US officials speaking to Financial Times said “intelligence gaps” are to blame for the failure to stop Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden that started in response to the US-backed Israeli massacre of Palestinians in Gaza.
While the Pentagon has said it has hit hundreds of Houthi targets since the new bombing campaigns started on January 12, US officials say they can’t assess how much damage has been done to the Yemeni group’s capabilities.
The report said the “extent of the damage is unclear because the US lacked a detailed assessment of the group’s capabilities before launching its bombing campaign.” The New York Times reported something similar a few days after the US bombing campaign started that said the US had difficulty finding targets because it hadn’t been collecting intelligence on the Houthis that much in recent years.
The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, have also shown a resilience to bombing campaigns. The US backed a brutal Saudi/UAE war against them from 2015-2022 that involved heavy airstrikes and a blockade, and the Houthis only became more of a capable fighting force during that time.
The war killed at least 377,000 people, and more than half died of starvation and disease caused by the siege. A ceasefire between the Houthis and Saudis has held relatively well since April 2022, but new US sanctions are now blocking the implementation of a lasting peace deal.
Since President Biden’s new unauthorized war against the Houthis started on January 12, the situation in the region has only escalated. The Houthis began targeting American and British commercial shipping and started regularly striking vessels. Previously, Ansar Allah’s forces were limiting their targets to Israel-linked shipping.
The Houthis have been clear that the only way they would stop their attacks is if the Israeli onslaught in Gaza comes to an end. US officials recently acknowledged to CNN that they believe the Houthis would be true to their word. But instead of pressuring Israel to end its genocidal campaign, the US is considering escalating the situation even more by targeting Houthi leadership.
Your American tax dollars at work. 🙄
The real intelligence gap we’re dealing with here is the one that causes US leaders to think that any option other than stopping the genocide is a good or workable option.
Beat me to it.
From our pockets straight to the MI Complex … it’s the American way.
Is it not funny that our “Intelligence Community” is arguably more effective against Trump than the Houthis?
Well, Trump is easier to understand — and a bigger threat to certain segments of the US establishment.
Don’t you mean “creative”?
I will take your suggestion and add it. Creative and effective! How about that?
Sorry, NA, not sure about the “effective” bit either. Trump is still in the ring and getting stronger. Whether it’s George Tenet’s WPD, John Brennan’s “Maidan”, Gina Haspel’s “Peeing Prostitutes”, or Bill Burns’ Putin libelling, it all seems to go perverse pretty quick.
It seemed to me that Trump tried to do 3 things: Improve relations with Russia, exit Syria, and resolve the Korean problem. They managed to defeat him on all three counts. I would say that was as effective as one Mike Tyson knockout punch when he used to be Iron Mike!
But is that scored for Bloody Gina’s “dossier”? or Jim Comey’s Russiagate?
Both
But Iron Mike only needed one, … quick, clean, and definitive.
I think “tried” is the operative word here. Now if he would have tried with the same fervor as him being adamant about the election being rigged, then I would agree. But he was perfect for North Korea. Him and Kim are like Bros from different Hos.
They were funny together. But, if I were Korean, I would be paranoid and crazy too. 4 million Koreans died in the Korean war and then we sanctioned them for 70 years. Instead of Buddha or whatever, I would be worshipping nukes. Kim probably looks way more sane than I would.
Much like the U.S. foreign policy, they only have intelligence to go after people who are defenseless and are 50 years behind in military hardware.
Exactly. Bullying: seek to harm, intimidate, or coerce someone perceived as vulnerable.
Exactly! They’re more concerned with perceived domestic threats to the establishment than they are with foreign ones.
… And where are the US freaking sophisticated spy satellites…?!
Blind targeting as I said before…!
Way to go houthis.
Lack of intelligence is the hall mark of America today.
It seems every time they fail on the world stage, U.S. keeps blaming their own intelligence. They blamed lack of intelligence for 9/11, Iraq, Afghanistan, Venezuela, and Africa.
Intelligence gaps How about the Houthis don’t give a $hit about your pinprick attacks, and aren’t going to be dissuaded. The Pentagon is back to bodycount logic, if we stop 99% of their missiles and bomb 905 of their launch sites then we win right? Well no not actually if they persist in doing the stuff you wanted to stop. Full ground invasion, or secretly pay a toll.
You are correct. The Houthis don’t care about the pinpoint attacks. First, they don’t pay for the missiles and second what do they care for few guys they lose in the US strikes. If USA wants to stop the attacks they need to get hit where is really hurts them.