Yemen’s Houthis said Wednesday that their military successfully downed a US MQ-9 Reaper drone that was flying off the coast of Yemen. A US official later confirmed that the Houthis downed an American drone and said the US was analyzing the incident.
The Houthis, formally known as Ansar Allah, have been firing missiles and drones toward Israel and say the attacks will keep up until the Israeli onslaught on Gaza comes to an end. In a statement, the Houthis said the US drone that was downed was deployed to back Israel.
“Our air defenses were able to down an American MQ-9 while it was carrying out hostile surveillance and espionage activities in Yemeni territorial waters as part of American military support for Israel,” the statement said.
The downing of the drone raises questions about a potential American response. In October, the Pentagon said a US warship in the Red Sea had intercepted drones and missiles the Houthis fired toward Israel.
The US has backed the Saudi-led coalition against Houthis in a brutal war in Yemen since 2015, although a ceasefire has held relatively well since April 2022. The US also has a military presence in Yemen, but it’s unclear how many US troops are stationed there.
US troops are in Yemen nominally to fight al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). The Houthis were briefly a partner of the US in the fight against AQAP before the Obama administration backed the coalition against them.
I wish we could stop entertaining stories to the effect that the US presence in the region has something to do with terrorism.
Uncle Sam is a very, very sick puppy.
There isn’t any more terrorist activity in the region, I should know because I am there. The last time there was real security issues and actual fire fights with security was when ISIS was active and Alqaeda before that, all several years ago so there is no reason for the US to keep bombing in the region. The addiction to war seems to span both political parties for the most part, it is however encouraging that enlistment is down so average folks must be catching on.
The illegal US occupation of Syria and Iraq is terrorism.
And Somalia. And Kenya.
They have a video to prove it.
https://www.bitchute.com/video/NnC1NYjt5oJT/
Good, the US has no business bothering anyone in the region….Worry about your own border. They have unlimited resources for these killing machines yet can’t seem to scrape up enough spare change to fix the dams and railroads there.
“Good” You seriously think that this is good? Wow. I guess you are a fan of widening the war.
Why would the war be widened? Oh, that’s right, the US has the right to be on the other side of the planet. I guess we’ll call it “self-defense”.
I think you why this could widen the war.
I do. Because the US is the world’s number one belligerent and lives by a different set of rules. Their own.
I am a U.S. citizen. Have been for 80 years. I agree, and I am ashamed of my country.
I assumed “good” to mean author’s approval of Yemen downung the drone.
We can shoot at people, and they must not shoot back.
If they do, we will bring down on them yet more of all of the abuses that we helped bring down on Yemen for the last decade and more, slaughtering women and children, destroying the water supply, destroying the food supply. It is what we already did.
Sounds like what Russia is doing in Ukraine.
But we don’t like talking about that here.
The only parts of Ukraine that aren’t in distress are the ones liberated by Russia – and I don’t mind talking about that at all.
“we don’t like talking about what Russia is doing in Ukraine here”
sure we do Julio, why don’t you start us off.
let’s hear it …..
Please do talk! There is a great similarity between the conflict in Gaza and the Ukraine.
In Ukraine ever since 2014 Russian ethnic population of Ukrsine was gradually declared citizens second class with no right to language, cukture, media, creedom to organize or participate in political process. By 2022, Umraine was poised to expel “terrorist” population of Donbas into Russia.
What they frankly did not expect, but were hoping for — that Russia was going to put foot down. Red line was crossed. Now, the only population that has future are those in regions annexed by Russia. It is not polite in our nedia to check and see what is haplening in Mariupol, Melitopol. Berdyansk? Or Crimea? While without our cash transfers Ukrsinian soldierscwill not get paid, government workers not paid, and retirement checks stopped
The surreal Republican debate yesterday discussed of the need to cut back on Social Security retirements! While spending lavishly on Ukraine or Israel! And Nikki Haley is getting the message of more wars across — while becoming immensely rich from pitching wars! And Felublicans love it!
You know the rules based order imies thst only SOME people have the right to defend themselves. Even if they are the occupiers, since occupied have no right to defend themselves.
Good for them !
Why would you celebrate the downing of US asset? Do you think that is a good thing? There has been a cease fire in place for over a year, do you want this incident to wreck that ceasefire?
What are we doing there ? The Cease Fire is between Saudis and Houthis. Our “assets” are just there causing trouble, as usual.
Regardless of why they are there, celebrating the downing of US warplane is just stupid. It can not lead to anything good.
It’s not a war plane it’s a drone, PERIOD!
Call it what it is a War Drone!
Thank you.
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), also called unmanned aerial vehicles or “drones,” are considered aircraft according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
And the MQ-9 is about same weight and size of a P-51 with exception of the wings which are bigger.
Among fighter pilots we consider a drone of any size to be a drone and NOT a “war plane”. Only pilots fly war planes and drone operators fly unmanned aerial systems.
Drone operators are like nerd teenagers boys wishing they could have relations with a girl but never achieving that goal. They are and ever will be drone operators and not war plane operators.
I’m sure the fighter pilots look down on unmanned aircraft as they fear that some day they will not be needed. If computers and AI technology keep up with their doubling of abilities every 18 months, the day will come. But not soon. The need for pilots will exists for a while.
Regardless of what pilots think, that fact is that a drone is an unmanned aircraft. Any engineer would tell you that. And MQ-9 is built for war thus it is a warplane.
Fighter pilot could care less if the job goes away. However, lets call a spade a spade. War Drone can be used, but war plane is a stretch.
Perhaps in your future an airshow will really be a drone show with the stands filled with robots to enjoy the drones flying overhead.
I can’t believe fighters pilots would want to be replace. I admit I only know two, but those two tock great pride and pleasure of being a fighter jock.
You last paragraph is funny. Did you not see the massive turnout in New York city for their drone show?
Calling a aircraft the size of the MQ-9 a pilotless airplane I don’t see how that is a stretch. In any case, I hope you agree that shooting down a US aircraft regardless of what it is called is not something to be celebrate?
There is no celebration of the destruction of taxpayer funded objects from dump trucks to staff cars, if the American taxpayer purchased it misuse of government property can never be condoned. Any perpetrators should be prosecuted for any misuse or destruction. So how is leaving $8 Billion in military hardware in Afghanistan any different. Perhaps we should ask Joey Biden?
Fighter pilots will not be replaced anytime soon so that was a glib statement on my part. However, we all retire and fly airliners and private jets anyway.
Looks like the aboriginal tribes people can now shoot back as the US plays whack-a-mole with it’s drones.
It wasn’t Houthi’s… It was Iran…!