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Post by guido2 on Jan 12, 2024 16:28:40 GMT -5
Striking merchant ships carrying non-military cargo in international shipping lanes is the definition of terrorism. So great, your 'cause' is to stick it to the United States, endanger merchant marines from various countries, and harm the world economy. Another great position for Soul. My “cause” to the extent that I have one, is to wish for a ceasefire in Gaza that would kill two birds with one stone: De-escalation in Gaza and the Red Sea. I love my country and want our leaders to stop making dumb decisions. I thought Biden would be good on foreign policy due to his experience. He has proven me wrong. He continues to prove that Robert Gates was right about Biden’s poor foreign policy judgment… ’Robert Gates seems to double down on claim that Biden's been wrong on top foreign policy issues for decades’ Cooper pointed out a part in the book where Gates called Biden a man of integrity but wrote that he believes he’s "been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades."www.foxnews.com/politics/gates-seems-to-double-down-on-claim-that-bidens-been-wrong-on-top-foreign-policy-issues-for-decadesOOOhhhhh Gates and fox news as the basis for your post. 🙄 They have attacked US flagged ships (not counting the US fleet which seems to be up for debate), by extension they are attacking the US. But one more thing. Considering that the Hout's and a bunch of other nutbags have declared more than once; Death to the US, and pretty much Death to anyone that doesn't believe in Allah. Though not official since they are not nations 🙄 they have declared war..... decades ago.
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Post by ishmael on Jan 12, 2024 16:39:37 GMT -5
Ish, we’ll have to agree to disagree that last nights airstrikes in Yemen were “self-defense”. Neither the US, nor our property were attacked. It’s not our constitutional responsibility to protect the Red Sea for other countries. That’s a geopolitical strategic choice, not an obligation. Specific targets in Yemen were chosen for offensive operations. But Biden is framing it as “defensive” because of the way the article is written and the requirement that Congress approve non-defensive military operations. But this isn’t the first time a President has bombed a country without Congressional authorization and it likely won’t be the last. More concerning to me is the escalatory ladder given that the airstrikes are unlikely to succeed in deterring the Houthis. Constitutional responsibility? Maybe, maybe not. It most certainly is a constitutional responsibility to ensure freedom of the seas to protect US trading interests. That is all that is happening here; protection of freedom of the seas. And unless you can find what doesn't exist, there is no constitutional requirement for Congress to approve any action taken by the military.
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Post by soulflower on Jan 12, 2024 16:46:17 GMT -5
The above described mentality in DC is a problem and needs to change.
Not every problem has a military solution. Especially in the Middle East.
We need to get back to Cold War era diplomacy efforts and abandon the post-Cold War “diplomacy is for wimps” mentality…
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Post by kandace on Jan 12, 2024 19:10:03 GMT -5
The above described mentality in DC is a problem and needs to change. Not every problem has a military solution. Especially in the Middle East. We need to get back to Cold War era diplomacy efforts and abandon the post-Cold War “diplomacy is for wimps” mentality…
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Post by soulflower on Jan 12, 2024 19:50:48 GMT -5
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Post by JoyinMudville on Jan 12, 2024 20:48:29 GMT -5
U.S. has apparently hit additional sites in Yemen. I am hearing its radar facilities which would pave the way for additional strikes
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Post by JoyinMudville on Jan 12, 2024 20:50:23 GMT -5
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Post by soulflower on Jan 12, 2024 21:06:06 GMT -5
Shocked that there’s anything left to bomb in Yemen after 9 years of war.
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Post by soulflower on Jan 13, 2024 9:30:24 GMT -5
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Post by soulflower on Jan 14, 2024 14:55:36 GMT -5
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Post by soulflower on Jan 15, 2024 10:57:32 GMT -5
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Post by soulflower on Jan 15, 2024 11:15:22 GMT -5
John Kirby confirms that the two missing Navy SEALs were attempting to board an Iranian ship suspected of sending weapons to Yemen
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Post by soulflower on Jan 16, 2024 8:00:49 GMT -5
Such strange times we're living in
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Post by soulflower on Jan 16, 2024 11:20:22 GMT -5
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Post by Jimmy Jazz on Jan 16, 2024 11:22:02 GMT -5
As expected, the airstrikes failed to deter the Yemenis. What makes more sense going forward? A ceasefire in Gaza? Or another major war in the Middle East? It was to be expected that the Houthis would ‘do something’ to show they’re still relevant. The question from the US/UK perspective is whether these strikes have degraded their overall capacity. I have no idea what the answer to that is and I agree with you overall that this escalating proxy war between the US and Iran is definitely not the way to handle this.
