RAMALLAH, Abu Sharif, Special Advisor to Yasser Arafat, has announced that chief toxicology experts from England have discovered the poison used to slay the late Palestinian president.

Though Abu Sharif did not identify the name of the expert or the agency he was with, he said he was prepared to share all information that he obtained with an official investigation commission.

The researcher identified the toxin used in the Arafat hit as thallium, an uncommon, almost untraceable poison. There is no antidote for it after five hours of its consumption, Abu Sharif quoted the researcher as saying.

Thallium slowly but effectively destroys human internal organs, starting with the liver and eventually ending up in the brain, the Special Advisor said. Depending body structure and age, the victim can live for two to eight months after consumption, giving the offenders the chance to flee the crime scene.

"The toxin is a liquid having no color, scent, or taste. It is extracted from a rare sea herb. It can unnoticeably be placed in water, food, or injection."

The breakage of red blood cells and the body's inability to produce them is the main cause of the victim's death. The lack of blood is what kills the internal organs.

Abu Sharif said he would announce more details when they become complete.