Is escalating the conflict by bombing the Houthis the way to go?

Farzanah

Failing to vote for ceasefire in Gaza has provoked this. Seems to me that goods are more valuable than lives. Why do we have to be US poodle?

I have certainly thought along these lines. America will always support Israel simply because of the related power that it has in America. We followAmerica so no cease fire vote. Meanwhile Israel has retaliated to the assault as it should but now that retaliation has gone beyond what humanity can accept.

ronib

Even if we voted for a ceasefire in Gaza, we in the UK have no way of enforcing our vote.
I am struggling to understand why Saudi Arabia is not actively fighting the Houthis along with the USA and UK.

Saudi does want to be seen as supporting Israel and stiring up its own extremists. Houthis have been building up arms and acting the proxy of Iran and can do a lot of harm to oil infrastructure in the region
Jordan the same,

The UK will almost always support the USA. Many are related by their ancestry, the UK invaded and colonised the USA in the first place.

I caught the tail end of an interview with an admiral on the news the other day, he asserted that Iran, in spite of its proxy warmongering stance in this growing escalation, really don't want an out and out war, simply because that could result in their regime being swept away. Iran, unlike us here in the west have an overwhelming young population who just want to enjoy the freedoms of their western counterparts, and as such, I would imagine would love to sweep away this evil theocracy that thwart their liberty.

As others have already pointed out access to the Suez canal is vital for shipping goods, the route around Africa and the Cape would take ages and have far reaching consequences as far as shortages and prices. The recent container ship that somehow got stuck in the §uez canal certainly affected businesses and consumers in that respect.

Whilst I don't think the West can sit back and let this situation continue, I wish it wasn't always Britain who goes in with firepower as if we are some sort of super power equal, when clearly we aren't.

How about the USA and U.K. instead of using violence to stop the Houthis who are supporting the Palestinians, actually get Israel around the table and agree to a ceasefire.

Win- win

Thousands of lives will be saved. Children will no longer be traumatised. Children will no longer be starving or at severe risk of serious illness.

We will not be endangering the escalation of war in the Middle East

Whitewavemark2

How about the USA and U.K. instead of using violence to stop the Houthis who are supporting the Palestinians, actually get Israel around the table and agree to a ceasefire.

Win- win

Thousands of lives will be saved. Children will no longer be traumatised. Children will no longer be starving or at severe risk of serious illness.

We will not be endangering the escalation of war in the Middle East

Israel isn’t interested in a ceasefire nor is Hamas, both are only interested in destroying the other. Israel will win it has far greater firepower, Hamas won’t accept this and are relying on humanitarian pressure to defeat Israel, Palestinian deaths is of no consequence to them.

The Houthi’s are the same 400,000 Yemini’s have died in their civil war

Absolutely Katie well said .

This is another case of a rebel group, this time the Houthis, spending money which should be going on aid and food to help starving Yemeni people, on weapons.

Whitewavemark2

How about the USA and U.K. instead of using violence to stop the Houthis who are supporting the Palestinians, actually get Israel around the table and agree to a ceasefire.

Win- win

Thousands of lives will be saved. Children will no longer be traumatised. Children will no longer be starving or at severe risk of serious illness.

We will not be endangering the escalation of war in the Middle East

And suddenly there will be no starving children in Yemen after 9 years!!
🤔
Idealism is a wonderful concept but the turmoils in the Middle East will not be solved by a nice chat between Israel and the US.

Where is the toothless, useless UN yet again?

I have said it, Katie59 has said it, and others. I am not sure why you are unable to understand Whitewave that while a war can be instigated by one group, diplomacy requires both/all parties to agree to take part with an honest desire to find a solution.

When a war has started and no one, or one key group will not take part, what then?

It is like trying to make a cake with out the key ingredients and then complaining because you can't do it.

I repeat. If diplomacy fails, what then?

Callistemon21

This is another case of a rebel group, this time the Houthis, spending money which should be going on aid and food to help starving Yemeni people, on weapons.

Or a case of countries drastically cutting the aid they supply to Yemen.
reliefweb.int/report/yemen/humanitarian-aid-yemen-slashed-over-60-five-years

Aid is not usually supplied as money, but channelled through specific aid providers
UK aid to Yemen is channelled through multilateral institutions including the World Food Programme, the UN Children’s Fund and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. It is primarily humanitarian aid, focusing on the provision of basic services. An aid package to tackle the spread of the coronavirus in Yemen was announced in June 2020.

Katie59

Whitewavemark2

How about the USA and U.K. instead of using violence to stop the Houthis who are supporting the Palestinians, actually get Israel around the table and agree to a ceasefire.

