<div dir="ltr">
<div class="gmail-inner-article-top"><h1 class="gmail-">From the River to the (Red) Sea: Why the US is forming a new naval task force</h1><div><font size="1"><a href="https://new.thecradle.co/articles/from-the-river-to-the-red-sea-why-the-us-is-forming-a-new-naval-task-force">https://new.thecradle.co/articles/from-the-river-to-the-red-sea-why-the-us-is-forming-a-new-naval-task-force</a></font><br></div><div>December 18, 2023<br></div><p class="gmail-">Yemen
has shaken the trajectory of Israel's Gaza war by attacking ships en
route to the occupation state. The US and its allies now threaten to
establish a naval task force in response, a move that is likely to
backfire and stoke even more conflict.</p><div class="gmail-another-name"><i><img src="http://thecradle-main.oss-eu-central-1.aliyuncs.com/public/admins/67960fd8-78b6-11ee-bb85-00163e02c055.webp" alt="" width="440" height="440" style="margin-right: 0px;"></i><p><a href="https://new.thecradle.co/authors/khalil-harb" style="color:rgb(164,4,4)">Khalil Harb</a></p></div><div class="gmail-another-name" style="margin-top:16px"><p><span>DEC 18, 2023</span></p></div></div><div class="gmail-inner-article-img"><img src="http://thecradle-main.oss-eu-central-1.aliyuncs.com/public/articles/11bebd62-9dc3-11ee-a83b-00163e02c055.webp" alt=""><span>Photo Credit: The Cradle</span></div><div class="gmail-inner-article-content"><div class="gmail-row"><div class="gmail-col-md-8 gmail-col-sm-7"><div class="gmail-article-content"><span><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">Instead
of pressuring Israel to stop its brutal assault on the Gaza Strip, the
Biden administration is now mobilizing Arab and western fleets - and
perhaps an Israeli one as well - to safeguard Tel Aviv's economic,
political, and military interests.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">Amid heightened </span><a href="https://new.thecradle.co/articles/yemeni-operations-in-support-of-gaza-deal-new-blow-to-israeli-economy"><span style="color:rgb(164,4,4)"><u>naval operations</u></span></a><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">
carried out against Israel-bound vessels by Yemen’s Ansarallah-aligned
armed forces, this US mobilization is taking place under the guise of
upholding freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab. </span><br><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">Officially,
Washington claims it is doing its utmost to prevent Israel's war from
expanding into a regional confrontation, and has publicly urged Tel Aviv
to </span><a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/national-security-adviser-jake-sullivan-urges-israel-lower/story?id=105667738"><span style="color:rgb(164,4,4)"><u>tone down</u></span></a><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"> its indiscriminate attacks on civilians in the besieged strip. </span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">In
reality, however, the White House is employing empty rhetoric to buy
Israel more time to achieve a victory in Gaza and eliminate the
Palestinian resistance.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">The
US proposal to assemble an international naval force for Red Sea
navigation protection can only be understood in the context of
unconditional US support for Israel. When National Security Advisor Jake
Sullivan </span><a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-allies-mull-naval-task-force-to-protect-shipping-in-red-sea-after-houthi-attacks/"><span style="color:rgb(164,4,4)"><u>announced</u></span></a><span style="color:rgb(164,4,4)"> </span><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">discussions
on 4 December about forming a naval task force, Tel Aviv promptly
heightened its threats of military retaliation against Yemen over
obstructing Israeli ships and those associated with Israeli interests in
the Bab al-Mandab.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><strong>US seeks a greater role in Red Sea </strong></span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">Rather than heed Ansarallah leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi's repeated </span><a href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20231011-yemen-houthis-warn-us-not-to-intervene-in-gaza/"><span style="color:rgb(164,4,4)"><u>warnings</u></span></a><span style="color:rgb(164,4,4)"> </span><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">for
Washington to cease support for Israel's war on Gaza following the
Palestinian resistance's Al-Aqsa Flood operation on 7 October, the Biden
administration seems to have turned a blind eye. </span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">Instead
of pressuring Tel Aviv to prevent a regional escalation, Washington has
opened a weapons air bridge to Israel that far exceeds its arms
supplies to Ukraine during a similar period. The US has even expanded
its military deployment in the region, and directly confronted the
Yemeni missiles and drones targeting the city of Umm al-Rashrash (Eilat)
in southern Israel.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">Despite
two months of unprecedented carnage against Gaza's civilians that has
flipped global opinion against Tel Aviv, the US appears unwilling to
confront Israel's decision to wage a </span><a href="https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/israel-gaza-situation-report-ground-campaign-has-many-more-months-to-go"><span style="color:rgb(164,4,4)"><u>protracted war</u></span></a><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">.
