OT subject but worth a main-stream read- OT News Feeds...

lousubcap · January 19

Friday Red Sea and the Houthis:

The Houthis launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles at a U.S.-owned tanker ship yesterday, U.S. Central Command said, the third such attack in three days. No injuries or damage was reported. The attack followed the U.S. military launching a fifth round of strikes against the group in Yemen in response to attacks in the Red Sea. Yuliya Talmazan reports for NBC News.

President Biden said yesterday that the U.S.-led coalition strikes on the Houthis have not deterred the militant group’s campaign in the Red Sea. “Well, when you say working are they stopping the Houthis? No,” the president said. “Are they gonna continue? Yes.” The Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary added, “We are not at war with the Houthis. Actions we are taking are defensive in nature.” Max Matza reports for BBC News.

Houthi rebels will allow safe passage to Chinese and Russian ships in the Red Sea, a spokesperson for the group told Russian media yesterday, as they continue attacks against commercial vessels in response to Israel’s war in Gaza. Mariya Knight reports for CNN.

And this link on more details:

https://news.usni.org/2024/01/18/u-s-houthis-continue-to-trade-strikes-for-fifth-day?utm_source=USNI+News&utm_campaign=dcc5e13873-USNI_NEWS_DAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0dd4a1450b-dcc5e13873-230648085&mc_cid=dcc5e13873&mc_eid=da66ed6ca4

lousubcap · January 19

Friday Russia-Ukraine update:

"President Biden met with House and Senate lawmakers at the White House on Wednesday to discuss what is at stake in continued U.S. support for Ukraine, including specific capabilities that Ukraine would run out of in the coming months. According to a White House official familiar with the meeting. Biden also warned that if the Russia-Ukraine war expands into NATO territory, then the United States would have to get directly involved in the conflict. Katie Bo Lillis, Natasha Bertrand, Haley Britzky, and MJ Lee report for CNN.

As roughly $137bn in military and financial aid to Ukraine remained stalled in Washington and Brussels, individual European allies began to make bilateral pledges worth billions to ensure that Ukraine will remain capable of resisting Russia this year.

That resistance remained in place during the past week, with ground troops holding a 1,000km (621-mile) line against Russian assaults in what their commander called an “active defence”, and Ukraine’s Air Force seizing an opportunity to destroy one of only a handful of Russian reconnaissance planes.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said his country’s priority for 2024 is to gain control over its skies as Russia’s invasion nears its third year.

Whoever controls the skies will define “when and how the war will end”, Kuleba said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Ukraine has long called on the West to deliver advanced fighter jets to support its troops entrenched in the south and the east of the country.

“We are fighting a powerful enemy, a very big enemy that doesn’t sleep. It takes time,” Kuleba said.

“We defeated them on the land in 2022. We defeated them in the sea in 2023 and we are completely focused on defeating them in the air in 2024.”"

lousubcap · January 20

The latest regarding the US-Houthis and Red Sea commerce-

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4417996-us-fires-sixth-round-strikes-houthis/?email=467cb6399cb7df64551775e431052b43a775c749&emaila=12a6d4d069cd56cfddaa391c24eb7042&emailb=054528e7403871c79f668e49dd3c44b1ec00c7f611bf9388f76bb2324d6ca5f3&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=01.19.24 Defense & National Security JB

lousubcap · January 21

A Sunday update on Israel-Hamas:

"SEARCHING FOR A SOLUTION: Israel and Hamas are in early stages of talks with the U.S., Egypt and Qatar, which are urging the two sides to commit to their plan for a phased hostage-release schedule that would ultimately end the war, WSJ’s Summer Said scooped from Dubai. Neither side has agreed to it and there’s a long way to go, but the U.S.-backed negotiations could at least offer a glimmer of potential progress. BRETT McGURK is heading to Egypt and Qatar this week to work on the hostage talks, Axios’ Barak Ravid reports.

The work on negotiations comes as Israel is struggling to achieve its aims in the war: The U.S. estimates that Israel has killed only 20% to 30% of Hamas fighters, WSJ’s Nancy Youssef, Jared Malsin and Carrie Keller-Lynn report, even as it has laid waste to Gaza and killed more than 25,000 Palestinians. Netanyahu nonetheless yet again rejected Biden’s plan for a Palestinian state and sovereignty after the war. At the same time, NBC’s Scott Wong and Andrea Mitchell report, pro-Israel Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill are losing faith in Netanyahu’s leadership, with national security leaders even quietly wondering whether he wants to keep the bloodshed going so that he can remain in power."

Time for Netanyahu to go-personal comment.

lousubcap · January 22

Monday Israel-Hamas update:

"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected what he said were conditions proposed by Hamas for the release of remaining hostages in Gaza, including ending the war and withdrawing Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, according to a statementreleased by his office. He also reiterated his opposition to a two-state solution, putting him at odds with the Biden administration. “Gaza must be demilitarized, under Israel’s full security control. I will not compromise on full Israeli security control of all territory west of the Jordan River … My insistence is what has prevented – over the years – the establishment of a Palestinian state that would have constituted an existential danger to Israel. As long as I am Prime Minister, I will continue to strongly insist on this,” Netanyahu said. Niha Masih reports for the Washington Post.

