Yasser Arafat’s wife accused Palestinian leaders hoping to travel to France yesterday to visit her critically ill husband of plotting to “bury him alive”. Israeli media had reported the 75-year-old president would be taken off life-support equipment after Palestine Liberation Organisation Secretary General Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie and Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath arrived in Paris.

“I appeal to you to be aware of the scope of the conspiracy,” a screaming Suha Arafat said on Arabic Al Jazeera satellite television, monitored in the West Bank. “They are trying to bury Abu Ammar (Arafat) alive,” she said in comments that flew in the face of efforts by Arafat’s lieutenants to project an image of unity and business as usual at a time when many Palestinians fear chaos if he dies.

“Abu Ammar is well and he is coming back to his homeland,” she said without giving any details about Arafat’s illness and accusing the three leaders of being desperate to succeed him. It was not immediately clear whether Abbas, Qurie and Shaath would press ahead with their planned trip to Paris. Palestinian officials have privately accused Mrs. Arafat, who prior to her husband being flown to a Paris military hospital on Oct. 29 had not seen him in three years, of limiting access to and information about the veteran leader.

Arafat, symbol for decades of the Palestinian struggle for a state and against Israeli occupation, was suffering from liver failure and his health was not improving, one official said. An Israeli newspaper’s Web site said the “working assumption” among Israeli security officials preparing for Arafat’s death was that any life support equipment would be shut down today.

“Suha does not want the Palestinian leaders to come to visit Arafat,” one Palestinian official said before her Al Jazeera interview was broadcast. “Talks are going on and it’s not clear when the leaders will come to Paris.” Arafat’s close circle has been concerned fears about his health may increase chaos at home.