The scene was a quiet villa in Sevres, France, outside Paris.
The French had chosen this discreet location for a reason: what was about to happen here had to stay out of public view.
In the wake of the failed London Conference, it was clear that diplomacy had hit a dead end.
Egypt's control over the Suez Canal remained unshaken, and it was equally clear that any solution in London would not strip Egypt's power over this crucial waterway.
The British, French, and Israeli representatives who gathered here understood that the only way to regain control was to take drastic measures.
The code name was Operation Musketeer.
The French Premier, Guy Mollet, was the first to speak as they gathered around a small table.
