The End for Sharon?

[rollhead]

Israel's Sharon Suffers Significant Stroke
Hospital Official Says Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon Has Suffered a 'Significant' Stroke
By MARK LAVIE
The Associated Press
JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a "significant" stroke Wednesday, a hospital official said, after Sharon was taken to the hospital from his ranch in the Negev desert.

Dr. Shlomo Mor-Yosef said Sharon is under general anesthetic and is receiving breathing assistance as his condition is assessed. Cabinet Secretary Yisrael Maimon said Sharon's authorities have been transferred to his vice premier, Olmert.

Channel 2 TV said Sharon was suffering from paralysis in his lower body. Analysts on Israeli TV stations said he life could be in danger. Channel 2 TV said he was taken into the hospital on a stretcher.

Sharon, 77, is extremely overweight, but doctors checking him after the mild stroke Dec. 18 found him otherwise in good health. Since then, his doctors said in a briefing a week ago, Sharon has lost several pounds.

The dramatic downturn in Sharon's health comes as Sharon runs for re-election on March 28 at the head of a new centrist party, Kadima, and he enjoys a wide lead in the polls. The party's strength is centered on Sharon himself, and if he were forced to leave the scene. Israel's political scene would be thrown into turmoil.

Sharon's office said his personal physician was with him. He was taken by ambulance, a drive of more than an hour from his ranch in the Negev Desert in Israel's south, instead of by helicopter.

On Dec. 18, Sharon was taken to Hadassah Hospital from his office after suffering a mild stroke. Doctors said he would not suffer long-term effects from the stroke, but they discovered a birth defect in his heart that apparently contributed to the stroke.

Security agents and police spread out around the Jerusalem hospital before Sharon arrived, setting up a security perimeter.

Since the first stroke, Sharon has been receiving blood thinners to try to prevent a recurrence of the clotting that caused the stroke.

Sharon was to check into the Jerusalem hospital on Thursday for the procedure repairing a tiny hole between the upper chambers of his heart. Doctors said the blood clot that briefly lodged in Sharon's brain on Dec. 18, causing the stroke, made its way through the hold and from there to a cranial artery.


Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Copyright © 2006 ABC News Internet Ventures

[groover]

I wonder if it had anything to do with his reaction to this news? Funny that it's not mentioned in the above article.

Israeli Prime Minister Sharon Named in Bribe Probe

by KYW's Jay Bushinsky



Israel's political cauldron is boiling over a local TV channel's report that prime minister Ariel Sharon received a $3-million bribe from a wealthy businessman based in Austria.

The money was said to have been used by Sharon in part to repay a million-dollar loan from a South African friend to cover illegal election campaign expenses.

Meanwhile, with less than three months to go before a national election in which Sharon is the leading candidate, rival parties are demanding that he step down until the affair's probe is completed.

A religious party leader said the curtain has to come down on the masked ball being played by the Sharon government. The prime minister's office refuses to comment.

[Gentle Giant]

If so, then hopefully not the end of his recent work. But I'm hoping he'll do a Tedy Bruschi and return to action quickly.

[Monte Smith]

The news doesn't sound good for the Prime Minister's health, but I too wish him a full recovery because it'd be good for the region. We're a long way from the time when foolish people could criticize Sharon as being just the flipside of Arafat and an equal obstacle to peace.

[Al in NYC]

Originally Posted by Gentle Giant

If so, then hopefully not the end of his recent work.

The evacuation from Gaza...

...or the bulldozing of Palestinian houses and towns in the occupied territories, the killing of hundreds if not thousands of Palestinians, and the building of an apartheid wall?

And then there's his fine older work: the Unit 101 massacres, the Gaza clearances, the invasion of Lebanon, and, of course, Sabra and Shatilla.

[jeff54]

This looks bad for Sharon's new Kadima party. Sharon was on the verge of marginalizing the Likud party and Israel's right wing.

[Gordon B]

Originally Posted by Gentle Giant

If so, then hopefully not the end of his recent work. But I'm hoping he'll do a Tedy Bruschi and return to action quickly.

Regrettably, that isn't going to happen. The fact that he was taking blood thinners makes his chance of a full recovery close to zero and his chance of survival only 20%, according to what I read in the NYT this morning.

