Anwar Sadat was president of Egypt from 1970 until 1981, when he was assassinated by political radicals. With a combination of tough-minded negotiating tactics and fidelity to his faith, he signed the historic Camp David Accords with Israel's Menachem Begin in 1978, demonstrating to the world a better way of resolving conflict in the Middle East. "Today we agree to live with you in permanent peace and justice," he said.