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Ariel Sharon undergoes emergency surgery
(AP)
Updated: 2006-02-11 21:08
Some have questioned whether Sharon should have been treated with large doses
of anticoagulants after his first stroke, which was caused by a small blood clot
in a cranial artery. Doctors admit the anticoagulants made it more difficult for
them to stop the bleeding from the later stroke.
The extensive bleeding and the lengthy operations Sharon underwent to stop it
have led experts to conclude that he must have suffered severe brain damage and
was unlikely to regain consciousness. If he does awaken, most say, the chances
of his regaining meaningful cognition or activity are slim.
Sharon's stroke jolted Israel, which is gearing up for an election March 28.
Just weeks before the stroke, Sharon had left the hard-line Likud Party and
formed Kadima to gain a free hand for drawing Israel's final borders, whether
unilaterally or in negotiations with the Palestinians.
Sharon had fought Likud hard-liners to carry out the withdrawal from the Gaza
Strip, which was completed in September.
With the pullout, Sharon shifted to the center of the Israeli political
spectrum, winning the support of many doves and angering hawks who believed that
the architect of Israel's settlement expansion had betrayed them. The decision
has proven to be hugely popular, with polls suggesting Kadima will win at least
40 out of 120 seats in the parliament.
A war hero, Sharon had for years opposed concessions to the Palestinians. He
came to accept the idea of giving land to the Palestinians and allowing them to
form a state only during his most recent term as prime minister, which began in
2003.
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