Yemen's impact: A source of US' national humiliation

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: National Review
19 Dec 2023 17:29
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US' inability or restriction of the US Navy to counteract these disruptive and economically impactful acts should be a source of national embarrassment, says Rich Lowry, the editor-in-chief of National Review.

A photo posted by the Yemeni Military media depicting vehicles carrying the Al-Mandib-2 anti-ship cruise missile during the 21 September revolution commemoration parade, Sanaa, 2022 (Military Media)

Rich Lowry, the editor-in-chief of National Review, wrote a piece in which he acknowledged that the sole superpower in the world [the United States] has failed to safeguard one of the most crucial global trade routes from "a band of third-world rebels".

He gushed: "Welcome to the latest humiliation of a Biden-administration foreign policy premised on not being overly provocative toward our enemies."

Following a prolonged series of operations by the Yemeni Armed Forces in Yemen, shipping firms have declared their intention to steer clear of the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab, a narrow passage linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

This marks "a setback for freedom of navigation", a cornerstone of the U.S.-led global order, and a significant triumph for the Yemeni Armed Forces. They have capitalized on drones, missiles, and attempted ship seizures to gain an advantage over the world's preeminent navy.

That's the take offered by Lowry who further argued that a minor waterway is not being discussed but a critical route for East-West trade. Approximately 12 percent of global trade and a substantial volume of oil from the Gulf traverse the Red Sea, as per Lowry.

In Lowry's view, the interruption of this trade essentially provided the Yemeni Armed Forces with "global reach". Shipping insurance rates are increasing, and businesses are opting to avoid the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, a crucial shortcut linking Europe and Asia. Instead, they are opting for a longer and more costly route around the Cape of Good Hope.

The gist of Lowry's argument is that the inability or restriction of the US Navy to counteract these disruptive and economically impactful acts should be a source of national embarrassment.

The Red Sea as a war zone

On Monday, and under the guise of securing international maritime trade routes, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian, a 10-nation "multinational security initiative under the umbrella of the Combined Maritime Forces and the leadership of its Task Force 153, which focuses on security in the Red Sea."

Earlier today, mobilizing efforts in the face of the Yemeni forces, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin invited dozens of nations to take steps to address the operation conducted in the Red Sea as he spoke at a defense ministerial to tout a new military operation to secure commerce in the waterway.

"We're all here because many countries can directly contribute to our common efforts to keep strategic waterways safe," Austin said, according to prepared remarks.

Calling Yemen's attacks "reckless", he described it as "a serious international problem" that needs "a firm international response," which, as revealed earlier, will bring "together multiple countries to include the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, and Spain."

Meanwhile, the Associated Press, which cited an unnamed defense official, reported that several other countries have also agreed to be involved in the operation but preferred not to be named.

While the main claimed reason behind establishing the maritime coalition was the Yemeni operations, which focused solely on Israeli ships and interests, the occupation entity was not named in the list of members of the newly created force.

No further details were unveiled regarding the task force or how it will conduct its operations, amid rising concerns that it might turn the Red Sea into a military confrontations zone and that its publicly declared mission is only part of its real objectives in the strategic trade route, but it is expected to become clearer in the coming weeks.

No compromise on Palestine

In response to Western warnings and pressure on Yemen to stop its operations, the head of Sanaa's negotiating delegation, Mohammad Abdul Salam, affirmed that "the Red Sea is safe for everyone except ships affiliated with the Israeli enemy," emphasizing that "Yemeni operations have a significant economic impact on Israel."

Abdul Salam emphasized that "any actions taken by the Yemeni Armed Forces are linked to lifting the blockade on Gaza and halting the aggression against the Strip."

"The Palestinian cause does not tolerate compromise, and we cannot accept what is happening to the people of Gaza," he warned.

Additionally, Ali al-Qahoum, a member of the political bureau of the Yemeni Ansar Allah, echoed last week the same sentiment, underlining that Yemen will not abandon the Palestinian cause no matter what, despite American, Western, and Israeli threats.

The Yemeni official warned that "those who provide protection to Israel should bear the consequences," stressing that Yemen "will spare no effort or resources in supporting Palestine and Gaza until victory and the eradication of Israel."

Elsewhere, al-Qahoum made it clear that Yemen has all the defensive options to respond to any hostile actions by the US, "Israel", and the West, with surprises that are beyond imagination.

He assured that Yemen possesses all the factors of strength and resilience that qualify it to be pivotal and influential in international equations, with elements of strength that make it steadfast in supporting Palestine.