The Daily Mail
"Iran 'gives Hezbollah the green light to escalate attacks along Israel's northern border' and launch 'large-scale assault' amid warnings of an 'October 7, part two'"
Story by Miriam Kuepper
29 FEBRUARY 2024
* It comes after it was made aware of 'Israeli plans to invade southern Gaza city'
Iran has reportedly given Hezbollah the green light to escalate attacks along Israel's northern border.
The country allegedly ordered the terror group to launch a 'large-scale assault' on Israel in a new wave of terror described in Israeli media as 'October 7, part two'.
Iran's order was made after it became aware of Israeli plans to invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah, the Jerusalem Post reports.
The regime under leader Ali Khamenei fears that southern Lebanon 'will be next', mirroring US warnings that the Israeli military is planning to launch a ground operation in Lebanon in late spring or early summer.
Thus far Israel exchanged near-daily missile fire with Hezbollah, hitting locations in Lebanon - but the IDF has refrained from a full-out ground invasion.
US administration and intelligence officials fear a ground incursion could be next if diplomatic efforts to push Hezbollah back from Israel's northern border fail.
President Joe Biden is set to issue an executive order Wednesday aimed at limiting the flow of sensitive U.S. personal data abroad - amid concerns they could be misused by countries including China.
'We are operating in the assumption that an Israeli military operation is in the coming months,' a senior official in Biden's government told CNN.
Hezbollah allegedly called for the meeting with Iran after 'information was obtained' that Israel was due to launch a ground assault and the secretary-general of the terror group, Hassan Nasrallah, asked for 'complete freedom in how he intends to attack'.
Meanwhile Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned on Tuesday that Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas could use the upcoming Muslim holiday month of Ramadan to provoke Palestinians in the West Bank and Muslims across the region to escalate tensions and attack Israel.
Hamas-ally Hezbollah has been fighting with the Israeli army since war erupted between Israel and Hamas in October, displacing tens of thousands of Lebanese and Israeli residents from their homes.
Just last night Israeli strikes killed two people in Lebanon's south, according to Lebanon's state-run national news agency.
There was also fire in the other direction, as Hamas's armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement Wednesday morning that it targeted two Israeli military sites with two barrages of 'Grad rockets'.
The attack from south Lebanon came in 'response to Zionist massacres against civilians in the Gaza Strip and the assassination of martyred leaders and their brothers in the southern suburbs' of Beirut, the statement by the agency added.
The Israeli military said in a statement that 'approximately 10 launches which crossed from Lebanon into northern Israel were identified', adding that sirens had sounded in north Israel's Kiryat Shmona area.
Air defences 'successfully intercepted a number of the launches,' the statement said, adding that the army 'struck the sources of the fire in Lebanon'.
Israeli police reported property damage in the Kiryat Shmona area but no wounded.
A strike in January, which a United States defence official said was carried out by Israel, killed Hamas's deputy leader Saleh al-Aruri and six militants in Hezbollah's south Beirut stronghold - the most high-profile Hamas figure to be killed during the war.
This month, security sources said a senior Hamas officer had survived an assassination attempt south of Beirut.
The escalating cross-border exchanges since October 8, the day after the Israel-Hamas war erupted, have stoked fears of all-out war on Israel's northern border with Lebanon.
The exchanges have killed at least 286 people on the Lebanese side, most of them Hezbollah fighters but also at least 44 civilians, according to an AFP tally.
At least 24 fighters from Palestinian groups including 10 from Hamas are also among the dead.
On the Israeli side, 10 soldiers and six civilians have been killed, according to the Israeli army.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ir ... 2652&ei=86
THE MIDDLE EAST
Re: THE MIDDLE EAST
FOX News
"US forces carry out more strikes against anti-ship cruise missiles, drone in Red Sea"
Story by Bradford Betz
1 MARCH 2024
U.S. forces carried out more strikes against anti-ship cruise missiles and a drone in the Red Sea Thursday evening, Central Command said.
CENTCOM forces conducted two self-defense strikes against six mobile anti-ship cruise missiles that were prepared to launch towards the Red Sea between 6 and 7:15 p.m. local time.
Earlier in the evening, CENTCOM forces shot down a drone over the southern Red Sea in self-defense, CENTCOM said.
"CENTCOM forces determined that the missiles and UAV presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and to the U.S. Navy ships in the region," the command said.
"These actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels."
The statement comes as Houthi militants, based in Yemen, continue a series of assaults on vessels in the Red Sea over Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The ongoing assaults have caused massive delays and added fees to commercial ships forced to reroute their vessels.
In January, the U.S. and its allies began carrying out strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, though the militant group has been unrelenting in its attacks.
Earlier this week, a rocket exploded off the side of a ship traveling through the Red Sea.
The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, which oversees shipping in the Mideast, reported the attack happened around 70 miles off the coast of the Houthi-held port city of Hodeida.
The rocket exploded several miles off the bow of the vessel, it said.
"The crew and vessel are reported to be safe and are proceeding to next port of call," the UKMTO said.
The private security firm Ambrey reported that the vessel targeted appeared to be a Marshall Islands-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier in the area at the time.
Another ship, a Panama-flagged, Emirati-owned chemical tanker was nearby as well, Ambrey said.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military's Central Command said an American and an allied warship shot down five Houthi bomb-carrying drones in the Red Sea on Tuesday night.
Last week, Houthi rebels severely damaged a ship in a crucial strait and downed an American drone worth tens of millions of dollars.
The Houthis insist their attacks will continue until Israel stops its combat operations in the Gaza Strip, which have enraged the wider Arab world and seen the Houthis gain international recognition.
The Houthis, a Zaydi Shiite group, seized Yemen's capital in 2014 and have battled a Saudi-led coalition since 2015.
Their Zaydi people ran a 1,000-year kingdom in Yemen up until 1962.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/us ... 5849&ei=24
"US forces carry out more strikes against anti-ship cruise missiles, drone in Red Sea"
Story by Bradford Betz
1 MARCH 2024
U.S. forces carried out more strikes against anti-ship cruise missiles and a drone in the Red Sea Thursday evening, Central Command said.
CENTCOM forces conducted two self-defense strikes against six mobile anti-ship cruise missiles that were prepared to launch towards the Red Sea between 6 and 7:15 p.m. local time.
Earlier in the evening, CENTCOM forces shot down a drone over the southern Red Sea in self-defense, CENTCOM said.
"CENTCOM forces determined that the missiles and UAV presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and to the U.S. Navy ships in the region," the command said.
"These actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels."
