Tag: Middle East

A Deal? (Maybe)

I could spend my time telling my readers about the first night of the DNC….but why? It is same as it has been for many decades….lots of chest thumping and opponent banging.

Instead I will telling you about something truly good news….well the possibility that is….a possible ceasefire deal for the Middle east.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday that Israel has accepted a proposal to bridge differences holding up a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza. He called on Hamas to do the same. Blinken was on his ninth urgent mission to the Middle East since the war in Gaza began more than 10 months ago. He did not say whether the “bridging proposal” addressed concerns cited by Hamas, the AP reports. He said, without offering specifics, there are still “complex issues” requiring “hard decisions by the leaders.”

Even if the militant group accepts the proposal, negotiators will spend the coming days working on “clear understandings on implementing the agreement,” Blinken said. Hamas has said it is losing faith in the US as a mediator, accusing American negotiators of siding with Israel as it makes new demands that the militant group rejects. Blinken did not say whether the proposal addressed Israel’s demand for control over two strategic corridors inside Gaza—which Hamas has said is a nonstarter—or other issues that have long bedeviled the negotiations.

Before meeting with Netanyahu, Blinken said the proposal was “probably the best, maybe the last, opportunity to get the hostages home, to get a ceasefire, and to put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security,” the New York Times reports. His visit came days after mediators, including the US, expressed renewed optimism that a deal was close.

I know I am a cynic but this is suspicious to me.  I mean after months of cheer leading for Israel the US has found a way to possibly end this conflict and just in time to be used as a campaign meme.

But is this the good news that it could be?

“The Prime Minister reiterated Israel’s commitment to the current American proposal on the release of our hostages, which takes into account Israel’s security needs, which he strongly insists on,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.

According to The Times of Israel, the statement was the first time Netanyahu publicly backed the US proposal even though it included his demands. Hamas rejected the proposal a day earlier due to the added conditions. Israeli officials later told Axiosthat Netanyahu only said he accepted the US proposal because he knew Hamas wouldn’t accept it.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Hamas said the US proposal lacked a permanent ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The group also said that the US proposal would ensure Israel maintains control of the Gaza-Egypt border, known as the Philadelphi Corridor, and the Netzarim Corridor, a piece of land that separates northern Gaza from the rest of the Strip.

Netanyahu began demanding these conditions during previous negotiations after Hamas agreed to the language in the ceasefire proposal unveiled by President Biden back in May. Israeli officials and media outlets have acknowledged that by inserting the new demands, Netanyahu was trying to sabotage the chances of a deal with Hamas.

Do not get too excited for if something can go wrong this will be the place for it to happen.

They talk about hostages and so on….but I have read nothing about Israel guarantee that humanitarian and medical supplies will be free flowing into the region.

Maybe that will come out later.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The West Bank

A good look at part of the problem in the Middle East…..this for those that look beyond the petty biases and want to know what is really behind the ‘troubles’.

These are lengthy videos but if you truly want to understand the situation in the Middle East then these will help.

(2) The West Bank: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) – YouTube

Then there is another look at the on-going conflict in Gaza…..

Instead of regurgitating crap from the unreliable sources…..watch and learn….

If you watched the video then please comment.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

An Excuse Has Been Given

Israel is trying (not very effectively) to end its carnage of Gaza and in doing so all eyes turn to Lebanon….

Does Israel plan to invade in the same fashion as it did with Gaza?

What do you think?

The German newspaper Bild reported on Monday that Israel is planning to invade Lebanon in the second half of July as Israeli forces and Hezbollah continue to trade fire across the border.

The report, which cited diplomatic sources, said Israel would launch the assault unless Hezbollah stopped firing on northern Israel. But Israeli officials have made clear that’s not enough for them as they are demanding Hezbollah withdraw from the border to areas beyond the Litani River.

The Litani River is about 18 miles north of the Israel-Lebanon border, and Israel has said a Hezbollah withdrawal from the area is necessary for Israelis who have evacuated from northern Israel to return to their homes.

