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Operation Musketeer (French: Opération Mousquetaire) was the Anglo-French invasion of Egypt to capture the Suez Canal during the Suez Crisis.
Headed by British Army General Charles Keightley, it was conducted in October 1956 in coordination with the Israeli armored thrust into the Sinai, which was called Operation Kadesh. Egypt's government, led by President Nasser, was seeking political control over the canal, an effort resisted by the Europeans. Although landing forces quickly established control over major canal facilities, the Egyptians were able to sink obstacles in the canal, rendering it unusable.
Worldwide reaction against Musketeer was massive and negative. The United States led condemnations of the action at the United Nations and in other forums, this marked a sharp break in the “special relationship” between the United States and Britain. Due to political considerations, the Anglo-French forces were withdrawn in December 1956.
[edit] Reactions
When the United States threatened to devalue the British currency (the Pound Sterling), British troops were pulled out of the Suez region, without Israeli or French officials being notified. This caused France to doubt the reliability of their allies, and was a cause for the French withdrawal from NATO shortly afterwards. A few months later, French president René Coty ordered the creation of the brand new military experiments facility C.S.E.M. in the Sahara. It was used by his successor Charles de Gaulle to develop an autonomous nuclear deterrent against the USSR and other potential threats. The French atomic bomb Gerboise Bleue was tested in February 1960. In 1966, de Gaulle further loosened his ties with the Western Allies by leaving NATO.
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