OCT 6, 1981: On the 8th anniversary of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Islamic extremists assassinate Egyptian President Anwar Sadat in Cairo as he reviews troops during a military parade. The gathering was an annual grandiose victory celebration to commemorate the Army's successful crossing of the Suez Canal, and its early advances against initial Israeli defeats. After a controversial Mar 1979 Peace Treaty (from the Camp David Accords summit of Sept 1978 as an established framework involving US President Jimmy Carter) which was condemned by many in the MidEast as a betryal, Egypt was suspended from the Arab League (and not reinstated until May 1989). While Sadat had released activists from prison who had been jailed by former President Gabdel Nasser, the last months of his rule were marked with internal turmoil that saw Jihadists calling for his overthrow. After a failed coup back in Jun (believing Russia was conspiring with Syria & Libya to incite an uprising), he ordered crackdowns which made him further unpopular. During the parade as air force jets flew overhead, soldiers in a passing truck towing artillery jumped out to which Sadat stood and saluted. The soldiers threw grenades and opened fire into the stands with a hail of bullets lasting for 2 minutes. Sadat was hit & fell to the ground as chairs were thrown around him in the panic to shield him. Inspite of his deep-layered security and 8 bodyguards, he was airlifted to a hospital where he died 2hrs later. 10 others were killed outright (including a Chinese engineer, a General from Oman, and the Cuban ambassador to Egypt). Of the 28 people wounded were Ireland's Defense Minsiter, the Belgian ambassador, and 4 American military liaison officers (Sweden's amabassador escaped harm). Of the attackers, one was killed and 3 others injured & arrested. In conjunction with the assassination was a failed insurrection in Upper Egypt by rebels which collapsed after a day when paratroopers restored government control. Upon trial, most of these anti-Sadat militants received light sentences serving only 3yrs imprisonment. In the Apr 1982 criminal trial for those involved in the assassination, 19 people were brought before the Court with 17 jailed, 5 executed and 2 acquitted. Sadat's death was greeted positively by a majority of Arab heads of state regarding him as a traitor. His funeral was held on Oct 10 which was attended by several prominent Western leaders. On Oct 14, Vice President Hosni Mubarak was sworn in as the country's new President to which he remained in office for 30yrs until the Jan 2011 Egyptian Revolution forced his resignation in Feb. He died in Feb 2020.
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