Hezbollah’s position is that it won’t stop firing on northern Israel unless there is a ceasefire in Gaza, while Israeli officials have threatened to escalate in Lebanon if they reach a truce with Hamas.

The US claims it’s working hard to prevent an escalation in Lebanon but has conveyed it would support Israel in the event of an invasion. The US deployed an amphibious assault ship to the region last week to show support for Israel in the stand-off and prepare for potential evacuations of Americans from Lebanon.

Israeli media has reported that the Israeli military likely couldn’t handle opening a second front in Lebanon while maintaining military operations in Gaza, which suggests Israel could be looking for strong support from the US for the war in the north.

(antiwar.com)

When this goes about becoming reality will the US stand by for more carnage?

Of course they will for they are paid to CYA for Israel.

While meeting with top Lebanese officials last week, President Biden’s envoy warned Beirut that Washington could not stop Tel Aviv from ramping up its military operations in southern Lebanon. The White House is concerned that the tit-for-tat exchanges across the Israel-Lebanon border will soon escalate to a full-scale war.

During a trip to the Middle East last week, President Biden’s deputy Amos Hochstein told Lebanese leaders that Washington would be unable to constrain Tel Aviv. According to Axios, Hochstein warned, “The US won’t be able to hold Israel back if the situation on the border continues to escalate and that Hezbollah needs to indirectly negotiate with Israel instead of ratcheting up tensions.”

Hezbollah responded to the message by informing the US that it was prepared for a fight with Israel.

During a trip to Washington this week, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Both American officials attempted to push Tel Aviv to avoid escalation along its northern border.

On Monday, Blinken met with Gallant and promised that the US would aid Israel’s military. “He also underscored the importance of avoiding further escalation of the conflict and reaching a diplomatic resolution that allows both Israeli and Lebanese families to return to their homes,” a State Department press release said. “Secretary Blinken reaffirmed the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security.”

(antiwar.com)

And there is the excuse for all Israel’s carnage….security.

Now they have an excuse to work with to justify another invasion of Lebanon….

Yesterday, an Israeli attack on the southern Lebanese city of Tyre killed a Hezbollah commander named Mohammed Naameh Nasser. Nasser was reportedly the head of the Aziz Unit, one of three units of Hezbollah forces along the southern border with Israel.

Hezbollah responded by firing over 200 rockets against northern Israel, targeting military sites, including the occupied Golan Heights. Israel reported that a number of the rockets, and an estimated 10 drones, were intercepted.

According to Israeli officials, one IDF reservist was killed.   The strikes set several fires, which Israeli forces are still trying to get under control.

Both Israel and Hezbollah have been exchanging fire at increasing rates since October, fueling concerns that the situation will erupt into a full-scale Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon.

Reports are now circulating that Israel is planning to start an invasion in the latter half of July. This should be taken with a grain of salt, as previous reports appeared warning of a Lebanese war starting in mid-June as well as in the early spring.

What is clear is that both sides are escalating, and the danger of launching a serious war remains substantial. The international community continues to try to engage in talks to prevent the war, warning Israel that it is ill-prepared to fight a war on a second front while the Gaza War continues to rage.

(antiwar.com)

Here we go again.

Israel has about 2 weeks to clean up operations in Gaza and ready for the trip into Southern Lebanon.

The clock is ticking.

Ain’t war grand?

But let us not forget the silent invasion of the West Bank….silent because not much of it makes it to the MSM….

The issue of Israel’s creeping annexation of the West Bank has resurfaced in recent days after a leaked recording of Israel’s finance minister Bezalel Smotrich revealed a “dramatic” plan to impose permanent Israeli control over the West Bank “without the government being accused of annexing it,” as Smotrich was recorded saying.

Smotrich’s statements, recorded by the Peace Now Israeli NGO and published by CNN and the New York Times, were made during a speech he gave to settler leaders earlier in June. Smotrich was recorded saying that he had elaborated a plan in the past year and a half and exposed it to Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu, who was “fully onboard.”

The plan centers around transferring administrative authorities in the West Bank from the Israeli army to the civil authorities of the Israeli government. Smotrich said that he oversaw the creation of an entire administrative body directly linked to the government and that members of this body were already embedded in the Israeli army’s Civil Administration.

