Peloni: There is no need for the US to raise an international alliance to protect shipping against the Houthi menace, and doing so will only serve to institutionalize the ongoing piracy being waged against the world, as it would take very little to restore deterrence needed to end the Houthi aggression and/or deplete its capabilities to hold the world hostage. Given that the US is intent upon funding Iran’s terror regime and protecting its hubs of terror, there seems to be a failing interest in aiding the Americans in their charade because these nations who use to be reliable US allies are more concerned about the consequences coming from Iran than those coming from Washington.
by Tyler Durden, Zero Hedge Dec 23/23
Australia is the latest country to reject a request from the United States to send warships to the Red Sea under the command of the Pentagon’s Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect commercial vessels along the critical maritime trade route from Iran-backed Houthi.
Defense Minister Richard Marles told Sky News that Australia’s military would not send a “ship or a plane” to the Red Sea but would triple the number of troops for the US-led maritime force.
“We need to be really clear around our strategic focus and our strategic focus is our region,” Marles said.
The Pentagon’s formation of Operation Prosperity Guardian, a new task force to protect shipping from Houthi drone and missile attacks in the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea, requires increased warship patrols by the US and allies. This will create a security umbrella over commercial vessels to defend from attacks.
Reuters said about twenty countries have signed up for the Pentagon’s new operation. However, several countries, including Australia, Spain, Italy, and France, have rejected the Pentagon’s request to participate in the operation.
Spain’s Defence Ministry said it would only participate in NATO-led missions or European-coordinated operations – not ones commanded by the Pentagon:
“We will not participate unilaterally in the Red Sea operation.”
Italy’s Defence Ministry voiced similar concerns, indicating it would send naval frigate Virginio Fasan to the Red Sea but only respond to requests by Italian shipowners.
“Operation Prosperity Guardian in the Red Sea has practically Collapsed as France, Spain, and Italy have all announced their Withdrawal from the US Command Structure for the Operation, with the Three Nations stating they will only conduct further Maritime Operations under the Command of NATO and/or the European Union and not the United States,” X account OSINTdefender wrote.
Operation Prosperity Guardian in the Red Sea has practically Collapsed as France, Spain, and Italy have all announced their Withdrawal from the U.S. Command Structure for the Operation, with the Three Nations stating they will only conduct further Maritime Operations under the… pic.twitter.com/zhfih2XpTa
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) December 23, 2023
Another X user wrote:
“France, Spain, and Italy aren’t withdrawing because they don’t want to escalate the conflict. On the contrary, they’re withdrawing because they don’t believe the operation coordinated by Biden regime will protect their vessels. This is the result of a weak ‘President’ / lack of leadership.”
France, Spain, and Italy aren’t withdrawing because they don’t want to escalate the conflict. On the contrary, they’re withdrawing because they don’t believe the operation coordinated by Biden regime will protect their vessels. This is the result of a weak ‘President’ / lack of…
— Marc ?? (@gopher_marc) December 23, 2023
The number of warships around the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait has increased this week.
We reminded readers of Zoltan Poszar’s prediction of central-bank-analogized ‘military protection’ and said it’s soon to become a reality… and just like that, it has:
Protection is a conceptual counterpart to par. When you decide to take money out of a sight deposit, you expect the same amount back that you put in (par).
When you sail foreign cargo from port A to port B, you expect to unload the same amount of cargo that you onloaded.
Banks can deliver par on deposits most of the time. When not, central banks step in to help.
Commodity traders can deliver foreign cargo from port A to port B most of the time, but when not, the state intervenes again: not the monetary arm, but the military arm of the state.
What central banks are to the protection of par promises, the military branch is to the protection of shipments: foreign cargo needs to sail on sea routes and through choke points like the Strait of Hormuz, and “par” in this context
As of Saturday morning, the number of container ships in the Red Sea with destinations to Asia, Europe, and the US is less than five.
This once-busy waterway that connects to the Suez Canal has seen a plunge in container ship activity this week.
Remember, this critical waterway is responsible for 10-12% of the world’s maritime freight. Vessels are now being diverted around the Cape of Good Hope, adding 1-2 weeks in travel time. Plus, container rates are soaring.
The fact that seven major shipping companies, including Taiwanese container shipping line Evergreen and Belgian tanker owner Euronav, have halted sails through the Red Sea shows their lack of confidence in the US protecting the critical waterway.
Biden’s answer to any problem “bribe them”
Since the Biden regime has caused this problem by perverse, direct financial support of the terrorist regime in Tehran, few countries are willing to risk their naval assets to assist a criminal American regime that has treated its allies as enemies and its enemies as allies.
This US government has bombed a gas pipeline that had allowed the German economy to thrive, and sent Germany into serious economic difficulties. It has given billions of dollars of military equipment to a terrorist regime in Afghanistan. It has supported terrorist regimes throughout the Middle East including Iran, Hamas, the Houthis, etc. And now it is asking other countries to help out, after it caused this problem?
When Biden traveled to the Middle East, is it any wonder why Arab heads of state didn’t even want to meet with him? If Iran is the head of the snake to them, this US government is feeding the head of the snake.
As stated by Peloni, Bear Klein and Ted Belman, the US could easily solve this problem, but is, instead, committed to doing nothing in the hopes that that will avoid war.
I think we saw in World War II, that Chamberlain’s approach of appeasement of Nazi Germany not only didn’t prevent war, it made it possible for Nazi Germany to arm itself to the teeth before Great Britain could begin war preparation.
While Washington dithers Iran is securing a nuclear weapon.
Appeasement of terrorist states that have promised to destroy the US and Israel is dangerous, destructive, and leads to mass murder.
@Ted, USA needs to first sink Iranian Naval Vessel which supplying intel and instructions in Red Sea to Houthis on what to strike.
Then destroy Houthis missile sites. All this would not take very long.
Tell Iran any more trouble and then will be attacked in Iran.
What the US proposes is defensive. What is needed is an offensive approach. The US should bomb the Houtis into submission.
But as we know, Biden deoesn’t want another war.