This Day in African History -- Britain, France Bomb Egypt

On 31 October 1956, following a 12 hour ultimatum to Egypt and Israel, British and French forces bombard military airfields near Cairo in the Suez Canal Zone. Colonel Nasser calls it "an attack on the rights and dignity of Egypt." US officials, convinced that they are working in collusion with Israel, censure Britain and France during a UN Security Council debate, requesting that "all UN members refrain from the use of force or threat of force and refrain from giving aid to Israel."

For more on the Suez Crisis
• Timeline: The Suez Crisis
• The Tripartite Invasion, 1956
• Key Events in the Decolonization of Africa: Suez Crisis