In 1998 Barbara Bush, her daughters-in-law and her grandchildren visited Egypt, it was during this trip that I first met Laura Bush. I was asked to accompany Barbara's group on a Nile cruise but unfortunately I was not able to go because I had to give a lecture in Italy. I recommended Mohamed Saleh, the director of the Cairo Museum at that time, to go in my place. Although I could not go on the cruise, I was able to spend a day with them at the Pyramids. When I was introduced to the Bush family, I realised Laura was a special lady. She had a unique calm and charming smile that showed her kindness. During their visit, we went inside the Great Pyramid, walked around the Solar Boat of Khufu and touched the Great Sphinx. I also took them to see my important discovery of the Tombs of the Pyramid Builders, which proves that the pyramids were built by Egyptians from Upper and Lower Egypt not by slaves, aliens or people from a lost civilisation. When George W Bush became the president of the United States and Laura Bush became the first lady, Dina Powl Habib became the senior assistant of President Bush. Dina is the daughter of my friend Onsi Habib. I met him many years ago and we became good friends. Onsi was an officer in the Egyptian army and he immigrated to the States. I went to Dallas in 1988 with the exhibit of Ramses II. This exhibit was a huge success and over one million Americans came to see the exhibit of the great king Ramses II. I met Dina, at this exhibit, when she was a young lady. After she became the senior assistant, she invited me to give a lecture at the White House. While I was there she took me into the Oval office and told me about the policies of the Bush administration. I argued with her about Bush's course of action in the Middle East and explained the reasons why I am unhappy with his policies. However, I gave her a signed copy of my book, The Hidden Treasures of Ancient Egypt, and asked her to give it to Mrs Bush and tell her how much I admire her. This book tells the story of all my discoveries and Egypt's hidden treasures. Dina was invited to Cairo by Ibrahim Nafie, chairman and the chief editor of Al-Ahram newspaper in Egypt. Dina was a good ambassador to both Egypt and the United States. Nafie welcomed her and gave her the Red Carpet. She was able to arrange an excellent interview for him with Bush. Last month, Laura Bush returned to Egypt to visit the Pyramids. The United States security came to see me at my office and told me that she personally asked for me to accompany her at the Pyramids. I went at noon, and she was interviewed in front of the Sphinx for American TV. This interview captured the hearts of all Americans because Laura was talking in front of the Sphinx and Pyramids. At 6pm she returned to the site, and I took her to see something new. When I saw her we talked about her first visit with her mother-in- law, Barbara Bush. First I took her to see the tomb of Seshem- nefer, one of the largest tombs south of the Great Pyramid of Khufu. Seshem-nefer was the one who keeps the secrets of the king. I told her about the new discoveries in Giza and Saqqara and all about the gorgeous mummy that I found at Saqqara. While I explained about the site, my excavation and how the Great Pyramid of Khufu was built, Mrs Bush had a beautiful smile full of wonder, which reminded me of the first time I met her. When we walked from the tomb to my new excavation site to the south of the Pyramid, I was amazed because all the security left us alone so we were able to talk about the discovery which has unearthed new tombs; one of them is still intact. This was the first time that a newly discovered tomb was shown to a VIP. I believe the tomb is intact and when I write about the tomb I will dedicate it to Mrs Bush. She talked to the Egyptian and foreign media about President Hosni Mubarak and the amendment for the elections. I gave her a framed photograph, from her first visit to Egypt, and three of my new books. She left with a smile on her face!