The statement comes as Houthi militants, based in Yemen, continue a series of assaults on vessels in the Red Sea over Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The ongoing assaults have caused massive delays and added fees to commercial ships forced to reroute their vessels.
In January, the U.S. and its allies began carrying out strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, though the militant group has been unrelenting in its attacks.
Earlier this week, a rocket exploded off the side of a ship traveling through the Red Sea.
The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, which oversees shipping in the Mideast, reported the attack happened around 70 miles off the coast of the Houthi-held port city of Hodeida.
The rocket exploded several miles off the bow of the vessel, it said.
"The crew and vessel are reported to be safe and are proceeding to next port of call," the UKMTO said.
The private security firm Ambrey reported that the vessel targeted appeared to be a Marshall Islands-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier in the area at the time.
Another ship, a Panama-flagged, Emirati-owned chemical tanker was nearby as well, Ambrey said.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military's Central Command said an American and an allied warship shot down five Houthi bomb-carrying drones in the Red Sea on Tuesday night.
Last week, Houthi rebels severely damaged a ship in a crucial strait and downed an American drone worth tens of millions of dollars.
The Houthis insist their attacks will continue until Israel stops its combat operations in the Gaza Strip, which have enraged the wider Arab world and seen the Houthis gain international recognition.
The Houthis, a Zaydi Shiite group, seized Yemen's capital in 2014 and have battled a Saudi-led coalition since 2015.
Their Zaydi people ran a 1,000-year kingdom in Yemen up until 1962.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/us ... 5849&ei=24
Re: THE MIDDLE EAST
Newsweek
"US Defends Legal Case for Troops in Syria as Pressure Builds to Withdraw"
Story by Tom O'Connor
2 MARCH 2024
President Joe Biden's administration has outlined what it argues is the legal justification for the U.S. military presence in Syria as Damascus ramps up calls for the United States to withdraw amid deepening unrest in the region.
A week after Syria's Mission to the United Nations told Newsweek that the presence of U.S. troops in the country "is illegal, illegitimate, and constitutes a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter and international law," a State Department spokesperson said the Department of Defense's deployment — officially "for the sole purpose" of defeating the Islamic State militant group but increasingly mired in clashes with Iran-backed militias amid the ongoing war in Gaza — was well rooted in both U.S. and international law.
"As a matter of domestic law, U.S. 'defeat ISIS' activities are authorized by the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force," the State Department spokesperson told Newsweek.
"We also have specific domestic statutory authorities that authorize DOD to provide support to the SDF's 'defeat ISIS' operations."
"Those authorities are found in certain provisions of the annual National Defense Authorization Act, the Defense Department's appropriations act and certain security cooperation authorities," the spokesperson added.
The 2001 AUMF was initially established to provide a legal basis for the launch of the U.S.-led "war on terror," especially in Afghanistan, following the 9/11 attacks conducted by Al-Qaeda.
Since then, the resolution has been used to justify a wide range of operations across the Middle East and elsewhere.
When it comes to international law, the State Department spokesperson — citing Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, which provides states with an inherent right to self-defense — asserted that "the United States is using force in Syria against ISIS and providing support to opposition groups fighting ISIS in the collective self-defense of Iraq (and other States) and in U.S. national self-defense."
The primary group backed by the U.S. in Syria is the Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led militia that runs a semi-self-ruling stretch of the country's northeast, officially called the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria.
The group's relationship with the central government in Damascus, led by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has been complex throughout the civil war that first erupted in 2011.
While both Assad, who is supported by Iran and Russia, and the U.S.-backed SDF have found a common foe in ISIS and an array of rebel militias, some of which are sponsored by U.S. NATO ally Turkey, they continue to differ on the political future of the country.
The SDF has pushed for lasting autonomy in the northeast, while the Syrian government views a return to central rule as the best guarantee for security and stability.
Washington severed ties with Damascus early into the conflict, accusing the Assad administration of widespread human rights violations and war crimes.
In the recent comments shared with Newsweek, the Syrian Mission tied the U.S. military presence and its support for the SDF to a range of alleged abuses.
"This illegal military presence serves and complements the destabilizing policies of the U.S. administrations," the Mission said, "including the support it provides for its terrorist tools and separatist militias, its continued plundering of Syrian national wealth, and the catastrophic repercussions of the unilateral coercive measures it imposes on the Syrian people."
And as unrest in Syria, still plagued by pockets of ISIS activity and ongoing clashes with the insurgent-held northwest, only deepened the outbreak of war between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement in Gaza, the Mission asserted that, "the current developments in the region should serve as an opportunity for the United States to rectify its misguided policies, which have only contributed to the destabilization of security and stability in Syria and the broader region."
The turmoil surrounding Gaza has seen a record spike in rocket and drone attacks against U.S. forces in both Syria and neighboring Iraq, largely claimed by a coalition of Iran-aligned militias calling itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq.
The violence took a new turn in late January when three U.S. troops were killed in a drone attack on the Jordan-Syria border, prompting Biden to order a set of airstrikes against alleged militia positions in Iraq and Syria, as well as the assassination of a senior militia official in Baghdad.
Since then, attacks on U.S. soldiers have been on the decline, but militias continue to vow revenge, and the deepening conflict in Gaza continues to set the stage for further escalations.
Frequent airstrikes widely blamed on Israel in Syria also continue to stir outrage.
Facing a volatile security situation and mounting political pressure in the region, the Pentagon has convened a dialogue with Iraqi counterparts to discuss a transition of the U.S. military mission there, and reports have emerged of potential discussions toward a shift in the posture in Syria.
Sinam Mohamad, the representative in Washington, D.C., for the SDF's political wing, the Syrian Democratic Council, said she was aware of these talks regarding the fate of U.S. troops in Syria.
"We know that they are not going to stay in northeast Syria forever, but they are not going to leave tomorrow," Mohamad told Newsweek.
"As long as ISIS is still in Syria and as long as the prisoners of ISIS are still a threat to the whole region and the world, the U.S. military will not leave."
"We notice recently an ISIS resurgence in northeast Syria," she added, "so still the presence of the Americans is essential now."
At the same time, Assad's position has been bolstered substantially in recent years as regional powers increasingly rebuilt relations with his government.
The 2024 Global Diplomacy Index published Sunday by the Lowy Institute found that "Damascus saw the most embassy re-openings" of any ranked city since 2017.
This trend was included with high-level visits and interactions with influential players, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, along with a return to the Arab League.
As Syria and rival Turkey continue to float potential reconciliation efforts, the SDF's position has been further challenged by rising resistance from local Arab tribal leaders.
