Blinken Warns Houthis of Consequences for Red Sea Attacks

January 8, 2024

By Iain Marlow (Bloomberg) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Houthi militants in Yemen must know they’ll face “consequences” for continued attacks on ships in the Red Sea, even as a top regional leader warned against military action by a US-led coalition (Operation Prosperity Guardian).

“We’ve had 40 countries come together to make clear that what the Houthis are doing has to stop,” Blinken told reporters Monday in Saudi Arabia, after meeting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and before heading to Tel Aviv. “We have other countries that have made clear that if it continues, there have to be consequences.”

Also read: Allied Warships Trickle Into Red Sea Coalition by John Konrad

The top US diplomat, who’s on his fourth trip through the Middle East since Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, has visited Turkey, Greece, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in quick succession to discuss efforts to avoid a regional conflict, protect Palestinian civilians and garner Arab support for a post-conflict government in Gaza.

But he’s also traveling as tensions are rising in the Red Sea, the gateway to the Suez Canal that’s crucial to global trade, where Houthis have attacked commercial ships in response to Israel’s war in Gaza.

Over the weekend, the number of transits through the canal fell to the lowest since the waterway was blocked by the Ever Given container ship in 2021, according to Inchcape Shipping Services, a sign of the wider impact of the disruption on world trade.

“These attacks are having a real effect on the prices that people have to pay for food, for medicine, for energy. Ships have to get diverted to other places. Insurance rates go up,” Blinken said. “And the basic principle of freedom of navigation is what’s at stake. So the international community has a real stake in upholding that principle.”

The US-led coalition, which has launched patrols and intercepted missiles in the Red Sea, has already received push back from one partner over its earlier warning to the Houthis, which was similar to Blinken’s.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani – speaking alongside Blinken on Sunday evening – rejected a military response, warning it would only raise regional tensions and fuel an endless cycle of violence.

“We never see a military action as a resolution,” Al Thani said.

The Qatari leader’s comments, including calls for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, underscore the difficult balancing act for Blinken.

The Biden administration is trying to avoid a broader regional war that could spin out of control and further destabilize the region, but believes US forces – including two aircraft carrier strike groups moved to the region – need to respond to Iran’s proxy groups, which have attacked not just commercial ships but US forces in Iraq and Syria.

Tim Lenderking, the Biden administration’s special envoy for Yemen, joined Blinken’s meetings in the UAE with the Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Monday. Blinken “emphasized the importance of preventing further spread of the conflict,” according to a statement.

The top US diplomat’s visit to the region also comes as tensions rise between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in neighboring Lebanon, with Hamas blaming Israel for the assassination of a senior official in Beirut last week, and Hezbollah responding with a volley of rockets into northern Israel.

The Israel Defense Forces struck back, launching cross-border attacks into Lebanon that killed a Hezbollah commander.

“It’s clearly not in the interest of anyone — Israel, Lebanon, Hezbollah for that matter — to see this escalate, and to see an actual conflict,” Blinken said.

https://gcaptain.com/secstate-blinken-warns-houthis-of-consequences-red-sea-attacks/

Previous warning didn't do shit but I guess now he's super cereal

US and Allies Issue Warning to the Houthis: Stop the Attacks on Shipping or Else

Mike Schuler January 3, 2024

https://gcaptain.com/us-and-allies-call-for-immediate-end-to-houthi-attacks-on-shipping/

>>20210270

Fall guy, scapegoat, patsy

"Send in the troops"

"We achieved the DEI goals, but since 90% of the Armed Forces are now non-deployable trannies we have to get the enemy to come to us. Sealift is old and busted anyway"

"What happened to the military's Physical Standards?"

"No Fat Shaming in the Ranks. Besides, with the myocarditis everywhere from the jabs trying the Run part of the Physical Fitness Test has a 35% Fatality Rate these days"

"Bring out the Draft, we need more men in uniform"

"Besides that being sexist, we finally got the quotas you set before. Adding those men just puts us back where we started"

>>20210519

Utter bullshit

Drewry: One-Third of Global Container Shipping Capacity Impacted by Red Sea Crisis

Mike Schuler January 8, 2024

The international container shipping faces a critical couple of weeks as ongoing attacks and reroutings in the Red Sea continue to impact the sector ahead of the Chinese New Year period.

According to Philip Damas, head of Drewry Supply Chain Advisors, the next 4-5 weeks will be crucial for global shipping and container traffic particularly between Asia and Europe as well as the Mediterranean.

Drewry estimates that more than 800 ships representing about 10 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), or approximately one-third of the world’s container ship capacity, is affected by the Red Sea attacks and reroutings around the Cape of Good Hope.

While there are concerns about how this disruption will impact the pre-Chinese New Year “rush”, Drewry believes that there is enough capacity available in the market to absorb much of the impact—at least for now.

Philip Damas stated, “Any disruption before Chinese New Year is always a concern for shippers. Although the current situation is already causing bottlenecks in global supply chains, we believe that there is sufficient capacity to handle the resulting congestion, equipment shortages, and schedule gaps.”

However, Damas said Asia to Europe capacity is currently “very limited” and there is even less capacity to the Red Sea from Asia, Europe, or the U.S. “The is something of panic in China right now about the availability of capacity,” he said.

“It should be noted, however, that container equipment is likely to remain displaced for several weeks, which will affect service schedules and create inflationary headwinds. There is limited flexibility to mitigate any escalation in the regional security situation,” added Damas.

Over the weekend, Ryan Peterson, founder and CEO at Flexport, said about 95% of the containerships that normally transit the Red Sea and Suez Canal are rerouting around the tip of South Africa.

https://gcaptain.com/drewry-one-third-container-shipping-capacity-impacted-red-sea/

>>20210806

Roman mixes tended towards using "quick lime"

Sea shells burned to dry them out, then ground. Once water was added, shit heated up quick. So awesome was used in the hydraulic concrete that would set underwater.

Was on National Geographic or History Channel a few years ago. Dudes on the show even made a batch of the stuff for demonstration

>>20210868

I would still take him to Walmart if I could bring the tranquilizer gun. That place is like a micro-tour of Los Angeles. Honestly, the freaks hanging around the toy aisles make him trip his shit and the cops won't let us tie him up in the garage until he calms down anymore. Sucks because gluing that foam to his helmet to protect the garage door took too long.

Outlet mall, nice outlet mall. Fewer freaks and no Extreme Couponers

>>20210827

On behalf of local bail bonds companies I thank you for saying that on a Monday instead of on a Friday where I may feel behooved to start with the infamous "hold my beer"