Is Yasser Arafat Dead?

Political Analysis and Prognostication

There seems to be a lot of confusion in the world community right now on Yasser Arafat's condition. Luxemburg's prime minister made an announcement yesterday at the start of an E.U. meeting that he had died and Chirac quickly corrected him saying, "He is gravely ill, but I saw him this morning and he is still living."

Clearly, Ararfat is very, very sick. I think all the confusion is coming from how we define death. French officials report Arafat is intubated (breathing tube down his wind pipe), on ventilators, and in a coma. My guess is that they are doing tests today to determine if he is "brain dead". My gut feeling is that he is dead. It must be ten times more difficult to declare brain death on a world leader than the average Joe Shmo. They are surely telling the medical staff to keep his body alive as long as possible while they hatch a emergency plan for Palestine. All hell could break loose as soon as they announce he's gone. I give it 48 hours. Watch the headlines.