Meanwhile, Geir Pedersen, the United Nations special envoy for Syria, has continued to appeal for a ninth round of the Syrian Constitutional Committee, a U.N.-backed peace process that includes government, opposition and independent representatives, but not the SDF.
Mohamad expressed hope that Washington could still play a helpful role in leveraging the Syrian Democratic Council's position in talks with Damascus and other Syrian stakeholders in the quest for a lasting end to the nation's long-running strife.
"As for the SDC vision for Syria's political future, we see the dialogue among Syrians is so necessary among those who believe in democracy, equality and diversity," Mohamad said.
"The SDC should be included in the political process, and the USA presence should support it."
"All Syrians should be included in the Constitutional Committee and any political process," she added.
"I think the presence of the U.S. will help and should support the AANES region."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/us ... r-BB1jaxSF
"US Defends Legal Case for Troops in Syria as Pressure Builds to Withdraw"
Story by Tom O'Connor
2 MARCH 2024
President Joe Biden's administration has outlined what it argues is the legal justification for the U.S. military presence in Syria as Damascus ramps up calls for the United States to withdraw amid deepening unrest in the region.
A week after Syria's Mission to the United Nations told Newsweek that the presence of U.S. troops in the country "is illegal, illegitimate, and constitutes a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter and international law," a State Department spokesperson said the Department of Defense's deployment — officially "for the sole purpose" of defeating the Islamic State militant group but increasingly mired in clashes with Iran-backed militias amid the ongoing war in Gaza — was well rooted in both U.S. and international law.
"As a matter of domestic law, U.S. 'defeat ISIS' activities are authorized by the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force," the State Department spokesperson told Newsweek.
"We also have specific domestic statutory authorities that authorize DOD to provide support to the SDF's 'defeat ISIS' operations."
"Those authorities are found in certain provisions of the annual National Defense Authorization Act, the Defense Department's appropriations act and certain security cooperation authorities," the spokesperson added.
The 2001 AUMF was initially established to provide a legal basis for the launch of the U.S.-led "war on terror," especially in Afghanistan, following the 9/11 attacks conducted by Al-Qaeda.
Since then, the resolution has been used to justify a wide range of operations across the Middle East and elsewhere.
When it comes to international law, the State Department spokesperson — citing Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, which provides states with an inherent right to self-defense — asserted that "the United States is using force in Syria against ISIS and providing support to opposition groups fighting ISIS in the collective self-defense of Iraq (and other States) and in U.S. national self-defense."
The primary group backed by the U.S. in Syria is the Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led militia that runs a semi-self-ruling stretch of the country's northeast, officially called the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria.
The group's relationship with the central government in Damascus, led by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has been complex throughout the civil war that first erupted in 2011.
While both Assad, who is supported by Iran and Russia, and the U.S.-backed SDF have found a common foe in ISIS and an array of rebel militias, some of which are sponsored by U.S. NATO ally Turkey, they continue to differ on the political future of the country.
The SDF has pushed for lasting autonomy in the northeast, while the Syrian government views a return to central rule as the best guarantee for security and stability.
Washington severed ties with Damascus early into the conflict, accusing the Assad administration of widespread human rights violations and war crimes.
In the recent comments shared with Newsweek, the Syrian Mission tied the U.S. military presence and its support for the SDF to a range of alleged abuses.
"This illegal military presence serves and complements the destabilizing policies of the U.S. administrations," the Mission said, "including the support it provides for its terrorist tools and separatist militias, its continued plundering of Syrian national wealth, and the catastrophic repercussions of the unilateral coercive measures it imposes on the Syrian people."
And as unrest in Syria, still plagued by pockets of ISIS activity and ongoing clashes with the insurgent-held northwest, only deepened the outbreak of war between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement in Gaza, the Mission asserted that, "the current developments in the region should serve as an opportunity for the United States to rectify its misguided policies, which have only contributed to the destabilization of security and stability in Syria and the broader region."
The turmoil surrounding Gaza has seen a record spike in rocket and drone attacks against U.S. forces in both Syria and neighboring Iraq, largely claimed by a coalition of Iran-aligned militias calling itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq.
The violence took a new turn in late January when three U.S. troops were killed in a drone attack on the Jordan-Syria border, prompting Biden to order a set of airstrikes against alleged militia positions in Iraq and Syria, as well as the assassination of a senior militia official in Baghdad.
Since then, attacks on U.S. soldiers have been on the decline, but militias continue to vow revenge, and the deepening conflict in Gaza continues to set the stage for further escalations.
Frequent airstrikes widely blamed on Israel in Syria also continue to stir outrage.
Facing a volatile security situation and mounting political pressure in the region, the Pentagon has convened a dialogue with Iraqi counterparts to discuss a transition of the U.S. military mission there, and reports have emerged of potential discussions toward a shift in the posture in Syria.
Sinam Mohamad, the representative in Washington, D.C., for the SDF's political wing, the Syrian Democratic Council, said she was aware of these talks regarding the fate of U.S. troops in Syria.
"We know that they are not going to stay in northeast Syria forever, but they are not going to leave tomorrow," Mohamad told Newsweek.
"As long as ISIS is still in Syria and as long as the prisoners of ISIS are still a threat to the whole region and the world, the U.S. military will not leave."
"We notice recently an ISIS resurgence in northeast Syria," she added, "so still the presence of the Americans is essential now."
At the same time, Assad's position has been bolstered substantially in recent years as regional powers increasingly rebuilt relations with his government.
The 2024 Global Diplomacy Index published Sunday by the Lowy Institute found that "Damascus saw the most embassy re-openings" of any ranked city since 2017.
This trend was included with high-level visits and interactions with influential players, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, along with a return to the Arab League.
As Syria and rival Turkey continue to float potential reconciliation efforts, the SDF's position has been further challenged by rising resistance from local Arab tribal leaders.
Meanwhile, Geir Pedersen, the United Nations special envoy for Syria, has continued to appeal for a ninth round of the Syrian Constitutional Committee, a U.N.-backed peace process that includes government, opposition and independent representatives, but not the SDF.
Mohamad expressed hope that Washington could still play a helpful role in leveraging the Syrian Democratic Council's position in talks with Damascus and other Syrian stakeholders in the quest for a lasting end to the nation's long-running strife.
"As for the SDC vision for Syria's political future, we see the dialogue among Syrians is so necessary among those who believe in democracy, equality and diversity," Mohamad said.
"The SDC should be included in the political process, and the USA presence should support it."
"All Syrians should be included in the Constitutional Committee and any political process," she added.
