The news out of Yemen seems to be largely ignored right now, but it appears increasingly apparent that the country has fallen to Iranian backed rebels.
QuoteShiite insurgents tightened their grip on Yemen's capital Wednesday, seizing control of a missile base and keeping the president as a virtual hostage in a showdown threatening a key American ally in the fight against al-Qaeda.
Days of fast-moving advances by the Houthi rebel faction — believed to be backed by Iran — has left the Western-backed government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi backed into a corner with rapidly diminishing options.
Just hours after storming the presidential palace on Tuesday, the Houthi leader gave what amounted to an ultimatum: Hadi can either move ahead with reforms that include giving rebels more power or risk intensified attacks that could topple his government.
source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/shiite-insurgents-control-yemens-presidential-palace-and-residence/2015/01/21/f8f3cbd0-a0f4-11e4-b146-577832eafcb4_story.html
Funny, it doesn't bother me as much as ISIS.
Hmmm...if Iran can get control of Yemen then they can threaten BOTH the Straight of Hormuz and Red Sea/Suez chokepoints. Not good, but I bet the Chinese and Russians wouldn't be that upset.
Seems like a great place for a saudi/iran proxy war. O0
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on January 21, 2015, 03:29:58 PM
Seems like a great place for a saudi/iran proxy war. O0
If that happens, look for ISIS... the Islamic State, the Caliphate to try to topple the Saudi regime.
I would love to see them try. :D
Quote from: Centurion40 on January 21, 2015, 03:50:06 PM
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on January 21, 2015, 03:29:58 PM
Seems like a great place for a saudi/iran proxy war. O0
If that happens, look for ISIS... the Islamic State, the Caliphate to try to topple the Saudi regime.
Maybe Egypt can lend the Saudis some of those hundreds of Congressional pork barrel-gifted M1 Abrams that are still sitting stateside because Egypt doesn't have the room or personnel for them.
The last thing the saudis are wanting for is top end kit.
They are wanting for a new king pretty soon though. I'm sure the ISIS wannabes are salivating over perhaps renaming the peninsula Islamic Arabia. I read some chatter today that the Saudis are currently building a Berlin like wall to defend against ISIS and other insurgents. Anyone read about that anywhere?
The middle east is a disaster of sectarian and political conflict.
Thank you (https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.gametrade.pl%2Fsystem%2Fphotos%2F000%2F169%2F091%2Fphoto_viewer_full%2Fthank-you-captain-obvious.jpg&hash=45b517c7cc398796a505f86c55865c1b05b8a0f3)
Cool. That's still better than being Aquaman.
being herpes is better then being aquaman.
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on January 21, 2015, 10:44:56 PM
being herpes is better then being aquaman.
Unless you are Aquaman's herpes that might be worse.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.meme.am%2Finstances%2F500x%2F51081215.jpg&hash=4abe08fbf73ff1ef179d67304da0f397dfd4aa59)
::)
Quote from: Gusington on January 21, 2015, 09:50:33 PM
They are wanting for a new king pretty soon though. I'm sure the ISIS wannabes are salivating over perhaps renaming the peninsula Islamic Arabia. I read some chatter today that the Saudis are currently building a Berlin like wall to defend against ISIS and other insurgents. Anyone read about that anywhere?
No I haven't.
From what I've heard about Yemen, ISIS backed Sunnis (about 60% of the population) are battling Iranian backed Shiites. Kind of like Syria.
What worries me about ISIS is that they are consolidating into an actual state. Some of their generals actually know what they are doing. They are capitalizing upon seized equipment and resources. If this all leads to a general Sunni vs. Shiite war, the Sunnis could rally to the "Caliph" or "Caliph Ibrahim" as ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is now calling himself. If this shit continues to spiral, I can foresee a scenario where the Saudi regime may have to fall in line with the "Caliph" or risk the Caliph calling upon Sunnis to overthrow the corrupt, American-loving Saudi royal family. They they get all of that military hardware sitting in Saudi Arabia. 315 M1A2 Abrams, 460 AMX-30s, over 1800 LAVs, 80 Apaches, over 200 F-15s, 40+ Typhoons, 80 Tornadoes... well, you get the picture.
A big shit sandwich.