“Not a single shekel will go to Gaza. Period,” far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wrote after Israel’s security cabinet approved a measure giving him power to freeze funds intended for the Palestinian Authority (PA). Since the Oct. 7 attacks, Israel has refused to disburse the full amount of taxes it collects on behalf of the PA, which are primarily used to pay public employees and retirees. Lauren Izso reports for CNN.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said it received a shipment yesterday from the Egyptian Red Crescent consisting of 80 trucks carrying humanitarian aid that arrived at the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza. Another 105 humanitarian aid trucks entered through the nearby Kerem Shalom on the same day, the aid organization said. Kareen Khadder reports for CNN.

Iran accused Israel of launching an airstrike on Damascus on Saturday that killed senior Iranian military figures, raising fears of deeper regional turmoil. Among those killed were the head of intelligence in Syria for the Quds Force, the overseas arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, and his deputy, according to Iranian news and an Israeli defense official. Iranian state media reported that President Ebrahim Raisi condemned the strike, saying, “The Islamic Republic of Iran will not leave the crimes of the Zionist regime unanswered.” Israeli officials neither confirmed nor denied that Israel was behind the attack. Raja Abdulrahim, Hwaida Saad, and Farnaz Fassihi report for the New York Times.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said the kingdom will not normalize relations with Israel or contribute to rebuilding Gaza without a credible path to Palestinian statehood."

lousubcap · January 22

Monday Red Sea-Houthis update:

"U.S. forces in the Middle East struck another Houthi anti-ship missile as back-and-forth strikes between the American and Houthi forces entered their seventh straight day.

On Saturday, Central Command forces struck a Houthi anti-ship missile aimed at the Gulf of Aden and prepared to launch, according to Central Command release.

On Friday, U.S. forces struck three anti-ship missiles were aimed at the Red Sea and planned to launch, according to a Friday Central Command release. The release did not specify if the missiles were cruise or ballistic.

“U.S. forces identified the missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined that they presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and the U.S. Navy ships in the region. U.S. forces subsequently struck and destroyed the missiles in self-defense. This action will make international waters safe and secure for U.S. Navy vessels and merchant vessels,” reads the release.

The U.S. strikes are part of a continuing pattern in the Red Sea, where the Houthi’s launch a missile or drone at a ship in the Red Sea and the U.S. strikes Houthi weapons or infrastructure.

Houthi leadership has said it is attacking ships linked to Israel – either by ownership or travel plans – but has also added British and U.S. ships to the target list following a coordinated strike between the two countries on at least 30 Houthi sites on Jan. 11.

However, Pentagon officials have said the Houthi’s targets are not just linked to Israel, the U.S. or the U.K. with multiple nations affected by shipping issues in the Red Sea."

lousubcap · January 22

Monday Russia-Ukraine update:

"An explosion at a major Russian gas export terminal near the city of St. Petersburg was carried out by Ukrainian drones, according to BBC News. The blast caused no injuries but started a large fire, according to Russian officials. A source in Kyiv also said the “special operation” of the SBU security service was behind the attack, using drones that worked “on target.” Ukraine said the fuel processed at the plant was used to supply Russian troops but it has not claimed responsibility for the attack. Sarah Rainsford and Oliver Slow reports for BBC News.

At least 27 people were killed in a shelling attack in the Russian-held city of Donetsk, according to the Moscow-installed leader of the region. A Ukrainian army group operating in the region said it did not carry out the attack. Meanwhile, the Russian foreign ministry called it “a barbaric terrorist act against the peaceful people of Russia” by Ukrainian forces who “used weapons supplied by the West.” Oliver Slow reports for BBC News.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that he expected a number of new Western defense packages for Ukraine to be signed this and next month. “We are preparing new agreements with partners – strong bilateral agreements,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address.

The Ministry of Defence in the United Kingdom stated on Saturday that Ukraine sustains a military presence along the left bank of the Dnipro River and persists in fending off Russian assaults despite logistical challenges."

lousubcap · January 22

And this additional material regarding Russia and Ukraine:

"Russia is cementing control of occupied territories in Ukraine through a vast range of governmental, bureaucratic, legal, educational, and other levers, writes David Lewis in Foreign Affairs. “Russian officials have transformed the governance of the areas under its control, holding sham elections last September and appointing pro-Moscow officials at every level. An army of technocrats is overseeing the complete absorption of these territories, aligning their laws, regulations, and tax and banking systems with Russia, and getting rid of any traces of institutional ties to Ukraine,” writes Lewis, a professor at the University of Exeter whose forthcoming book is Occupation: Russian Rule in South-Eastern Ukraine."

lousubcap · January 23

The latest on the Red Sea and Houthis shoot 'em up:

West steps up strikes on Houthis in Yemen

The U.S. and United Kingdom conducted another round of large-scale air and missile strikes on Houthi militant targets across Yemen on Monday, according to the Pentagon.

At approximately 11:59 p.m. local time, U.S. and U.K. ships and warplanes took “proportionate and necessary strikes” against eight Houthi targets in Yemen, including an underground weapons storage site, missile systems and launchers, and air defense and surveillance capabilities, according to a joint statement.

Some of the eight locations included multiple targets, with the strike destroying missiles, drones and weapons storage areas, a senior military official later told reporters.

“At this point we do assess that the strike was successful and achieved the desired effect of removing these capabilities from the Houthis,” they said.

The bombings — supported by U.S. allies Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands — mark an increase in action against the Iran-backed group, who have vowed to continue attacks on ships in the Red Sea in protest of Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

The U.S. last paired with the U.K. on preemptive strikes against the Houthis on Jan. 11, after the group disregarded multiple warnings by Western nations to stop continued drone and missile attacks on commercial vessels in the waterway.

