Hosni Mubarak
Pres. Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Said Mubarak (born May 4, 1928), usually known as Hosni Mubarak, has been President of Egypt since October 14, 1981. He reached the Vice-Presidency after moving up the ranks of the Egyptian Air Force and succeeded Anwar Sadat following his assassination.
As president of Egypt, he is considered to be one of the most powerful leaders in the region. He is known for his moderate stance on the Palestanian-Israeli conflict and is frequently involved in negotiations between the two sides.
Early Days
Mubarak was born on May 4th, 1928 in Kafr-El Meselha, Egypt. Upon completion of high school, he joined the Egyptian Military Academy, where he recieved his Bachelor degree in Military Sciences. In 1950, he joined the Air Force Academy and earned his Bachelor in Aviation Sciences where he graduated at the top of his class. He then went up the chain of command holding the positions of Pilot, Instructor, Squadron Leader, and Base Commander. In 1964, he was appointed head of the Egyptian Military Delegation to the USSR.
In the years between 1967 to 1972, during the so-called War of Attrition between Egypt and Israel, Mubarak was appointed Director of the Airforce Academy and Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Air Force. In 1972, he became Commander of the Air Force and Deputy Minister for Military Affairs. In October 1973, following the Yom-Kippur war, he was promoted to the rank of Air Marshall. In April 1975, he was named as Vice president of Egypt and was appointed as the Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Party (NDP), in 1978.
Egypt under his Rule
Following the assasination of President Anwar Sadat at the hands of Islamic extremists, Mubarak became President of the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Chairman of the National Democratic Party. President Mubarak was re-elected by majority votes in 1987,1993, and 1999 for three successive terms.
He spoke out against the war on Iraq, arguing that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should be tackled first.
Notes
- variant spellings include: Mohamed Hosni Said Mubarak, Mohammed Hosni Said Mubarak, Muhammad Hosni Said Mubarak, also with different names omitted and with occasional reordering.