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Pictures of Nasser continue to hang in Egypt's public buildings. Sadat soon began to develop his own style, however. Nasser had worked only in the Kubbeh Republican Palace on the outskirts of Cairo; Sadat also opened up the older, ornate Abdine Palace down town, which had belonged to Farouk. He also holds occasional meetings in a suite of the new Cairo-Sheraton Hotel, a 23-story building that is now the tallest in Cairo. Nasser was a restless ball of energy who could work a 20-hour day. Sadat works at a less frenetic pace. He prefers to spend as much time as possible with his half Egyptian, half British second wife, Gehan, their three daughters and their son Gamal, 14, as well as with Sadat's two collies, Lassie and Whip. There are also three other daughters, all in their 20s and married to army officers. They are Sadat's children by his first wife; he is still legally married to her, as is permitted in Islam; she still lives in the delta.
Sadat is rarely without a pipe, and enjoys an occasional glass of wine, preferably an Egyptian red called Omar Khayyam. He is a snappy dresser who favors tasseled loafers, elegant blazers and expensive British-styled suits. When he goes back to Mit Abu al Kom, though, Sadat on occasion likes to change from city clothes into the comfortable flowing galabia, the cotton peasant garment that looks like a nightshirt.
Goodies on a Tray
For all his elegance and sophistication, Sadat often uses peasant imagery. Recently he compared the actions of Soviet Premier Aleksei Kosygin during Nasser's funeral to the behavior of the people of his native village. "We are farmers," he said, "and when one of us goes to express condolences, he takes along a tray of food for the house of the deceased out of courtesy. So the Soviet Union came with their tray to the funeral of Gamal." The Russian tray, however, was scarcely filled with food. After post-funeral discussions with Sadat, the Russians accelerated their shipments of military supplies to Egypt. This year, up to 150 MIG-21s have been delivered by sea along with added missiles, radar systems and tanks.
The Russians have also brought in some of their newest equipment: Mach 2.5 twin-jet interceptors called the SU-11, which are not believed to be operational even in the Soviet air force, and the lethal Mach 3 MIG-23 "Fox-bat," which can easily outclimb the Phantoms of the Israeli air force.
These Soviet planes, seven of which are believed to be at the vast, Soviet-controlled military complex at Cairo West, have not been seen in operation yet by the Warsaw Pact nations. "The only conclusion you can come to," says a Western military expert, "is that the aircraft is here for test purposes."
With at least 15,000 Soviet military personnel now in Egypt and most of the country's cotton crop earmarked for Russia in payment for aid, Sadat could have a difficult time escaping the bear's hug. Nonetheless, he considers the newly arrived planes, tanks, guns and missiles to be essential elements in a defensive line, established with Russian advice, that runs all the way along the Egyptian side of the Suez Canal and up the Nile Valley.