World leaders pay tribute to Arafat

cctv.com 11-12-2004 09:41

Tributes continue to pour in from around the world. In Cairo, Arab League spokesman Hossam Zaki and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak praised Arafat for his struggle for justice.

Meanwhile, in Washington, former US Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell said his death would be difficult for the Palestinians.

Arab League spokesman Hossam Zaki said, "President Arafat was certainly the embodiment of the Palestinian cause. He has led the national struggle for the Palestinians for a period of four or five decades. He has succeeded in putting the Palestinian cause on the international agenda, and he has been steadfast in his positions regarding the Palestinian statehood and the Palestinian rights, and I think his presence will be sorely missed by the Palestinians."

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said, "At dawn, we lost President Yasser Arafat, who we knew as a defender of justice, as a man who strove towards peace and resisted occupation, and as a man who looked for international legitimacy. History will judge him as a brave man who defended his people, and I have total confidence in the people succeeding him in power."

Former US Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell said, "It will be very difficult for the Palestinians. He is the only leader they have ever known. For nearly a half century, he has embodied their national aspirations, he has placed their concerns at the center of the international stage."

Editor:Hu  Source:CCTV.com