November 6, 2004
LOVE ME LIKE A ROCK (via Robert Schwartz):
Suspicions grow that Arafat is dying of AIDS (israelinsider staff, November 6, 2004)
Former White House speechwriter David Frum has joined the growing chorus of pundits, medical experts, and intelligence operatives who claim Yasser Arafat is likely suffering from AIDS.Frum, a key figure in Republican politics and the man who coined the terms "axis of evil," writes in National Review Online that Arafat's undisclosed illness is well-known, but has been kept under wraps by the mainstream media.
"Speaking of media bias, here's a question you won't hear in our big papers or on network TV: Does Yasser Arafat have AIDS?" asks Frum, who also writes for the National Post.
"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 one-third of all his body weight. We know that he is suffering intermittent mental dysfunction. What does this sound like?"
Earlier, John Loftus told John Batchelor on ABC radio on October 26 that Arafat is dying from AIDS. Loftus said the CIA has known this about Arafat for quite awhile and that as a result the US has encouraged Sharon not to take Arafat out because the US has known Arafat was about done. It was deemed better to have Arafat discredited as a homosexual.
Although homosexuality is rife in the Arab world, it is at least officially consider a sin and a crime, and regarded--especially in fundamentalist circles--as a mark of great shame and depravity.
The story's obviously fun, but why wouldn't the Israelis have outed him years ago? Posted by Orrin Judd at November 6, 2004 6:47 PM
If the Israelis out him, it discredits the story.
He's been rumored to be gay for decades -- when the Palestinians started to believe the rumors, Arafat took a wife. Strangely, they always lived in separate cities and rarely saw one another.
Posted by: pj at November 6, 2004 8:32 PMWell there's an image I could have done without: Arafat bent over the arm of a sofa. Yecch.
Posted by: Governor Breck at November 6, 2004 8:39 PMWith leukemia and other forms of cancer ruled out, the list of possible diseases is narrowing.
A low blood platelet count is a sign of a weakened immune system. In addition to cancer, the low count could be attributed to bleeding ulcers, colitis, liver disease, lupus, or HIV. Ulcers and colitis have already been ruled out.
Arafat has lost a considerable amount of body weight. Hopital d'Instruction des Armees de Percy, where Arafat is staying, has some of France's best HIV/AIDS doctors.
For several years there have been suggestions that Arafat was bisexual. His wife lives separately in Paris. Ion Pacepa, the chief of Romanian foreign intelligence under the Ceaucescu regime, has written that the Romanian government had eavesdropped on Arafat while he was visiting that country, and that on the tape Arafat was having orgies with his body guards.
However there is currently no direct evidence (so far) that it is AIDS.
Posted by: Gideon at November 6, 2004 9:06 PMMy recollection is that Orianna Falluci (sp?) also reported on his homosexuality.
Posted by: Fred Jacobsen (San Fran) at November 6, 2004 9:46 PMBecause if he were seen as an AIDS victim it would only further ingratiate him with the girlymen of Old Europe and the American State Department.
Posted by: Bart at November 6, 2004 10:10 PMa book I read years ago by a former Mossad agent said the Israelis used his bisexuality as a lever against hom...essentially blackmailing him at several crucial points
Posted by: cornetofhorse at November 6, 2004 10:18 PMMy guess is that it would have gotten a big so what, among arab audiences.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at November 6, 2004 11:30 PMWhat's Andrew Sullivans' position on this?
Posted by: genecis at November 7, 2004 11:19 AM