"I think the presence of the U.S. will help and should support the AANES region."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/us ... r-BB1jaxSF
Re: THE MIDDLE EAST
Reuters
"Yemen's Houthis blame UK and US for 'glitch' in Red Sea undersea cables"
Story by Reuters
3 MARCH 2024
CAIRO (Reuters) - The Houthi Transport Ministry in Yemen said on Saturday there had been a "glitch" in undersea communication cables in the Red Sea as a result of actions by U.S. and British naval vessels.
The actions "endangered the security and safety of the international communications and the flow of information," the ministry said in a statement, reported by the Houthi-run Saba news agency, without giving details.
"Any glitch in these cables as a result of the militarization of the Red Sea by U.S. and British naval vessels represents a serious threat to the information security and economic and social stability for all countries of the world," the statement read.
The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, have launched exploding drones and missiles at commercial vessels since Nov. 19 as a protest against Israel's military operations in Gaza.
The United States and Britain have carried out several strikes against Houthi targets in response.
(Reporting by Ahmed Tolba, Writing by Muhammad Al Gebaly; Editing by Alison Williams and Mark Potter)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ye ... 26d9&ei=30
"Yemen's Houthis blame UK and US for 'glitch' in Red Sea undersea cables"
Story by Reuters
3 MARCH 2024
CAIRO (Reuters) - The Houthi Transport Ministry in Yemen said on Saturday there had been a "glitch" in undersea communication cables in the Red Sea as a result of actions by U.S. and British naval vessels.
The actions "endangered the security and safety of the international communications and the flow of information," the ministry said in a statement, reported by the Houthi-run Saba news agency, without giving details.
"Any glitch in these cables as a result of the militarization of the Red Sea by U.S. and British naval vessels represents a serious threat to the information security and economic and social stability for all countries of the world," the statement read.
The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, have launched exploding drones and missiles at commercial vessels since Nov. 19 as a protest against Israel's military operations in Gaza.
The United States and Britain have carried out several strikes against Houthi targets in response.
(Reporting by Ahmed Tolba, Writing by Muhammad Al Gebaly; Editing by Alison Williams and Mark Potter)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ye ... 26d9&ei=30
Re: THE MIDDLE EAST
United Liberty
"U.S. Military Uses $2 Million Missiles To Shoot Down $2,000 Drones"
Story by Toni Grzunov
5 MARCH 2024
In a protracted conflict against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, the U.S. military finds itself in a peculiar situation where it is expending significant resources to counter relatively inexpensive threats.
More than two months of direct engagement with the Houthi forces have strained the U.S. military, leading to substantial financial costs and logistical challenges.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/u- ... d1f8&ei=16
"U.S. Military Uses $2 Million Missiles To Shoot Down $2,000 Drones"
Story by Toni Grzunov
5 MARCH 2024
In a protracted conflict against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, the U.S. military finds itself in a peculiar situation where it is expending significant resources to counter relatively inexpensive threats.
More than two months of direct engagement with the Houthi forces have strained the U.S. military, leading to substantial financial costs and logistical challenges.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/u- ... d1f8&ei=16
Re: THE MIDDLE EAST
The Associated Press - Business News
"US destroyer shoots down missile and drones launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels"
Story by JON GAMBRELL
6 MARCH 2024
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A U.S. destroyer shot down drones and a missile launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels toward it in the Red Sea, officials said Wednesday, as the Indian navy released images of it fighting a fire aboard a container ship earlier targeted by the Houthis.
The assault Tuesday apparently targeted the USS Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that has been involved in the American campaign against the rebels, who have launched attacks over Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Another suspected Houthi attack on shipping was reported Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Iran announced Wednesday it would confiscate a $50 million cargo of Kuwaiti crude oil for American energy firm Chevron Corp. aboard a tanker it seized nearly a year earlier.
It marks the latest twist in a yearslong shadow war playing out in the Mideast's waterways even before the Houthi attacks began.
The Houthi attack on the Carney on Tuesday involved bomb-carrying drones and one anti-ship ballistic missile, the U.S. military's Central Command said.
The U.S. later launched an airstrike destroying three anti-ship missiles and three bomb-carrying drone boats, the Central Command said.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesperson, acknowledged the attack, but claimed its forces targeted two American warships, without elaborating.
The Houthis “will not stop until the aggression is stopped and the siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is lifted,” Saree said.
Saree did not acknowledge the later U.S. airstrikes.
The Houthis have not offered any assessment of the damage they've suffered in the American-led strikes that began in January, though they have said at least 22 of their fighters have been killed.
Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters over the Israel-Hamas war.
Those vessels have included at least one with cargo bound for Iran, the Houthis’ main benefactor, and an aid ship later bound for Houthi-controlled territory.
Despite more than a month and a half of U.S.-led airstrikes, Houthi rebels have remained capable of launching significant attacks.
They include the attack last month on a cargo ship carrying fertilizer, the Rubymar, which sank on Saturday after drifting for several days, and the downing of an American drone worth tens of millions of dollars.
The Houthis have been hailing ships over the radio in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden as well since launching their attacks.
The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center reported Wednesday that a new round of similar radio messages went out to a ship, and urged crews to report any suspicious activity.
A short time later, the UKMTO reported a suspected attack in the area.
Private security firm Ambrey said an explosion was reported near the vessel apparently hailed in the radio call, but there were few other details immediately known.
Meanwhile, the Indian navy released a video of its sailors from the INS Kolkata fighting a fire aboard the MSC Sky II, which had been targeted by the Houthis in the Gulf of Aden on Monday.
Smoke poured out of one container aboard the vessel, which also showed scorch marks from the impact of a Houthi missile.
The Mediterranean Shipping Co., a Switzerland-based company, said the missile struck the ship as it was traveling from Singapore to Djibouti.
“The missile caused a small fire that has been extinguished while no crew were injured,” the company said.
Iran separately announced the seizure of the crude oil aboard the Advantage Sweet through an announcement carried by the judiciary's state-run Mizan news agency.
At the time, Iranian commandos rappelled from a helicopter onto the vessel, which it alleged collided with another ship, without offering any evidence.
The court order for the seizure offered an entirely different reason for the confiscation.
Mizan said it was part of a court order over U.S. sanctions it alleged barred the importation of a Swedish medicine used to treat patients suffering from epidermolysis bullosa, a rare genetic condition that causes blisters all over the body and eyes.
It did not reconcile the different reasons for the seizure.
The Advantage Sweet had been in the Persian Gulf in late April, but its track showed no unusual behavior as it transited through the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of all traded oil passes.
