I updated yesterday’s post with the news that everybody was confirming George Clooney’s engagement news. Amal Alamuddin’s law firm sent out congratulations to her, while George’s dad Nick issued a statement: “We are thrilled. We have had an opportunity to interact with this wonderful young woman and these are two great people.” George’s mom Nina also confirmed the news, telling The Mail that “Amal’s a lovely girl.”

Meanwhile, people are still trying to figure out just who Amal Alamuddin is and how she hooked the one of the most famous bachelors in the world. Page Six had a surprisingly nice write-up about Amal’s education, her causes and her career, and I came away with some new information but the same belief I’ve had for months now: it’s not that Amal is his George’s “equal.” She is better than him. He’s a lightweight compared to her. As for how she hooked him, well… it’s pretty old-fashioned. She played hard to get!

Just how does a girl pull off an engagement to the most eligible man in the world, whose name is synonymous with the words heart-throb and commitment-phobe? Ask Amal Alamuddin, a beautiful and brilliant barrister, who is reported to have done just that with George Clooney.

As an adviser to former UN Secretary general Kofi Annan, now the special envoy to Syria, no doubt her knowledge on the subject of the war there impressed Clooney, who is a highly vocal political campaigner. But according to one well-informed source, what clinched it for Miss Alamuddin was not her vision for world peace but the strategy she deployed when Clooney pursued her. It was the oldest trick in the book: she played hard to get.

‘Clooney asked her out for dinner and she put him off twice, saying she was too busy, before accepting the third time,’ said the source. ‘She was operating on the lines of “treat ‘em mean, keep ‘em keen” and clearly it worked. Clooney was beguiled by her and she had the upper hand. What he likes about her is that she treats him normally. He’s so used to being fawned over that it’s refreshing for him. And of course she is a brilliant human rights lawyer – but quite an operator too, you might say. She has met a whole bunch of A-listers through him and is seemingly quite cool about it, though you suspect she’s loving it.’

Yesterday, her mother, Baria, said: ‘I’m so sorry but I can’t comment. She is my daughter and you understand it is very private.’

But maybe not for much longer. According to a friend, Miss Alamuddin is very sociable and great at networking.

‘She goes to all the right parties,’ said the friend. ‘She’s assiduous at making the right connections.’

As a specialist in international and human rights law, her list of high-profile clients includes WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, in his fight against extradition to Sweden where he is accused of sex offences. Whether Miss Alamuddin has had any other serious relationships is not known. When she topped a list of London’s most beautiful barristers last year, she was described thus: ‘Amo, Amas, Amal. These are three short words that come to mind when thinking about this dazzling beauty.’

According to a friend, she is a ‘man’s woman’, forthright in her opinions, and hugely ambitious. Clearly, she is a woman who draws attention wherever she goes. If – and it is a big if – she does become Mrs Clooney, there will be a great deal more attention.

[From The Daily Mail]

As Samantha in Sex & the City once said, “Honey, don’t play hard to get with a man who’s hard to get.” But it worked for Amal. Probably because George was actively looking for something different. Maybe the old bachelor really was tired of plucking flower girls out of the air and Eliza Doolittle-ing them.

And in a fascinating turn of events, George has just stepped down from his UN ambassadorship as a “Messenger of Peace.” It’s a role he’s had for six years. The UN spokesperson made a statement: “After six years in this role, Mr. Clooney feels it is time to retire his official role as Messenger of Peace. The competing demands on their time from their professional and advocacy lives sometimes make it difficult for high-profile individuals to carry out a formal United Nations role.” That’s very, very interesting.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Getty.