The group has attacked at least 33 such ships since Nov. 19 – including several American-flagged vessels – prompting more than 14 shipping companies to cease operations in the Red Sea, disrupting international shipping.

This most recent U.S. strike is smaller than the one earlier this month – with the first American and British bombings hitting more than 60 targets across 30 sites in Yemen – but it signals that Washington will maintain an open-ended campaign against the Houthis. "

lousubcap · January 23

Tuesday Israel-Hamas update:

"Israel has made a proposal to Hamas through Qatari and Egyptian mediators that includes up to a two-month pause in the fighting as part of a multi-phase deal that would include the release of all remaining hostages in Gaza, according to two Israeli officials. Israeli officials said the proposal includes redeploying Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) so some would leave main population centers to allow for a gradual return of Palestinian civilians to Gaza city and the northern Gaza Strip. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.

Israel has proposed that Hamas senior leaders could leave Gaza as part of a broader ceasefire agreement, two officials familiar with the discussions told CNN. Senior Hamas officials are known to live in Qatar, Doha, and Beirut, among other places outside the Palestinian territories. Israel has yet to capture or kill any of Hamas’s most senior leaders in Gaza during the war, although an Israeli airstrike killed a top commander in Beirut.

Egypt has rejected accusations that it has not maintained security of its border with the Gaza Strip, leading to arms smuggling in the enclave. The head of Egypt’s State Information Service, the government’s media outlet, blamed “extremist Israeli leaders who seek to drag the region into a state of conflict and instability.” Mitchell McCluskey, Housam Ahmed, and Sarah El Sirgany report for CNN.

Arab countries are working on a proposal for postwar Gaza that would create a pathway for Palestinian statehood in exchange for Saudi Arabia’s recognition and normalized relations with Israel, according to Arab officials. The proposal has been submitted to Israel via the U.S. and is still being finalized but has so far been rejected by Israel’s government, with the establishment of a Palestinian state appearing to be the main sticking point. Summer Said, Margherita Stancati, and Laurence Norman report for the Wall Street Journal."

lousubcap · January 23

Tuesday Red Sea-Houthis update:

UPDATED: U.S., U.K. Launch Major Strike Mission on Houthi Missile, Drone Infrastructure

MALLORY SHELBOURNE AND SAM LAGRONE

JANUARY 22, 2024 6:03 PM - UPDATED: JANUARY 22, 2024 7:53 PM

A F/A-18E Super Hornet launches from USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) on Jan. 22, 2024, as part of the strike mission against missile and drone infrastructure targets in Yemen. US Navy Photo

The U.S. and U.K. conducted a major round of strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen amid the group’s ongoing attacks on commercial shipping and warships in the Red Sea.

Including help from Canada, Australia, the Netherlands and Bahrain, the U.S. and the United Kingdom hit eight targets in “proportionate and necessary strikes,” according to a joint statement from the six countries.

“These precision strikes are intended to disrupt and degrade the capabilities that the Houthis use to threaten global trade and the lives of innocent mariners, and are in response to a series of illegal, dangerous, and destabilizing Houthi actions since our coalition strikes on January 11, including anti-ship ballistic missile and unmanned aerial system attacks that struck two U.S.-owned merchant vessels,” the statement reads.“Today’s strike specifically targeted a Houthi underground storage site and locations associated with the Houthis’ missile and air surveillance capabilities.”

The coalition used a combination of Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles fired from guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG-58), guided-missile destroyers USS Mason (DDG-87), USS Gravely(DDG-107) and at least one unspecified U.S. submarine to hit the targets, U.S. defense official told reporters on Monday. F/A-18E/F Super Hornets flying from aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower(CVN-69) and U.K. land-based fighters dropped precision munitions on targets as well.

“I have to reiterate that we are specifically avoiding escalation by selecting these locations and individual targets that will remove capability used in maritime attacks. We are not at this time expanding beyond that target set,” the official said.
“It is the weapons systems and support systems they’ve used to carry out these maritime attacks and that’s it.”"

Edit to add the following:

"The Houthis’ military spokesperson Yahya Sarea has issued a statement saying the United States and the United Kingdom carried out 18 strikes in Yemen in total, warning “these attacks will not go unanswered.” He did not say whether the strikes caused any damage or casualties. BBC News reports.

Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said his country has given a “serious message and warning” to the United States that their strikes in Yemen are a “strategic mistake.” Amir-Abdollahian said the actions threaten “peace and security in the region and it is the intensification of the scope of the war.” BBC News reports. "

lousubcap · January 23

Tuesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Russian missile strikes targeted the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv and Kharkiv this morning, killing at least six people, wounding dozens, and damaging residential buildings, officials said. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s air force said it destroyed 21 of 41 missiles launched by Russia overnight. Illia Novikov reports for AP News.

For the first time since Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin established the international group to support Ukraine in 2022, the White House will host a meeting today of about 50 countries without money to send weapons to Ukraine, as a budget that will potentially approve more money for Ukraine awaits congressional approval. Today’s meeting will focus on longer-term needs, deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said yesterday. “Even though we aren’t able to provide our security assistance right now, our partners are continuing to do that,” she added. Tara Copp and Lolita C. Baldor report for AP News.

NATO signed a $1.2 billion contract for hundreds of thousands of 155m artillery rounds today, some of which will be supplied to Ukraine after Kyiv said it faces ammunition shortages. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said after the signing ceremony that “the war in Ukraine has become a battle of ammunition.” Reuters reports.