Israel’s leaked plan for annexing the West Bank, explained

Armed thugs affectionately called ‘settlers’ have been terrorizing the farmers and land owners of the West Bank for decades, destroying crops and houses, intimating the population and no one cares….especially the Israeli authorities that look the other way and even assist these barbarous douche bags in the crime spree.

I would say the Israeli bribes of our government officials has done their job well.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Retaliation For The Retaliation

Well the long awaited and much anticipated Israeli response to Iran’s response for the attack on their embassy in Syria…..has started…..

As of mid-night….and the unfolding events will make it necessary for regular updates…..

ABC News has reported that a US official said Israel launched an attack on Iran early Friday morning. Other reports say explosions have hit Syria and Iraq, with aircraft activity reported in the area.

Iran’s Mehr news agency reported explosions in the Iranian province of Isfahan. Sources told Mehr that the explosions were the result of air defenses destroying three drones.

According to CNN, the US knew Israel was planning to hit Iran with the understanding that nuclear sites wouldn’t be targeted. Iranian media is reporting that nuclear sites in Isfahan are safe.

On Thursday, Iranian officials warned that if Israel targeted nuclear sites, Iran would launch “tit-for-tat” strikes on Israeli nuclear facilities. Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has also warned of a major response to any type of Israeli attack.

Israel’s attack was a response to Iran launching missiles and drones at Israeli territory, which came in retaliation for Israel bombing Tehran’s consulate in Damascus. The Israeli attack on an Iranian diplomatic facility marked a huge escalation in Israel’s targeting of Iranians in Syria and killed seven members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including a high-level Quds Force commander.

President Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US would not support an Israeli offensive attack on Iran. However, the US has said it will continue to defend Israel, signaling it will intervene if Iran responds.

(antiwar.com)

Here we go…Israel is getting what it has wanted for a long time….direct US support for their damn adventurism.

Good luck keeping the US out of this…..just a bit of advice for Biden.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Here We Go! Once Again Into The Breach?

While most of us were trying to enjoy our weekend the whole fabric of the Middle East is unraveling….

After years of trying to provoke a response from Iran Israel has manage to get that act and in turn will most likely involve the US.

So here we go again….ass deep in the Middle East….our forays into the region accomplished two things….the death of Saddam and the creation of ISIS (more to come on this later)….

It began amazing enough on April Fools Day….with an Israeli airstrike….

Israeli airstrike leveled an Iranian consulate building that’s next to the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital of Damascus, marking a significant escalation in Israeli attacks on Iranians in the region.

At least seven people were killed in the strike, including Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior commander in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iran has confirmed the death of Zahedi, who oversaw the IRGC’s Quds Force operations in Syria and Lebanon and is vowing a harsh response.

Then the war of words began….the threats the chest thumping….

Twelve days after the chest thumping….

Iranian commandos have seized a cargo vessel with reported ties to an Israeli billionaire, taking control of the ship as it sailed near the Strait of Hormuz. The incident took place amid soaring tensions between Tehran and Tel Aviv, after Israeli forces bombed an Iranian diplomatic compound in Syria earlier this month.

The Portuguese-flagged container vessel, MSC Aries, was boarded by troops with the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Saturday. The seizure occurred some 50 miles off the coast of the United Arab Emirates and was confirmed by a statement from the ship’s operator, MSC. It noted that 25 crewmen were on board at the time.

Iranian state media reported that the ship was under IRGC control and being “directed back to Iranian territorial waters,” though did not specify for what purpose. The ship is reportedly owned in part by Zodiac Maritime, a company operated by Israeli-born billionaire Eyal Ofer.

(antiwar.com)

Then late Saturday the horrible news flashed across my desk….

The Iranian military fired a massive barrage of drones and missiles targeting sites in Israel, with Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) saying the attack was retaliation for a deadly Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.

The attack was announced on Saturday afternoon in an IRGC statement carried by Iranian state media, which said that “dozens” of UAVs and missiles were “fired at the occupied territories and positions of the Zionist regime.” The elite military unit claimed to have struck “important military targets,” though shared few details about the results of the operation.

