… around access to Yasir Arafat’s medical records. The Jerusalem Post has a good rundown of the family tug-of-war between Arafat’s nephew and Palestinian UN envoy Nasser al-Kidwa and the recently-deceased terror master’s “charming widow.” Debka, however, has a much juicier report:
Arafat’s widow absconds to Tunis with his medical files ahead of his nephew al-Kidwa’s arrival in Paris to collect them.
French defense ministry says al Kidwa is entitled to access medical information on Arafat‚Äôs never-publicly-diagnosed illness. But Suha’s lawyers say only children and widow
She took the files and ran after Palestinian TV broadcast Friday sermon threatening her life. She used Arafat’s plane, flouting Palestinian Authority’s demands for its return.
PA hoped to publish record and lay to rest rumors of foul play, including Israeli poison. DEBKAfile’s Paris sources convinced widow will hold onto medical files as collateral for agreed PA payments and as leverage to help radicals Kadoumi, Mussa Arafat and Force 17 commander foil Abbas’s bid for succession.
All those people chasing around after one dead man’s medical records. Where are Blake Edwards and Preston Sturges when we need them? Of course, the MacGuffin in these kinds of stories is often a disappointment. But in this case it may be interesting.
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