Russia said it would take all “necessary measures” to defend its citizens and key infrastructure from Ukrainian attacks. On Sunday, two alleged Ukrainian drones hit a major Baltic Sea terminal starting a fire. Towns near the border, including Belgorod, have also come under fire with at least 21 people killed in an attack at the end of last year.

Kyiv said it shot down eight Russian attack drones launched against southern and central regions of the country.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov clashed with the United States and Ukraine at a United Nations Security Council meeting where Moscow ruled out any peace plan backed by Kyiv and its Western allies, and China warned that further global chaos could impact the slowing global economy. Lavrov dismissed Kyiv’s peace plan as a “road to nowhere”."

lousubcap · January 24

Wednesday Israel-Hamas update:

"Israeli forces battled Palestinian militants today near the main hospital in Gaza’s second-largest city of Khan Younis. The aid group Doctors Without Borders said its staff were trapped inside the Nasser hospital with about 850 patients and thousands of displaced people because the surrounding roads are too dangerous or inaccessible. The hospital is one of only two hospitals in southern Gaza that can still treat critically ill patients, the group said. Najib Jobain and Melanie Lidman report for AP News.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned yesterday that Netanyahu’s apparent rejection of a two-state solution will indefinitely prolong the war. In his strongest language yet, Guterres told a ministerial meeting of the U.N. Security Council that “the right of the Palestinian people to build their own fully independent state must be recognized by all, and a refusal to accept the two-state solution by any party must be firmly rejected.” He also warned that the risks of regional escalation of the war “are now becoming a reality,” referring to Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and Pakistan. Edith M. Lederer reports for AP News.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby repeated objections yesterday to Israel’s moves to create a buffer zone, saying, “We do not want to see the territory of Gaza reduced in any way.” However, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the United States was open to a temporary buffer zone solely to enable Israelis who had fled after Oct. 7 to return to their homes. “If there need to be transitional arrangements to enable that to happen, that’s one thing to happen,” Blinken said. “But when it comes to the permanent status of Gaza going forward, we’ve been clear, we remain clear about not encroaching on its territory.” "

lousubcap · January 24

Red Sea-Houthis update: (slow news day)
"The United States struck two Houthi anti-ship missiles in Yemen yesterday, the U.S. Central Command confirmed. The strikes are the ninth attack in two weeks and came a day after the U.S.-led coalition carried out much larger strikes against nine sites in Yemen controlled by the Houthis. Eric Schmitt reports for the New York Times."

lousubcap · January 24

Wednesday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Ukrainian soldiers are running out of ammunition and other weapons needed to effectively fight Russia now that U.S. funding has lapsed, the Pentagon’s top official overseeing international security affairs said yesterday. Lara Seligman reports for POLITICO.

A Russian military transport plane carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war crashed near the southern city of Belgorod, close to the Ukrainian border, Russian authorities said today. At the time of writing, it was not immediately clear what caused the crash or whether anyone survived. Henry Austin reports for NBC News.
At least 18 people were killed and more than 130 injured after Russia targeted Ukraine’s major cities in a wave of missile strikes, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Russia launched nearly 40 missiles of different types in “another combined strike to try to circumvent our air defence system”, he said in a sombre evening address warning the death toll could rise. Eight people were killed in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-biggest city, which was hit by three waves of attacks. Dozens of Kyiv residents were also injured after Russian missiles hit apartment blocks in the capital.
Celeste Wallander, an assistant secretary of defence at the United States Pentagon, said the Russian missile and drone attacks were part of an attempt by Moscow to find weaknesses in Ukraine’s military while additional US funding for security assistance is tied up in Congress.
Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed its air assault on Ukraine targeted companies producing weapons, missiles and ammunition and had been successful. Asked by reporters about the raids and civilian casualties, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian military “does not hit social facilities and residential neighbourhoods and does not hit civilians.""

lousubcap · January 25

Late Wednesday Red-Sea and the Houthis:

2 US-flagged cargo ships attacked off Yemen

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4426811-two-us-flagged-cargo-ships-attacked-off-yemen/?email=dd294cf2aa830e38ac73761bb083db8a331ad6df&emaila=18ef3a9b5c0145ffffb137da176e4b62&emailb=bd7105ec6726d92e4d8a722bb54636a5c7d880e28c74730477aae05864595e03&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=01.24.23 SP Defense

lousubcap · January 25

Thursday Israel-Hamas update:

"Gaza faces a complete medical shutdown unless immediate action is taken to safeguard services, the International Committee of the Red Cross warned today. Hamdi Alkshali reports for CNN.

At least 12 people were killed and 75 injured when a U.N. facility sheltering civilians was struck in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) said. The aid group’s commissioner condemned the “blatant disregard of basic values of war.” Meanwhile, Israel’s military said it had ruled out the incident was the result of air or artillery strikes by its forces and is examining the possibility that it was “Hamas fire.” David Gritten and Lipika Pelham report for BBC News.

Qatar said it was “appalled” yesterday by leaked remarks made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in which he criticized the country’s mediation efforts with Hamas, calling them “problematic.” Netanyahu made the comments in a meeting with families of hostages held by Hamas which were broadcast Tuesday on Israeli TV. “Qatar in my opinion is no different, in essence, from the U.N. It is no different, in essence, from the Red Cross, and in some ways it is even more problematic,” Netanyahu can be heard saying. Qatar described the remarks as “irresponsible and destructive,” with Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson saying in a post on X, “If the reported remarks are found to be true, the Israeli PM would only be obstructing and undermining the mediation process, for reasons that appear to serve his political career instead of prioritizing saving innocent lives, including Israeli hostages.” Najib Jobain, Jack Jeffery, and Tia Goldenberg report for AP News.