…

While the military claimed “most” of the Iranian projectiles had been intercepted by allied states even before reaching Israeli airspace, it acknowledged “minor damage to the infrastructure” of an unspecified military base in southern Israel, as well as “a few injuries.”

(antiwar.com)

What to do…what to do?

US officials have yet to announce any military response, congressional sources told the Daily Mail the Pentagon planned to deploy multiple warships carrying some 2,500 Marines to the Eastern Mediterranean. Washington has made similar shows of force throughout the ongoing war in Gaza, stationing aircraft carriers and other naval assets in the region since last October.

When asked whether Washington would directly intervene in hostilities between Israel and Iran during a press briefing earlier this week, Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder declined to “get into hypotheticals,” only citing the US’ “ironclad commitment to Israel’s security.”

This is what those idiot warhawks like Sen. Cotton have been praying for….an excuse.

This is the trap that Israel laid many years ago it has just slowly developed….my money is on Biden walking into that dead end with eyes wide open (or should I say wallet wide open?)

The fallout has started….

Iran has conducted its much-anticipated revenge attack against Israel by firing hundreds of drones and missiles, nearly all of which were intercepted. The big question: Now what? How Israel responds could determine whether the situation escalates into a wider regional war, and an intense diplomatic push was underway.

  • The attack: Iran’s volley of an estimated 300 drones and missiles was unprecedented because it is believed to be the nation’s first-ever direct attack on Israel, reports the New York Times. However, Israel says it intercepted 99% of them with the help of the US and other nations, per the AP.
  • he US: President Biden said he will meet with G7 leaders on Sunday to coordinate “a united diplomatic response” to Iran’s attack, per USA Today. As the AP sees it, the language of the statement suggests the White House is trying to head off “a broader military conflict.” Biden also spoke with Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, and the Times suggests the call helped ward off an immediate retaliatory strike.
  • Iran warns: Tehran warned that if Israel retaliated, its response would be “much larger.” Iran also warned the US not to get involved in any Israeli military response or it would attack American bases. Meanwhile, Israel’s war cabinet was to meet later Sunday, and Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, warned the confrontation was “not over yet.”
  • Nine nations: The BBC counts at least nine nations involved in the first round, a sign of how protracted the situation is. Projectiles were fired from Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, while they were shot down by (or with help from) forces from Israel, the US, the UK, France, and Jordan. France, for example, provided tech support, including radar, reports the Washington Post.
  • A few landed: A relative handful of missiles landed in Israel, causing minor damage to an Israeli military base, per the Wall Street Journal. Israel also says a young girl was injured.

I am sorry but this, if it comes to a heavier response should be between Israel and Iran….the US should stay out of this situation completely.

Update…

President Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US wouldn’t join Israel in any offensive action against Iran, multiple media outlets have reported.

I would applaud Biden’s statement if it we not bullsh*t….it is called ‘electioneering’….we are involved and we need to back away.

The US does not need another Middle East excursion….they seem to never pan out for us.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The Deeper We Go

The events in the Middle East is doing nothing to keep Americans safe….Biden is using the deaths of Americans to legitimize his actions.

The problem is that Biden makes Americans targets by his less than effective policies and will no doubt use those deaths to his advantage.

These revenge attacks will dig a deeper hole for the US to try and dig out of kinda like the invasion of Iraq

U.S. officials may not acknowledge the connection between the Gaza War and the U.S. bombing campaign, but there is no question that Israeli militarism is relevant to the increased attacks from the Houthis against commercial shipping in the Red Sea as well as the increased attacks from Iranian-backed militia against U.S. facilities in Jordan, Syria, and Iraq.

As a result of these developments, the United States has taken a stronger stand against Iran, and suggested the possibility of an expanded security alliance with Saudi Arabia in return for Saudi diplomatic recognition of Israel.  These steps would require a deeper U.S. commitment in the Middle East with greater instability and uncertainty at a time when we should be looking for a way to reduce our presence.

