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Post by Newsman on Jan 11, 2024 20:26:05 GMT -5
 ...after weeks of attacks on merchant shipping through the Bab al-Mandab strait between the Red Sea and the western Indian Ocean, the U.S. and our allies have decided to strike...(The Guardian) Western defence sources have indicated preparations were intensifying on Thursday in response to Tuesday’s Houthi attack, although its scale and timing remain secret. Asked about potential US strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, the national security spokesperson, John Kirby, said: I’m not going to telegraph our punches one way or another here. We’re gonna do what we have to do, to counter and defeat these threats that the Houthis keep throwing up on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.A day earlier, on Wednesday, Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, said “there will be consequences” following the Houthi attack. As we reported earlier, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Iran-backed group, which controls the north and west of Yemen, responded by saying that if struck the Houthis would fight back, suggesting any conflict in the Red Sea would be extended. --- --- --- Experts believe the US, UK and other western allies are most likely to target costal radar and launch sites in a calibrated attempt to halt the three-month spate of Houthi missile and drone attacks in the busy Middle Eastern waterway. But one added any intervention was fraught with risk. Any strikes – likely to be from air and sea – would have to be enough to act as a deterrent, the analyst added, but a wider bombing campaign added to the risk of civilian casualties and could inflame public opinion in an already volatile Middle East. Aid agencies said they were concerned about the impact of fresh bombing on the Yemeni population, in a country trying to negotiate an end to a nine-year long civil war, but one told the Guardian that the Houthi attacks were very popular within Yemen, interpreted as a form of resistance to Israel and the west. A group of western nations, led by the US, increasingly believe that, despite the delicate international situation, there has to be a military response to the Houthis. The group has been gradually stepping up a series of attacks in the southern Red Sea area since mid October in support of Hamas. Tuesday night’s attack was deemed to represent an escalation because it directly targeted a group of US and UK warships sent to the Red Sea as protection. |
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Post by Webster on Jan 11, 2024 20:31:05 GMT -5
(The Guardian) Rishi Sunak held a call with Egypt’s president, Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, on Thursday afternoon before his cabinet meeting to discuss the Red Sea attacks. The two leaders discussed the “concerning rise in Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the disruptive impact on global shipping, including through the Suez Canal,” a Downing Street spokesperson said. Sunak told Sisi that the UK would continue to “take action to defend freedom of navigation and protect lives at sea”, they said. They continued: The prime minister thanked President Sisi for his continued support on the humanitarian and diplomatic effort in Gaza, including on joint work to secure the release of British hostages and those with links to the UK.
They agreed on the importance of significantly scaling up the aid reaching Palestinians in Gaza to prevent a worsening humanitarian crisis.
The prime minister said the UK was urging Israel to open more land crossings and to allow in far greater quantities of aid, up to 500 trucks a day.
An official from Yemen’s Houthis has commented on the bombings on X. Abdul Qader al-Mortada says: American-Zionist-British aggression against Yemen launches several raids on the capital, Sanaa, Hodeidah governorate, Saada, and DhamarReuters is reporting that the US and British strikes were carried out by aircraft, ships and submarines.
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Post by Webster on Jan 11, 2024 20:32:25 GMT -5
(The Guardian) The US and British militaries have used warship-launched Tomahawk missiles and fighter jets in the strikes, several US officials have told the Associated Press. The military targets include logistical hubs, air defence systems and weapons storage locations, they said. Associated Press says the US and Britian have bombed more than a dozen sites used by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen in what is described as a massive retaliatory strike. The strikes mark the first US military response against the Houthis after a campaign of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships since the start of the war in Israel. The coordinated military assault comes just a week after the White House and a host of partner nations issued a final warning to the Houthis to cease the attacks or face potential military action. The officials confirmed the strikes on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations.
Reuters is reporting that these strikes are believed to be the first the United States has carried out against the Houthis in Yemen since 2016. Four US officials, speaking to Reuters on the condition of anonymity, say a formal statement is soon expected to detail the strikes. Earlier on Thursday, the Houthi’s leader said any US attack on the group would not go without a response. The Houthis, who seized much of Yemen in a civil war, have vowed to attack ships linked to Israel or bound for Israeli ports. However, many of the targeted ships have had no links to Israel. The Houthis say they have been targeting Red Sea shipping routes to show their support for Hamas in the Israel-Gaza war. The attacks have disrupted international commerce on the key route between Europe and Asia that accounts for about 15% of the world’s shipping traffic.