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Post by soulflower on Jan 16, 2024 11:39:27 GMT -5
As expected, the airstrikes failed to deter the Yemenis. What makes more sense going forward? A ceasefire in Gaza? Or another major war in the Middle East? It was to be expected that the Houthis would ‘do something’ to show they’re still relevant. The question from the US/UK perspective is whether these strikes have degraded their overall capacity. I have no idea what the answer to that is and I agree with you overall that this escalating proxy war between the US and Iran is definitely not the way to handle this. It hasn't so far. And politically, the military response is only helping the Houthis. Just yesterday, one of their rivals in Yemen declared a truce.
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Post by Jimmy Jazz on Jan 16, 2024 11:50:46 GMT -5
It hasn't so far. And politically, the military response is only helping the Houthis. Just yesterday, one of their rivals in Yemen declared a truce. Shooting a land based missile at a cargo ship isn’t the same as hijacking/attacking them via helicopter/speed boat. If those attacks stops and they switch to shooting land based missiles at ships it will indicate that the strikes were effective at stopping one aspect of their capacity.
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Post by soulflower on Jan 16, 2024 11:58:50 GMT -5
It hasn't so far. And politically, the military response is only helping the Houthis. Just yesterday, one of their rivals in Yemen declared a truce. Shooting a land based missile at a cargo ship isn’t the same as hijacking/attacking them via helicopter/speed boat. If those attacks stops and they switch to shooting land based missiles at ships it will indicate that the strikes were effective at stopping one aspect of their capacity. They reportedly shot a missile at a ship yesterday: Jan 15 - US military says Yemen’s Houthis struck US-owned ship with missileJan 16 - Fox Business - Shell suspends all Red Sea shipments indefinitely amid Houthi attacks from YemenThe reason this is such a low-cost/high-reward operation for the Houthis is, they don't have to successfully hit ships in the Red Sea to succeed at diverting shipping traffic. Just the threat of these attacks is enough to get shipping companies to avoid the Red Sea. Which imposes economic costs on Israel and maybe some European countries. There's no military solution to this problem. if there were, the Saudis would've found one during their nine years of war in Yemen. It requires a political solution. Maybe they're working towards a political or diplomatic solution but no one is surprised that the airstrikes are failing to deter them...
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Post by JoyinMudville on Jan 16, 2024 17:06:31 GMT -5
The U.S. now claiming it hit some missile launchers. I’m on my phone so can’t post the link
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Post by soulflower on Jan 16, 2024 17:22:53 GMT -5
The U.S. now claiming it hit some missile launchers. I’m on my phone so can’t post the link It’s like trying to swat flies. Our military power can’t stop them all. Time to give diplomacy a chance. Description below of an incident from earlier today: english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2024/01/16/Ambrey-says-Malta-flagged-bulker-targeted-by-missile-northwest-of-Yemen-s-Saleef-For those doubting that the Houthis are honest about these attacks being related to their desire for a ceasefire in Gaza, why weren’t they doing this before October 2023? Clearly, their actions are a response to what is happening in Gaza. Also, I’m aware and have noted that this situation is providing political benefits for the Houthis. The focus on the Red Sea attacks and Gaza distracts from domestic political criticisms of their government. A ceasefire in Gaza would also serve several political objectives for various parties. Including the release of the hostages being held by Hamas.
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Post by soulflower on Jan 16, 2024 17:33:12 GMT -5
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Post by soulflower on Jan 16, 2024 21:37:10 GMT -5
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Post by JoyinMudville on Jan 16, 2024 22:05:13 GMT -5
The whole terror designation thing is subjective and a complete joke most of the time… I don't know. If you're a group and you're lobbing missiles and drones at merchant shipping in international waters, maybe you're terrorists.
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Post by JoyinMudville on Jan 16, 2024 22:06:19 GMT -5
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Post by soulflower on Jan 17, 2024 6:12:28 GMT -5
America isn’t the source of the world’s problems. That’s not my opinion. My view is that we’re the most powerful nation on earth but often don’t use our power for Good. It more often is used to serve misguided self-interests. Example A, no country has been involved in more wars over the last century than the US. So why is it that we have to go back 70 years to WWII for an example of a “good war”? We’re not proud of the other hundred or so conflicts we’ve engaged in since WWII? It’s our duty as citizens of America to hold our own government accountable for their misdeeds. As for Yemen’s Houthis, there’s a real “Robinhood” story for you. Barefoot rebels from one of the world’s poorest countries standing up to the world’s wealthiest countries and demanding a ceasefire in a war miles away from them.
