WI: Suez Canal is destroyed?

Let's assume that an Israeli invasion or Egyptian counterattack due to Israeli occupation has as its goal the destruction of the Suez Canal in the 60's-80's. The result would be...
 
A blackballing so black even the US wouldn't be able to shine light on it for a start, the Canal is one of the most important and economic waterways in the world.
 

Flubber

Banned
A blackballing so black even the US wouldn't be able to shine light on it for a start, the Canal is one of the most important and economic waterways in the world.


Hardly. It was closed for 8 years between 1967 and 1975 and, much like the Panama Canal, most new merchant ship construction is too large to use it.
 
Not destroyable...

The canal can be damaged badly--but it wasn't closed for 8 years due to damage. It was closed due to ships sunk in it, combined with military force preventing its clearing. If one of the great powers wants it open, and none of the others prevent it, it won't take all that long to reopen it.

In short, reopening a closed canal is a matter of blasting hostile forces near it, then rather routine engineering.
 
even in 1956, the importance was not so great anymore.

The most important feture is that the canal does not use locks. the water level of the Med and the red Sea is the same, hence it is plain sailing - xcse the punt!

Ivan
 
How do you destroy the Suez canal? It's little more than a dredged ditch.

With bulldozers and dump trucks.

I suppose one side or another can sink some ships in the canal to block access, then fortify the area and open fire on anybody who tries to clean up.
 
Top