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Moshe Sassan |
(
EOZ) An
interesting story at Al Masry al-Youm:
A former bodyguard recently recalled saving the life of the Israeli
Ambassador Moshe Sasson during the assassination of former President
Anwar Sadat in 1981. The Israeli guard, who declined to reveal his
identity, recounted the experience with his back to the camera during an
interview on Israel’s Channel 10 news program which aired Thursday
evening.
“I grabbed the ambassador, threw him on the ground, tossed over the
chair and covered him with my body,” he said. “I lowered his head and
people looked in our direction. No one understood what was happening.”
While Thursday marked the 38th anniversary of Egypt’s crossing of the
Suez Canal during its 1973 October War with Israel, it also marked the
30th anniversary of Sadat’s assassination in 1981 during an annual
victory parade to honor the event.
During the march, Israeli ambassador sat close behind Sadat.
According to the news network, Israeli investigations conducted shortly
after the assissination revealed that the body guard’s quick response –
along with that of a colleague – saved the ambassador’s life.
“The shots went on for 51 seconds, which is a long time,” the body guard
said. “They shot bursts from 4 AK-47s. They would just use up their
ammo and reload, and there was no one fighting back from our side.”
During the military parade, six planes soared over the platform where
Sadat was sitting with his retinue. The body guard says that while
everyone looked toward the sky to view the display, he and a fellow body
guard fixed their eyes on the street below.
“Suddenly, we saw a truck stop and an officer get out,” he said. “The
officer ran toward the platform with something in his hand and threw it –
people watched but didn’t understand what was happening. Then there was
a big explosion.
“They were shooting people, and they were being killed and wounded - a
terrible panic. Most of the bullets didn’t hit Sadat but instead struck
our area. We thought it was a military coup.”
In addition to Sadat, 11 others - including a Coptic Orthodox bishop,
the Cuban ambassador, and an Omani general - were killed. Another 28
were wounded, including Vice President Hosni Mubarak, four US military
liaison officers, and Irish Defense Minister James Tully.
Translation: What is being said here is they saved the Jew and Mubarak (another Jew to Egyptians now), and not Sadat the martyr.