[independentmind]

“Eventually the money was divided up”, one official noted. “Agreements were signed. The Palestinian leaders understood that in order to put their hands on the fortune and get rid of Suha, they would be better off paying her handsomely”.

I'm not sure why it wouldn't have been better for the Palestinians to have paid her nothing at all. Unless, of course, she could have blackmailed some of their leaders...

[Boundless]

> ... why it wouldn't have been better for the
> Palestinians to have paid her nothing at all.

“But you must sign an agreement and reveal all of
your husband’s bank accounts and investments,
and enable the transfer of the funds ..."

Apart from having control of the money (and the body,
and the official cause of death), she also knows all
about Yasser's personal preversions, and might have
threatened to "out" him posthumously.

[monkeyshine]

She had control over the plugs to Arafat's machines. If they didn't make a deal, she would claim Arafat is alive, and they would not get to move quickly into power. She even had a couple of clerics come and claim they spoke to Arafat and to unplug him would be a sin. For the Palestinian leaders, the best deal was to pay her off quickly to pull the plug and let him die. Waiting too long meant uncertainty and unrest which threatened everything they had already stolen.