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French Doctors Say Arafat's Alive

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Nov 4, 11:54 AM (ET)

(AP) Under a portrait of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia talks to...
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PARIS (AP) - French doctors announced Thursday that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who is in intensive care at a French military hospital, is still alive.

"The clinical situation of the first fews days following admission has become more complex," Christian Estripeau, head of communications for French military health services.

"The state of health of the patient requires appropriate treatment that required his transfer on Wednesday afternoon of Nov. 3 to a unit adapted to his pathology," Estripeau said.

"Mr. Arafat is not dead," he said, concluding the brief statement.

"This statement has been drafted out of respect for the discretion demanded by his wife," he said.

The statement put to rest for now reports that Arafat has died. Israeli TV on Thursday cited sources as saying Arafat had died, but the Palestinian prime minister denied the report.

Israeli TV's Channel Two cited Israeli security officials as saying they had been told by a reliable French source that Arafat had died.

However, Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia said there has been no change in Arafat's condition. Palestinian officials said Arafat was in a coma in the intensive care unit of a French military hospital.