Iran has made allegations in other seizures that later fell apart as it became clear Tehran was trying to leverage the capture as a chip to negotiate with foreign nations.
Chevron, based in San Ramon, California, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ship seizures and explosions have roiled the region since 2019.
The incidents began after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, which saw Tehran drastically limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.
The U.S. Navy also has blamed Iran for a series of limpet mine attacks on vessels that damaged tankers in 2019, as well as for a fatal drone attack on an Israeli-linked oil tanker that killed two European crew members in 2021.
Tehran denies carrying out the attacks.
___
Associated Press writer Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/us ... c59b&ei=15
"US destroyer shoots down missile and drones launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels"
Story by JON GAMBRELL
6 MARCH 2024
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A U.S. destroyer shot down drones and a missile launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels toward it in the Red Sea, officials said Wednesday, as the Indian navy released images of it fighting a fire aboard a container ship earlier targeted by the Houthis.
The assault Tuesday apparently targeted the USS Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that has been involved in the American campaign against the rebels, who have launched attacks over Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Another suspected Houthi attack on shipping was reported Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Iran announced Wednesday it would confiscate a $50 million cargo of Kuwaiti crude oil for American energy firm Chevron Corp. aboard a tanker it seized nearly a year earlier.
It marks the latest twist in a yearslong shadow war playing out in the Mideast's waterways even before the Houthi attacks began.
The Houthi attack on the Carney on Tuesday involved bomb-carrying drones and one anti-ship ballistic missile, the U.S. military's Central Command said.
The U.S. later launched an airstrike destroying three anti-ship missiles and three bomb-carrying drone boats, the Central Command said.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesperson, acknowledged the attack, but claimed its forces targeted two American warships, without elaborating.
The Houthis “will not stop until the aggression is stopped and the siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is lifted,” Saree said.
Saree did not acknowledge the later U.S. airstrikes.
The Houthis have not offered any assessment of the damage they've suffered in the American-led strikes that began in January, though they have said at least 22 of their fighters have been killed.
Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea and surrounding waters over the Israel-Hamas war.
Those vessels have included at least one with cargo bound for Iran, the Houthis’ main benefactor, and an aid ship later bound for Houthi-controlled territory.
Despite more than a month and a half of U.S.-led airstrikes, Houthi rebels have remained capable of launching significant attacks.
They include the attack last month on a cargo ship carrying fertilizer, the Rubymar, which sank on Saturday after drifting for several days, and the downing of an American drone worth tens of millions of dollars.
The Houthis have been hailing ships over the radio in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden as well since launching their attacks.
The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center reported Wednesday that a new round of similar radio messages went out to a ship, and urged crews to report any suspicious activity.
A short time later, the UKMTO reported a suspected attack in the area.
Private security firm Ambrey said an explosion was reported near the vessel apparently hailed in the radio call, but there were few other details immediately known.
Meanwhile, the Indian navy released a video of its sailors from the INS Kolkata fighting a fire aboard the MSC Sky II, which had been targeted by the Houthis in the Gulf of Aden on Monday.
Smoke poured out of one container aboard the vessel, which also showed scorch marks from the impact of a Houthi missile.
The Mediterranean Shipping Co., a Switzerland-based company, said the missile struck the ship as it was traveling from Singapore to Djibouti.
“The missile caused a small fire that has been extinguished while no crew were injured,” the company said.
Iran separately announced the seizure of the crude oil aboard the Advantage Sweet through an announcement carried by the judiciary's state-run Mizan news agency.
At the time, Iranian commandos rappelled from a helicopter onto the vessel, which it alleged collided with another ship, without offering any evidence.
The court order for the seizure offered an entirely different reason for the confiscation.
Mizan said it was part of a court order over U.S. sanctions it alleged barred the importation of a Swedish medicine used to treat patients suffering from epidermolysis bullosa, a rare genetic condition that causes blisters all over the body and eyes.
It did not reconcile the different reasons for the seizure.
The Advantage Sweet had been in the Persian Gulf in late April, but its track showed no unusual behavior as it transited through the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of all traded oil passes.
Iran has made allegations in other seizures that later fell apart as it became clear Tehran was trying to leverage the capture as a chip to negotiate with foreign nations.
Chevron, based in San Ramon, California, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ship seizures and explosions have roiled the region since 2019.
The incidents began after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers, which saw Tehran drastically limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions.
The U.S. Navy also has blamed Iran for a series of limpet mine attacks on vessels that damaged tankers in 2019, as well as for a fatal drone attack on an Israeli-linked oil tanker that killed two European crew members in 2021.
Tehran denies carrying out the attacks.
___
Associated Press writer Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/us ... c59b&ei=15
Re: THE MIDDLE EAST
Task & Purpose
"US, allies shoot down 28 Houthi drones in large Red Sea skirmish"
Story by Nicholas Slayton
10 MARCH 2024
American, British and French forces shot down 28 one-way attack drones launched by the Houthi movement overnight and Saturday morning.
It was one of the largest incidents over the Red Sea since Houthi attacks on ships in the waters off of Yemen began five months ago.
The three navies shot down at least 28 aerial drones over the course of a little more than four hours in the early morning of Saturday, March 9, according to U.S. Central Command.
The drones targeted the Singapore-owned and flagged merchant vessel Propel Fortune, according to the Houthis.
Earlier on Saturday, CENTCOM said it was responding to a “large-scale uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) attack into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.”
The U.S.-led coalition took action after determining that the drone attack “presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels” as well as coalition ships, CENTCOM said.
The drones were taken out through a combination of ship-based weapons and aircraft.
Yahya Sarea, the Houthi military spokesman, claimed that the group launched 37 drones at both American ships and commercial vessels and that the operation was a success.
CENTCOM initially claimed to have shot down 15 drones, but revised the number up to 28 and said that no ship was damaged.
The skirmish comes only a few days after a Houthi missile hit the Barbados-flagged shipping vessel True Confidence, killing two Filipino sailors and one Vietnamese sailor.
They were the first deaths to come from the attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
France said it destroyed four Houthi drones while working to escort the damaged True Confidence to safer waters.
The Houthi movement says it is targeting commercial and military vessels in response to Israel’s war in Gaza.
Last month the British-owned cargo ship Rubymar was damaged by a Houthi attack and now has almost completely sunk.
The attack resulted in a large oil spill that leaked from the ship.
Despite several rounds of large bombing campaigns on Houthi-controlled regions in Yemen and multiple “self-defense” strikes on launch sites in Yemen, U.S. and coalition forces have not deterred Houthis from launching attacks nor degraded their ability to do so.