Win- win

Thousands of lives will be saved. Children will no longer be traumatised. Children will no longer be starving or at severe risk of serious illness.

We will not be endangering the escalation of war in the Middle East

Israel isn’t interested in a ceasefire nor is Hamas, both are only interested in destroying the other. Israel will win it has far greater firepower, Hamas won’t accept this and are relying on humanitarian pressure to defeat Israel, Palestinian deaths is of no consequence to them.

The Houthi’s are the same 400,000 Yemini’s have died in their civil war

Ah I understand then. Hamas are killing thousands of Palestinians in Gaza. (I'm not quite sure how but I'm sure you will explain)
The Houthis have killed thousands of people in Yemen.

Neither of these slaughters is anything to do with the extensive bombing campaigns waged by Israel in Gaza and Saudi Arabia in Yemen. Both of which have been enabled by UK technology.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202401/medium-59660-img-2648.png https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202401/medium-753942-img-2649.png

Glorianny I assume you know that others are ahead of U.K. in arms exports?

This is easy

Hamas are willing to use Palestinians a human shields to further their aim to destroy Israel

I assume you support Hamas in its aim to do that

Who to believe ? Unless you are actually there it is hard to know. I detest everything Hamas stands for and the way they use human shields to further their cause. They are terrorists. Then you hear that the Israelis are killing many innocent people. It seems they are all killing each other but that’s war,isn’t it ? The Americans murdered many innocentJapanese people in the Second World War . Wars are dreadful. Pray this one might soon be over and not escalate. I don’t blame Europeans for keeping out of it,we don’t need World War 3.

Yes the Americans did kill many Japanese civilians at the end WW2, but in doing so, they saved many many civilian, combatant and P.O.W lives by bringing an end to the war in the Far East way sooner than it would have been, as the Japanese, although warned several times of what would happen, stubbornly refused to surrender and would have fought to the last person standing, extending the war by months of not years.

I gather that many European countries are contributing but do not wish to be named.
This is quite cowardly imo to hide behind the brave who are taking all the flak.

Cowardly is right, they sure are LauraNorderr it looks weak.

The Houthis are using Gaza as an excuse to carry on with pirate tactics against the West as regards to shipping, this isn’t a new thing.Anyone who believes and defends them is blindingly naive.
Them, hamas, hezbollah, isis, taliban and so on are the same sort of thugs who go in for murder and mutilation, repression of women including beatings and rape and ignore their fellow countrymen and all their needs.
Iran bankroll them behind the scenes but won’t want a full on conflict with the West.
All countries who could be affected by having ships attacked and stolen need to step up.

The trigger point was apparently the Houthi’s launched 4 missiles directly at a US Destroyer all destroyed so the US struck back

Katie59

The trigger point was apparently the Houthi’s launched 4 missiles directly at a US Destroyer all destroyed so the US struck back

Any organisation, group or government who deliberately fires missiles at an American vessel, base or territory must realise that there will be an immediate targeted response.

I don’t believe those who do not wholeheartedly support U.K. and US bombings are necessarily blindingly naive Oreo but are thoughtfully studying the wider implications of such actions.
The U.K. does not have a very successful recent history of interfering in the Middle East.

Farzanah

I don’t believe those who do not wholeheartedly support U.K. and US bombings are necessarily blindingly naive Oreo but are thoughtfully studying the wider implications of such actions.
The U.K. does not have a very successful recent history of interfering in the Middle East.

The West could ignore the Middle East and let them fight amongst tvhemselves.

However, when they fire missiles at Western Navy vessels (USA) along with commercial ships in the Red Sea to do nothing is akin to giving them carte blanche to wage war and piracy on whoever and whatever the choose.

The U.K. does not have a very successful recent history of interfering in the Middle East.

This isn't interfering in the Middle East, it is protecting shipping of all nations in international waters from being attcked by terrorists.

The nearest comparison is the campaign a few years ago to stop the pirates kidnapping ships and sailors off the East African coast.

GrannyGravy13

Glorianny I assume you know that others are ahead of U.K. in arms exports?

Is it some sort of race GrannyGravy13 should be concerned because we aren't winning it? Personally I'd rather we didn't compete at all. But International regulations on selling arms say that they should not be sold to repressive regimes. In selling equipment to Saudi that was used to attack Yemeni civilians the UK flouted that agreement. www.amnesty.org/en/what-we-do/arms-control/

The idea that we should sell arms because another country does reminds me of what my mother would say when I claimed I'd only done something because my brother had, "And if he puts his hand in the fire will you do it as well?"
It's time the UK took responsibility for the results of its trading.