Muhammad Anwar el-Sadat
He was born 25 December 1918 – 6 October 1981 was the third President of Egypt, serving from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 October 1981. While Sadat’s popularity rose in the West, it fell dramatically in Egypt because of internal opposition to the treaty, a worsening economic crisis, and Sadat’s suppression of the resulting public dissent. In September 1981 he ordered a massive police strike against his opponents, jailing more than 1,500 people from across the political spectrum.
The following month Sadat was assassinated by Muslim extremists during the Armed Forces Day military parade commemorating the Yom Kippur War. In 1967, Israel seised the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt. Three years later, Anwar Sadat became the president of Egypt. He cut all ties to the Soviet Union, believing that only the USA could pressure Israel into returning occupied territory. Attracting US attention was one of the aims of the 1973 surprise attack on Israel via the Suez Canal. Although Israel had gained the upper hand by the time of the ceasefire, Egypt fought bravely, earning Sadat great respect. Nurturing close ties to US politicians, Sadat became a popular figure in the West.
