Red Sea / Houthi rebels situation

[eddyr]

It is a unsurprising next step. £1m missiles against low cost drones is not sustainable. The question is, should we be getting involved with either of these fights? The rest of the world (ex USA) isn't? I'd have been advising UK bound ships to go the long way round and letting Egypt take a lead on sorting this out as they will be losing the Suez custom.

Global shipping logistics is far too integrated and dependant on economies of scale for that to work. An entire region of downstream client countries is affected or no one is. There is no 'we should just look after our own', it cant work.

I agree all countries dependent on trade should be involved but there are not many that can easily project force so far, especially outside the wealthier European countries. Most have forces barely adequate for the defence of their own territory.

 

[aVdub]

Oil prices rise after US and UK launch strikes against Houthi rebels

Military action heightens traders’ concerns over global supplies

www.ft.com

Take away the oil and no one would give a flying **** about that region.

 

[bloodiedathame]

Does this not put our national security at risk, 6 months before a GE? Are we not walking into retaliation like we had from al-Qaeda and Isis? Seems absolutely foolish to me. One of Rishi's mates is going to be making loads of money from it though so that's ok...

 

[rumple9]

We are using £110 million Typhoon Fgr4 jets and US stealth bombers to blow up this:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1745746965294399832

We daren't go any where near Russia though

 

[Hawk Tuah]

We are using £110 million Typhoon Fgr4 jets and US stealth bombers to blow up this:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1745746965294399832

We daren't go any where near Russia though

Ah twitter, the home of all truth.

Houthi anti-ship missile systems: getting better all the time

www.iiss.org

The Houthis are launching anti-ship ballistic missiles at our navy, and you think this is a game played with toy quadcopters. Grow the hell up.

 

[Mujja]

So you want these terrorists to keep attacking peaceful shipping routes? lol wut?

But Israel attacking peaceful civilians is OK.

Seems some are more worried about the price of goods than the value of lives in Gaza.

The Houthis aren't disrupting the ships because they are bored.

 

[Vinno]

But Israel attacking peaceful civilians is OK.

Seems some are more worried about the price of goods than the value of lives in Gaza.

The Houthis aren't disrupting the ships because they are bored.

They're doing it because Iran told them to do it.

 

[Mujja]

They're doing it because Iran told them to do it.

Would the UK have got involved if the US didn't tell us to? What's your point?

Iran isn't allowed to look out for it's neighbours? None of the western conflicts in the ME have been a success, maybe it's time to stop destabilising the region further.

 

[potatolord]

Both North and South are majority Arab; the division is Shia/Sunni rather than Arab/non-Arab. This also explains why Saudi Arabia (Sunni) backs the former government (South/East and also Sunni), whilst Iran (Suni) backs the Houthi rebels in the Northwest.

Yep, the division is mostly religious, i should have been clearer there.

Typo? You mean Northwest not Northeast. The two states were only actually separated for around a quarter of a century, but the states divided broadly along the Sunni/Shia divide in the country.

Ha, yeah that was a typo! i fondly remember trying to work out which bit was the marxist bit and which was not back in the good old days.

 

[Roar87]

Would the UK have got involved if the US didn't tell us to? What's your point?

In this case yes we would.

 

[Mujja]

In this case yes we would.

I don't follow these events too closely but remind me of a recent conflict in the ME which the UK entered without the US.

 

[jpaul]

The playbook's already been written. Videos of civilian casualties, mass propaganda campaign claiming to be the victim and take it to the UN

you mean, take it the Hague, if you saw IRD representatives squirming under those accusations yesterday.

With the efficiency of their drones , seems short sighted that Hammas had not had those - would the iron dome still be so named against them.

 

[Nasher]

Surely the PD guns on ships can take care of these cheap drones. Then the cost difference swings the other way.

Missiles are expensive ammo.

Would the UK have got involved if the US didn't tell us to? What's your point?

Iran isn't allowed to look out for it's neighbours? None of the western conflicts in the ME have been a success, maybe it's time to stop destabilising the region further.

Exactly. Which is why if they can't behave they might just end up having a big one dropped on them.

 

[Tom_ed1987]

We are using £110 million Typhoon Fgr4 jets and US stealth bombers to blow up this:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1745746965294399832

We daren't go any where near Russia though

The footage released by the RAF of one of the strikes is on what is clearly a significant underground arms depot, with huge secondary explosions.

 

[bainbridge]

Looking at the footage of the Houthi rebels capturing that ship via helicopter landing, they look quite well trained.

But I guess it's easy to be organised when targeting unarmed sailors.

 

[Mujja]

Everyone else has their head buried in the sand. It's always easy to do nothing.

Because running in guns blazing has worked so well in the past.

 

[eddyr]

But Israel attacking peaceful civilians is OK.

Seems some are more worried about the price of goods than the value of lives in Gaza.

The Houthis aren't disrupting the ships because they are bored.

What better way to make people sure people have less time and headspace to care about others in a distant land, than by making sure more of their energy is spent worrying about their own day to day lives.

 

[Uther]

Because running in guns blazing has worked so well in the past.

Would you prefer it they were were just left to fire ballistic missiles and carry out armed hijackings by helicopter in peace?
Everything comes down to money and trade in the end. Someone messes with that and they are liable to get wrecked.

 

[aVdub]

I remember at the beginning of this that an American vessel in the area had noticed missiles heading towards Israel and had shot them down when I read the news at 4am.
When I returned in the evening this was corrected to a American missile destroyer that just happened to be in the area, came under attack from the Houthi rebels and had managed to defend itself.

Hmmmmm

 

[Hagar]

Would the UK have got involved if the US didn't tell us to? What's your point?

Iran isn't allowed to look out for it's neighbours? None of the western conflicts in the ME have been a success, maybe it's time to stop destabilising the region further.

Yes the UK would have. Apart from freedom of the sea lanes a condition which we are always keen to put on China, increasing our shipping costs by 3% is worth a few Paveway bombs from Akrotiri to avoid.
We may not have gone it alone but we are a reliable ally and friend to the USA (as well as the Netherlands, Australia, Bahrain etc. etc.).