Mixed Emotions as World Wakes to Arafat's Death

Yasser Arafat, who spearheaded an ultimately unsuccessful struggle for Palestinian statehood for the last four decades, died Thursday in a French military hospital at the age of 75.

"Our president, our leader, the holder of the flag to the new future, brother Yasser Arafat, passed away at 4:30 this morning (3:30 CET)," Tayeb Abdelrahim, the head of the Palestinian Authority leader's office, told reporters outside Arafat's Muqataa headquarters.

"The Palestinian leadership mourns with our people, with the Arab nation, with the whole of humanity, (the loss of) the tutor, the leader, the son of Palestine, its symbol, the builder of its modern nationalism and the hero of its battle for freedom and independence," he said.

Arafat had been critically ill in the Percy military hospital outside Paris since being airlifted to France on Oct. 29 from the West Bank headquarters where he had been kept under virtual house arrest by Israel for almost three years.

He had been in a coma since the middle of last week and had been placed on a life support machine.

Arafat, who was born in 1929, was probably the world's best known guerrilla leader who later won the Nobel peace prize, but in the last years of his life he was dismissed as a "terrorist" by Israel.

Israel heralds death as "good news"

Israel described his death as good news for the Middle East while US President George W. Bush, who had boycotted Arafat for the last four years, said his passing was "a significant moment in Palestinian history."

Palestinian officials said Arafat's death would be marked by an unprecedented 40-day official mourning period. A funeral will be held in Cairo on Friday before his body is flown back and buried in the Muqata. The Palestinian flag was flying at half-mast at the Muqata and local television broadcast verses from the Koran, the Muslim tradition on the death of leading figures.

Parliament speaker Rawhi Fattuh is to serve as caretaker leader of the Palestinian Authority for 60 days, after which new elections must be held.

Former prime minister Mahmud Abbas will automatically take over as permanent head of both Arafat's dominant Fatah faction and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) upon Arafat's death, while current premier, Ahmed Qureia, will head up the national security council.

Amid fears that Arafat's death could trigger an outbreak of unrest, the Israeli army imposed a total security clampdown on the West Bank. Thousands of people took to the streets of Gaza City after the announcement of his death, unleashing volleys of gunfire into the air and setting fire to tyres, turning the air pitch black.

Ramallah grieving deeply

In Ramallah, a growing crowd of mainly youths gathered outside the gates of Arafat's headquarters, which overnight had been plastered with posters of the only leader Palestinians had ever known.

French President Jacques Chirac led the tributes to Arafat, announcing he would go to the Percy military hospital to "pay a final homage to president Arafat."

"I have learned with emotion of the death of president Yassir Arafat, first president of the Palestinian Authority," Chirac said in a statement. "With him disappears a man of courage and conviction who for 40 years incarnated the Palestinians' fight for recognition of their national rights."

Among the first governments to pay tribute was Indonesia, home to the world's largest Muslim population.

"It is with great sorrow and profound sadness that we learned of the demise of president Yasser Arafat, the leader of Palestine and a hero to us all," said foreign ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa.

However Israel, which has long accused Arafat of being the main obstacle to peace in the Middle East, did not try to mask its delight at his death.

Death of 'terror' leader welcomed

"The sun is shining in the Middle East and around the world, as Arafat was not only the leader of terrorism against Israel, but also the founding father of the terrorism that is running rampant around the world right now, including that of Al-Qaeda," Justice Minister Tommy Lapid said. "All this terrorism is the fruit of Arafat's work, and it's good that the world is rid of him."

Israeli President Moshe Katsav struck a more diplomatic line, expressing hope that a post-Arafat "Palestinian leadership will take a new path with a view to putting an end to terrorism and violence, which would allow a resumption of negotiations."

Bush, who has previously dismissed Arafat as a failure, said he hoped his death would lead to an upturn in Palestinian fortunes. "For the Palestinian people, we hope that the future will bring peace and the fulfillment of their aspirations for an independent, democratic Palestine that is at peace with its neighbors," Bush said in a statement.

"During the period of transition that is ahead, we urge all in the region and throughout the world to join in helping make progress toward these goals and toward the ultimate goal of peace."

Martyrs to avenge "assassination"

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed offshoot of Arafat's Fatah movement, urged its fighters to attack Israel to avenge the "Zionist assassination".

"Zionist Israel and the government of (Israeli Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon are responsible for the assassination of our leader by putting him under siege," it said in a statement.

Leaders react to Arafat's death

World leaders and figures were quick to offer their views on the death of Arafat. German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer said, "An era has ended ... Everything must be done now to achieve an orderly transfer of power. Of utmost importance is a leadership, made legitimate through early elections, which remains committed to a fair peace settlement."

Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair urged the Palestinains and Israelis to work towards peace after the loss of Arafat. "President Arafat came to symbolise the Palestinian national movement. He led his people to an historic acceptance of the need for a two-state solution. That goal of a viable Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel is one we must continue to work tirelessly to achieve."

A spokesperson for Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary General, said he offered his condolences and added: "The secretary general was deeply moved to learn of the death of President Yasser Arafat. President Arafat was one of those few leaders who could be instantly recognised by people in any walk of life all around the world. For nearly four decades, he expressed and symbolized in his person the national aspirations of the Palestinian people."

The statement from the UN continued: "President Arafat will always be remembered for having, in 1988, led the Palestinians to accept the principle of peaceful coexistence between Israel and a future Palestinian state. By signing the Oslo accords in 1993 he took a giant step towards the realisation of this vision. It is tragic that he did not live to see it fulfilled. Now that he has gone, both Israelis and Palestinians, and the friends of both peoples throughout the world, must make even greater efforts to bring about the peaceful realisation of the Palestinian right of self-determination."