Do you think this will deter them? Our stand-off strikes destroy some of their capability but not all, not even close.
Absolutely, depending on the strikes. Of course, we cannot destroy all launchers or missiles. Loren pointed that out too.
But if you hit enough of Houthi targets, you make it very painful for them to continue with their attacks on shipping. At some point, the damage will threaten their gains in the Yemeni civil war.
Now, of course, it depends on how much the Biden administration is willing to escalate. I do not think strikes like this go far enough.
US attacks Houthi anti-ship missiles, vessel hit in Red Sea
Just hitting the anti-ship missiles is not enough, and will not deter the Houthis. We need to hit Houthi forces themselves - including those not directly involved in the piracy. We need to hit command and control. As I said, warheads on foreheads, not just warheads on other warheads.
With redesignating Houthis as a terrorist organization, Biden administration is also imposing a half measure.
Biden administration expected to re-designate Houthis as a global terrorist entity
Houthis should never have been dedesignated, but even now Biden is not willing to go all the way.
CNN said:
The Biden administration is expected to re-designate
the Houthis as a specially designated global terrorist (SDGT) entity amid continued attacks by the Yemen-based militia, a source familiar told CNN Tuesday.[...]The administration removed the Houthis’ SDGT designation and de-listed it as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) in February 2021, after it was designated by the Trump administration in its final weeks.[...]
As of Tuesday, the administration was not reimposing the FTO designation.
Both the SDGT and FTO designations trigger an asset freeze, but only an FTO designation imposes immigration restrictions on members, according to the State Department. The SDGT designation also does not impose sanctions on those who provide “material support” to the group.
It just shows the inappropriate timendes of the Biden administration where decisiveness is needed.
In the meantime it gives the Houthis the prestige of standing up to the US.
They had that prestige while they were terrorizing shipping with US doing hardly anything. Worst thing is to do nothing in the face of naked aggression.
They know there will be no serious commitment on our part.
And they should be taught otherwise. Unfortunately you may be right that Biden is unwilling to do what needs to be done.
The US public isn't ready for some trillion dollar commitment. It's too soon for that.
It will not take anywhere close to a trillion to damage the Houthis enough to convince them to cease and desist. I am not saying put boots on the ground and occupy the place for the next 20 years. I am saying bomb Houthi forces and leadership.
As far as being "too soon", that is penny-wise and pound foolish. Or to mix my metaphors and units of measure, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The more we do nothing, the more our enemies are emboldened, and the more it will cost in the end.
And it all comes back to our one big colossal mistake: Israel.
I know you hate Israel for some reason. I, obviously, disagree. Israel wasn't a mistake. Letting Iran fall to the theocratic regime was a colossal mistake though.
Carter's UN ambassador Andrew Young thought Khomeini was a "saint" while
France gave him aid and comfort while he planned his coup. Talk about an epic failure of foresight! Btw, Andrew Young is still alive and still
talking nonsense.
