Arafat buried amid chaos in his West Bank compound

Published: 2004-11-12

RAMALLAH, West Bank (CNS) -- A thick column of smoke rose above Ramallah and the acrid smell of burning tires hung in the air as Palestinians laid to rest their leader, Yasser Arafat, in the Muqata compound where he remained a virtual prisoner his last three years. Some Palestinians said the seemingly chaotic burial with tens of thousands of people surging inside the compound and thousands more crowding on trees, cars, rooftops, trellises and the cement wall encircling the compound was the type of funeral Arafat would have wanted. "There is no other way it could have been. Arafat belonged to the people," said one Palestinian watching the proceedings.

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