Even the Jewish paper of record is admitting that the US/UK strikes on the Yemen Houthis have failed to achieve anything of substance.
RT:
The US-led strikes on alleged positions of Houthi militias in Yemen have failed to significantly weaken their military potential and prevent them from further attacks on shipping routes in the Red Sea, the New York Times reported on Saturday, citing sources.
According to the first assessment of Friday’s barrage cited by the paper, the attacks hit 90% of designated targets. However, two US officials suggested that while the strikes had destroyed or damaged more than 60 drone and missile sites, the Houthis still retained about 70-80% of their military capability. The article added that some of the militia’s assets are also mobile, meaning they could be hidden if necessary.
Meanwhile, The Times noted that locating Houthi targets is proving more difficult than expected, as Western efforts picked up steam only after the start of the Hamas-Israel conflict on October 7. The Houthis, who control most of Yemen, have rallied to the support of the Palestinian armed group, attacking both Israeli targets and what they describe as Israeli-linked ships in the region in recent weeks.
US officials interviewed by the NYT have suggested that Washington may launch another barrage on Houthi targets after it analyzes the damage from the recent strikes. The outlet’s sources also noted that while the militia’s response to the Western attack has so far been muted, they are bracing for a Houthi retaliation.
The strikes were strategically stupid.
Cargo ships are now less likely to attempt a trip through the Red Sea. The US and UK have turned the area into an even more unpredictable war zone.
The fact that the strikes did not substantively weaken the Houthis military abilities is just a reflection of how dumb this whole thing was. The strikes were likely only done as part of an arrangement the Jew Antony Blinken made with Bibi when he was in Israel.
