his blood, but poison killed him
By Danny Rubinstein , Haaretz Correspondent

Late Palestinian Authority chairman Yasser Arafat's blood contained the deadly HIV virus, Arafat's personal physician told Jordanian media over the weekend. Dr. Ashraf al-Kurdi stressed, however, that Arafat did not die of AIDS - which is caused by the virus.

Jordanian news site Amman quoted al-Kurdi - a former Jordanian health ministry official - as saying that the virus had been injected into Arafat's bloodstream close to his death, and that the real cause of the chairman's death was poison.

Hours earlier, al-Kurdi was interviewed on television news station Al-Jazeera. However, the network cut short the live interview with al-Kurdi as soon as he mentioned that the former chairman had contracted HIV.

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To Amman, al-Kurdi said that Arafat's death was suspicious in several other respects. "I would usually be summoned to attend to Arafat immediately, even when all he had was a simple cold," said al-Kurdi, who served as Arafat's personal physician for 18 years. "But when his medical situation was really deteriorating, they chose not to call me at all."

According to al-Kurdi, Arafat's wife, Suha, refused to allow the doctor to visit Arafat in the private Paris hospital where he was being treated. Al-Kurdi added that he was denied access to Arafat's body after his death. In the Amman interview, he demanded the French government set up a commission of inquiry.

However, al-Kurdi did not explain why he did not come forth sooner and reveal the information. On September 9, 2005, al-Kurdi told Haaretz that "any doctor would tell you that [Arafat's symptoms] are the symptoms of a poisoning."

Arafat was pronounced dead on November 11 at the age of 75. The exact cause of his illness is unknown. Arab journalists and opinion-shapers have repeatedly accused Israel under former prime minister Ariel Sharon of poisoning Arafat.