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Post by Webster on Jan 11, 2024 20:34:17 GMT -5
(The Guardian) Associated Press journalists in Yemen’s capital, Sana’a say they heard four explosions early Friday local time but saw no sign of warplanes. Two residents of Hodieda, Amin Ali Saleh and Hani Ahmed, said they heard five strong explosions. Hodieda lies on the Red Sea and is the largest port city controlled by the Houthis. The Yemen Data project also posted a short time ago on X about strikes and where they have been reported: The US and British militaries have been bombing more than a dozen sites used by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen on Thursday, AP reports. US officials have told the Associated Press that warship-launched Tomahawk missiles and fighter jets were used. The military targets included logistical hubs, air defense systems and weapons storage locations, they said.
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Post by Webster on Jan 11, 2024 20:35:24 GMT -5
(The Guardian) Biden says Australia, Canada, Bahrain and Netherlands involved in strikes US president Joe Biden has released a statement on the strikes – where he highlights the countries involved in the military action – including Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands: He says: Today, at my direction, U.S. military forces—together with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands—successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most vital waterways. These strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea—including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history.He goes on to say in the statement: Today’s defensive action follows this extensive diplomatic campaign and Houthi rebels’ escalating attacks against commercial vessels. These targeted strikes are a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most critical commercial routes. I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary.
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Post by Webster on Jan 11, 2024 20:36:30 GMT -5
(The Guardian) UK prime minister Rishi Sunak comments on Yemen strikesBritian’s prime minister Rishi Sunak has also released a statement on the military action, describing it as “limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defence” and saying that the Netherlands, Canada and Bahrain offered “non-operational support”. Here’s some of that statement: The Royal Air Force has carried out targeted strikes against military facilities used by Houthi rebels in Yemen …
In recent months, the Houthi militia have carried out a series of dangerous and destabilising attacks against commercial shipping in the Red Sea, threatening UK and other international ships, causing major disruption to a vital trade route and driving up commodity prices. Their reckless actions are risking lives at sea and exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.The statement goes on to say: This cannot stand. The United Kingdom will always stand up for freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade. We have therefore taken limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defence, alongside the United States with non-operational support from the Netherlands, Canada and Bahrain against targets tied to these attacks, to degrade Houthi military capabilities and protect global shipping.The statement ends with a request that the Houthis take steps to “de-escalate”: The Royal Navy continues to patrol the Red Sea as part of the multinational Operation Prosperity Guardian to deter further Houthi aggression, and we urge them to cease their attacks and take steps to de-escalate
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Post by Webster on Jan 11, 2024 20:37:55 GMT -5
(The Guardian) UK's Ministry of Defence say they think Houthis abilities "taken a blow"The UK’s Ministry of Defence has also now issued a statement, which details the action including that “particular care was taken to minimise any risks to civilians” and that “early indications are that the Houthis’ ability to threaten merchant shipping has taken a blow” Here’s that statement: On 11 January, Royal Air Force aircraft joined coalition forces in striking a number of facilities used by the Houthi rebel faction in Yemen to attack shipping in the southern Red Sea.
The Royal Navy destroyer HMS Diamond has already been active alongside US and French warships in defending vital international shipping lanes against Houthi drones and missiles. Given the persistence of the Houthis in threatening merchant ships, several of which have already suffered damage, and the deliberate targeting of HMS Diamond and US Navy vessels on 9 January, coalition forces identified key facilities involved in these attacks, and agreed to conduct a carefully coordinated strike to reduce the Houthis’ capability to violate international law in this manner.The statement goes on to detail the strikes: Four RAF Typhoon FGR4s, supported by a Voyager air refuelling tanker therefore used Paveway IV guided bombs to conduct precision strikes on two of these Houthi facilities. One was a site at Bani in north-western Yemen used to launch reconnaissance and attack drones. A number of buildings involved in drone operations were targeted by our aircraft. The other location struck by our aircraft was the airfield at Abbs. Intelligence has shown that it has been used to launch both cruise missiles and drones over the Red Sea. Several key targets at the airfield were identified and prosecuted by our aircraft.The statement also refers to trying to limit civilian casualties, according to the MoD and an assessment on what the strikes have achieved: In planning the strikes, particular care was taken to minimise any risks to civilians, and any such risks were mitigated further by the decision to conduct the strikes during the night. The detailed results of the strikes are being assessed, but early indications are that the Houthis’ ability to threaten merchant shipping has taken a blow, and our commitment to protecting the sea-lanes, through which some 15% of the world’s shipping passes and which is vital to the global economy, has been amply demonstrated.
