Ariel Sharon undergoes emergency surgery
(AP)
Updated: 2006-02-11 21:47

On Jan. 4, the eve of that procedure, he suffered a massive stroke that caused bleeding in the brain. Since then, he has been unconscious and in critical condition, undergoing occasional brain scans.

Before dawn Saturday, his condition deteriorated.

His doctors have been criticized by some for treating Sharon with massive doses of anticoagulants after his first stroke, which was caused by a small blood clot in a cranial artery. Doctors admitted that the anticoagulants made it more difficult for them to stop the bleeding from the later hemorrhagic 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.