Houthis turn pirate

[Derec]

Iran rejects US claims it is ‘deeply involved’ in Houthi attacks in Red Sea | Israel-Palestine conflict News | Al Jazeera - "Tehran responds to US allegations it is providing the Yemeni rebel group with weapons and tactical intelligence."

Nobody is believing those denials.
And Al Jazeera is not a credible source - they are very much invested in any anti-Israel narrative.

 

[lpetrich]

Iran rejects US claims it is ‘deeply involved’ in Houthi attacks in Red Sea | Israel-Palestine conflict News | Al Jazeera - "Tehran responds to US allegations it is providing the Yemeni rebel group with weapons and tactical intelligence."

Nobody is believing those denials.
And Al Jazeera is not a credible source - they are very much invested in any anti-Israel narrative.

What would you consider a credible source? Some hard-line super-Zionist who believes that the only good Arab is a dead Arab?

 

[Derec]

What would you consider a credible source?

Certainly not the state organ of Qatar, the country that is giving aid and comfort to Hamas top leadership.

 

[lpetrich]

What would you consider a credible source?

Certainly not the state organ of Qatar that is giving aid and comfort to Hamas top leadership.

That is not a good answer. Try again.

 

[Derec]

That is not a good answer. Try again.

I offered criticism of one of your sources. I explained why. It was a good answer.

 

[bilby]

That is not a good answer. Try again.

I offered criticism of one of your sources. I explained why. It was a good answer.

If someone asked you what was your favourite colour, would you consider "Well, certainly not blue, that's for sure." to be a good answer?

Can you see how others might not consider that response to be helpful or adequate?

 

[Derec]

Can you see how others might not consider that response to be helpful or adequate?

I have no objection to many of his other sources. But if you or lpetrich use some bad or biased ones, I will mention it.

 

[bilby]

Can you see how others might not consider that response to be helpful or adequate?

I have no objection to many of his other sources. But if you or lpetrich use some bad or biased ones, I will mention it.

I have no doubt, nor even objection. But that's utterly irrelevant and unresponsive to the simple question:

"What would you consider a credible source?"

 

[laughing dog]

The US is now a net exporter of oil. It is not clear that a disruption in the supply of oil will necessarily cause the US net damage.

Sidebar: yes, US has been a (slight) net exporter of oil and refined products in recent years. That is entirely due to that bête noire of US leftists - fracking.
A disruption of oil markets would be good for oil companies but bad for consumers, including in the US. It would mean higher prices whether or not we are slight net importers or exporters.

The price of oil related products is too low since its external costs are not included something omitted in your Irrelevant gripe about “ leftists ”.

 

[TomC]

The US is now a net exporter of oil. It is not clear that a disruption in the supply of oil will necessarily cause the US net damage.

Sidebar: yes, US has been a (slight) net exporter of oil and refined products in recent years. That is entirely due to that bête noire of US leftists - fracking.
A disruption of oil markets would be good for oil companies but bad for consumers, including in the US. It would mean higher prices whether or not we are slight net importers or exporters.

The price of oil related products is too low since its external costs are not included something omitted in your Irrelevant gripe about “ leftists ”.

Exactly this.
Burning a gallon of gasoline creates about 20 pounds of carbon dioxide.

How about we figure out the cost of permanently sequestering 20 pounds of carbon dioxide, then adding that cost to the selling price of each gallon of gasoline?
Tom

 

[Derec]

The price of oil related products is too low since its external costs are not included something omitted in your Irrelevant gripe about “ leftists ”.

It's not irrelevant gripe.
I agree we need something like a carbon tax. That would tax fossil fuels no matter their source, but weighted based on carbon emissions - i.e. coal much more heavily taxed than natural gas.
The far left (including our vice president) wants to ban all fracking and oppose pipelines necessary to move those fluids around long distances. That would greatly reduce US oil and gas production, reduce employment, reduce government revenues, and make us more dependent on imports. It would result in an increase in prices, but the windfall would go to the exporters like Russia, Saudi Arabia and Iran.
Not to mention that it was US exports of natural gas to Europe that allowed Europe to be less dependent on Russian gas which enabled them to take a forceful stance against their invasion of Ukraine.

 

[Derec]

]But that's utterly irrelevant and unresponsive to the simple question:
"What would you consider a credible source?"

I took issue with one source among many. That question would make sense if I objected to all his sources.
For example, I commented on the TIME article he posted. I disagreed with the author, and explained why, but I never attacked the source itself. So obviously I find it (and sources like it) credible (even if I not always agree with the conclusions of the writers).

 

[laughing dog]

The price of oil related products is too low since its external costs are not included something omitted in your Irrelevant gripe about “ leftists ”.

It's not irrelevant gripe….

Neither the OP nor my point had anything to do with “leftists”.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

I understand you're a complete warmonger.

So you don't understand the comment.

Would the comment make you less of a warmonger?

And BTW, it's "Peace for our time."

The point is you're advocating for a let the evil grow approach. If anything Iran is more malignant than Hitler was.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Shipping firm Maersk says it’s preparing for resumption of Red Sea voyages after attacks from Yemen - POLITICO
and
Analysis: Has the US-led Red Sea force calmed shippers amid Houthi attacks? | Israel-Palestine conflict News | Al Jazeera - "Maersk will resume shipping through the Red Sea but concerns remain. Meanwhile, France, Spain and Italy have dropped out of the force."