[Tanager]

I'm not an apologist for Sharon's past actions, but I am not willing to ignore his recent efforts to sideline Likud's right-wing obstructionists, either. I also hope for a (as full as possible) recovery, but it's worth noting as well that the man was famous for his near-total disregard of his own health with respect to his eating (massive) and exercise (nonexistent) habits. I'm no more sanguine than Gordon.

[Gentle Giant]

The seriousness of his condition and the extent of the probable damage was not known to me when I wished for his recovery. It appears now that he will either die or be left brain-damaged. Either way, his career is over and his legacy will have to be measured between what he had done in the past and what he was trying to do most recently. When you think of other controversial political figures who had ideological turnarounds late in their lives/careers, such as George Wallace and Malcolm X, both of whom are known for the fanaticism they displayed in their prime, it's probable that history will remember Sharon as a brutal bully. That is not, however, the whole story of his life.

What happens next is the key. What does Ehud Olmert do? What does Abbas do? What do the Iranians do? And if the latter does anything, what does the US do?

[Gentle Giant]

Europe warily eyes Sharon's situation
By Angela Charlton, Associated Press Writer | January 5, 2006

PARIS --European leaders on Thursday fretted over the fate of Ariel Sharon, a man once seen in Europe as a danger for the Middle East but now viewed as a more complex, even crucial figure.

The concerns reflect a subtle shift in Europe -- where there has been surprised admiration for Sharon's dismantling of settlements, satisfaction with the role now played by Europeans on the Gaza-Egypt border, and a growing wariness with the Islamic world.

"Ariel Sharon plays a particularly important role in the quest for lasting peace in the Middle East," Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel said in a get-well message to the Israeli leader, who was in serious condition after a massive stroke. Austria holds the European Union's rotating presidency.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw praised Sharon as "a towering figure not only in Israel but in the whole of the region."

Speaking to reporters in Beirut after talks with his Lebanese counterpart Fawzi Salloukh, Straw said Sharon's attempts to find a settlement to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict had "earned him huge respect across the world."

Such comments contrast sharply with the cautious, even hostile European attitude toward Sharon in the past. His history as a hard-line general and his role in Israel's invasion of Lebanon in 1982 led many to believe that when he became prime minister in 2001 he would hinder, not broker, peace.

"When Sharon was elected, Europeans saw him as an impediment to the peace process," said Richard Whitman, an analyst with Chatham House, a London think tank.

"But since then there's been a grudging acceptance that he has made a contribution, even if it has not been in the manner that Europeans expected. He has pursued his own peace process," Chatham said by telephone.

Sharon's stroke comes just as relations between Israel and Europe are improving.

The latest boost came with November's deal to allow EU monitors along the Gaza-Egypt border, Europe's first security role in the region, despite years of lobbying.

The EU's role in the Middle East now hinges heavily on the patrol mission. EU officials insisted Thursday that the program was not under threat despite Sharon's illness.

Europe's experience with Islamic terrorism in recent years has also slightly shifted European sentiments toward the Middle East. Train bombings in Madrid in 2004 killed 191 people; suicide bombers killed 52 transit passengers in London last July.

"Europe has looked at terrorism differently since the attacks in London, even if the terrorism we're experiencing is fundamentally different from that in Israel," said Francois Gere, president of the French Institute for Strategic Analysis.

"We are not at the point where we would use the measures Israel does, but we understand them better," he said.

French President Jacques Chirac, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin sent Sharon wishes for a speedy recovery.

Chirac said he hoped "the courageous initiatives that Mr. Sharon embarked on -- which were praised by the entire international community -- will continue."

Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi said, "This is a very painful event on a human level and an absolutely negative one on the political level." Speaking on a radio show, Berlusconi said Israel now "faces a difficult future in a moment that might have been historic."

Berlusconi has tried in recent years to portray Rome as Israel's best friend in Europe despite Italy's traditionally more pro-Palestinian bent.

Professor Paul Wilkinson, of the department of international relations at St. Andrews University in Britain, said: "I'm an optimist in the long run, and people on both sides with common sense realize that a two-state solution is the only chance for lasting peace in the region.

"But the departure of such a major player as Ariel Sharon would at the very least stall the process because of the shifting in the tectonic plates of Israeli politics that would result," he said.

------

[Scott Dolan]

Originally Posted by Tanager

I'm no more sanguine than Gordon.

