Posted on 11/10/2004 2:47:53 PM PST by yonif
Requests by international visitors to attend Arafat's funeral have already started coming in, Deputy Internal Security Minister Yaakov Edri, who is filling in for Gideon Ezra while he is abroad, said Wednesday.
A farewell ceremony for Arafat will be held in Cairo's International Airport on Thursday. Arafat's funeral will be held in Ramallah on Friday.
French President Jacques Chirac has alerted Israel that he will attend the funeral. German's Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer will attend the ceremony in Cairo, as will the deputy foreign ministers of Britain, Russia and Spain. United Nations' Kofi Annan, however, is not expected to arrive.
The United States and some European states are not planning to send their heads of states to a funeral for the ailing Arafat, but will send cabinet ministers or diplomats instead, diplomats said Tuesday.
While the 75-year-old Arafat's health sharply deteriorated Tuesday, countries were discussing how to pay their respects to a man who was seen as the father of the Palestinian nation and ther father of modern terrorism.
For the United States, the issue is a double-edged diplomatic sword.
President George W. Bush has sidelined Arafat since the start of his presidency.
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said no decisions had been made but several options were being considered for the funeral, from sending US Secretary of State Colin Powell to having former US presidents attend, such as Bill Clinton or Jimmy Carter.
European diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, said EU member states were coordinating, and representation at the funeral would probably be at the ministerial level.
Opportunity for Palestinian work accident.
All we need now is for Jimmy Carter to drag himself over the casket, kissing it and crying ceaselessly!
Perfect! After all being terrorist appeasers they can easily identify.
BTW, Arafat's body may be getting some respect, but the second he draws his last breath here, he'll be standing with heels locked before the God of the Universe and things will be getting uncomfortably warm.
Send Babwa Stweisand.
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