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up2
Full Member
Posts: 1,867
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Post by up2 on Jan 17, 2024 6:44:31 GMT -5
America isn’t the source of the world’s problems. That’s not my opinion. My view is that we’re the most powerful nation on earth but often don’t use our power for Good. It more often is used to serve misguided self-interests. Example A, no country has been involved in more wars over the last century than the US. So why is it that we have to go back 70 years to WWII for an example of a “good war”? We’re not proud of the other hundred or so conflicts we’ve engaged in since WWII? It’s our duty as citizens of America to hold our own government accountable for their misdeeds. As for Yemen’s Houthis, there’s a real “Robinhood” story for you. Barefoot rebels from one of the world’s poorest countries standing up to the world’s wealthiest countries and demanding a ceasefire in a war miles away from them.Poor barefoot rebels somehow manage to get millions if not billions in weapons, weapon systems, armaments and other military ordinance funded by Iran and other Shiite sympathizers while their people remain in abject poverty does not match the legend you seem to romanticize to these folks. What I see is an age=old story of desperate and poor people with little option being militarized as an only option, while their people continue to suffer. There is no butter being offered, only guns.
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Post by soulflower on Jan 17, 2024 7:01:00 GMT -5
America isn’t the source of the world’s problems. That’s not my opinion. My view is that we’re the most powerful nation on earth but often don’t use our power for Good. It more often is used to serve misguided self-interests. Example A, no country has been involved in more wars over the last century than the US. So why is it that we have to go back 70 years to WWII for an example of a “good war”? We’re not proud of the other hundred or so conflicts we’ve engaged in since WWII? It’s our duty as citizens of America to hold our own government accountable for their misdeeds. As for Yemen’s Houthis, there’s a real “Robinhood” story for you. Barefoot rebels from one of the world’s poorest countries standing up to the world’s wealthiest countries and demanding a ceasefire in a war miles away from them.Poor barefoot rebels somehow manage to get millions if not billions in weapons, weapon systems, armaments and other military ordinance funded by Iran and other Shiite sympathizers while their people remain in abject poverty does not match the legend you seem to romanticize to these folks. What I see is an age=old story of desperate and poor people with little option being militarized as an only option, while their people continue to suffer. There is no butter being offered, only guns. How much do you know about the recent history of Yemen? Did anyone care about the Houthis when the Saudis overthrew Yemen’s elected government and imposed a puppet regime on them? Rebel groups fought back against the Saudi-led government and there has been a civil war in Yemen ever since. The troubles in Yemen over the past decade have little to do with America beyond the fact that we have armed the Saudis and occasionally bombed Yemen ourselves since the civil war began. As to the recent events, it should be emphasized that Biden is responding with military force despite the fact that no one has been killed in these attacks by the Houthis. There has only been property damage and increased shipping costs of course. Is that worth wasting hundreds of millions of dollars and potentially escalating war in the Middle East? I don’t think so. It’s less costly to use all of our leverage on diplomatic efforts to impose a ceasefire in Gaza…
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summer23
Full Member
There is no path to peace. Peace IS the path.
Posts: 1,630
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Post by summer23 on Jan 17, 2024 10:15:32 GMT -5
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Post by pickle20 on Jan 17, 2024 10:41:04 GMT -5
America isn’t the source of the world’s problems. That’s not my opinion. My view is that we’re the most powerful nation on earth but often don’t use our power for Good. It more often is used to serve misguided self-interests. Example A, no country has been involved in more wars over the last century than the US. So why is it that we have to go back 70 years to WWII for an example of a “good war”? We’re not proud of the other hundred or so conflicts we’ve engaged in since WWII? It’s our duty as citizens of America to hold our own government accountable for their misdeeds. As for Yemen’s Houthis, there’s a real “Robinhood” story for you. Barefoot rebels from one of the world’s poorest countries standing up to the world’s wealthiest countries and demanding a ceasefire in a war miles away from them. That is like the very definition of terrorism. A group of people unable to mount a full scale war against another country and relegating themselves to attacks designed to disrupt and/or cause fear.
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summer23
Full Member
There is no path to peace. Peace IS the path.
Posts: 1,630
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Post by summer23 on Jan 17, 2024 10:57:39 GMT -5
It appears that you are saying that you are fine with the attacks on ships continuing and that you continue to endorse them, soulflower. Is that accurate?
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