Awwwww...........

Don't sell yourself short, Tannypoo. You're much sexier in red than Gordo.



I saw a headline on Google News earlier that said Doctors: Sharon Stroke Caused By Bleeding In The Brain.

Can't make this kind of stuff up, folks.

[Doc Martin]

Does anyone know if it was a Ischemic or a Hemorrhagic Stroke?

[rollhead]

Originally Posted by Doc Martin

Does anyone know if it was a Ischemic or a Hemorrhagic Stroke?

I heard on the radio this morning it was a massive hemorrhagic stroke, and he spent seven hours in surgery.

Originally Posted by Gordon B

Regrettably, that isn't going to happen. The fact that he was taking blood thinners makes his chance of a full recovery close to zero and his chance of survival only 20%, according to what I read in the NYT this morning.

Yes, apparently the blood thinners made the bleeding worse.

[rollhead]

I double checked and found this:

Sharon's Latest Stroke Rarer Kind and More Deadly
A cerebral hemorrhage occurs when blood from a weakened vessel escapes into the skull. Blood thinners worsen outlook for the premier.
By Thomas H. Maugh II and Karen Kaplan
Los Angeles Times Staff Writers

January 5, 2006

Hemorrhagic strokes, characterized by bleeding in the brain, are less common than strokes caused by blood clots but are usually more lethal.

About 17% of strokes are caused by the rupture of a weakened blood vessel in the brain, and fewer than half of those suffering such strokes survive beyond one month, the American Heart Assn. says.

Many of those who do survive, moreover, suffer debilitating injuries, including such problems as speech impairment and paralysis.

"This is probably one of the most critical neurological conditions that we face," said Dr. David S. Liebeskind of the UCLA Stroke Center. "It's a very serious and, unfortunately, common disorder. We deal with this on a daily basis."

Damage to the brain in a hemorrhagic stroke, also known as a cerebral hemorrhage, occurs as blood escaping into the skull cavity increases pressure on brain cells, impairing their function and eventually killing them.

The outlook for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who suffered a hemorrhagic stroke Wednesday, is worsened by the fact that he is overweight and has been receiving blood thinners in the aftermath of a stroke he suffered in mid-December.

Blood thinners reduce the blood's ability to clot and naturally seal off any leakage that might occur in a vessel in the brain, making a bleeding episode worse than otherwise.

Sharon's chance of surviving the stroke is probably less than 20%, estimated Dr. Philip Stieg, chairman of the department of neurological surgery at Cornell University's Weill Medical College in New York City.

"It's extremely unlikely that he is going to come out of this being a walking, talking individual," Stieg said. "We're talking about a 77-year-old guy who's morbidly obese. The prognosis for him is extremely grim."

Physicians were uncertain if Sharon's stroke Wednesday was related to the one Dec. 18. Stieg noted that about 5% to 10% of clot-induced strokes are followed by a hemorrhagic stroke, in part because the original stroke kills some brain tissue and weakens nearby blood vessels.

The weakened vessel walls are then more vulnerable to rupture due to high blood pressure and other risk factors.

The chief priority in treating a hemorrhagic stroke is to drain off the excess blood to reduce pressure and to seal off the source of bleeding. The latter can be a very difficult — and sometimes impossible — task, depending on where the rupture is.

The normal way to achieve the sealing-off is through conventional surgery, but UCLA and some other institutions are investigating ways to place a catheter into the brain through an artery, both to drain off excess blood and to seal the wound.

Beyond that, Liebeskind said, treatment "is really just supportive care — making sure blood pressure is not high, making sure the patient is well hydrated and doesn't have a fever, which can worsen the outcome."

[Scott Dolan]

I must have lived in a rare place when I was living in southwest Florida. I'd say at least 90%(though likely more)of the stroke victims we did CT's on were hemorrhagic.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Just heard Pat Robertson on the news explaining that this was God's punishment for Sharon "dividing God's land".

[Doc Martin]

Originally Posted by Scott Dolan

I must have lived in a rare place when I was living in southwest Florida. I'd say at least 90%(though likely more)of the stroke victims we did CT's on were hemorrhagic.

Holy Smokes! Hemorrhagic stroke accounts for about 17 percent of stroke cases. Did/do you work for a Doctor or hospital?

