Has Arafat been poisoned?

What Arafat might be dying of has been conspicuously not mentioned, leading to many speculations. Of course, some Palestinians have hatched a conspiracy theory about Israel poisoning Arafat. The PLO's news service, WAFA, with a straight face demands an inquiry into the exact manner of his poisoning. "We have the right to know the type, the source of the poison as well as the antidote and how to get it," writes WAFA's political editor.

More interesting, though, is the plausible thesis that the "president" is dying of AIDS. We know he has a blood disease that is depressing his immune system. We know that he has suddenly dropped considerable weight – possibly as much as 1/3 of all his body weight. We know that he is suffering intermittent mental dysfunction. What does this sound like?

The farce is complete, and Arafat dies as wretchedly as he lived.