Arafat 'weak with flu'

Yasser Arafat’s advisers denied a report today that he suffered a mild heart attack, but said the 74-year-old Palestinian leader was suffering from a stomach flu and continues to be weak.

In brief appearances this week, Arafat looked drawn and pale and his lower lip trembled. He spoke with great effort and with prompting from his chief adviser, Nabil Abu Rdeneh.

The Guardian quoted Arafat aides as saying he had a “slight heart attack” last week, but that the incident was kept secret for fear of creating panic.

Palestinian Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat denied that Arafat suffered a heart attack, saying the Palestinian leader is battling a stomach virus.

On September 29, Arafat’s personal physician, Dr Ashraf al-Kurdi rushed from Jordan to Arafat’s compound in the West Bank town of Ramallah to examine the Palestinian leader.

At the time, Arafat had been unable to keep down his food for three days, and Palestinian sources said he feared he had been poisoned.

Al-Kurdi, accompanied by a neurologist, an internist and a heart specialist, said after the check-up that Arafat was suffering from a stomach flu and that he was in relatively good health.