The paper reported: "Even after Yasir Arafat's death this morning, French health officials continued their stony silence about exactly what disease killed the Palestinian leader. And so the man who lived so much of his life simply and in the public eye, died mysteriously, surrounded by secrecy."

The spokesman for the French hospital where Arafat died said that officials would not release any tests, detail the cause of death, or even acknowledge whether had an autopsy had been conducted.

The Times noted that a tight circle of aides to Arafat had access to him and his doctors. They have kept a tight lid on details of his health and death.

Unlocking the mystery of Arafat's death might come from several clues.

Two days before his death, aides revealed that Arafat was in a coma after having a brain hemorrhage.

But the Times doubts this stroke was likely not the cause of Arafat's maladies.

Another clue: "At the time of his medical evacuation to Paris two weeks ago, aides disclosed that he was suffering from a low platelet count and had undergone a platelet transfusion. Since platelets are involved in blood clotting, patients with low counts are predisposed to brain hemorrhages, so Mr. Arafat's platelet count may have contributed to his death."

Then the Times noted the AIDS connection: "But low platelet counts in the blood are a common finding in a wide range of afflictions, including severe infections, liver disease, end stage cancer and even AIDS."

The Times revelation gives credence to Internet buzz that Arafat may have died of AIDS. Some suggested that Arafat's apparent dementia - a symptom of AIDS - in his closing days was one sign he might have been suffering from the immune disorder.

French officials have put to rest rumors that Arafat was poisoned. This story was widely circulated in the Arab world, as evidenced by the reaction of Arafat's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, whose new leadership said in a statement sent to Agence France-Presse, "Zionist Israel and the government of Sharon are responsible for the assassination of our leader by putting him under siege."

Editor's note: