Sharon critical after surgery

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was fighting for his life last night after a brain haemorrhage, setting the stage for political turmoil in Israel and knocking any hopes for peace talks with the Palestinians.

The 77-year-old was transferred to intensive care after seven hours of surgery, which stopped the extensive bleeding in his brain.

"The Prime Minister had a CT scan that showed the bleeding has stopped," said Shlomo Mor-Yosef of Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. "He was then put in the neurological emergency unit for observation ... All vital signs are functional and stable. The Prime Minister is in critical condition."

Mr Mor-Yosef made no comment about the extent of the brain damage he had suffered.

For decades, Mr Sharon has been a dominant figure in shaping the Middle East. He has been Prime Minister since 2001.

His death or incapacitation would inevitably cause political upheaval before the March 28 general election he had been expected to win on a platform of ending conflict with the Palestinians.

Mr Sharon was rushed to Hadassah on Thursday from his ranch in southern Israel after complaining he felt unwell.

He suffered a mild stroke on December 18 and was being treated with blood-thinning medication pending a heart procedure that was supposed to have taken place today.

The surgery was to repair a small hole in the heart, which doctors believe may have caused the initial stroke.

Haaretz newspaper said on its website that Mr Sharon was paralysed in half of his body, and medical experts agreed he was unlikely to pull through the operation without his faculties being at least seriously impaired.

"With all due caution, it appears as though the era of Sharon leading Israel has reached its tragic end," wrote Aluf Ben, Haaretz's diplomatic correspondent.

Mr Sharon's prime ministerial powers were transferred temporarily to his deputy, Ehud Olmert. Polls have not shown him to be seen as a long-term successor.

United States President George W. Bush, a close ally of Mr Sharon, said "We are praying for his recovery".

"Prime Minister Sharon is a man of courage and peace. On behalf of all Americans, we send our best wishes and hopes to the Prime Minister and his family."

The hefty ex-general, popularly known as the "Bulldozer", raised optimism for Middle East peace by pulling settlers and soldiers out of the Gaza Strip in September to end 38 years of military rule.

Opinion polls have shown Mr Sharon was on course to win the March election as leader of the new centrist Kadima faction he founded after quitting the right-wing Likud Party in the face of a party rebellion over the Gaza pullout.

He has campaigned on a platform of readiness to give up more occupied land in the West Bank as a way to end decades of conflict, but has vowed to keep Israel's hold on major settlement blocs.

A large part of his popularity among Israelis stems from a belief that he could take bold steps that others would not get away with given his background as the archetypal hawk.

Palestinians have long suspected that Mr Sharon's plans for ending conflict meant he would dictate terms that would leave them only fragments of the state they seek.

Deputy Palestinian Prime Minister Nabil Shaath said he did not believe Mr Sharon had ever had any faith in the peace process, but his illness would increase uncertainty over getting back to negotiations.

Battered by his harsh measures to fight a five-year-old uprising, militant factions reacted with glee.

"The whole region will be better off with him absent," said the Islamic group Hamas. "Sharon was the one who carried out massacres and terrorism for decades against our people."

In Washington, White House national security adviser Stephen Hadley briefed Mr Bush on Mr Sharon's condition.

Mr Bush has relied heavily on Mr Sharon as he tries to coax Israelis and Palestinians into a peace agreement.

He scolded Mr Sharon after his stroke last month to watch what he ate and get more exercise.

Mr Sharon's health crisis was likely to further slow President Bush's quest for two states, Palestine and Israel, living in peace.

Hopes for progress were already dwindling given the possibility of a delay to a January 25 Palestinian election and growing unrest in the Gaza Strip and West Bank as well as more violence within Israel.

"I don't think we're going to have any efforts for a while," said Edward Walker, head of the Middle East Institute and a former US ambassador to Israel.

- REUTERS