In January and February the United States and United Kingdom launched several airstrikes on major cities and ports in Yemen, including the capital city of Sana’a.
The Houthi movement controls the largest population centers of Yemen, having taken control of them during the country’s civil war.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/us ... 3a09&ei=18
"US, allies shoot down 28 Houthi drones in large Red Sea skirmish"
Story by Nicholas Slayton
10 MARCH 2024
American, British and French forces shot down 28 one-way attack drones launched by the Houthi movement overnight and Saturday morning.
It was one of the largest incidents over the Red Sea since Houthi attacks on ships in the waters off of Yemen began five months ago.
The three navies shot down at least 28 aerial drones over the course of a little more than four hours in the early morning of Saturday, March 9, according to U.S. Central Command.
The drones targeted the Singapore-owned and flagged merchant vessel Propel Fortune, according to the Houthis.
Earlier on Saturday, CENTCOM said it was responding to a “large-scale uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) attack into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.”
The U.S.-led coalition took action after determining that the drone attack “presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels” as well as coalition ships, CENTCOM said.
The drones were taken out through a combination of ship-based weapons and aircraft.
Yahya Sarea, the Houthi military spokesman, claimed that the group launched 37 drones at both American ships and commercial vessels and that the operation was a success.
CENTCOM initially claimed to have shot down 15 drones, but revised the number up to 28 and said that no ship was damaged.
The skirmish comes only a few days after a Houthi missile hit the Barbados-flagged shipping vessel True Confidence, killing two Filipino sailors and one Vietnamese sailor.
They were the first deaths to come from the attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
France said it destroyed four Houthi drones while working to escort the damaged True Confidence to safer waters.
The Houthi movement says it is targeting commercial and military vessels in response to Israel’s war in Gaza.
Last month the British-owned cargo ship Rubymar was damaged by a Houthi attack and now has almost completely sunk.
The attack resulted in a large oil spill that leaked from the ship.
Despite several rounds of large bombing campaigns on Houthi-controlled regions in Yemen and multiple “self-defense” strikes on launch sites in Yemen, U.S. and coalition forces have not deterred Houthis from launching attacks nor degraded their ability to do so.
In January and February the United States and United Kingdom launched several airstrikes on major cities and ports in Yemen, including the capital city of Sana’a.
The Houthi movement controls the largest population centers of Yemen, having taken control of them during the country’s civil war.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/us ... 3a09&ei=18
Re: THE MIDDLE EAST
REUTERS
"US-British forces strike Houthi targets in Yemen, Houthi outlet says"
By Mohammed Ghobari
March 11, 2024
ADEN, Yemen, March 11 (Reuters) - Yemen's port city of Hodeidah and other western coastal areas were hit on Monday by at least 17 airstrikes attributed to a U.S.-British coalition defending ships in the Red Sea, according to Al Masirah, the main Houthi-run television news outlet.
The strikes follow the first civilian fatalities and vessel loss since the Iran-aligned Houthis began attacking commercial shipping in November.
They also coincide with the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, a period of fasting for Muslims.
Al Masirah did not specify which targets, if any, had been hit, but said four of the strikes had been on the port of Ras Issa.
Despite reprisals from the U.S.-British coalition and other navies, the Houthis have escalated their campaign of attacks on commercial vessels in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, which they say is in solidarity with the Palestinians under attack in Gaza in Israel's war with Hamas.
The Houthis killed three crew of the Barbados-flagged, Greek-operated True Confidence on Wednesday in an attack off the port of Aden.
That came days after the sinking of the cargo ship Rubymar, which went down about two weeks after being hit by a Houthi missile on Feb. 18.
Many ships are now making the longer, more expensive trip around Africa's Cape of Good Hope to avoid the dangerous route through the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea and the Suez Canal - sharply raising shipping costs.
Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari in Aden, Adam Makary in Cairo; writing by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Sephen Coates
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-ea ... 024-03-11/
"US-British forces strike Houthi targets in Yemen, Houthi outlet says"
By Mohammed Ghobari
March 11, 2024
ADEN, Yemen, March 11 (Reuters) - Yemen's port city of Hodeidah and other western coastal areas were hit on Monday by at least 17 airstrikes attributed to a U.S.-British coalition defending ships in the Red Sea, according to Al Masirah, the main Houthi-run television news outlet.
The strikes follow the first civilian fatalities and vessel loss since the Iran-aligned Houthis began attacking commercial shipping in November.
They also coincide with the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, a period of fasting for Muslims.
Al Masirah did not specify which targets, if any, had been hit, but said four of the strikes had been on the port of Ras Issa.
Despite reprisals from the U.S.-British coalition and other navies, the Houthis have escalated their campaign of attacks on commercial vessels in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, which they say is in solidarity with the Palestinians under attack in Gaza in Israel's war with Hamas.
The Houthis killed three crew of the Barbados-flagged, Greek-operated True Confidence on Wednesday in an attack off the port of Aden.
That came days after the sinking of the cargo ship Rubymar, which went down about two weeks after being hit by a Houthi missile on Feb. 18.
Many ships are now making the longer, more expensive trip around Africa's Cape of Good Hope to avoid the dangerous route through the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea and the Suez Canal - sharply raising shipping costs.
Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari in Aden, Adam Makary in Cairo; writing by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Sephen Coates
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-ea ... 024-03-11/
Re: THE MIDDLE EAST
THE HILL
"Biden’s Gaza pier: Another Abbey Gate in the making?"
BY JONATHAN SWEET AND MARK TOTH, OPINION CONTRIBUTORS
03/14/24
During President Biden’s State of the Union address last Thursday, he announced, “I’m directing the U.S. military to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary pier in the Mediterranean on the Gaza coast.”
Intended to accommodate large vessels carrying food, water, medicine and tents, the pier would be constructed without U.S. “boots on the ground,” he added.
Constructing and securing the pier will be a considerable undertaking, with or without U.S. boots on the ground.
Although well-intentioned from a humanitarian standpoint, the pier is likely to create more problems than solutions.
U.S. European and Central Commands are already decisively engaged in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Building a vulnerable pier is not the best course of action.
Biden’s decision therefore looks like a political response to garner votes from Muslim and progressive voters in Michigan and Minnesota, not an answer to problems in the region.
The pier will also present a new target for Iranian-backed proxies in Gaza and the West Bank, including Hamas, Palestine Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah.
The pier will have to be defended from mortar, rocket, aerial drone and unmanned surface vehicle attacks.