British foreign secretary David Cameron said he told Netanyahu that more aid trucks must be able to enter Gaza and that an immediate humanitarian fighting pause is needed. Cameron, who is currently touring the Middle East and met with Netanyahu and the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday,announced Britain and Qatar are working together to increase aid into Gaza, with a first joint consignment containing tents being flown into Egypt today. Reuters reports.

All but two Senate Democrats are supporting a measure advocating the creation of a Palestinian state as part of a national security package that would also include military aid to Israel. The two-page amendment, led by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), reiterates it is U.S. policy to “support a negotiated comprehensive solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting in two states with Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace.” Andrew Solender reports for Axios."

lousubcap · January 25

Red Sea, US and Hothis Thursday update:

"Maersk suspends US-flag operations in the Red Sea after a Houthi attack targeting a Maersk Line, Limited ship carrying U.S. government cargo.

Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk (Maersk) confirmed an incident involving two of its US-flagged vessels, the Maersk Detroit and Maersk Chesapeake, near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Wednesday.

The two ships were part of scheduled U.S. Navy “accompaniment” for a northbound transit of the Bab el-Mandeb today when they reported seeing explosions close by. Maersk said the U.S. Navy accompaniment also intercepted multiple projectiles.

The US Navy has now rerouted the ships back to the Gulf of Aden.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) office, which does not identify vessels in its alerts, said it received a report from the Master of a commercial vessel reporting an explosion approximately 100 meters off the starboard side while approximately 50 nautical miles south of Al Mukha, Yemen.

The U.S. Central Command confirmed details of the incident in a statement posted to “X”.

“On Jan. 24 at approximately 2 p.m. (Sanaa time), Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists fired three anti-ship ballistic missiles from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward the U.S.-flagged, owned, and operated container ship M/V Maersk Detroit, transiting the Gulf of Aden. One missile impacted in the sea. The two other missiles were successfully engaged and shot down by the USS Gravely (DDG 107). There were no reported injuries or damage to the ship,” the statement said.

The Maersk Detroit and Maersk Chesapeake are operated by Maersk Line, Limited (MLL), Maersk’s US-flag subsidiary. Both ships are enrolled in the U.S. Maritime Administration’s Maritime Security Program and Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement (VISA) with the U.S government.

Maersk said the vessels are carrying cargo belonging to the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of State, USAID, and other U.S. government agencies and “is therefore afforded the protection of the U.S. Navy for passage.”

As a result, Maersk Line, Limited has made the decision to suspend transits in the region in until further notice, a significant development considering MLL’s role in transporting U.S. military and government cargo. MLL is not only the largest owner and operator of US flag vessels trading internationally, but also the largest participant in the VISA/MSP programs."

lousubcap · January 25

Thursday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy called for full clarity on the circumstances of the crash and accused Moscow of “playing with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners” following a deadly plane crash yesterday that reportedly killed 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, as well as six Russian crew members and three escorts. Moscow claimed the Ukrainians were being transported for a prisoner exchange, but Ukraine’s military intelligence service (GUR) said it had not been told to ensure safe airspace, as on previous occasions. The GUR comments indicate tacit acknowledgement that Ukraine shot the military transport plane down, although it stressed it lacked reliable information about who was aboard and that the incident may have involved “planned and deliberate actions by Russia.” Laura Gozzi and Pauk Kirby report for BBC News.

Ukraine’s military intelligence service said Kyiv had not been asked to ensure air space security on Wednesday around the Belgorod area as had been the case during previous prisoner-of-war swaps with Moscow. It said it had no reliable information on who was on board the crashed plane.

Avdiivka mayor Vitaliy Barabash said Russian forces entered the war-battered town for the first time but were pushed back. “Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups entered the southern part of the city of Avdiivka, but they were dislodged,” Barabash told the AFP news agency but declined to say when the Russians entered the town or how long they were there. About 32,000 people lived in Avdiivka before Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

A U.S. Senate Committee approved legislation yesterday 20-1 that would help pave the way for Washington to confiscate Russian assets and transfer them to Ukraine for reconstruction after the nearly two-year-long war. If the act were to pass the full Senate and House of Representatives and be signed into law by President Biden, it would enable Washington’s first ever seizure of central bank assets from a country with which it is not at war. Patricia Zengerie reports for Reuters."

lousubcap · January 25

Politics and the looming shadow of CHEETO (The border and Ukraine aid) from Politico:

"McCONNELL’S SECOND THOUGHTS — Once upon a time (as in, just a few days ago) Senate Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL was pretty blunt in encouraging GOP senators to accept the yet-unveiled border deal Sen. JAMES LANKFORD (R-Okla.) has been negotiating with Democrats.

So much for that.

In a private meeting yesterday, the Kentucky Republican cast doubt on his conference coalescing behind a border security deal in an election year.

While McConnell noted that the party used to be united in finding a solution, he argued that the politics “have changed” since Trump is basically the GOP presidential nominee — and the former president wants the issue for his 2024 campaign more than an actual solution.

“We’re in a quandary,” McConnell said — news our friends over at Punchbowl first broke last night and we independently confirmed. “We don’t want to do anything to undermine” Trump.

The remarks come less than a week after McConnell — not to mention his GOP allies like JOHN THUNE (R-S.D.) and even Trump ally LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-S.C.) — framed the looming deal as a once-in-a-generation policy win.

