Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat suffers from low count of white blood
cells, Palestinian official sources quoted his doctors as saying late Thursday.
The sources said this could have been triggered by an inflammation caused by
virus or blood poisoning. Previous reports said Arafat suffered from a serious
stomach flu.
Arafat's senior advisor Nabil Abu Rudeina said the leader was now in stable
conditions but doctors had advised Arafat to receive follow-up checks abroad as
they deemed it necessary. Arafat, who has taken ill for the past two weeks,
would be airlifted to Paris early Friday for treatment.
Palestinian sources said they were making contacts with the US administration
and other international sides to guarantee that Arafat would be able to return
to the territories after receiving medical treatment in France.
According to one of Arafat's medical consultants, the departure was scheduled
at 6:30 a.m. (0430 GMT).
Two Jordanian helicopters will airlift Arafat from the West Bankcity to
Amman, where he will take a French plane to Paris, Jordan's official Petra News
Agency reported.
