Ariel Sharon, the Israeli general and former prime minister as famous for his ferocity in battling Arab foes as for his turnaround decision to evacuate settlers and soldiers from the Gaza Strip, has died. He was 85.
Sharon "was a brave soldier and a daring leader," the office of President Shimon Peres said in a statement Saturday. Sharon had been in a coma since suffering a stroke in January 2006.
Admired as a military strategist while despised by Arab foes, the man nicknamed "the bulldozer" in the media left a legacy of controversy on and off battlefields from the early days of the nation's existence.
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