US warns Ansarallah against attacking Israeli ships (thecradle.co)
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Welcome back to Political Misfits on Radio Sputnik, where we bring you news, politics and culture - without the red and blue treatment. I’m John Kiriakou here with Benjamin Zinevich
The Christmas weekend was a busy one in international affairs and none of the news was good. A rocket strike against US troops in Iraq resulted in a retaliatory strike against an Iran-backed militia called Kataib Hezbollah. Three US troops were injured in the initial attack and, according to a spokesman from the US Central Command, the retaliatory strike “probably killed a number of Kataib Hezbollah militants.” A Hezbollah spokesman said that it struck the US base in protest of US support for Israel in Gaza and because it considers the US presence in Iraq to be an “occupation.” The US said that its response was measured because it didn’t want to further inflame the situation in the region, but it warned Iran to cease targeting US personnel in the region, lest the US and Iran be dragged into a direct conflict. Iraq’s Prime Minister condemned both the US and Hezbollah, saying that the exchange killed one Iraqi soldier and wounded another 18. // The situation in the Red Sea and environs is heating up significantly. Yemen’s Houthi government reiterated over the weekend that it very much wants to be involved in the war against Israel. So, consequently, the Houthis continue to indiscriminately attack shipping in the Red Sea. Several cargo ships have been hijacked to taken into port in Aden, and the Houthis continue to launch rockets and suicide drones against other ships. The US said over the weekend that one of its warships was targeted by Houthi drones, but that none of the drones made contact. A cargo ship off the coast of India was hit by a drone. An international coalition of nearly a dozen countries is now sending ships to the Red Sea to escort civilian cargo ships through the Bab el-Mandeb, the narrow passage of only 16 miles that separates Yemen from the African coast. // A Washington Post analysis of satellite imagery shows that Israel’s war in Gaza is the most destructive of the 21st century, and among the most destructive on a per capita basis against civilians in the past 100 years. The Israeli military has conducted repeated and widespread attacks at or near hospitals and other civilian centers and has killed, by its own estimates 10 civilians for every 1 Hamas militant. The conflict so far has been far bloodier than earlier conflicts in Syria and Iraq against the Islamic State and, according to the Red Cross, there is literally no safe space anywhere in Gaza. Nearly two million people are now crowded along the Rafah border crossing with Egypt with no place to go, something that international aid organizations call a humanitarian disaster. // Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that the Turkish parliament would begin deliberations over the approval of Sweden to become a member of NATO. Washington lauded the statement as a giant leap forward in Swedish accession to the organization. But this morning, the Turkish parliament put the move on hold. A parliamentary statement says that Ankara now wants Sweden to crack down on Turkish and Kurdish dissidents there, and it wants the US to provide $20 billion in F-16 fighter jets and upgrade kits for jets it already has.
We’re joined by Mark Sleboda. He’s an international affairs and security analyst.
U.S. strikes Iran-backed militias in Iraq after troops wounded in drone attack
US airstrikes hit Kataib Hezbollah sites in Iraq after attack on US troops | CNN Politics
Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, hostage negotiations, Gaza humanitarian crisis
Explosions reported in Red Sea shipping lane off Yemen coast | Reuters
Who are the Houthi rebels and why are they attacking Red Sea ships?
Turkey’s Parliament to Discuss Sweden’s NATO Bid, Still in Limbo - The New York Times
Questions:
Hi, Mark. Thanks so much for joining us. Let’s start with the tit-for-tat events overnight between Kataib Hezbollah and the US military. The United States classified Kataib Hezbollah as a terrorist group in 2009 and the two sides have been targeting each other for 20 years. This is a group loosely affiliated with Lebanese Hezbollah, but more closely aligned with the Iranian government. Three US servicemen were injured in this bombing, which, obviously, called for retaliation. What was the calculation by Kataib Hezbollah? Why launch this attack in the first place?
The US response was to hit back, apparently killing several people and wounding a dozen and a half more. CENTCOM is calling this a measured response. Was it? Or will we see more US attacks or more sustained US attacks on Shia militias in Iraq and Syria?
What does this tell us about the prospects for a direct fight between the US and Iran? Is that something we should be worried about? It seems like there are a hundred different ways in which the Gaza war becomes an international conflagration. That wouldn’t be in anybody’s interests. But it good easily go in that direction, could it not?
I’ve been concerned for weeks about Houthi drone attacks and Houthi interference in international shipping, and I’ve said only half-jokingly that the Houthis are setting themselves up to get blasted. I’m not joking now. It’s like they want to be attacked. And now that there will be an international military presence in the Red Sea to escort shipping, one too many attacks on a US warship could lead to something awful. What do you think about this situation? Does it get worse in the coming weeks, and if so, what does that look like?
Mark, one thing that really puzzles me is the Houthis penchant for attacking US military ships. It seems like they’re constantly sending suicide drones against US warships. What’s the upside to doing that for the Houthis? What could they possibly hope to gain?
The international coalition in the Red Sea is becoming significant. Michelle and I joked last week that the Greeks would send an ambulance and the Spanish would send two nurses. But that’s not what happened. The Greeks have sent a frigate, as have the Spanish, the Italians, and a half-dozen other countries. This is becoming a significant military presence, with the Houthis, and indirectly the Iranians, being the targets. Again, militarily, what do you think we should expect to see in the coming weeks in the Red Sea?
Turning to Gaza, Mark, the destruction there is nothing short of catastrophic. It’s one thing to say, “What did Hamas think would happen” when they launched their attack on Israel on October 7. But the Israeli response has been a crime against humanity. Where are we going in Gaza in the coming weeks? IS there any way to avert a humanitarian disaster? Is the answer to open the border into Egypt? Is it for countries in the region to accept refugees?
Civilian casualties in Gaza are off the charts and are comparable to what we saw in the First and Second World Wars and in Korea. There doesn’t seem to be much immediacy in the western world to do anything about this. The UN and international relief agencies are jumping up and down. But will there be any changes? How can changes be implemented?
Cindy McCain, who is the Director General of the World Food Programme, said that starvation is a real and immediate problem in Gaza. We’re looking at something akin to what happened in Ethiopia in 1985–starvation of epic proportions. Again, what can and will be done to head this off?
Finally, Mark, can you explain to us what’s happening vis-a-vis Sweden’s accession into NATO? It seems the Turks keep changing their minds. Is this really just about F-16s and upgrade kits?
Ansar Allah & Kataib Hezbollah Take on Israel, the US & the Entire West...and the US/West Has No Good Answer or Options...and more...