CLEARING OF CANAL

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28129, 19 November 1956, Page 11

CLEARING OF CANAL

Objections To Allied Plan

(Rec. 11 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 17. Egypt protested today against a British-French plan to start clearing sunken ships from the blocked canal, the American Associated Press reported.

The director of the Egyptian Government Information Department, Colonel Abdel Kader Hatem, said the plan violated United Nations resolutions on the canal.

“If Britain and France complain about the obstruction of navigation, that is due to their silly aggressive acts,” Mr Hatem said. He said the United Nations resolutions called for the immediate withdrawal of the French, British, and Israeli forces from Egypt. French sources in Nicosia announced earlier the formation of a temporary British-French committee to begin clearing the canal of obstructions. The French statement said it was

believed the committee was an interim one which would control the clearing operation only until an international organisation could take over. The British Foreign Office spokesman said in London that the speediest reopening of the canal was in the interests of all countries which normally used it. » “We do not share the Egyptian view that our starting on the clearance of that part of the canal where our forces are would constitute an infringement of the armistice.’’ said the spokesman. * United Nations moves to undertake responsibility for clearing the canal and reopening it to shipping are still in the exploratory stage, United Nations officials said in New York. No estimate was available of the cost of the operation, nor had any decision been taken on how payment would be arranged, if the United Nations did go ahead with it, they said.