And some nation or coalition force will have to secure it from a multitude of threats.
It will also need to be protected from desperate, displaced Palestinians gathering at the distribution points on a daily basis — possibly even attempting to storm the pier when ships dock.
The crowds will likely become Hamas targets as well, creating the same target-rich environment that a suicide bomber took advantage of at Kabul Airport’s Abbey Gate in Afghanistan in August 2021, killing 13 American service members and 170 Afghans.
Carving out a safe zone in a combat zone is not a good strategy.
Hamas terrorists have already repeatedly demonstrated their willingness to place Palestinian civilians between themselves and the Israel Defense Forces — in harm’s way.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is bigger than Israel.
The Egyptian border remains sealed for all intents and purposes.
Humanitarian convoys entering the strip are often hijacked by Hamas or attacked and looted by desperate Palestinians.
Chaos ensued at a food distribution point in Gaza City on March 1, when IDF soldiers allegedly shot into crowds as desperate Palestinians surged forward when aid trucks arrived.
The following day, an Egyptian truck driver was killed and his aid truck looted by a violent mob on Al-Rashid Street in Gaza.
Distribution of humanitarian aid is still the issue.
The mode of transportation that delivers the aid is secondary.
Putting more Americans at risk is not the solution.
Can we really trust employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to ensure the aid does not end up in the hands of Hamas?
Who is going to vet the employees?
Who will ensure that aid gets to the displaced Palestinians instead of the Hamas terrorists?
Who will ultimately be responsible for the operation?
In January, Israeli officials presented evidence they said tied UNRWA workers in Gaza to violence during the Hamas-led attack on Israel.
Hundreds more were found to have close associations with Hamas.
As a result, the UN terminated nine out of its 12 UNRWA staff over the allegations and vowed to hold its employees accountable.
Is this really the best course of action, or simply a reaction for the sake of appearing to do something?
The U.S. already struggles to provide adequate force protection for its own remote military bases throughout the region, which have sustained more than 170 attacks since Oct. 17.
The deadliest of those attacks was directed at Tower 22 in Jordan, which resulted in the deaths of three U.S. service members.
Those attack numbers do not include Houthi attacks on commercial shipping and U.S. Navy vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The latest took place on Mar. 9; U.S. and Coalition forces reportedly downed at least 28 uncrewed aerial vehicles in response.
Nonetheless the wheels are already in motion to create this new vulnerability.
The U.S. Army Vessel General Frank S. Besson departed Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, on Mar. 9 for the Eastern Mediterranean, carrying the equipment necessary to build the temporary pier.
Despite the President’s assurance that no U.S. boots will be on the ground, American service members will be directly involved in the construction and security of the pier.
Building the aircraft while in flight is generally a bad technique, especially with all the bad actors intent on killing Americans and harming Gazans.
Security is essential, and for now, not locked in.
According to Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon’s press secretary, it will take “over 1,000 U.S. forces to participate in building” the temporary pier. “
As far as the timeframe … "several weeks, likely up to 60 days in order to deploy the forces and construct the causeway and the pier.”
That sounds a lot like “boots on the ground,” doesn’t it?
As former U.S. Army Chief of Staff General Gordon S. Sullivan has said, “Hope is not a method.”
Hoping Hamas does not target the pier is a dereliction of duty.
But that is exactly what Ryder tried to sell reporters on March 8, when he said, “If Hamas truly believes that the people, the Palestinian people are suffering, then why would they want to take this aid and use it for themselves to support their terrorist organization?"
"Or do they truly care about the Palestinian people and want this aid to get to them?"
"So, one would hope that this aid will get to the people that are most deserving and in need.”
Neither the General nor the White House seem to know this enemy.
They would do well to brush up on the sage advice of Sun Tzu in “The Art of War”: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles."
"If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat."
"If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
They apparently have not learned a thing from interactions with the Taliban since 2021, nor from the actions of Hamas since Oct. 7.
If they had, they would understand that there can be no more Abbey Gates.
Yet here we likely are, witnessing one in the making.
Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Sweet served 30 years as a military intelligence officer. Mark Toth writes on national security and foreign policy.
https://thehill.com/opinion/national-se ... he-making/
"Biden’s Gaza pier: Another Abbey Gate in the making?"
BY JONATHAN SWEET AND MARK TOTH, OPINION CONTRIBUTORS
03/14/24
During President Biden’s State of the Union address last Thursday, he announced, “I’m directing the U.S. military to lead an emergency mission to establish a temporary pier in the Mediterranean on the Gaza coast.”
Intended to accommodate large vessels carrying food, water, medicine and tents, the pier would be constructed without U.S. “boots on the ground,” he added.
Constructing and securing the pier will be a considerable undertaking, with or without U.S. boots on the ground.
Although well-intentioned from a humanitarian standpoint, the pier is likely to create more problems than solutions.
U.S. European and Central Commands are already decisively engaged in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Building a vulnerable pier is not the best course of action.
Biden’s decision therefore looks like a political response to garner votes from Muslim and progressive voters in Michigan and Minnesota, not an answer to problems in the region.
The pier will also present a new target for Iranian-backed proxies in Gaza and the West Bank, including Hamas, Palestine Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah.
The pier will have to be defended from mortar, rocket, aerial drone and unmanned surface vehicle attacks.
And some nation or coalition force will have to secure it from a multitude of threats.
It will also need to be protected from desperate, displaced Palestinians gathering at the distribution points on a daily basis — possibly even attempting to storm the pier when ships dock.
The crowds will likely become Hamas targets as well, creating the same target-rich environment that a suicide bomber took advantage of at Kabul Airport’s Abbey Gate in Afghanistan in August 2021, killing 13 American service members and 170 Afghans.
Carving out a safe zone in a combat zone is not a good strategy.
Hamas terrorists have already repeatedly demonstrated their willingness to place Palestinian civilians between themselves and the Israel Defense Forces — in harm’s way.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is bigger than Israel.
The Egyptian border remains sealed for all intents and purposes.
Humanitarian convoys entering the strip are often hijacked by Hamas or attacked and looted by desperate Palestinians.
Chaos ensued at a food distribution point in Gaza City on March 1, when IDF soldiers allegedly shot into crowds as desperate Palestinians surged forward when aid trucks arrived.
The following day, an Egyptian truck driver was killed and his aid truck looted by a violent mob on Al-Rashid Street in Gaza.
Distribution of humanitarian aid is still the issue.
The mode of transportation that delivers the aid is secondary.
Putting more Americans at risk is not the solution.
Can we really trust employees of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to ensure the aid does not end up in the hands of Hamas?
