Arafat in coma

That was the rumour, yes. But there hasn't been an official announcement. Until it's on CNN or BBC, don't believe it. Many sources just publish anything, hoping to be the first.

Ice

I disagree. In the long term not too much will change. The "situation there" wasn't nice the past century nor will it be nice in the near future. The Israelis will have their way? Because the Palestinians lost their leader? I don't think so. The basical conflict stays the same, the Israelis have their country, the Palestinians don't. Maybe they have not much hope or not anyone strong enough to follow Arafat, but will they be vanished or at least quiet anytime soon?

Yes. Without a leader they can't make it. There's already too much hatred among the Palestinians for them to stay together and don't think for a minute that Israel won't use the situation.

Ice

it actually doesn't really matter whether they say now that he's dead, or later. but to clear up the discussion a little bit: coma stage 4 is just a nice word for brain death. and when his doctors say he's brain dead (which one of them said in a interview on tv yesterday) or he's in "the deepest coma" (which the other doctors say, and which means coma stage 4, which is the same thing), then i don't care whether the officials declare him dead or not. the only reason, why they say he's not yet dead, is because they would have to burry him during 24 hours after his death, so they wanna get some time. they also said they will turn off the machines as soon as they know where to burry him. but it's only allowed to turn machines off if somebody is already brain dead, so otherwise they would not make such a statement. believe it or not. for me he is dead.

but i'm not gonna fight over such a sad topic.

None of the doctors treating Arafat have said anything. It's all justs rumours from "inside sources".

There's no need to fight, because you don't know anything about it. You choose to believe rumours, that's fine. But you don't _know_ anything. The worldwide news agencies are at the scene talking to people, and they publish only what is certain. So, Arafat is neither dead or braindead yet. He's in a bad state, but not dead.

Ice

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/mid...st/3984711.stm

not looking too promising.