Bouchud also cited the passage of nine years since Arafat died as a complicating factor . ` ` I ' m sure it was a political assassination , '' says Suha Arafat . The Palestinian leader died in 2003 at age 75 . Last year , his family , suspecting he was poisoned , had the body exhumed for tests . Polonium-210 , a radioactive element , had been detected on his clothing and toothbrush .
` ` I ' m sure it was a political assassination , '' says Suha Arafat . The Palestinian leader died in 2003 at age 75 . Last year , his family , suspecting he was poisoned , had the body exhumed for tests . Polonium-210 , a radioactive element , had been detected on his clothing and toothbrush .