“One of the things that I keep reminding my members is if we had a 100% Republican government — president, House, Senate — we probably would not be able to get a single Democratic vote to pass what Sen. Lankford and the administration are trying to get together,” McConnell said last week. “So this is a unique opportunity to accomplish something in divided government.”

To be fair, McConnell’s change in tune reflects reality: Trump and other conservatives have been pressuring their GOP colleagues not to give JOE BIDEN a win on an issue that’s crippling him in the polls. McConnell is clearly heeding this warning.

And to be sure, McConnell didn’t entirely surrender on the matter.CNN reports that he played the role of “historian” in the meeting and even quoted Trump complaining in 2018 that Democrats wouldn’t give an inch on the border — all to emphasize that the deal coming together now is better than anything they’ve secured from Democrats in recent memory.

The development has far-reaching consequences for not only the border, but also Ukraine. Without a border deal, Ukraine funding — which McConnell has championed almost every day in floor speeches for nearly a year and which continues to enjoy considerable supportinside the Senate GOP — won’t pass the House. Period. End of story. And McConnell has to know that.

Already, some Republicans are trying to blame Democrats for talks falling apart. “The Democrats prefer the issue than any solution,” Sen. TIM SCOTT (R-S.C.) told Fox News’ LAURA INGRAHAM last night.

Yet we can all clearly see what’s happening here — and that ain’t it. As one rather frank senior GOP aide said to us last night: “It’s very clear that a large group of Republicans in the Senate and the House no longer want to do border security. … Trump wouldn’t have his issue to run on. That’s what’s going on here: They don’t want to give up that issue.”"

lousubcap · January 25

And this just in regarding Vlad the Impaler and Ukraine:

PUTIN OPEN TO TALKS?: Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN has quietly signaled that he’s open to talks to end the war on Ukraine, Bloomberg News reports.

“He’s put out feelers to the U.S. via indirect channels to signal he’s open to discussion, including potentially on future security arrangements for Ukraine, according to two people close to the Kremlin,” reads the report, which doesn’t have a byline. The intermediaries carrying Putin’s message said he “may be willing to consider dropping an insistence on neutral status for Ukraine and even ultimately abandon opposition to eventual NATO membership –– the threat of which has been a central Russian justification for the invasion.”

U.S. officials have yet to hear this offer and aren’t sure Putin is serious about negotiations anyway, per Bloomberg. “We are unaware of the shifts in Russia’s position described in this article. It will be up to Ukraine to decide whether, when and how to negotiate with Russia,” said National Security Council spokesperson ADRIENNE WATSON.

Still, if this is real, and not some trial balloon, it’s the first true sign that Putin is looking to end the fighting –– at least for now. That message could roil an internal debate inside Kyiv and turbocharge the Ukraine portion of the 2024 presidential election in the United States."

lousubcap · January 26

Friday Israel-Hamas update:

"The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is due to deliver its ruling today on whether to issue provisional measures in the case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide. At the time of writing, no decision has been issued.

More than 40 senior former Israeli national security officials, acclaimed scientists, and business leaders have sent a letter to Israel’s president and speaker of parliament demanding that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be removed from office, claiming he poses an “existential” threat to the country. The letter’s signatories include four former directors of Israel’s foreign and domestic security services, two former heads of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), and three nobel prize winners. . “We believe that Netanyahu bears primary responsibility for creating the circumstances leading to the brutal massacre of over 1,200 Israelis and others, the injury of over 4,500, and the kidnapping of more than 230 individuals, of whom over 130 are still held in Hamas captivity,” it reads. “The victim’s blood is on Netanyahu’s hands.” Alex Marquardt reports for CNN.

President Biden last week pressed Netanyahu to scale down the military operation in Gaza, stressing he is not in it for a year of war, according to two U.S. officials. Biden’s comments reflect the growing U.S. concern over the continuation of the war and his desire to see the war end before the November elections, with a Biden adviser saying the administration is concerned about losing younger voters in future elections over the president’s policy on the war. Barak Ravid reports for Axios."

lousubcap · January 26

Red Sea and the Houthis: (fairly quiet)

Chinese officials have asked Iran to help rein in Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea or risk harming business relations with Beijing, according to four Iranian sources and a diplomat familiar with the matter. “Basically, China says: ‘If our interests are harmed in any way, it will impact our business with Tehran. So tell the Houthis to show restraint’,” said one Iranian official briefed on the talks. Parisa Hafezi and Andrew Hayley report for Reuters.

lousubcap · January 26

Friday Russia-Ukraine update:

Russia and Ukraine traded blame and pushed conflicting narratives yesterday over the downing of a Russian military plane, which Moscow said was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) who were about to be exchanged and returned home. Ukraine has yet to confirm whether POWs were on board and whether it shot the plane down. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would welcome an international investigation into the incident, while Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, “If he means an international investigation into the criminal acts of the Kyiv regime, then it is definitely needed.” Siobhán O’Grady and Mary Ilyushina report for the Washington Post.

A representative of Ukrainian defense intelligence said he “does not exclude” the possibility there were Ukrainian prisoners of war aboard the Russian military plane, but stressed Russia provided no proof to support its claims that there were. “There is no clear information about prisoners of war. There are only statements by Russia, of a political and propagandist nature,” Andriy Yusov said. “Who or what was on board needs to be clarified,” he said. Sarah Rainsford reports for BBC News.

A senior Russian lawmaker said Ukrainian military intelligence had been given a 15 minute warning before a Russian military transport plane entered the area where it was shot down Wednesday. Reuters reports.

Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 14 attack drones and five missiles on the southern Black Sea regions with air defence systems destroying 11 of the drones. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine said six people were injured in the historic city of Odesa and residential buildings and a warehouse were damaged.

Ukrainian security sources said they orchestrated a drone attack on an oil refinery in the southern Russian town of Tuapse, about 240 kilometres (150 miles) southeast of the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula. The attack caused a major fire, but there were no reports of casualties.

Ukraine’s National Resistance Centre said it had seen “mercenaries from Malaysia, accompanied by a translator” at Russian military training camps in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region. It warned that anyone fighting alongside the Russians against Ukraine was a “military target”. Malaysia did not respond to requests for more information on the alleged presence of Malaysian nationals.

Several major Ukrainian state organisations, including the state-run energy firm Naftogaz, the post office and transport safety agency, reported major cyber attacks that a source close to the government blamed on Russian intelligence.

lousubcap · January 26

Border deals, the Ukraine and the politics at play from the WSJ:

New: The Wall Street Journal’s conservative editorial board on Thursday chastised Republicans for deferring to Trump, and failing to act on both border security and future security aid to Ukraine. “[G]iving up on a border security bill would be a self-inflicted GOP wound,” they warn, because “President Biden would claim, with cause, that Republicans want border chaos as an election issue rather than solving the problem.”

“Trump may imagine he can strike his own border deal if he wins, but that’s highly unlikely,” the editorial board writes, explaining, “Democrats are willing to discuss asylum and parole changes now because President Biden and Democrats are suffering in the polls from the ugly scenes on television.”

But the future of Ukraine may have more lasting consequences, they warn, because, “If the GOP blocks the bill in either the Senate or the House, it will share responsibility for whatever happens next in Ukraine. Kyiv’s defeat will be signed with the party’s signature. Do Republicans want to sponsor the 2024 equivalent of Saigon 1975?” they ask.

“Both a tighter border and a vote for a stable Europe are in the American interest,” the board advises, because “The U.S. is careening into a moment of growing dangers around the world,” and from their perspective, it is “Better to act now [that is, to compromise with the Democrats] than to fail and live with the consequences.” Read the rest (gift link) here.

“I think the best thing for the Republican Party to do right now is try to work with Democrats where you can, to make the country safer and stronger,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, on Thursday (hat tip Chad Pergram of Fox).

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia: “If we don’t honor our commitment to Ukraine, there’s not a single nation—friend or foe—that will fully trust us again,” he said on social media. “Renewing our aid is essential to keeping our partnerships and maintaining our place in the world.”

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut, via CQ Roll Call’s John Donnelly, on Tuesday: “We're not engaged in a theoretical conversation about Ukraine possibly losing the war. They will lose the war—very soon—if we don't get them aid.”"

lousubcap · January 29

Monday Israel-Hamas update:

"Israeli military and intelligence officials have concluded that a large number of weapons used by Hamas in the Oct. 7 attacks and in the war came from the Israeli military itself. While analysts have long pointed to underground smuggling routes, recent intelligence shows that Hamas has been able to build rockets and anti-tank weaponry out of the thousands of munitions launched into Gaza by Israel that failed to detonate, according to weapons experts and Israeli and Western intelligence officials. Maria Abi-Habib and Sheera Frenkel report for the New York Times.

Israel said “significant gaps” remain after ceasefire talks yesterday with the United States, Qatar, and Egypt but called the talks constructive and said they will continue over the next week, a tentative sign of progress on a potential agreement that would see Israel pause military operations against Hamas for an extended period of time in exchange for releasing the remaining hostages. Najib Jobain, Wafaa Shurafa and Melanie Lidman report for AP News.

Israel ramped up efforts yesterday to prevent Israeli protesters from blocking the flow of aid into Gaza, two days after the International Court of Justice said it must allow more supplies to enter the enclave. The military declared the area around the border crossing into Gaza a closed military zone. The order is intended to bar access to all unauthorized people and will remain in force through next Saturday. Isabel Kershner reports for the New York Times.

Senior national security officials from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority secretly met in Riyadh 10 days ago to coordinate plans for the day after the war in Gaza ends and to discuss how a revitalized Palestinian Authority could govern the region, according to three sources with knowledge of the meeting. The Saudi, Egyptian and Jordanian security chiefs told Majed Faraj, director of the Palestinian general intelligence service, the Palestinian Authority needs to conduct serious reforms that will enable it to revitalize its political leadership, the sources said. Two sources said U.S. and Israeli officials were briefed on the discussions by some of the participants. Barak Ravid reports for Axios."

lousubcap · January 29

Monday Russia-Ukraine update:

"Ukraine’s security service said it uncovered corruption in an arms purchase by the military worth around $40 million. The security agency said five seniors in the defense ministry and an arms supplier were under investigation, adding that the defense officials signed a contract for 100,000 mortar shells in August 2022, but no arms were ever provided despite payment being made in advance. George Wright reports for BBC News.

Ukrainian officials have warned that Russia is conducting offensive operations along the frontline, with Ukraine’s military trying to hold its position as ammunition runs low and U.S. funding remains stalled in the U.S. Congress. “The enemy is amassing forces … they assault every day,” Sergeant Oles Maliarevych of the 92nd Separate Brigade said. Andrew Carey, Maria Kostenko, and Christian Edwards report for CNN.

The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia launched drone and missile attacks across the country hitting both civilian and critical infrastructure. The air force said Moscow attacked the central Poltava region with two Iskander missiles. It also launched three S-300 surface-to-air missiles over the Donetsk region in the east. Air defence systems destroyed four of eight Russia-launched drones overnight, the air force said. Three civilians were injured in the attacks.