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  1.   Arafat`s HIV 02:40  |  Akiva Patysh 12/08/07
  2.   interesting 02:44  |  vik 12/08/07
  3.   This Is All Have Been Rather Well-Known 03:19  |  massaraksh 12/08/07
  4.   Amazing 03:22  |  Shepherd 12/08/07
  5.   let the truth come out, whether its HIV or (unlikely) poisoning 03:23  |  Richard S 12/08/07
  6.   Arafat was Gay 03:24  |  J 12/08/07
  7.   Arafat`s AIDS 03:30  |  Sammy 12/08/07
  8.   Injected with AIDs virus 03:38  |  Bill 12/08/07
  9.   Arafat acting just like the infidel? 03:55  |  Lynn 12/08/07
  10.   How does the doctor know anything? 04:06  |  Lynn 12/08/07
  11.   arafart`s AID 04:06  |  DOV KORET 12/08/07
  12.   A Proud Day for Palestinians? 04:17  |  Yoram 12/08/07
  13.   Just another zionist assassination 05:40  |  Hannah 12/08/07
  14.   not a hero, he screwed the palestinians! 05:41  |  bashar 12/08/07
  15.   Arafat 06:18  |  Monique 12/08/07
  16.   Yet another Arabian Double Whammy 06:23  |  ariel 12/08/07
  17.   Muslim Homophobia, 06:42  |  HonestAbe 12/08/07
  18.   #1 I,ve been laughing for 5 minutes! 07:06  |  JON FEIGENBAUM 12/08/07
  19.   Is Arafat the Father or Mother of the Palestinian Revolution 07:15  |  J 12/08/07
  20.   In Lebanon they knew all along! 07:16  |  Honi 12/08/07
  21.   Injected with HIV AND poison??? 07:34  |  David G 12/08/07
  22.   Modernity?? Who needs it? 07:35  |  danite 12/08/07
  23.   Arafat HIV 07:45  |  Rick 12/08/07
  24.   Arafat was killed by Israel, I have proof 08:01  |  zaq 12/08/07
  25.   #12 Yoram 08:15  |  lakshmi 12/08/07
  26.   #13 Hannah 08:17  |  lakshmi 12/08/07
  27.   Arafat`s Death 08:20  |  Siva 12/08/07
  28.   So which of his closest friends hated him most 09:29  |  sacranit 12/08/07
  29.   The doctor`s whining 09:35  |  Hannah 12/08/07
  30.   How does Aids syringe look like and in what body part it went in? 09:58  |  Genuine Tosefta 12/08/07
  31.   Hyena #13 do not flatter yourself, you are not the entire world. 10:00  |  Genuine Tosefta 12/08/07
  32.   Denial of Arafat`s homosexuality has an important subtext 10:06  |  Michael 12/08/07
  33.   Wait till the whole truth comes out 10:18  |  Jerusalemite 12/08/07
  34.   So, he was infected by AIDS. I wonder how.....? 10:25  |  Anat 12/08/07
  35.   Arab Hannah, how is it to live in Canada and tell people 10:27  |  Anat 12/08/07
  36.   Arafat Poisoned? 11:02  |  Clickfool 12/08/07
  37.   IF HE WAS 99 THEY`D SAY ISRAEL KILLED HIM, AND THEY`D BELIEVE IT. 11:06  |  Mitch Iginer 12/08/07
  38.   Hannah-#13-Just another Jewish conspiracy? 11:11  |  Daniel Leopold 12/08/07
  39.   Arafat Killed Kennedy 11:24  |  Daniel 12/08/07
  40.   Siva # 27 11:35  |  David 12/08/07
  41.   Just lies 11:53  |  Indrajaya 12/08/07
  42.   Yes, I also wonder, how did he contract AIDS if he only met 11:53  |  Robert 12/08/07
  43.   Siva 11:54  |  ChanahS 12/08/07
  44.   Indrajaya - 11:57  |  ChanahS 12/08/07
  45.   Muslim gullibility 12:00  |  Aussie Peace 12/08/07
  46.   arafat 12:35  |  mohd amin 12/08/07
  47.   Arafat could shake that Thaaayng 12:37  |  FOX 12/08/07
  48.   And you, Indrajaya, really want us to take you seriously 12:42  |  Rami 12/08/07
  49.   Arafat vs Katsav 12:52  |  EhadHaAm 12/08/07
  50.   INDRAJAYA-What about terrorism is it allowed among moslems? 12:55  |  Marco 12/08/07
  51.   It is sad to not see a Good Arabic Leader 12:57  |  Atilla 12/08/07
  52.   That Pal doctor released by Libya gave him AIDS 12:58  |  Alan 12/08/07
  53.   OH NO!!!! 12:58  |  Miriam 12/08/07
  54.   Indra no no 13:02  |  Terror Watch 12/08/07
  55.   why this news ? 13:04  |  Atilla 12/08/07
  56.   Who wanted Arafat dead, Part II 13:04  |  FOX 12/08/07
  57.   SIVA IN NZ: COUNTLESS? DAILY? 13:05  |  Brant 12/08/07
  58.   golani 13:05  |  jews 12/08/07
  59.   #37 Mitch Iginer 13:11  |  lakshmi 12/08/07
  60.   #46 Mohd Amin - Kuwait 13:21  |  David 12/08/07
  61.   Arafat`s Rumanian exploits 13:34  |  Joel Stein 12/08/07
  62.   The Power of Probaganda 13:47  |  Karagozoglu 12/08/07
  63.   MOST PROBABLY DAHLAN (BY MOFAZ ORDERS) PUT POISON ON HIS FOODS 14:20  |  indrajaya 12/08/07
  64.   Idiot Conspiracy Theorists 14:33  |  dyinglikeflies 12/08/07
  65.   Did you go to somewhere for summer holiday ? 14:35  |  Liman 12/08/07
  66.   how much you love me :) 14:38  |  a.k. 12/08/07
  67.   Poison in his blood and millions of dollars in his account 14:55  |  ScotGuy 12/08/07
  68.   Arafat 14:57  |  gerald 12/08/07
  69.   Joel #61 15:03  |  Nad 12/08/07
  70.   Pure lies 15:13  |  Nad 12/08/07
  71.   Suha 15:16  |  Nemesis 12/08/07
  72.   Indrajaya # 63 15:17  |  ChanahS 12/08/07
  73.   miriam "chill out" 15:19  |  JON FEIGENBAUM 12/08/07
  74.   ARAFAT; "THE QUEEN" of Palestine 15:25  |  J.J. Doring 12/08/07
  75.   How stupid is Hannah?? 15:28  |  Maerton 12/08/07
  76.   # 1 Akiva--EXCELLENT!!! 15:33  |  ATLAS 12/08/07
  77.   WHY DOES ANYONE CARE AJOT 15:35  |  paul harris 12/08/07
  78.   Irrelevant Speculation 15:40  |  SM 12/08/07
  79.   Indraya, lies, you said? 15:41  |  adelphis 12/08/07
  80.   Indrajaya 15:48  |  Michael 12/08/07
  81.   #41 Indrajaya 15:51  |  Alicia 12/08/07
  82.   Arafat was poisoned?? 15:54  |  * BEN JABO