http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=535&e=1&u=/ap/20041028/ap_on_re_mi_ea/arafat_s_health
 
Arafat's health crisis highlights Palestinian unpreparedness for their leader's death, making a chaotic transition all but inevitable. Arafat refuses to groom a successor; rival security chiefs already have battled each other in the streets.

Qureia and Abbas both have been touted as possible political heirs to Arafat, though the Palestinian leader has bickered with each of them, blocking their attempts to limit his powers.

"It's only natural to expect that there would be either a power struggle or there would be a loss of cohesion," Palestinian legislator Hanan Ashrawi said.

Analysts said it could take years for a leader to emerge, hurting prospects for already stagnant attempts at peacemaking between Israel and the Palestinians. Nevertheless, Israel and the United States hold out hope a post-Arafat Middle East would be more conducive to peace because of what they see as Arafat's blind eye to terror and opposition to reform.

Polls show the second most popular Palestinian after Arafat is Marwan Barghouti, a leader of Fatah