[pyritechips]

LONDON - Polonium first hit the headlines when it was used to kill KGB agent-turned-Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006.

This week, Yasser Arafat's widow has called for the late Palestinian leader's body to be exhumed after scientists in Switzerland found elevated traces of radioactive polonium-210 on clothing he allegedly wore before his death in 2004.



Has assassination replaced diplomacy in international affairs?

[ekim68]

Assassinations have always been Political, or Religious, eh?

[aka Brett]

what is the original claim for cause of death

[nittiley]

looks possible
although there is likely a good bit in human history where meetings of diplomacy were a guise for something else .

not sure if this historical situation applies, since it's short on details.

Wallace evaded capture by the English until 5 August 1305 when John de Menteith, a Scottish knight loyal to Edward, turned Wallace over to English soldiers at Robroyston near Glasgow. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wallace

polonium-210 makes the situation more efficient & deadly than in times past. eeeeeek -- definitely not human progress!!

[buffoon]

Originally Posted by aka Brett

what is the original claim for cause of death

There lies the rub, a satisfactory diagnosis was never supplied.

[buffoon]

High likelihood that he was (some go so far as to say he certainly should have been).

Question is who dunit.

Made himself a nice long list of potential candidates in his time.

[Bastiat]

Was Arafat Murdered?

God I hope so!

[Littlefield]

Originally Posted by Bastiat

God I hope so!

Indeed

[nittiley]

Officials say that with Arafat locked in to his headquarters, there was no need to kill him, and argue that an assassination would only have destabilized what already was a difficult period of heavy fighting. Senior Palestinian officials have repeatedly accused Israel of killing Arafat, saying it had the means, motive and opportunity.

A renewed investigation could lead to uncomfortable questions for the Palestinian leadership. If an autopsy was to reveal that Arafat was indeed poisoned, the probe would also have to look at Palestinians who had access to him.

http://www.mercurynews.com/nation-wo...leader-oks-his

wonder what kind of *explanations* will result, given the above?

Polonium-210 is a highly lethal substance, and less than 1 gram (0.04 ounces) of the silver powder is sufficient to kill. Because polonium-210 decays rapidly, experts have been divided over whether testing Arafat's remains would provide a solid clue eight years after his death.

same source as above.
is the exhumation simply to bring attention to his death (for some other reason than to solve it, anti-diplomacy or ?) then?

[Wino]

I'm a firm believer in leaving sleeping dogs lie.

[1956brother]

i agree with wino...

nobody in the middle east has benefited with the death of arafat.

assassinations are very passe. today, they just arrest the opposition and throw them in jail unless, you are from pakistan.

[ekim68]

It's probably a slow News Day, Week, Month...

[nittiley]

letting sleeping dogs lie is exactly what makes me curious why stirring up anything in the oh-so-volatile middle east would happen? (although if you're the person with the murdered spouse, you'd definitely want justice.)

wonder why assassinations & incarcerations can't be passe, with more diplomacy instead?

& someone can fill slow news days better, can't they?

ok, dreaming over!

[pyritechips]

Originally Posted by nittiley

letting sleeping dogs lie is exactly what makes me curious why stirring up anything in the oh-so-volatile middle east would happen? (although if you're the person with the murdered spouse, you'd definitely want justice.)

wonder why assassinations & incarcerations can't be passe, with more diplomacy instead?

& someone can fill slow news days better, can't they?

ok, dreaming over!

That first bolded comment bothered me but I didn't know why when I first read it, but now re-reading it along with the seconded bolded comment made me realize why. I think it comes down to a parochial bias. Arafat and the Palestinians have long been demonized as terrorists (and I am NOT reopening that argument here!) so the "dog" metaphor seems apropos to anybody supporting that belief. Let's consider the sudden demise of, hypothetically speaking, George Bush junior wherein the cause of death was inconclusive, ie. a mystery, then years later a possible method and agent was discovered. How many people would say "let sleeping dogs lie"?

[nittiley]

Originally Posted by pyritechips

That first bolded comment bothered me but I didn't know why when I first read it, but now re-reading it along with the seconded bolded comment made me realize why. I think it comes down to a parochial bias. Arafat and the Palestinians have long been demonized as terrorists (and I am NOT reopening that argument here!) so the "dog" metaphor seems apropos to anybody supporting that belief. Let's consider the sudden demise of, hypothetically speaking, George Bush junior wherein the cause of death was inconclusive, ie. a mystery, then years later a possible method and agent was discovered. How many people would say "let sleeping dogs lie"?

i didn't think much of the expression, other than to leave well enough alone, but i'm glad you pointed it up! it's definitely a expression that it's better not to use in this situation.. maybe not in many others as well?

i certainly didn't infer any demonization (canine-ization?) of any palestinians. i've worked with both arab & jewish people, and find them both to be wonderful, delightful people. i realise it's completely naive to believe or hope they'll ever get along, but knowing both cultures as an *outsider* it's truly a shame they don't have peaceful relations.