Biden is Dragging the United States Deeper Into the Middle East

To use a popular term….the sh*t is getting deep in the Middle East and it is partially the fault of the US,

I question the US whether they truly want a more peaceful Middle East or not….from where I sit I say it is the later.

And sadly it is not just the Middle East….’experts’ are expecting deeper problems in almost every corner of the planet.

Meanwhile, the mainstream media is predictably advocating the use of greater military force by the United States.  In recent days, for example, the Washington Post has run lead editorials that were titled “North Korea goes from bad to much, much worse” and “The U.S. needs to strike Iran, and make it smart.”  The New York Times ran a long article (“A Worried NATO Prepares for a Russian Invasion”) that gives credibility to the idea that Putin “could invade a NATO nation over the coming decade” and that NATO “might have to face his forces without U.S. support.”

Have we forgotten so soon that it was the Bush administration’s misuse of military power against Iraq in 2003 that led to the chaos that now dominates the Middle East and the Persian Gulf.  If ever there were a time for official Washington to take a deep breath and to consider the diplomatic options for dealing with Iran and North Korea as well as Russia and China, this is it.

Biden just keeps digging the hole deeper and deeper and the US will soon be in a quagmire that it has no hope to end.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

“We Don’t Want A Wider War”

That was the statement made by the National Security Council head….as the Biden gang decides how to react to the attack in Syria that killed 3 American troopers.

Since October, the United States has bombed Iraq and Syria dozens of times, launched five rounds of airstrikes in Yemen, supplied the Israeli government with more than 10,000 tons of military equipment for its devastating assault on the Gaza Strip, and opposed international efforts to secure a cease-fire in the Palestinian enclave.

Yet Biden administration officials continue to insist that the U.S. is not at war in the Middle East, and is not seeking a broader military conflict in the region.

On Monday, amid reports that the U.S. is weighing how to respond to a deadly drone attack on American servicemembers just inside Jordan’s border with Syria—an attack the White House blamed on Iran-backed militia groups—National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in an appearance on NBC‘s “Today Show” that “we don’t want a wider war with Iran.”

“We don’t want a wider war in the region,” said Kirby, “but we gotta do what we have to do.”

https://www.commondreams.org/news/biden-middle-east-war

Biden and the gang made up their minds on the answer to the killings by Iranian back bad guys…..

The US has approved a series of strikes in response to the drone attack that killed three service members in Jordan last weekend, CBS News reports, citing US officials—but the plan is to hit Iran-linked facilities in Iraq and Syria, not targets in Iran itself. The officials say the timing of the strikes will depend on the weather because the military wants to have good visibility as a safeguard against inadvertently hitting civilians. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday that while the US wants to avoid a “wider conflict” in the Middle East, “we will take all necessary actions to defend the United States, our interests and our people, and we will respond when we choose, where we choose, and how we choose.”

The Jordan strike, the latest in a series of attacks from Iran-backed militias in the region, also injured dozens of US personnel. Hawks in Congress have called for a strike inside Iran, something Tehran reportedly sees as a “red line.” Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi warned Friday that the US could face a “strong response,” Al Jazeera reports. “We will not start any war but if anyone wants to bully us they will receive a strong response,” Raisi said.

Iran has denied responsibility for the drone attack, which was claimed by a coalition of Iran-backed groups called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq. Kataib Hezbollah, one of the groups in the coalition, said Wednesday that it was suspending attacks on US forces. Sources tell Reuters that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have started pulling senior officers from Syria following the deaths of several commanders in Israel strikes.

Bloodthirsty Repubs like Sen. Cotton and idiots like John Bolton keeps pushing for direct attack on Iran (basically to placate the Israelis)….but there is no actionable intel that says Iran did this……

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Thursday admitted the US does not know if Iran was operationally involved in the drone attack in Jordan that killed three American soldiers. On the same day, US officials told CBS News that plans have been approved for strikes against Iranian personnel and facilities in Iraq and Syria.

When asked by a reporter how much Iran knew about the Jordan drone attack or if it was operationally involved, Austin said, “You know, we believe that this was done by an element of what is known as the Axis of Resistance, and these are Iranian proxy groups. And how much Iran knew or didn’t know, we — we don’t know, but it really doesn’t matter because Iran sponsors these groups.”

