BEIRUT, Lebanon, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Arab countries declared a state of mourning for Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat who died early Thursday in a Paris hospital.
The Jordanian Royal Court declared 40 days of mourning with flags hoisted at half mast to mark "the pain and sadness for losing Yasser Arafat, the symbol of Palestinian national struggle who devoted his entire life for recovering the legitimate rights of his people."
"Jordan is fully confident of the Palestinian people's ability to overcome the painful loss of President Arafat and will stay on the side of the Palestinians in their bid to set up their own independent state on their national territory," an official statement said.
Lebanese Prime Minister Omar Karami offered deepest condolences to the Palestinian people for losing the "leader who rallied around him all Palestinian factions and became their symbol of national struggle."
Karami vowed Lebanon will maintain support for the Palestinian cause and the rights of the Palestinian people, declaring three days of official mourning.
Tunisia and Libya also announced official mourning for three days deploring the death of the Palestinian leader "who had a life rich with sacrifices, bitter struggle" and whose "wise leadership united the Palestinian people around the Palestine Liberation Organization."
In Yemen, an official statement announced three days of mourning and deplored the death of Arafat which it described as "a great loss for the Palestinian cause as well as the Arab and Islamic nation."
Arafat's official funeral will be held in Cairo Friday, after which he will be flown to Ramallah for burial in his Muqataa headquarters.
