European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 16, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                It seems to me that Eden s policy was a serious but unpractical attempt to answer the insoluble question posed by Britain s decline Arab nationalism and the economic of Oil Rees Mogg wrote in the Independent newspaper. The Lik month suet crisis began in july 1956, when Nasser announced nationalization of the canal built by the French in 1869 and largely run by British and French interests. Nasser acted after ire United states and Britain refused to fund his most cherished project the Aswan High dam. In seizing the canal Nasser said he needed to Revenue Tor he dam which the soviet Union eventually helped him Bush Britain and France railed Al Nasser s action and attempted to rally International support to Force Nasser to backtrack. At the same time Suez canal co. Officials in Paris were confidently assuring journalists that Nasser would be brought to his Knees because he could t possibly run the waterway without British and French pilots and technicians. Bui Nasser found outside help. When Alt else failed Britain France and Israel concocted in elaborate scheme that led to the invasion of the canal Tana despite Strong discouragement from president Dwight 0. Eisenhower in Washington. The Suez operation unfolded on two tracks one Putte and the other secret details of which wars revealed Only years later. Few people in the summer of 1956 suspected that Britain and France were surreptitiously preparing for what was considered outmoded gunboat diplomacy. When reliable informants in Paris told journalists thai Britain and Franca were going to War Over Suez the information was generally discounted. But in Early october persistent rumours led reporters to flock to Cyprus then a British territory in the Eastern Mediterranean which later became joint Headquarters for the Anglo French strike on rite canal zone. On oct. 29, the plot began to unfold Israel launched m attack on egyptian positions in the Sinai Peninsula allegedly to counter egyptian attacks on Israel. But this was the pre arranged trigger for the next act the British and French military intervention. It was simply to be a police  the Public was told to separate the squabbling israelis and egyptians. The British and French issued a 12-hour Utt Malum to Israel and Egypt to Stop fighting and to withdraw from the canal asking Egypt to allow Anglo French Force id be stationed temporarily along the canal. Israel quickly accepted. Egypt re us d because it would have mean withdrawing from us own territory and permitting the entry of foreign farces. That was not the Case Ullh Israel. From ocl. 31 to nov. 4, British and French planes based on Cyprus bombed egyptian airfields and other egyptian military targets. British and French officers on Cyprus Toke reporters the bombing was to keep Egypt and Israel  they smiled when asked Why fee israeli air Fleto were not also bombed. Within 24 hours the real purpose of the Potee action became evident. British and French paratroops and commandos operating from Cyprus and Malta occupied port said and port Fuad straddling the canal. The British and French had hoped for a Dean surgical operation. But when reporter flew in from. Cyprus aboard a French air Force dc-3 Dakota the next Day they saw great Clouds of Black smoke rising from the canal waterfront and Oil installations. Trie Mouth of the canal was slopped up by ships that had been scuttled by the egyptians. At news briefings British and French spokesmen said egyptian casualties from the British of ranch operation had been 100 killed and 100 wounded and that any other figure would be Blue pencilled by military censors. But truckloads of bodies were seen in the streets of port said for Days and the egyptians estimated casualties in the thousands. As the United Stales and the soviet Union made Clear their opposition to the Anglo French operation Eden announced in a dramatic speech that the action would Hall As of Midnight nov. 6-7. British and French troops having advanced 15 Miles Down the canal dug Foxholes and walled. When Dawn came there was not the slightest sign of egyptian forces. Anglo French control of the canal was Complete and a March to Cairo looked easy. Meanwhile a United nations emergency Force was organized and a company of norwegian troops moved into port said on nov. 21. Port said which had looked like a ghost town suddenly erupted into a mass of chewing egyptians who emerged from hiding As the . Force moved in. The British and French withdrew. Eden who had come under great political criticism and was in in health resigned. 1986 smooth sailing on the Suez canal by will am  associated press Kepics said the egyptians could never make the Suez canal work after they seized it from British and French interests in 1956. Thirty years later ii is running Fine. Egyptian officials say business is Good and the future la Bright despite monumental problems in the Oil Industry whose tankers Are the Lifeblood of the 100-mile waterway. Mohammed Ezzat Adel chairman of the Suez canal authority told a recent symposium in Cairo that Middle Eastern Oil reserves should last another Century and that Means the Outlook remains Good for the canal. The persian Gull area will continue As Oil exporter to Western Europe and North America for very Many years to come he said. And he added most of that Oil will pass through the Suez canal. Under egyptian management the canal has bean dredged and widened to accommodate All but the largest supertanker. This year Lor the first Lime it even handled in ballast the ,000-Lon greek owned Hellas Fos the world s largest merchant ship. Largely because of the canal improvements the canal authority plows 900 million a year into Egypt s Economy. Thai s More foreign Exchange than from any other source except repatriated dollars from egyptians working abroad and Export of egyptian Oil. More firsts like the transit of the Hellas fas Are in the offing. The West vision a Sall propelled norwegian Oil Rig making its Maiden voyage from its South korean builders to the North sea will be the first vessel of Lla kind to Paes through the canal in a few weeks. Capt. Aly Nasr the canal s Deputy director of transit said its tolls will amount to about $650.000, a record for a single passage. The acc i of the egyptian operation would have amazed sir Anthony Eden the British prime minister who ordered an invasion with French and israeli forces three months after president Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalized the canal on july 26,19ss. Eden died in 1977, when the canal under Nasser s successor Anwar Sadat was struggling to recover from eight years of blockage by vessels sunk in the Arab israeli War in 1967. Eden a Leader among those who Felt the egyptians incapable of running the canal after Nasser nationalized the Paris based Suez canal co., had Feit that the canal must be retaken to save it from disaster. Anthony Nutting minister of slate for foreign affairs in Eden s government told the Cairo symposium that Eden decided on the invasion Only after he realized hat Nasser had proved him wrong and hat Nasser s bold stroke was working. Passage of ships was not disturbed after nationalization despite provocations by captains who refused to pay dues to the egyptian Board of directors and paid them to the old  Nutting said. This led Eden to think of other  the Nama of tha symposium itself indicates How the egyptians feel about the events of 1956 an International symposium on the Suez canal and the tripartite aggression on the 30th anniversary of nationalization and  Salt Marsh Cantara Jet Suez canal is Sinai Peninsula bitter i bitter Suez sunday november 16, 1966 the stars and stripes Page 17