Original subtitles

October the 6th, 1981, Cairo.

A military parade celebrates the anniversary of Egypt's successful

the Suez Canal.

Suddenly a truck skids to a halt.

Four men race towards the reviewing stand, firing and throwing grenades.

Seven people are killed, including Egypt's president, Anwar al -Sadat.

How had assassins managed to get to one of the most powerful statesmen in the

Arab world and break through the tight security surrounding them?

October the 7th, 1981, Cairo.

A galaxy of world leaders, including the U .S. Secretary of State, representing

President Reagan, who was recovering from an assassination attempt, along

three former presidents, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, and Richard Nixon, attend

Sadat's funeral.

But why are no Arab leaders present, except the president of the Sadat?

Although a hero to the West for making peace with Israel, Sadat has alienated

his own people and the Arab world.

Is this why he was assassinated?

December 25th, 1918.

Born into a poor Egyptian -Sudanese family, Sadat goes into the army and

a second lieutenant in 1938.

Posted to the Sudan, he meets Gamal Abdel Nasser, who has founded the

anti -British, anti -monarchy, free officers movement dedicated to freeing

from British control.

Its strategic position as a link between Africa and the Middle East and at the

center of the Arab world has always made Egypt a crucial geopolitical area.

This is enhanced in 1869 when the Suez Canal is completed by Ferdinand de

Lesseps. the vital link in the sea passage from Europe to India and the Far

East.

In 1882, Britain effectively takes control of the country, although it

its own caliph and remains nominally part of the Ottoman Empire.

Following the entry of the Turks into World War I against Britain and France,

Egypt is declared a British protectorate, with its own government

It serves as a vital base for the offensive under General Edmund Allenby,

sweeps up through Palestine and drives the Turks out of the Middle East.

But with the end of the war in 1918 and the removal of the immediate reason for

British involvement, a movement dedicated to full independence is

The British have no intention of giving up control of the vital canal.

but are faced with widespread and violent rioting.

In 1922, as part of the dividing up of the Ottoman Empire between Britain and

France, Egypt becomes a supposedly independent kingdom, but with Britain

controlling the Suez Canal and maintaining a large military garrison.

The outbreak of World War II re -emphasizes the vital strategic position

Egypt and the Suez Canal.

In 1940, Mussolini's Italy launches a major invasion from its colony, Libya,

this is easily thrown back by a British force less than a tenth the size.

Adolf Hitler then sends General Erwin Rommel with the Africa Corps to help the

Italians.

For the next two years, fighting sweeps hundreds of miles across the western

desert of Egypt and Libya.

It finally ends in May 1943.

The German and Italian forces are obliged to surrender in Tunisia.

Throughout, Egypt has been the vital supply base for the Allied armies

in the desert, and there has been little pretense that the country is not

totally under British control.

Anwar Sadat is among many young officers resenting this and seeing the Germans

as potential allies in achieving true Egyptian independence.

The Germans attempt to take advantage of this by sending agents into the country

to meet up with these potential dissidents.

October 1942, Cairo.

Lieutenant Sadat is arrested by British intelligence and charged with spying.

Imprisoned in Cairo, he soon escapes and remains on the run for the rest of the

war.

In 1945, he's recaptured and charged with being involved in a failed attempt

assassinate Egypt's Prime Minister, Nahas Pasha.

Freed in 1948, Sadat returns to the army and becomes a leading member of the

Free Officers Movement alongside Colonel Nasser.

July 23, 1952, Cairo.

During the coup against King Farouk, Led by General Mohamed Naguib and Colonel

Nasser,

Sadat has a key task, taking over the main radio station in Cairo and

the establishment of the Egyptian Republic.

In 1954, Nasser becomes Prime Minister and swiftly takes absolute power as

President.

He also begins a massive arms build -up.

Sadat is now one of Nasser's closest confidants as Minister for Broadcasting.

July 26, 1956, Cairo.

To emphasize the independence of the Egyptian Republic, Nasser nationalizes

Suez Canal.

To regain control, the British and French agree secretly with Israel that

invade Egypt's Sinai Desert.

And then, under the guise of a peacemaking operation, they will

Canal Zone.

The Israeli and Franco -British invasions go ahead, but the operation

shambles when the United States refuses to support it.

It demands that all parties withdraw and return control of the canal to the

Egyptians.

December 22nd, 1956, Canal Zone.

British and French forces pull out.

After this humiliating climb down by the former colonial powers, Nasser's

popularity reaches extraordinary heights.

He establishes Egypt as a leader of the third world and unites his country with

Syria in 1958 as the United Arab Republic.

Sadat becomes Speaker of the National Assembly and in 1964 he's appointed Vice

President.

The tension in the Middle East grows during the early 1960s.

Palestinians displaced during the establishment of the Israeli state

action against it.

There is a growth in extremist Islamic religious groups which want to turn the

republic into a religious state.

Among the bloodiest of these is the fundamentalist al -Takfir wal -Sajira,

is virulently opposed to the decadent West.

and determined to kill all heretics.

Many hundreds of its adherents are imprisoned and tortured.

