Word: sultanic
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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...hard-bitten French air force intelligence officers in North Africa it was the perfect chance to score a coup that might shorten Algeria's long and bloody war. Sultan Mohammed V of Morocco, with the unofficial blessing of Socialist Guy Mollet's government, had invited top Algerian rebel chieftains from their Cairo headquarters to Rabat to talk peace terms with him. Then they would fly to Tunis for discussions with moderate Tunisian Premier Habib Bourguiba. A daring plan occurred to the officers: Why not kidnap the Algerian rebels' high command in midair...
...difficulties occurred to them. It would not do to kidnap His Majesty the Sultan. And the whole thing should be cleared with somebody in Paris. The somebody in Paris turned out to be hawk-nosed Socialist Max Lejeune, Secretary of State for the armed forces and close friend of Algeria's tough Minister Resident Lacoste, opponent of a liberal line in Algeria. Lejeune cautiously hinted of the operation to Premier Mollet, who had promised the Sultan and Bourguiba that the rebels would enjoy immunity. Mollet snapped: "Definitely...
...Trick. Notwithstanding, Lejeune gave the go-ahead to the intelligence officers. He apparently counted on the French Cabinet's current impatience with the Sultan. After all, when the Sultan's 28-year-old son had discussed with Mollet the possibility of talking to the Algerian rebels, Mollet had agreed as long as it was done unspectacularly. Instead the Sultan had welcomed the rebel leaders to his palace, had been photographed with them and had issued a joint communique...
...Sultan's indiscretion played right into the plotters' hands. The Sultan's French advisers persuaded him that the French, already miffed, would be even more hurt if the rebels flew with him to Tunis in his private Super-Constellation. The Sultan saw the point. At the airport he explained his delicate problem to the rebel leaders, then took off without them...
...French Pilot Gaston Grellier, 40, headed toward a non-French refueling stop, at Majorca in Spain's Balearic Islands, to avoid putting down in Algeria. In the air the first directive crackled from Algeria: "Refuel at Palma and then proceed to Algiers." Since French delicacy dictated that the Sultan should be among the first to hear that his hospitality was being violated, Pilot Grellier was also told to radio his new destination back to Rabat. Seeing the report, the Moroccan Minister of Works cried, "This is pure piracy," and ordered instructions sent to Pilot Grellier to wait at Majorca...