US/ UK set for military action in Yemen

[Whu]

In light of recent attacks on goods ships by the Iranian backed Houthis,(in solidarity of the people of Gaza), US and UK look set to bomb the Houthi held parts of Yemen.

What is everyone’s thoughts and fears about this?

For me, I wish we would be campaigning for a ceasefire in Gaza rather than this. Also, I think it sets the way for wider war with Iran.

The Guardian says it's being described as 'a massive retaliatory strike.'

I feel like this....as if I missed something massive! Had no idea this was going to happen.

Retaliation for what? This has got fuck all to do with us.

fully cementing our position as America's bitch.

Yep, we've been America's poodle for years.....

Feel as though I would be scared if I had that capacity but I'm numb to it all tbh. I don't know if this is true but I feel like Britain has been either at war or involved in peacekeeping operations (that somehow involves armed forces killing the enemy, so basically war then) with someone or other my entire life. If I allowed myself to get genuinely frightened of it each time I'd be mentally destroyed by now. Instead I mostly ignore the news and try to think happy thoughts.

In light of recent attacks on goods ships by the Iranian backed Houthis,(in solidarity of the people of Gaza)

The Houthi slogan is "Allah is the Greatest, Death to America, Death to Israel, A Curse Upon the Jews, Victory to Islam"

So I don't think it's just about Gaza.

Well, it clearly is about Gaza because the Houthis weren't attacking western ships before the the Hamas attack 7th October and Israel's war in Gaza.

All that will happen now is Iran will send the Houthis more anti ship missiles and they will eventually hit a tanker etc, plus now its yet another war zone, ships wont be able to get insurance and now many more will have to go via the 'cape.

The Houthis have been bombed etc by the Saudis for many years, a few Cruise Missiles wont stop this, whereas a permanent cease fire fire and a peace process at least started in Gaza would have.

To me, seems more about up coming 'elections in the USA and UK and 2 leaders way behind in the 'polls.

You don't think that an Iranian-backed group whose slogan is "Allah is the Greatest, Death to America, Death to Israel, A Curse Upon the Jews, Victory to Islam" might have slightly wider aims in the region than just a show of solidarity with the people in Gaza?

@noblegiraffe the people actually doing the killings aren’t the Houthis whatever their slogan is. In fact they haven’t killed anyone in their shipping drone strikes.
Do you really think the US/UK have bombed Yemen over a terrorists group’s slogan?! Erm, no.

I really don’t think that you know what you’re talking about.

Which bit of my statement was wrong?

The US/Uk have not attacked them based on their slogan.

The strikes on shipping haven’t killed anyone.

That is all true so your statement I don’t know what I’m talking about is without any substance.

We've been up to our eyeballs in this since the 1990s

‘The Saudis couldn’t do it without us’: the UK’s true role in Yemen’s deadly war | Yemen | The Guardian

The strikes on shipping haven’t killed anyone.

Not for want of trying.

For those criticizing these strikes, what would they rather we do instead? Let the Houthis randomly strike civilian cargo ships in the Red Sea?

I do wonder why it’s always us, do other countries not use the shipping lanes, could it not be a more collaborative approach with other countries getting involved? Surely they are affected by these issues too? Where are they and what it their stance.

we are just a puppet of America.

I feel sorry for the civilians of Yemen

Well the Houthis have said that if more aid and talks on cease fire in Gaza happened, they'd stop their attacks.

More aid should happen regardless, what is happening in Gaza is inhumane & even the US is saying the IDF tactics need to stop.

Yeah, don’t know about you but I don’t tend to trust the word of militant Islamicist gangsters.

My big worry is that in a few months the US could re-elect Trump and we’ll then be fucked.

We are still have one of the greatest military capabilities, so that's why we get involved. There was a resolution yesterday in the UNSC to demand the Houthis stop attacking vessels, and it was voted for by among others Ecuador, Switzerland, and Malta. My guess is that the Swiss Navy isn't very strong.

....which is why i said the aid into Gaza should happen in any case & i doubt you know too many Islamist gangsters lol!

Do you think these strikes will stop the Houthis, when years of bombings using western missile systems on the Houthis, by the Saudis, hasn't stopped them?

Plus there is currently a ceasefire between SA and the Houthis, so yes trust can be built.

Civilians in Yemen have been suffering for years. Has anyone seen the children dying of hunger? Now the UK decides to go full force and bomb the region. Sunak this morning is now off to Ukraine to agree a further 2 billion in funding.

Civilians in Gaza are displaced and dying of hunger. The war against them continues and no one is doing anything to stop Israel. A genocide before our eyes. Not forgetting the poor hostages still being held. Where is the concern about them?

My fear is that the West is going to be targeted, eventually. In what way, I don't know. But it feels as if the government have made us a sitting target and how many of us back their action? Not me, for one.

They were attacking any shipping, not just that bound for Israel.

And they can't say they weren't warned. The warnings have been clear and public for weeks now.

The targets were missile silos and weapons stores.

I don't have any sympathy.

Targeting populated areas would be a totally different thing and unjustifiable. So that's my red line.

Not sure why the US/UK would be the bad guys in this one when it's the rebels who are attacking merchant shipping in the first place.

Because for some people everything the UK and USA is bad, mmkay? China, Russia and Iran can manipulate behind the scenes but that’s fine. Only the West are allowed to be the bad guys.

Some people's worldview is that whatever the West is doing must be bad.

I quite understand worries that this isn't the right way to deal with this, that the risks are greater than the benefits etc, and I personally don't approve of the UK taking military action without Parliamentary assent (and sometimes not even then). But the idea that the Houthis aren't all the way in the wrong here is fucking moronic. People don't seem to understand what impact it might have on the world's poorest if international shipping is made more expensive because everything now has to go thousands of miles more, what it could do to food prices.

And if you believe the Iran backed Houthis would back down if there were aid to Gaza (which there should be, via air drop) and get right back in their box, I've got a bridge to sell you.