In 1966, its spiritual leader, Said Kottab, is executed for planning

assassination.

It is the beginning of a spiral of violence which will prove fatal to Anwar

Sadat.

January 1967, the Middle East.

NASA's arms build -up convinces the Israelis that it is only a matter of

before the Arab nations launch another attempt to annihilate the Jewish state.

June 5, 1967.

The Israeli Air Force launches a preemptive strike which wipes out

Syrian, and Jordanian air power.

Over the next six days, an Israeli -armored blitzkrieg sweeps the Egyptians

of the Sinai Peninsula, reaching the Suez Canal.

While other forces seize the Golan Heights from Syria and occupy the whole

Jerusalem, the west bank of the Jordan, and Gaza.

Deeply humiliated by their disastrous defeat, the Arabs vow to gain revenge.

Intoxicated by the scale of their victory, the Israelis refused to

compromise which might bring peace and begin to settle the occupied

Nasser attempts to resign after the disaster of the Six -Day War, but

demonstrations in all Egypt's major cities persuade him to resume the

presidency. In 1969, he again makes Sadat his vice -president.

October the 5th, 1970, Cairo.

Nasser dies of a heart attack, and Sadat is elected as his successor.

In 1971, Sadat secures his position with what he calls a corrective revolution.

Prominent Nasserites are purged, and he releases a large number of the political

and religious prisoners arrested by his predecessor.

Among these are many members of al -Takfir wal -Hajira.

But Sadat's leniency does not impress them.

In the same year, Sadat shows his flexibility in foreign affairs by

proposals for a full peace with Israel, subject to Israel withdrawing to its pre

-1967 borders.

But neither Israel nor the United States, which is increasingly becoming

backer, will accept this.

Sadat decides to embark on a twin -track policy.

He signs fresh arms deals with the Soviet Union and prepares a pre -emptive

strike to force the Israelis to negotiate.

His aim is not to invade Sinai, but to seize positions across the Suez Canal so

as to improve his bargaining position.

While at the same time, he disguises his intentions and tried to lessen US

hostility by expelling large numbers of Soviet advisers.

The Egyptian moves to reinforce its army on the canal are cunningly disguised as

routine military exercises.

The overconfident Israelis refuse to believe that the Egyptians would dare to

attack them, and they are encouraged in this belief by an Egyptian intelligence

coup.

For several years, Israel's intelligence agency, Mossad, has been running an

agent, one of Sadat's inner circle.

He keeps assuring them that because of the expulsion of the Soviet advisors,

Egypt is in no state to launch an assault.

But the man is a double agent.

When finally the Egyptian build -up cannot be disguised, he convinces the

Israelis that any attack will not come until well after their holy day of Yom

Kippur.

October 6, 1973, the Suez Canal.

But at midday on Yom Kippur, while Israelis are on holiday, Egyptian troops

cross and breach the defensive Israeli sand wall using high -pressure water

hoses.

Three pontoon bridges are swiftly built, and Egyptian armor crosses and overruns

the lightly held Israeli Bar Lev forward defense line.

Having penetrated about 10 miles into the Sinai, the Egyptian forces dig in.

Meanwhile, on Israel's northern front, its forces face a massive Syrian

assault against the Golden Heights.

Despite this war on two fronts, the Israelis are ultra -confident that a

counter -attack using their superbly trained air force and armoured corps

quickly destroy the Egyptian bridgehead.

But using an anti -aircraft and anti -tank missile screen provided by the

Union, the Egyptian forces in the south repel the assault.

Scores of Israeli tanks and aircraft are destroyed before they even get close to

the Egyptian line.

Fortunately, on the northern front, the defending Israeli tank crews are in

their element, despite being outnumbered almost ten to one.

They pick off the Syrian tanks with devastatingly rapid and accurate long

gunfire and swiftly halt the advance.

Only when Syria is pleased for support after this disastrous repulse persuades

Sadat to order his units to advance outside their defensive screen do

counterattacks succeed in crossing the Suez Canal and surrounding the Egyptian

Third Army.

October 23, 1973.

The United States and the Soviet Union then broker a ceasefire which leaves

Egypt with footholds across the Suez Canal.

It is the high point of Sadat's prestige within the Arab world. He is the hero

of the crossing, whose armies had shown that Israel can be defeated.

His confidence is shown when the Saudis persuade him to allow the extremist

Muslim Brotherhood back into Egypt.

Sadat is determined to take advantage of his new friendship with the United

States.

He introduces widespread economic reforms, privatizing previously

-owned industries and banks, and relaxing price control.

It is a policy which benefits the growing Egyptian middle class, but bears

heavily on the poor.

January 1977.

Rioting breaks out in Cairo and Alexandria against an announcement of

substantial increases in the prices of basic foodstuffs.

Badly shaken, Sadat withdraws the price increases.

blaming the unrest on communist and religious extremes.

It is while his domestic policies are in chaos that Sadat reveals what he

believes will be a foreign policy coup.

For years, he's been holding secret discussions with the Israeli government

Menachem Begin.

November the 19th.

