Yasir Arafat of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was a Palestinian leader who served as the Chairman of the PLO from 1969 until his death in 2004. He was also the President of the Palestinian National Authority from 1996 to 2004. His given name was Yasser, but he was commonly known by his nom de guerre, Yasir Arafat. He was a controversial figure, both revered and reviled for his role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.