[rollhead]

Originally Posted by Squaredancecalling Steve

Just heard Pat Robertson on the news explaining that this was God's punishment for Sharon "dividing God's land".

I'm waiting for Hugo to put some old fashioned "God's punishment" on Robertson's ass.

[Scott Dolan]

Originally Posted by Doc Martin

Holy Smokes! Hemorrhagic stroke accounts for about 17 percent of stroke cases. Did/do you work for a Doctor or hospital?

Hospital.

Perhaps I was just there at all the right/wrong times.

Maybe 90% is high, but whenever a patient came in through the E.R. with a r/o CVA order, most were either r/o or confirmed bleeds. I remember very few cases of occlusion.

[Cem]

Originally Posted by Doc Martin

Did/do you work for a Doctor or hospital?

Doc Martin meets Nurse Dolan...

[Brian Olewnick]

Originally Posted by Squaredancecalling Steve

Just heard Pat Robertson on the news explaining that this was God's punishment for Sharon "dividing God's land".

I thought that would have been obvious!

[Doc Martin]

Originally Posted by Cem

Doc Martin meets Nurse Dolan...

Sounds like 70's porno.

[Cem]

Originally Posted by Doc Martin

Sounds like 70's porno.

exacto mundo!

[rollhead]

Originally Posted by Cem

Doc Martin meets Nurse Dolan...

I figured the sultry Nurse Dolan was trying to find some "well endowed" snow-chickadee down there, ready to kick off...

Hoping, as any good Republican would, that the estate tax would die before "mommy" died.

Anna Nicole Smith would be proud.

[Scott Dolan]

My wife had some issues with the whole sugar momma deal. I had to abandon the project in its early stages.

[Gordon B]

Originally Posted by Squaredancecalling Steve

Just heard Pat Robertson on the news explaining that this was God's punishment for Sharon "dividing God's land".

Here's what David Corn had to say about that.

So God visited a stroke upon Sharon because God is opposed to the Middle East peace process? That's what Robertson is saying. (But if God didn't want progress in the Middle East, why did God let Arafat die? I'm confused.) I wonder if this is going to queer Robertson's deal with the Israeli government. If so, would that also be a sign from God?

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In discussing what he said was God's insistence that Israel not be divided, Robertson also referred to the 1995 assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who had sought to achieve peace by giving land to the Palestinians. "It was a terrible thing that happened, but nevertheless he was dead," he said.

The Anti-Defamation League issued a statement urging Christian leaders to distance themselves from the remarks. Robertson made similar comments as the Gaza withdrawal occurred, it said.

"It is outrageous and shocking, but not surprising, that Pat Robertson once again has suggested that God will punish Israel's leaders for any decision to give up land to the Palestinians," said Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the group, which fights anti-Semitism. "His remarks are un-Christian and a perversion of religion. Unlike Robertson, we don't see God as cruel and vengeful."

The Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said a religious leader "should not be making callous political points while a man is struggling for his life."

"Pat Robertson has a political agenda for the entire world, and he seems to think God is ready to take out any world leader who stands in the way of that agenda," Lynn said in a statement.

Robertson spokeswoman Angell Watts said of critics who challenged his remarks, "What they're basically saying is, `How dare Pat Robertson quote the Bible?'"

"This is what the word of God says," Watts said. "This is nothing new to the Christian community."

[jeff54]

Originally Posted by Gordon B

Robertson spokeswoman Angell Watts said of critics who challenged his remarks, "What they're basically saying is, `How dare Pat Robertson quote the Bible?'"

"This is what the word of God says," Watts said. "This is nothing new to the Christian community."

You ever notice how guy's like Robertson never quote the biblical passage;

"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." (Matthew 19:24)

[Doc Martin]

"Please, Lord -- please tell me... What asinine, hateful thing should I harp on in Your name in 2006?"

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by Doc Martin

"Please, Lord -- please tell me... What asinine, hateful thing should I harp on in Your name in 2006?"

Hahaha. Now that's funny. Pat Robertson needs to go soak his head.

[patricia]

Originally Posted by Monte Smith

Hahaha. Now that's funny. Pat Robertson needs to go soak his head.

And to think that this nutbar had a real chance to be the President of the United States not that long ago. He has a huge following of like-minded cretens. Scary.