Arafat

Pictures: Yasser Arafat's life

1968: Arafat takes over
Yasser Arafat became chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), an umbrella body set up in 1964 to enable Palestinians to determine their own future.
Under his leadership, the PLO put more emphasis on armed struggle, including hijacking airliners, seizing hostages and attacking Israeli targets around the world

1974: First UN speech

Yasser Arafat made a dramatic first appearance at the United Nations, advocating peace.
But he warned: "Today I have come bearing an olive branch and a freedom fighter's gun. Do not let the olive branch fall from my hand."

1975: US recognition

The UN speech partly dispelled his image as a militant guerrilla.
A year later, the US acknowledged that Palestinian interests could not be ignored in the search for Arab-Israeli peace.

1982: Flight from Beirut

Following the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, the PLO, including Mr Arafat and other commanders, fled bases in Beirut.
Mr Arafat re-established PLO headquarters in Tunis.

1993: Historic handshake

The Palestinians and Israelis began secret talks in Oslo in 1993 in the wake of a Palestinian intifada, or uprising, in the late 1980s.
These led to a historic handshake between Yasser Arafat and the then Israeli Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin in the White House Rose Garden eight months later.

1994: Return to Gaza

Under the accords, Israel agreed to recognise the PLO and give them limited autonomy in return for peace and an end to Palestinian claims on Israeli territory.
Arafat made a triumphal return to Gaza to take up his position as head of the new Palestinian self-rule authority, after nearly 12 years of running the PLO from Tunis.

1999: Peace presses on

Yasser Arafat concluded a land and security deal with the then Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. But, amid escalating violence, the agreement was not implemented.

2000: No solution

Yasser Arafat came under pressure to reach a final settlement at the US presidential retreat at Camp David.
But two weeks of talks failed to come up with acceptable solutions to the issues of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees.

2001: US attacks

Mr Arafat gave blood following the terror attacks in the United States to show solidarity with Americans.
The Palestinian leader came under increasing pressure to crack down on militant Islamic factions involved in the uprising against Israeli rule.

2001: Bitter breakdown

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon declared Yasser Arafat "irrelevant", put his Ramallah HQ under siege and demolished most of its buildings.

2003: Power sharing

The Palestinian Authority elected a prime minister for the first time, after the US told Yasser Arafat that easing his grip on power was a key condition to restarting peace talks.

Veteran Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas, better known as Abu Mazen, stepped into the new role in April 2003 but resigned in September.

He was succeeded by Ahmed Qurei, also known as Abu Ala.

But Mr Arafat remained the ultimate decision maker and potent symbol of his people's aspirations.

2004: Final days

Confined to his Ramallah compound, Yasser Arafat slipped out of the media spotlight somewhat until on 29 October 2004 he emerged to travel abroad for urgent medical treatment.

Citing a blood disorder Palestinian officials arranged for their leader to travel to a hospital near the French capital, Paris.

His condition deteriorated fast. He fell into a coma, suffered a brain haemorrhage and, on 11 November 2004, died at the age of 75.

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