The US has said it believes the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iraqi militias, was responsible for the attack. Kataib Hezbollah announced Tuesday it was suspending attacks on US troops in Iraq and Syria, which was the result of pressure from the Iraqi government and Iran, making it clear Tehran does not seek more escalations in the region.

(antiwar.com)

You do not want a wider war and yet you widen it almost daily…..I love War Department doublespeak…..

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Iraq In The Rear View Mirror?

Iraq?

Now there is a word seldom heard in the news these days.

US troops have been dealing with Iraq for well over 20+ years and I for one think it is time to take our goodies and go home.

Well I will be….there are talks starting that would do just that….or at least lessen the US footprint in the country.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin confirmed on Thursday that the US and Iraq will start talks on the future of the US military presence in Iraq in the “coming days,” which could result in a US withdrawal.

Baghdad has been calling for an end to the presence of the US-led anti-ISIS coalition in response to recent US airstrikes in Iraq. Tensions are soaring as Iraqi Shia militias have been attacking US bases in both Iraq and Syria due to President Biden’s support for the Israeli slaughter in Gaza.

Austin said the two countries will convene a meeting of the US-Iraq Higher Military Commission (HMC), which was formed last summer. Signaling that the US wants to maintain some sort of presence in Iraq, Austin said the HMC will “enable the transition to an enduring bilateral security partnership between the United States and Iraq.”

There are about 2,500 US troops in Iraq as part of the anti-ISIS coalition, known as Operation Inherent Resolve. In recent years, the US presence in Iraq has been more about pushing back against Iran’s influence in the country as ISIS has been reduced to small remnants.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has said that Iraq’s security forces can handle ISIS without the US. Austin said the “transition” in the US presence depends on three factors: “the threat from ISIS, operational and environmental requirements, and the Iraqi security forces’ capability levels.”

There have been reports that indicate the US is also considering ending its military occupation of eastern Syria. There are about 900 US troops, and the US is able to control about one-third of Syria’s territory by backing the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Sources within the Pentagon and State Department told Foreign Policy that the White House “is no longer invested in sustaining a mission that it perceives as unnecessary.” Al-Monitor reported that the Pentagon floated a plan for the SDF to partner with the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad, which is under crippling US sanctions.

US officials told POLITICO that a withdrawal from Syria or Iraq is not imminent but did acknowledge there are conversations within the Biden administration about pulling troops out of Syria. However, another US official told CNN that the US was not considering leaving Syria.

(antiwar.com)

A helluva idea….this involvement has gone long past its ‘sell by’ date.

But there may be an another motive other than getting out of Iraq and that would be to make way for further actions elsewhere in the region (Yemen).

Time to re-think all this shit!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

War Is Coming?

The US is involved in 2 wars in the Middle East as I type…..plus several around the region actions (when needed)…..do we really need another conflict?

I am talking about the actions taken to protect the Red Sea from Houthi tyranny……apparently plans are being made…..

US officials told The Washington Post on Saturday that the Biden administration is planning for a “sustained military campaign” against the Houthis in Yemen even as over a week of near-daily bombing has done nothing to deter the group and has only dramatically escalated the situation.

The officials could not put any timeline on how long the conflict will last, only saying they don’t expect it to drag on for “years,” like the US wars in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. The report said the officials acknowledged they can not identify an “end date or provide an estimate for when the Yemenis’ military capability will be adequately diminished.”

Some US officials are worried the plans for an open-ended conflict against the Houthis will shatter the fragile truce between warring factions in Yemen, which includes a US-backed Saudi/UAE-led coalition. So far, Riyadh has urged restraint and distanced itself from the US’s anti-Houthi operations.

Before the US began bombing the Houthis, Ansar Allah officials made clear they would only stop attacking Israeli-linked commercial shipping if the onslaught on Gaza ended. Instead of pressuring Israel to end the slaughter in Gaza, President Biden chose escalation, and now the Houthis are targeting US commercial shipping, and several US merchant vessels have been hit with missiles.

