January 21, 2024

Watching our response to Iranian aggression against us and our allies, I’m reminded of Sherlock Holmes mystery, “The Curious Case of the Dog That Didn’t Bark.”  Turns out the watchdog didn’t bark because it knew the thief, and my supposition is that there is a good reason why we have behaved as if Iran and its proxies merit no more meaningful response: This Administration — as did Obama’s — has been thoroughly compromised respecting the ayatollahs.

‘); googletag.cmd.push(function () { googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-1609268089992-0’); }); document.write(”); googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.pubads().addEventListener(‘slotRenderEnded’, function(event) { if (event.slot.getSlotElementId() == “div-hre-Americanthinker—New-3028”) { googletag.display(“div-hre-Americanthinker—New-3028”); } }); }); }

In a lengthy post, Hussain-Abdul-Hussain, who analyzes such things for the Foundation for the Defense of Democracy, summarized the recent provocations of Iran.

This week, Iran attacked without provocation Pakistan, later claiming preposterously that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched the attack without the knowledge of Iran’s foreign minister. It’s a pattern — after attacks by the IRGC in Iraq, and from Lebanon, Gaza, and Yemen, the regime claims these were done without its knowledge. No one there, it seems, contrary to evidence, is accountable for the damage. “If their people are happy living with these ‘resistance’ garbage models, then they should not complain of the misery and wars they are living in.”

The Administration has backed off its historic mission of protecting freedom of navigation. Instead, it keeps choosing appeasement.

‘); googletag.cmd.push(function () { googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-1609270365559-0’); }); document.write(”); googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.pubads().addEventListener(‘slotRenderEnded’, function(event) { if (event.slot.getSlotElementId() == “div-hre-Americanthinker—New-3035”) { googletag.display(“div-hre-Americanthinker—New-3035”); } }); }); }

Direct aggression against the U.S. and its allies by the Houthis in Yemen are clearly backed by Iran, causing substantial disruption of sea passage in the Red Sea, and yet the allied response has been too weak to eliminate the Houthi aggression. 

Despite three American and British attacks on Houthi missile launch sites in the past two weeks, the Yemeni terrorist group continues to target shipping in the Red Sea. Only days ago a Houthi ballistic missile hit the Gibraltar Eagle, an American-owned and -operated cargo ship. The attacks may have depleted the Houthi arsenal, which includes Chinese-built anti-ship missiles, but they clearly have not eliminated it. 

Many observers have noted that it indeed will be exceedingly difficult for the United States, the United Kingdom and their supporting partners to silence the Houthi rockets, missiles and drones that have forced major shipping lines to reroute their ships past the southern tip of Africa. The Houthis operate numerous mobile launchers that “shoot and scoot” back into hiding. Targeting them, therefore, is no small challenge.

Moreover, the Houthis have demonstrated their resilience in the face of unrelenting air attacks. Constant Saudi and Emirati bombing, backed by American command and control and related capabilities, in support of the internationally-recognized Yemeni Government, did not stop Houthi advances on the ground against government forces. 

In theory, the United States and Britain, which possess total air superiority, could support armed airborne drones on a round-the-clock basis. [snip]

There are numerous difficulties with pursuing such a course of action, however. There are insufficient drones available to support continuous operations that could handle attacks on more than a limited number of targets. Moreover, there is only one aircraft carrier, the Dwight D. Eisenhower, currently deployed in the Red Sea…