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Post by Webster on Jan 11, 2024 20:38:51 GMT -5
 An RAF Typhoon aircraft takes off to join the US led coalition to conduct airstrikes against military targets in Yemen. Photograph: Sgt Lee Goddard/UK MOD Crown copyright  A RAF Voyager aircraft takes off, as supplied by the UK Ministry of Defence. Photograph: Sqn Ldr Peter Singlhurst/UK MOD Crown copyright |
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Post by Webster on Jan 11, 2024 20:39:30 GMT -5
(The Guardian) The US and Britain launched air and missile strikes in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, aimed at halting attacks on ships in the Red Sea, Washington and London have announced. Joe Biden, the US president, said American and British forces, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands were involved in the overnight attack, which appeared to target a dozen sites in the country. In a statement, he said: “These strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea – including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history. “These attacks have endangered US personnel, civilian mariners, and our partners, jeopardised trade, and threatened freedom of navigation.” Biden also said he would be willing to authorise further attacks on Yemen if Houthi attacks on shipping did not stop. “I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary,” he said. Minutes later, Rishi Sunak, the British prime minister confirmed UK participation. “We have therefore taken limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defence, alongside the United States,” he said, “against targets tied to these attacks, to degrade Houthi military capabilities and protect global shipping.”
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Post by Webster on Jan 12, 2024 16:52:18 GMT -5
(The Guardian) Iran: US and UK airstrikes 'violation of international law'Iran has issued sharp new criticism of strikes by the US and UK on Houthi targets in Yemen, calling them “arbitrary” and a “violation” of international law, AFP reports. Foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani said Iran, which backs the Houthi rebels, as well as Hamas and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, “strongly condemns the military attacks… this morning on several Yemeni cities”: [They were] an arbitrary action, a clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yemen, and a violation of international laws and regulations.The US, UK, and allies said in a joint statement after the air strikes that their goal “remains to de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea”. But Kanani warned that the attacks “will have no result other than fueling insecurity and instability in the region”, as well as “diverting the world’s attention from the crimes” in Gaza, where Israel is fighting Hamas. Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian voiced his own support the Houthis on X, formerly Twitter. “Yemen’s action in supporting the women and children of Gaza and confronting the Israeli regime’s genocide is commendable,” he said. State television aired footage of pro-Palestinian rallies in Tehran and other Iranian cities, and later broadcast images from a protest outside the British embassy in Tehran with people waving Palestinian and Yemeni flags, AFP said.
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Post by Webster on Jan 12, 2024 16:55:10 GMT -5
(The Guardian) US military says strikes hit 30 targets in YemenAir strikes by US and UK forces on Houthi targets in Yemen hit nearly 30 targets, using more than 150 munitions, the Pentagon says. The figure is higher than previously announced, Reuters said. Lt Gen Douglas Sims, director of the Joint Staff, told reporters at a Friday afternoon briefing that he did not expect a high number of casualties from the strikes on Thursday, since the targets included those in rural areas. Five people were killed and six injured in the strikes, reports said. Sims added that Washington expected the Houthis to attempt to retaliate, adding the group had fired an anti-ship ballistic missile earlier in the day that did not hit any ships.
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Post by Webster on Jan 12, 2024 16:55:53 GMT -5
(The Guardian) Biden says Yemen airstrikes 'a success'Joe Biden, in his first public comments on the US-UK airstrikes, said they were “a success”. The US president spoke very briefly before an event Friday afternoon in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, to promote his economic policies. “We will make sure that we will respond to the Houthis if they continue this outrageous behavior, along with our allies,” he said. Asked by a reporter if he thought the strikes had been a success, Biden said: “Yes. Very. I don’t think there’s any civilian casualties. That’s another reason why it’s a success”. The president then offered reporters coffee, and said he would speak further about the military action following the campaign event.
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Post by Webster on Jan 12, 2024 16:56:48 GMT -5
(The Guardian) Biden defends airstrikes in letter to CongressThe White House has published a letter from Joe Biden to House speaker Mike Johnson and Senate president pro tempore Patty Murray explaining why he did not seek congressional approval prior to authorizing Thursday night’s airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. The US president is facing bipartisan condemnation for not asking lawmakers first, but in the letter says he didn’t need to because it was act of self-defense. The letter fulfils the requirement that he inform Congress of his actions within 48 hours: I directed this military action consistent with my responsibility to protect US citizens both at home and abroad and in furtherance of US national security and foreign policy interests, pursuant to my constitutional authority as commander in chief and chief executive and to conduct US foreign relations.
The US took this necessary and proportionate action consistent with international law and in the exercise of the US’ inherent right of self-defense as reflected in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. The US stands ready to take further action, as necessary and appropriate, to address further threats or attacks.
I am providing this report as part of my efforts to keep the Congress fully informed, consistent with the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148). I appreciate the support of the Congress in this action.
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