Who is going to vet the employees?
Who will ensure that aid gets to the displaced Palestinians instead of the Hamas terrorists?
Who will ultimately be responsible for the operation?
In January, Israeli officials presented evidence they said tied UNRWA workers in Gaza to violence during the Hamas-led attack on Israel.
Hundreds more were found to have close associations with Hamas.
As a result, the UN terminated nine out of its 12 UNRWA staff over the allegations and vowed to hold its employees accountable.
Is this really the best course of action, or simply a reaction for the sake of appearing to do something?
The U.S. already struggles to provide adequate force protection for its own remote military bases throughout the region, which have sustained more than 170 attacks since Oct. 17.
The deadliest of those attacks was directed at Tower 22 in Jordan, which resulted in the deaths of three U.S. service members.
Those attack numbers do not include Houthi attacks on commercial shipping and U.S. Navy vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The latest took place on Mar. 9; U.S. and Coalition forces reportedly downed at least 28 uncrewed aerial vehicles in response.
Nonetheless the wheels are already in motion to create this new vulnerability.
The U.S. Army Vessel General Frank S. Besson departed Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, on Mar. 9 for the Eastern Mediterranean, carrying the equipment necessary to build the temporary pier.
Despite the President’s assurance that no U.S. boots will be on the ground, American service members will be directly involved in the construction and security of the pier.
Building the aircraft while in flight is generally a bad technique, especially with all the bad actors intent on killing Americans and harming Gazans.
Security is essential, and for now, not locked in.
According to Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon’s press secretary, it will take “over 1,000 U.S. forces to participate in building” the temporary pier. “
As far as the timeframe … "several weeks, likely up to 60 days in order to deploy the forces and construct the causeway and the pier.”
That sounds a lot like “boots on the ground,” doesn’t it?
As former U.S. Army Chief of Staff General Gordon S. Sullivan has said, “Hope is not a method.”
Hoping Hamas does not target the pier is a dereliction of duty.
But that is exactly what Ryder tried to sell reporters on March 8, when he said, “If Hamas truly believes that the people, the Palestinian people are suffering, then why would they want to take this aid and use it for themselves to support their terrorist organization?"
"Or do they truly care about the Palestinian people and want this aid to get to them?"
"So, one would hope that this aid will get to the people that are most deserving and in need.”
Neither the General nor the White House seem to know this enemy.
They would do well to brush up on the sage advice of Sun Tzu in “The Art of War”: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles."
"If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat."
"If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
They apparently have not learned a thing from interactions with the Taliban since 2021, nor from the actions of Hamas since Oct. 7.
If they had, they would understand that there can be no more Abbey Gates.
Yet here we likely are, witnessing one in the making.
Col. (Ret.) Jonathan Sweet served 30 years as a military intelligence officer. Mark Toth writes on national security and foreign policy.
https://thehill.com/opinion/national-se ... he-making/
Re: THE MIDDLE EAST
Al Jazeera
"Vessel struck in Red Sea as Houthis promise attacks on more shipping lanes"
15 MARCH 2024
A merchant vessel has been damaged in a missile strike in the Red Sea off Yemen, marine security monitors said, as the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels threatened to expand their attacks on shipping which have disrupted global trade.
The crew was not injured and the vessel continued its journey, said the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and security firm Ambrey, after the incident west of the rebel-held port of Hodeidah on Friday.
The British Navy’s UKMTO said the ship reported being “struck by a missile”.
“The vessel has sustained some damage,” the UKMTO said, and described the crew as being “safe”.
The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for the attack, which comes as its leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, said the group’s operations targeting vessels will escalate to prevent Israel-linked ships from passing through the Indian Ocean towards the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.
“Our main battle is to prevent ships linked to the Israeli enemy from passing through not only the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, but also the Indian Ocean towards the Cape of Good Hope."
"This is a major step and we have begun to implement our operations related to it,” al-Houthi said in a televised speech on Thursday.
The Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November in what they say is a campaign of solidarity with Palestinians and against Israel’s continuing war on Gaza.
About 34 Houthi members have been killed since the group began the attacks, al-Houthi said.
Months of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have disrupted global shipping, forcing firms to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around Southern Africa, and stoked fears that the Israel-Hamas war could spread to destabilise the wider Middle East.
The assaults on shipping have raised the profile of the Houthis, who are members of Islam’s minority Shia Zaidi sect, which ruled Yemen for 1,000 years until 1962.
Earlier in March, a Houthi missile struck a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden, killing three of its crew members and forcing survivors to abandon the vessel.
It marked the first fatal attack by the Houthis on shipping.
Other recent Houthi actions include an attack last month on a cargo ship carrying fertiliser, the Rubymar, which later sank after drifting for several days.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ve ... e0eb&ei=43
"Vessel struck in Red Sea as Houthis promise attacks on more shipping lanes"
15 MARCH 2024
A merchant vessel has been damaged in a missile strike in the Red Sea off Yemen, marine security monitors said, as the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels threatened to expand their attacks on shipping which have disrupted global trade.
The crew was not injured and the vessel continued its journey, said the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and security firm Ambrey, after the incident west of the rebel-held port of Hodeidah on Friday.
The British Navy’s UKMTO said the ship reported being “struck by a missile”.
“The vessel has sustained some damage,” the UKMTO said, and described the crew as being “safe”.
The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for the attack, which comes as its leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, said the group’s operations targeting vessels will escalate to prevent Israel-linked ships from passing through the Indian Ocean towards the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.
“Our main battle is to prevent ships linked to the Israeli enemy from passing through not only the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, but also the Indian Ocean towards the Cape of Good Hope."
"This is a major step and we have begun to implement our operations related to it,” al-Houthi said in a televised speech on Thursday.
The Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November in what they say is a campaign of solidarity with Palestinians and against Israel’s continuing war on Gaza.
About 34 Houthi members have been killed since the group began the attacks, al-Houthi said.
Months of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have disrupted global shipping, forcing firms to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around Southern Africa, and stoked fears that the Israel-Hamas war could spread to destabilise the wider Middle East.
The assaults on shipping have raised the profile of the Houthis, who are members of Islam’s minority Shia Zaidi sect, which ruled Yemen for 1,000 years until 1962.
Earlier in March, a Houthi missile struck a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden, killing three of its crew members and forcing survivors to abandon the vessel.
It marked the first fatal attack by the Houthis on shipping.
Other recent Houthi actions include an attack last month on a cargo ship carrying fertiliser, the Rubymar, which later sank after drifting for several days.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ve ... e0eb&ei=43