El Presidente must not be seen to follow the Zionists or American Imperialists!!

This wasn't Hosni Mubarak's fault.

Egyptian President Mubarak walked the red carpet along with other leaders Obama, Netenyahu, Abbas and King Abdullah at the recent Israeli/Palestinian peace talks in Washington. Obama, as the host, led the way.

But in true traditions of  that part of the world where maintaining face and pride take precedent over everything else, the state-run Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram decided it was unseemly that their president was trailing the Zionist and American Imperialist leaders. Fortunately technology offered a solution that reality didn't, so they photoshopped the picture to put Mubarak at the front.

However, the switcheroo was observed and exposed by keen-eyed Egyptian blogger Wael Khalil and now spoofs of the picture have appeared with Mubarak walking on the moon, winning the World Cup, etc...

By trying to grovel to their leader, Al-Ahram has provided Mubarak with quite a domestic embarrassment.

See the photos and complete story here in The Guardian.