The Samad-2 carries only 18 kg of explosive. A more potent antiship missile, the Russian  P-800 Oniks (Yakhont) can carry 200 - 300 kg of explosive, but it only has a range of 120 km for a low-altitude trajectory and 300 km for a high-low trajectory. It uses a ramjet engine, and it travels at Mach 2 near the surface and Mach 2.6 (750 m/s) at high altitude (10 - 14 km). Its length is 8.9 m, its diameter 0.7 m, its wingspan 1.7 m, and its weight 3.1 metric tons.

For the US, Trailer Dimensions - Stream Logistics I looked at a semtruck dry-van trailer. Its internal dimensions are typically length 16 m, width 2.5 m, height 2.8 m. European ones are similar.

Thus, it's easy to hide these missiles if one can remove their wings.

The wings usually fold in some fashion so they are smaller for handling. At least on US ship-launched missiles they're designed to fold around the missile until the booster has kicked it into the sky. Aircraft-launched missiles aren't as constrained and I don't know if their wings are fixed or not.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Iran rejects US claims it is ‘deeply involved’ in Houthi attacks in Red Sea | Israel-Palestine conflict News | Al Jazeera - "Tehran responds to US allegations it is providing the Yemeni rebel group with weapons and tactical intelligence."

Nobody is believing those denials.
And Al Jazeera is not a credible source - they are very much invested in any anti-Israel narrative.

What would you consider a credible source? Some hard-line super-Zionist who believes that the only good Arab is a dead Arab?

Al Jazeera used to be a good source. Now they are owned by Iranian proxies.

 

[TomC]

The point is you're advocating for a let the evil grow approach. If anything Iran is more malignant than Hitler was.

That's a pretty insane level of hyperbole dude. The west in general, mainly the U.S., have been viciously attacking Iran ever since they took their country back from the CIA and our puppet king Pahlavi.
Of course hardliners are in power and getting more hardline. We cultivate them.
Tom

 

[laughing dog]

I understand you're a complete warmonger.

So you don't understand the comment.

Would the comment make you less of a warmonger?

And BTW, it's "Peace for our time."

The point is you're advocating for a let the evil grow approach. If anything Iran is more malignant than Hitler was.

Wow, I think very few people would agree that Iran is more malevolent than Nazi Germany. As for infectiousness, since there are still plenty of overt Nazis around who were not alive back then, I'd say your comparison is pretty much nuts.

 

[lpetrich]

...
Thus, it's easy to hide these missiles if one can remove their wings.

The wings usually fold in some fashion so they are smaller for handling. At least on US ship-launched missiles they're designed to fold around the missile until the booster has kicked it into the sky. Aircraft-launched missiles aren't as constrained and I don't know if their wings are fixed or not.

I concede.  Tomahawk (missile) has wings that unfold after it is launched. I've also found this patent: US3563495A - Power operated folding wing for rockets and missiles - Google Patents with references to other patents.

To deploy a wing, one must:

1. Extend it
2. Lock it in extended position
3. Rotate it
4. Lock it in rotated position

So a reliable mechanism for doing that may be worth a patent.

 

[lpetrich]

US Navy sinks 3 Houthi boats attacking merchant ship in Red Sea, US says - ABC News - "The U.S. Navy sank three small boats, killing the crew, military officials said."

U.S. Navy helicopters returned fire and and sank three small boats carrying Houthi militants in the Red Sea on Sunday, after U.S. warships responded to a distress call from a merchant vessel, military officials said.

The Maersk container ship ship Hangzhou.

While the helicopters were "in the process of issuing verbal calls to the small boats, the small boats fired upon the U.S. helicopters with crew served weapons and small arms," Central Command said.

Service members aboard the Navy helicopters returned fire and sank three of the four small boats, killing the crews, U.S. officials said. The fourth boat fled the area.

US army attacks three Houthi boats in Red Sea, killing at least 10 fighters | Houthis News | Al Jazeera - "Global shipping giant Maersk suspends operations in the Red Sea for 48 hours after the attack."

The Houthi militia issued a statement saying that its boat crews were “establishing security and stability and protecting maritime navigation”. Also that they were “performing their humanitarian and moral duty… to prevent Israeli ships or those heading to the ports of occupied Palestine from passing through the Red Sea.”

Also, "Late on Saturday night, CENTCOM said it shot down two ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis as it responded to a separate missile strike on Maersk Hangzhou."

That anti-Houthi coalition?

However, out of the 20 countries the US says have agreed to support the coalition, only the United Kingdom has directly contributed warships, leaving Washington to effectively “act alone” against the Houthis, reports Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar from Djibouti on the edge of the Red Sea.

“There is very little naval presence here,” said Serdar.

Those missiles?

Increasingly, the group is using anti-ship ballistic missiles to target vessels, US Vice Admiral Brad Cooper told The Associated Press news agency, adding that the US is “clear-eyed that the Houthi reckless attacks will likely continue”.