Interviewee: Hosni Mubarak
Interviewer: Charlie Rose
Date: August 19, 2009

Hosni Mubarak is the current President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, a post he has held since October 14, 1981 following the assassination of then President Anwar el-Sadat. A notable political figure in the Arab world, Hosni Mubarak is a chief personality in past and present Middle Eastern peace efforts. Surpassed only by Muhammad Ali Pasha, he is also Egypt’s longest serving head of state.

Born on May 4, 1928, Hosni Mubarak was trained in Cairo’s Egyptian Military Academy (graduated 1949) and in the Air Academy (graduated 1950). From 1959 to 1961, he underwent flight and bomber training, particularly on LU-28/TU-16 aircraft, from the Soviet Union.

Hosni Mubarak gained prominence as one of the country’s most decorated military officers. He became Air Force Academy commander in 1967 and was appointed Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Air Force in 1969. His career in the military peaked in 1972 when he became the Commander of the Air Force and the Egyptian Deputy Minister of Defence. In honor of his exemplary service during the Yom Kippur War, Hosni Mubarak was promoted to Air Chief Marshal in 1974.

A year later, Mubarak gained entry into politics when Sadat appointed him vice president. During his term as vice president, Hosni Mubarak became active in brokering peace negotiations between and among several Arab nations. He mediated talks in inter-state disputes involving Algeria, Morocco, and Mauritania over Western Sahara.

After Sadat was assassinated on October 6, 1981, Hosni Mubarak filled the post vacated and became Egypt’s President. During his term, Hosni Mubarak focused on fostering good relations with several Arab countries. His presidency reinstated Egypt’s membership in the Arab League, adopted a principled diplomacy with Israel, and maintained friendly relations with the United States, his country’s chief aid donor.

Despite allusions as Egypt’s modern day Pharaoh and accusations of authoritarian rule, Hosni Mubarak is considered a valuable ally by the West, a person considered by US President Barack Obama as “a force for stability and good in the Middle East.”