# Arafat in a coma?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arafat-in-a-coma/272994>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [November 4, 2004, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arafat-in-a-coma/272994 "2004-11-04T16:58:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arafat-in-a-coma/272994/1 "2004-11-04T16:58:37Z")

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There were news reports this morning that Yasser Arafat had died. Palestinian officials are denying this, but one said Arafat is in a coma. [http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/ARAFAT?SITE=DCTMS&SECTION=HOME](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/ARAFAT?SITE=DCTMS&SECTION=HOME), [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/11/04/arafat.health/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/11/04/arafat.health/index.html).

I guess this means the question of who leads the PLO and the Palestinian Authority will be settled in the next few days. Any predictions?

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**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arafat-in-a-coma/272994/2 "2004-11-04T17:32:55Z")

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Whole thing is messed up. You have Israeli TV declaring him clinically dead and The President of Luxembourg declaring him dead. The Palestinian authority saying it is not true and the French now saying he is alive.

I Don’t know what is going on, but for a man who was declared irrelevant an awful lot of people seem concerned about his state of being and what his being dead or alive means to the region right now.

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**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arafat-in-a-coma/272994/3 "2004-11-04T17:59:14Z")

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Arafat in a coma? I know, I know, it’s serious. I know, I know, it’s really serious.

There were times when I could have murdered him. But you know, I would hate anything to happen to him. Would you please let me see him?

Do you really think he’ll pull through? Do you _really_ think he’ll pull through?

(This message brought to you by Morrissey.)

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**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arafat-in-a-coma/272994/4 "2004-11-04T18:35:23Z")

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**Moderator’s Note:** Since we already have a thread going for speculations on the state of Yasir Arafat’s health (or lack thereof), I’m closing this one and directing further posts on the topic [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=284804).