Fortunately, Obama wants to put a few boots back on the ground in Iraq to help our allies whom he abandoned for his own personal political benefit previously. ::)
Thanks, CinCO! :P Too little, too late, is better than nothing at all, right?
The US is closing down its embassy in Yemen and pulling out the staff.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/02/10/U-S-embassy-in-Yemen-closing-completely-staff-.html (http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/02/10/U-S-embassy-in-Yemen-closing-completely-staff-.html)
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2015/02/closes-yemen-embassy-orders-ambassador-leave-150210162223469.html (http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2015/02/closes-yemen-embassy-orders-ambassador-leave-150210162223469.html)
Smart move. No need for another Tehran, or worse.
Yeah, but it says that Yemen has completely collapsed into chaos. More bad news from an area that doesn't need any more bad news.
Funny how sparse the coverage is on that over here.
Quote from: Gusington on February 10, 2015, 08:25:07 PM
Funny how sparse the coverage is on that over here.
I hate to say it, but I think you're watching the wrong news sources. Dump the NYT at a minimum.
I've been searching for a credible news source for a while. My favorite right now is Reuters.
The simplest way is to hit a news aggregator. Try news.google.com it allows you to create custom alerts for specific news items. It also will show you links to all 1400 news articles on a particular topic.
^I use that for work.
Chinese troops disembark in Yemen to secure evacuation. Supposedly gets into a skirmish.
http://rt.com/news/246189-troops-aden-port-yemen/
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=7e4_1427877161
:o
not really.
QuoteLocal militiamen in the Yemeni city of Aden said they captured two Iranian military officers advising Houthi rebels during fighting on Friday evening.
Tehran has denied providing military support for Houthi fighters, whose advances have drawn air strikes by a regional coalition led by Saudi Arabia, the Islamic Republic's main rival for influence in the Gulf.
If confirmed, the presence of two Iranian officers, who the local militiamen said were from an elite unit of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, would further worsen relations between Tehran and Riyadh who are vying for dominance in the region.
Three sources in the southern port city's anti-Houthi militias said the Iranians, identified as a colonel and a captain, were seized in two separate districts that have been rocked by heavy gun battles.
source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/11/us-yemen-security-airstrikes-idUSKBN0N207I20150411
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on January 21, 2015, 03:29:58 PM
Seems like a great place for a saudi/iran proxy war. O0
Apparently they see it that way too.
This is breaking news and I have not seen it confirmed in other media, so take it with a grain of salt.
QuoteIran has fired at a U.S. cargo ship and has directed it to Bandar Abbas port on the southern coast of Iran, Al Arabiya News Channel has reported on Tuesday.
Up to 34 American sailors are believed to be onboard the ship, Al Arabiya reported.
source: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/04/28/Iran-holds-U-S-ship-34-sailors-.html
Update:
According to the Beeb it's not true:
QuoteHowever, the Pentagon spokesman said the vessel involved was flagged to the Marshall Islands and that no Americans were on board.
The MV Maersk Tigris was moving through the Straits of Hormuz, according to the Pentagon.
source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-32503660
And now possible confirmation it is true...
QuoteIranian Navy vessels fired shots at and boarded a Marshall Islands-flagged commercial container ship in the Strait of Hormuz Tuesday, a senior defense official told Fox News.
The Maersk Tigris ship -- originally heading to Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates, is now being escorted by the Iranian Navy into waters near Bandar Abbas, home of Iran's largest Navy base.
source: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/04/28/iranian-navy-fires-at-boards-commercial-container-ship-official-says/
No doubt a response to us not letting their convoy of ships carrying arms get to Yemen. The Iranian leadership really should think hard about threatening the straits, what with the Arab world's newfound willingness to use their first class military kit.
There's a good CMANO scenario that involves a U.S. convoy forcing the straits under unfavorable circumstances with help from a U.S. CVBG (Goodnight Irene).
Im soooo looking forward to seeing how this plays out. :knuppel2:
Do the Iranians still stock Silkworm missiles, or similar?
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on April 28, 2015, 05:20:00 PM
Im soooo looking forward to seeing how this plays out. :knuppel2:
well, yeah... because nobody's shooting at
you
According to a news report I saw earlier today the vessel is flagged under the Marshall Islands.
The US has a treaty to provide military defense of the Marshalls, so effectively the Iranians have just captured a US flagged vessel.
