Mubarak, (Mohammed) Hosni Said 1928-
Egyptian statesman

Born in al-Minufiyah, he served as a pilot and flying instructor and rose to become Commander of the Egyptian Air Force. He was Vice-President under Anwar Sadat from 1975 until the latter's assassination in 1981. The only candidate for the presidency, Mubarak was declared President and pledged to continue Sadat's domestic and international policies, including firm treatment of Muslim extremists, and the peace process with Israel. During the 1991 Gulf War, he was the Arab leader most critical of Saddam Hussein, and reasserted his credentials with Israel by strongly denouncing the Iraqi missile attacks on Tel Aviv and Haifa. In 1995, the year of his re-election, he survived an assassination attempt by Islamic fundamentalists and was involved in the events leading to the signing of a peace accord between the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel.