On December 3rd, the USS Carney and maritime shipping vessels in the Red Sea came under assault in multiple attacks. Starting at 1000 hours in Sanaa, Yemen, the attacks carried on for well over five consistent hours. While no reports of death or serious injury have been reported, officials are gravely concerned with the provocation by Iranian-backed rebels.
Despite previous attacks by a group called the Houthis, they have yet to comment on these latest attacks. Back in mid-November, the USS Carney took down three land attack cruise missiles and multiple drones. Confirmed by Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, these attacks represented an ever-growing Iranian effort to destabilize the region. He was proud of the Naval response both in terms of accuracy and power.
Now, these attacks are incredibly common but usually avoidable. Back in November, an Israeli-linked cargo ship was boarded and taken by Houthi terrorists. With the financial, logistical, and arms backing of Iran, they have been able to control the Red Sea coastline along Yemen and all the water around it. Ships frequently come under attack and are always prepared for it.
In this latest instance, Ryder nor other officials have confirmed or denied the attackers as distinctly being Houthis, and given the presence of smaller splinter cells in the area, they cannot be ruled out as a possibility. UK officials admitted that their ships in the area had also seen drone attacks and explosions in the Red Sea. They refused other elaboration on the statement or confirmation of locations or assets in the region.
The lives of many people are being put at risk with these maneuvers, and the way President Biden has refused to completely condemn or counterattack these attempted strikes is nothing but shameful. American servicemembers in the region have found themselves going from what are already uncomfortable conditions to being downright miserable. While direct combat is little to nonexistent (or publicly acknowledged), they are being restricted further and further as the situation on the ground deteriorates.
Just staying in the region and not doing anything to combat the growing aggression and hostility will be something the American people could likely regret in the future. The conflict between Israel and Palestine/Hamas is something that is boiling over, and other states are stepping up to support the anti-Israel efforts. Back here in the US, the divide is growing as well. While much of the liberal left is jumping to support Palestine and Hamas over this, Biden is still heavily backing Israel. Not to mention his attempts to smooth things over with Palestine by supporting them as well to a degree.
A new style of division has many Americans at odds with one another. As Hamas fires at Israel randomly, then hides amongst civilians, as well as in and around hospitals, they are committing war crimes daily. This, in turn, is feeding into the narrative that Israel is targeting civilians when they target Hamas fighters.
Social media is also playing a large role in this conflict.
Refusing to respond to these provocations is emboldened even further when servicemembers can get out pictures and videos of these attacks. Doing so without having to wait for them to clear security officials to talk about the incident helps to tell the story of what is going on over there. However, it also creates ripe conditions for people to manipulate videos and stage “attacks” and deaths. In many of these videos, Hollywood-level fake babies are put into the arms of supposedly “grieving” parents or grandparents while they shout about the death of their child.
These overzealous reactions tug on the heartstrings. A tactic used by most organizations since the first spy came to be, they have manipulated the narrative to push their agenda and version of the battle. One that is incredibly deceitful and destructive, and now it is dividing the globe. Until Biden picks a side or decides it’s no longer America’s problem will likely be dealing with these little gnat-like attacks.