It will be interesting to see how Obama tries to square this circle in his desperation to make any kind of deal with Iran.
The ship is sitting right off of Bandar Abbas...at least as of 1835 yesterday. Meanwhile, hundreds of ships are going back and forth through the Strait of Hormuz.
Quote"It is inappropriate" for the Iranians to have fired warning shots across the ship's bridge in those circumstances, Warren said, adding that it was too early to know whether the Iranian intervention amounted to a violation of the freedom of navigation through a waterway heavily used by international shipping.
This ranks up there with the dumbest damn things any government mouthpiece has ever uttered.
Why have a go at a Marshall Island registered ship? Does Iran plan to expand hostilities and carve out a Pacific empire? :idiot2: :2funny:
The Iranians claimed, among other things, that somebody, maybe the Maersk Line, owed them money.
So Obama decides to call a meeting of six Gulf nations. Four decide it's not worth their time to send their heads of state.
QuoteThe White House was scrambling Monday to put a positive face on an upcoming summit of Persian Gulf states after learning leaders from four of the six invited nations are expected to skip.
While those nations are still sending representatives to the summit being hosted by President Obama later this week at Camp David, the absence of crucial heads of state -- notably, Saudi Arabia's new king -- could present an awkward situation for the administration.
source: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/05/11/saudi-king-salman-to-miss-gulf-nation-summit-in-us/
Posting to keep track of this news item. Thanks for sharing LB.
Op/Ed on the disintegration of America's alliances.
QuoteOver six years in office, Barack Obama has gone along way to unraveling the alliances – both formal and informal – that have been the framework for American geopolitical leadership since the end of World War II. Watching the Gulf states, in particular, try to fend for themselves in the absence of American power – as the Saudis are trying to do in Yemen and Syria – is painful and looks as though it will make things worse rather than better. King Salman's decision to pass up Camp David may be less an insult than a recognition that it would be a waste of time.
more at the link: http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/americas-collapsing-alliances_943617.html
"...gone along way..."? ::)
QuoteOver six years in office, Barack Obama has gone along way to unraveling the alliances – both formal and informal – that have been the framework for American geopolitical leadership since the end of World War II. Watching the Gulf states, in particular, try to fend for themselves in the absence of American power – as the Saudis are trying to do in Yemen and Syria – is painful and looks as though it will make things worse rather than better. King Salman's decision to pass up Camp David may be less an insult than a recognition that it would be a waste of time.
Honestly, that was the first thought that went through my head when I first heard Salman wasn't attending. Why would he bother to go?
Quote from: Martok on May 12, 2015, 03:20:15 PM
QuoteOver six years in office, Barack Obama has gone along way to unraveling the alliances – both formal and informal – that have been the framework for American geopolitical leadership since the end of World War II. Watching the Gulf states, in particular, try to fend for themselves in the absence of American power – as the Saudis are trying to do in Yemen and Syria – is painful and looks as though it will make things worse rather than better. King Salman's decision to pass up Camp David may be less an insult than a recognition that it would be a waste of time.
Honestly, that was the first thought that went through my head when I first heard Salman wasn't attending. Why would he bother to go?
It's a huge insult.
Some of the op/eds I'm reading suggest that it's in response to O's bungling of the Iran negotiations. If O can't get Iran right, there's probably no point in talking with him about anything else.
Quote from: Martok on May 12, 2015, 03:20:15 PM
QuoteOver six years in office, Barack Obama has gone along way to unraveling the alliances – both formal and informal – that have been the framework for American geopolitical leadership since the end of World War II. Watching the Gulf states, in particular, try to fend for themselves in the absence of American power – as the Saudis are trying to do in Yemen and Syria – is painful and looks as though it will make things worse rather than better. King Salman's decision to pass up Camp David may be less an insult than a recognition that it would be a waste of time.
Honestly, that was the first thought that went through my head when I first heard Salman wasn't attending. Why would he bother to go?
I recall some Saudi paper mentioning the king's reason for skipping as being, (paraphrased): " why should the king travel to Camp David in order to hear the President's pretty voice talking up his own media?". Blunt and to the point.
I guess they've come to expect Maobama to be a bunch of hot air babbling for the cameras but being generally useless. Obviously he's pissed off many of the gulf states with his lame Iran deal.