Ukraine said Russia must provide proof that an Ilyushin-76 military transport plane that crashed in the Belgorod region last week was carrying dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war, as Moscow claims. Kyrylo Budanov, the chief of Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence, said Kyiv had no verifiable information about who was on the plane. Ukraine’s Coordination Staff for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said relatives of POWs on a list of names provided by Moscow were unable to identify their loved ones in crash site photos provided by Russian authorities."

lousubcap · January 29

Monday Red Sea-Houthis update:

"Yemen’s Houthis claimed they launched a missile at a U.S. warship in the Gulf of Aden yesterday evening. The operation was part of “military measures in defense of Yemen, reaffirmation of the decision to support the oppressed Palestinian people,” military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said. Meanwhile, a U.S. Defense official rejected the Houthi claims and said there had not been any reported attacks on Washington’s vessels. BBC News reports.

Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed the group fired a missile at the USS Lewis B. Puller in the Gulf of Aden. The Puller, which serves as a floating landing base, had been earlier stationed in the Arabian Sea as part of American efforts to curtail Houthi attacks on commercial shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Houthi attacks will continue “until the aggression is stopped, and the siege is lifted on the people of Palestine in the Gaza Strip,” Saree said in the statement.

A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, said there had been no reported attack on the Puller. However, the Houthis have previously launched missiles that did not reach their intended target, instead crashing onto the land or sea.

The Puller served as a mobile base for the U.S. Navy SEALs who conducted a Jan. 11 operation seizing Iranian-made ballistic missile and cruise missile components believed to be bound for Yemen. Two SEALs went missing in the operation and are presumed to have died."

lousubcap · January 29

The latest following the killing of three US servicemen in Syria- (from Politico):

As President JOE BIDEN considers his next move after the drone attack that killed three U.S. troops in Jordan on Saturday, it’s likely that any retaliation from Washington wouldn’t come as a single massive show of force.

“Actions may be tiered. We may see several rounds of action,” a Biden administration official, granted anonymity to discuss sensitive information, told NatSec Daily.

In the White House Situation Room today, Biden met with his national security team to discuss the latest developments following the attacks, per a pool report. It’s an all-hands-on-deck effort, with an attendance sheet including national security adviser JAKE SULLIVAN, Defense Secretary LLOYD AUSTIN, Director of National Intelligence AVRIL HAINES, Chief of Staff JEFF ZIENTS, principal deputy national security adviser JON FINER, Homeland Security Adviser LIZ SHERWOOD-RANDALL, and NSC Coordinator for the Middle East BRETT McGURK.

Striking Iranian proxies aligns with what lawmakers want to see. Both Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair BEN CARDIN and Senate Armed Services Committee Chair JACK REED called for “deliberate and proportional” responses, while SASC Ranking Member ROGER WICKER added that the U.S. must strike “directly against Iranian targets and its leadership.”

Lawmakers in the House and Senate Intelligence and Armed Services Committees have requested briefings from the administration about the attack.

Members are focused on understanding whether the U.S. had any intelligence that warned of such an attack, the confusion that appears to have surrounded the drone when it was approaching Tower 22, and whether the administration is considering beefing up the U.S. air defense systems in the region.

Biden “left our troops as sitting ducks," Sen. TOM COTTON (R-Ark.) said in a statement. "The only answer to these attacks must be devastating military retaliation against Iran's terrorist forces, both in Iran and across the Middle East."

With the election coming up, Biden won’t want to risk angering Dems by appearing weak on the world stage. NSC spokesperson JOHN KIRBY told reporters today that the election doesn’t factor into how the U.S. will respond. But U.S. strikes on Iran-backed militants — which have been happening since October — have yet to deter those groups from targeting American forces, and it’s increasingly looking like a wider war will break out, if it hasn’t already.

If the Biden administration ramps up attacks on Iran-backed proxies, it's unclear what the end game would be. It’s also unclear exactly when a response will happen: “We'll do that on our schedule, on our time,” Kirby said."

lousubcap · January 30

The latest on the attack on the US base in Jordan:

"The U.S. failed to stop the attack in Jordan when the enemy drone approached its target at the same time as a U.S.drone was returning to the base, U.S. officials said yesterday. The return of the U.S. drone led to confusion of whether the incoming drone was friend or foe, officials have concluded so far, although they cautioned the inquiry into the attack was in an early stage. A U.S. Defense official said Washington has yet to find evidence that Iran directed the attack, while White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters, “Clearly there is a responsibility that appropriately needs to be laid at the feet of leaders in Tehran.” Nancy A. Youssef, Michael R. Gordon, and Sune Engel Rasmussen report for the Wall Street Journal.

The United Kingdom, in coordination with the United States, has imposed fresh sanctions on senior Iranian officials who are members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), in a bid to tackle what it says is a threat to U.K. domestic security.“The Iranian regime and the criminal gangs who operate on its behalf pose an unacceptable threat to the U.K.’s security,” British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said. “The U.K. and U.S. have sent a clear message – we will not tolerate this threat.” The sanctions include asset freezes and travel bans but fall short of a full proscription of the IRGC by the United Kingdom. POLITICO reports."

OT subject but worth a main-stream read- OT News Feeds...

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West steps up strikes on Houthis in Yemen

UPDATED: U.S., U.K. Launch Major Strike Mission on Houthi Missile, Drone Infrastructure

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