President Biden acknowledged his strikes on the Houthis were ineffective but vowed they would continue anyway. When asked by a reporter if the attacks were working, Biden said, “Well, when you say ‘working’ — are they stopping the Houthis? No. Are they going to continue? Yes.”

Since the strikes started on January 12, the US has bombed Yemen seven times. Bloomberg reported on Friday that the US and the UK were exploring ways to step up the campaign against the Houthis, signaling the strikes will intensify.

(antiwar.com)

The rhetoric scares me…..we really do not need to fund yet another war….I ask again….why cannot the KSA and UAE do the heavy lift on this after all they have been bombing Yemen into the stone age for years and besides it is their livelihood that the Houthis are threatening.

If you do not like this turn….how about this one…..

President Biden and his top advisors worry that it’s just a matter of time before an American soldier is killed in Iraq or Syria amid a flurry of rocket attacks launched by Shia militias on US bases that started in response to US support for the Israeli slaughter in Gaza, The New York Times reported on Sunday.

US officials suggested that if an American is killed, President Biden would attack Iran directly, which could provoke a major war. Iran is allied with the Shia militias that have been taking credit for attacks on US troops, but Tehran has denied it’s involved in the operations.

In October, the Pentagon said it had no direct evidence Iran was ordering attacks on US troops, and a US official told CNN that how willing the Shia militias were to act independently was always a “persistent intelligence gap.” Regardless, the US is still blaming Iran for the attacks.

and don’t want to “go so far that the conflict would escalate into a full-fledged war, particularly by striking Iran directly.”

However, if an American is killed, the US officials say they may have no choice but to attack Iran. “That is a red line that has not been crossed, but if the Iranian-backed militias ever have a day of better aim or better luck, it easily could be,” the report reads.

It’s unclear from the report if the US would bomb Iranian territory directly or target the Iranian military in Iraq or Syria. Israel recently killed five members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) by targeting them with airstrikes in Damascus, risking a response from Tehran.

(antiwar.com)

Look below the shallow crap on the boob tube and look for the real reason the US is willing to start another war.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

“It’s Not Working”

Just last week the US has taken upon itself to start yet another conflict….this time it is Yemen.

These airstrikes were to make the Houthi rebels cease their rocket attacks on commercial shipping….

President Biden acknowledged on Thursday that his strikes against the Houthis were not working to stop the Yemeni group but vowed they would continue anyway as the US military bombed Yemen for the fifth time within a week.

The president made the comments when asked by a reporter if his strikes against the Houthis were working. “Well, when you say ‘working’ — are they stopping the Houthis? No. Are they going to continue? Yes,” he said.

The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, have vowed they won’t back down in the face of the US military. Ansar Allah’s leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, said Thursday that it was a “blessing” for the Houthis to be in a direct fight with the US. “We praise god for this great blessing and great honor — for us to be in a direct confrontation with Israel and America,” he said.

Since Biden ordered the first strikes against them last week, the situation in the region escalated dramatically. The Houthis are now targeting American commercial shipping, hitting two US-owned cargo ships with missiles earlier this week, and more shipping companies have suspended transits through the Red Sea. Before the US escalation, the Houthis made clear they would stop attacks on Israel-linked commercial shipping only if Israel’s onslaught in Gaza ended, but President Biden is determined to continue supporting the slaughter of Palestinians.

The US backed a Saudi/UAE-led coalition against the Houthis in a brutal war that killed 377,000 people between 2015 and 2022. During that time the Houthis only became a more formidable fighting force and developed missile and drone technology that gave them the ability to hit Saudi oil infrastructure. A ceasefire between the Saudis and Houthis has held relatively well since April 2022, and Riyadh is now calling for the US to exercise restraint in Yemen.

(antiwar.com)

The shipping ;lanes of the Red Sea…..should that have not been the area where locals should have handled any problems…..why was the US involved?

If this fiasco does not stop the attacks will the US be prepared for yet another Middle East invasion and war?

What a waste!

I Read, I Write, You KNow

“lego ergo scribo”