It's officially an insult:
QuoteKing Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa of Bahrain won't attend President Obama's Gulf Arab summit in Washington this week and instead is expected at a London horse show, according to media reports.
source: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/13/king-bahrain-snubs-obama-summit-horse-show-report/
A horse show? Instead of the dog and pony show? Inconceivable.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1108.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fh412%2FRotarrin%2FFunny%2FYoukeepusingthatword_zpsb2m6rwqk.jpg&hash=480ff18bcdeae5f2d622a0eaea478ac921504aa7)
it means he can't get pregnant
but Mirth and I keep trying.
In a major plot twist, Iran has announced that it will not allow inspections of its nuke program under any circumstances.
Golly, I did not see that coming. ::)
QuoteIran's supreme leader vowed Wednesday he will not allow international inspection of Iran's military sites or access to Iranian scientists under any nuclear agreement with world powers.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told military commanders Wednesday that Iran will resist "coercion and excessive demands" from America and other world powers
Source: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/05/20/iran-supreme-leader-rejects-idea-foreign-access-to-military-sites-or-scientists/?intcmp=latestnews
but... but... but it was obamas best foreign deal ever.
possibly the best treaty in all of history.
I am shocked and appalled. No wait...just appalled.
What the hell are these idiots thinking going after a Burke?
https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-navy-destroyer-again-targeted-missiles-yemen-u-175236613.html
They may regret the choice when we start launching Tomahawks in return.
Quote from: mirth on October 12, 2016, 02:57:51 PM
What the hell are these idiots thinking going after a Burke?
https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-navy-destroyer-again-targeted-missiles-yemen-u-175236613.html
They may regret the choice when we start launching Tomahawks in return.
That may have been the point. Certain outside actors might like to see the US get into another whack-a-mole quagmire right about now while they seek preferred outcomes closer to home. Who know what machinations were made to get the attack to happen. Hey, it could even be Saudi Arabia
itself that made a secret deal because it wants to head off 9-11 lawsuits and get blocks on inbound US arms exports lifted by getting us into the fight there.
Likely Iran dicking around through it's proxies. What does Iran care if a few Houthis get smoked by cruise missiles? And the Iranians get a weapons test out of it.
And we let fly with the Tomahawks...
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/13/world/middleeast/yemen-rebels-missile-warship.html
Now Iran is sending a couple ships
http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/5557/iran-sending-warships-to-yemeni-coast-following-us-navy-tomahawk-strike
Whirling dervish dinghies.
Nice of them to provide us with some practice targets.
Even that'll be enough to scare Obama away.
Funny (not really) that the Saudi's get a pasting in the press for their bombing of civilian targets, yet their proxy war in Syria supporting Islamist rebels and IS gets hardly a mention although their proxies are a very good reason why the West has well justified reasons for not getting involved, other than diplomatically in Syria.
The Houthis launched a Scud-like missile at Riyadh and the Saudis shot it down.
https://theaviationist.com/?p=45727
(https://img.memecdn.com/irans-navy_o_1126316.jpg)
http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/19513/aircraft-attacked-over-yemen-with-r-27-air-to-air-missile-modified-into-a-sam
Houthi-hell do they think they are? Sure they didn't pull that one off by themselves.
http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/19624/riyadh-just-came-under-ballistic-missile-attack-resulting-in-these-crazy-videos
https://twitter.com/Joyce_Karam/status/978110849129893893
UN sanctions. That will show em ::)
One of my son's best friends (on the right in the attached photo, dressed as Albert Einstein for Halloween... my kid is Master Chief) moved to Saudi Arabia in the summer. I feel terrible for the kid. He's a good kid, smart, kind, polite and funny. He lived here in Nova Scotia from Grade 3 to the end of Grade 8. His parents are Saudis, his dad was here going to university. As far as I know, the kid (Abdusalam) is Sunni. His dad seemed a bit freaked-out for their first Halloween, but Abdus and his brother loved it. I don't know how the dad felt the year that Abdus went out as Einstein. So now the poor bastard (who was in total denial about the brutal and restrictive nature of the Saudi regime) not only has to deal with greater restrictions on his day-to-day life, but now also has to deal with rocket attacks.
http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/19860/yemens-houthi-rebels-reportedly-attacked-a-saudi-oil-tanker-in-the-red-sea