1977, Tel Aviv, Israel.

The talks culminate with an official visit by Sadat to Israel.

He speaks to the Knesset and begins peace negotiations.

A year later, the Camp David Agreement is brokered by U .S. President Jimmy

Carter.

Israel evicts its settlers from the whole of Sinai in return for a full

agreement.

Sadat's actions caused an explosion of rage throughout the Arab world.

He is condemned by every other Arab government as a traitor and the Arab

moves its headquarters from Cairo.

Sadat had hoped to deflect some of the criticism by persuading Israel to

withdraw from Gaza and begin negotiating with the Palestine Liberation

Organization. But Begin refuses to consider this.

Abroad, Sadat is awarded a joint Nobel Peace Prize with Begin in 1979.

At home, a fatwa by a fundamentalist cleric condemns Sadat to death as an

infidel.

The fuse has been lit, which will lead directly to Sadat's assassination.

January 1980, Egypt.

The unpopularity of Sadat's regime is increased by rumors of corruption within

Sadat's family and a growing gap between rich and poor.

Many of Sadat's ministers resign in protest at his policies.

In mosques all over the country, fundamentalists are openly pillorying

president and calling for his death.

And it almost seems that Sadat is deliberately baiting the fanatics when

offers the Shah of Iran refuge in Egypt after his regime is overthrown by

Ayatollah Khomeini.

March 6, 1981, Western Desert.

Egypt's defence minister, Ahmed Badawi, and 13 senior generals are killed in a

helicopter crash near the Libyan border.

Questions are asked as to how so many top brass have been allowed on one

Rumors spread that Badawi had recently warned Sadat to change his internal

policies.

In August 1981, during a meeting in Alexandria, Menachem Begin warns him

Mossad has received information about death plots.

And shortly after he leaves, Egyptian intelligence uncovers a plan to

assassinate Sadat and his wife Jehan.

in their summer palace in the city.

Finally, on September 3rd, 1981,

Sadat launches a crackdown against his political opponents and religious

extremists. More than 3 ,000 are arrested.

The only part of the government which is untouched by the purge is the army.

Sadat is convinced that it is loyal to him.

It is a fatal mistake.

September 23, 1981, Cairo.

Artillery Lieutenant Khaled al -Islambouli is told that he is to take

the 6th of October victory parade in front of President Sadat.

Islamouli is a secret member of Al -Takfir wal -Hijrah, the extreme

fundamentalist network.

His cell has already discussed killing Sadat as part of a coup.

Islambuli volunteers to lead a suicide squad during the parade.

He has less than two weeks to come up with a plan.

It is simple, but deadly.

His detachment of trucks towing artillery will come fairly late in the

On the morning of the parade, he will ensure that the three -man gun crew in

own truck has been given leave of absence.

Their places will be taken by three volunteers who will be equipped with

uniforms and false papers.

As his truck gets level with the reviewing stand, his lambouli will force

driver to stop and then race to the reviewing stand to throw grenades at the

president and senior officers in the front row.

His three fellow assassins will give covering fire and then race towards the

stand firing indiscriminately to add to the confusion.

October 5th, 1981, Cairo.

With just 24 hours to go before the parade, Islambouli gets rid of three of

unit. One is ill, one is given leave, and the other, special duties.

October 6th, 1981, Cairo.

President Sadat takes his place on the reviewing stand, occupied by more than a

thousand guests, diplomats, politicians, and journalists.

at 10 o 'clock.

Then there are lengthy speeches and prayers.

Meanwhile, Islambuli assembles his artillery unit at the securely cordoned

marshalling area.

He makes great play of searching the three new soldiers who have replaced

given leave of absence.

About an hour and a half later, the parade begins, with fireworks and jets

screaming overhead.

Then the first troops and vehicles begin to pile.

It takes another hour before Islambuli's trucks reach the staff.

As they do so, another flight of jets screams overhead,

attracting many of the crowd.

including the president and his bodyguards.

They don't notice that one of the trucks has stopped opposite the reviewing

staff.

His lambouli leaps out of it and races towards the president.

He lobs three grenades, only one of which explodes.

Simultaneously, his companions stand up in the truck and start firing, probably

killing Sadat with one of their first shots.

The three men then also jump out and race towards the reviewing stand, firing

indiscriminately.

There is chaos in the stand.

Eleven of the reviewing party, including the president, have been killed

outright or fatally wounded.

Twenty -eight more are injured.

It takes about 45 seconds before the security guards react properly.

By then the assassins have run out of ammunition.

and are racing back to the truck.

Sadat is rushed to hospital, but he is dead on arrival.

His lambouli and two fellow assassins are arrested on the spot. The force

escapes, but is picked up two days later.

All are executed in April 1982, after a short trial.

The following day, Sadat is buried.

He is succeeded by Vice President Hosni Mubarak, who continues his policy of

peace with Israel, and also clamps down severely on the Muslim extremists who

were responsible for his predecessor's death.

Yet again, An assassination intended to bring about a radical change in policy

fails utterly to achieve its objective, and Sadat's legacy continues on.