By Shmarya Rosenberg http://www.shpoof.com
Paris– France stepped up security at a military hospital outside Paris where Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has been taken for treatment. Mr. Arafat has been ill for more than one month and blood tests taken several days ago have revealed a low platelet count, a condition sometimes linked with Leukemia.
Doctors for the ailing Mr. Arafat stress that it is too early to make a diagnosis and that more testing will be necessary to devise a course of treatment.
Mr. Arafat – who was served a meal of truffles and brie with chardonnay, followed by foie gras, steak au poivre, bordeaux, chocolate amaretto marquise and coffee on arrival – appeared frail but content.
"He was especially fond of the steak au poivre," a French government source said. "Mr. Arafat took it very rare and savored the blood, which at times dribbled down his chin. His eyes sparkled as he licked his lips. Our chef was overwhelmed with emotion."
At least a dozen police cars were parked in front of the hospital. Police, accompanied by K-9 units made up of what appeared to be a large variant of poodle, took up positions on rooftops and blocked off roads leading to the hospital with security barriers and police cars.
When asked about the French government’s statement placing Mr. Arafat – whose terror organizations pioneered the systematic, targeted murder of women and small children – under French protection while noting that the French people are "on [Mr. Arafat's] side and always will be," a government spokesman would only note that this type of hyperbole is “a lot easier than having a backbone, and a lot safer, too.”
©2004 Shmarya Rosenberg
Shloimy Balagoola contributed to this report.