The White House's focus has instead pivoted toward protecting Israel's
commercial interests in the Red Sea, and has entangled the US in forming
a deeply controversial naval task force in West Asia.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">Last
week, after Yemen's military campaign to halt Israeli-linked shipping
gained momentum, Israel's National Security Council Head Tzachi Hanegbi </span><a href="https://jordantimes.com/news/region/%E2%80%98gate-tears%E2%80%99-iran-aligned-houthis-growing-threat-red-sea"><span style="color:rgb(164,4,4)"><u>declared</u></span></a><span style="color:rgb(164,4,4)"> </span><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">that “If the world does not take care of it, we will take action.” This followed US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's </span><a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3610547/secretary-of-defense-lloyd-j-austin-iiis-call-with-saudi-minister-of-defense-hi/"><span style="color:rgb(164,4,4)"><u>discussion</u></span></a><span style="color:rgb(164,4,4)"> </span><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">with
his Saudi counterpart Khalid bin Salman on the “Houthi threats to
freedom of navigation in the Red Sea,” earlier in the month. </span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">Sullivan
made matters more clear when he announced ongoing talks to form a
maritime task force of “some kind” to ensure the safe passage of ships
in the waterway.</span><br><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">The
expression “some kind” of force indicates that Washington does not
intend to limit itself to the so-called “Joint Task Force 153,” which
was formed two years ago to “combat terrorist and smuggling activities”
in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. This force includes 15 countries,
including the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan, but does
not include Israel.</span><br><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">In
fact, the new ‘task force’ looks increasingly like an American move to
confront Yemen more directly, after an eight-year war its Saudi and
Emirati allies failed to win. It is also an opportunity to force
Israel's regional integration on West Asian states, by involving Tel
Aviv in a military mission with broader powers, greater armaments, and
of a multinational nature.</span><br><img src="http://thecradle-main.oss-eu-central-1.aliyuncs.com/public/articles_media/0f3c7156-9dc3-11ee-91de-00163e02c055.png" width="440" height="314" style="margin-right: 0px;"></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><strong>Ansarallah challenge for CTF 153</strong></span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">Washington
intentions have been clear since at least February 2022, when the US
supervised naval military exercises in which 60 countries participated,
including Israel - the</span><span style="color:rgb(164,4,4)"> </span><a href="https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2022/02/israel-takes-part-naval-exercise-saudi-arabia-oman"><span style="color:rgb(164,4,4)"><u>first time</u></span></a><span style="color:rgb(164,4,4)"> </span><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">the occupation state participated in exercises alongside Arab countries with which it lacks formal diplomatic relations.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">CTF
153 is the fourth force of its kind within the framework of the
"Combined Maritime Force" (CMF), an alliance of multinational forces
from 39 countries established in 2002 under the command of the Fifth
Fleet in Bahrain, ostensibly to combat the activities of illegal actors
and international terrorism in the seas. </span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">The
CMF includes three other task forces (150, 151, and 152). Among the
participating countries are Australia, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany,
Greece, India, Iraq, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Norway, Kuwait,
Portugal, Qatar, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Turkey and Britain.</span><br><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">But according to</span><span style="color:rgb(164,4,4)"> </span><a href="https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/2023/12/08/expand-existing-task-force-to-protect-red-sea-from-houthi-attacks/#:~:text=The%20good%20news%20is%20that,can%20provide%20a%20running%20start."><span style="color:rgb(164,4,4)"><i><u>Defense News</u></i></span></a><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">,
the US “doesn’t need to create a new task force; there is an existing
task force within Combined Maritime Forces, namely CTF 153, that can
provide a running start.”</span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">This
is because the CTF 153′s existing mission is to “focus on international
maritime security and capacity building efforts in the Red Sea, Bab
al-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden.”</span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">Indeed, US and French forces confronted drones and missiles launched by the Yemenis in recent days.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">However,
a potential escalation in targeting Israel-associated vessels by
Ansarallah could pose a significant challenge for CTF 153. Due to the
substantial volume of ships traversing the waters near Yemen, from the
Gulf of Aden to Bab al-Mandab and the Red Sea, the naval force would
need to contend with approximately 21,000 vessels. </span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><strong>Geopolitical goals and energy security</strong></span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">Bab al-Mandab, in particular, is identified as a vulnerable point through which </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/bab-al-mandab-shipping-lane-target-israel-fights-hamas-2023-12-12/"><span style="color:rgb(164,4,4)"><u>12 percent</u></span></a><span style="color:rgb(164,4,4)"> </span><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">of
total global seaborne-trade passes through annually. This raises some
important considerations for parties intent on stymying Ansarallah's
capabilities: </span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">The
US, for instance, will be compelled to provide a large number of
multi-mission military ships across expansive water bodies. The <i>Defense News</i>
report stressed the necessity of Israel's presence alongside Egypt,
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain in the proposed naval force, in
addition to the G7 countries that include Canada, France, Germany,
Italy, Japan, and Britain.</span><br><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><img src="http://thecradle-main.oss-eu-central-1.aliyuncs.com/public/articles_media/e89efb5e-9dc2-11ee-a3a0-00163e02c055.jpeg" width="440" height="440" style="margin-right: 0px;"></span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">Washington
will need to include a large number of regional countries - and even
distant ones - into this force, which will effectively lead to the
militarization of entire maritime areas from the Mediterranean Sea to
the Suez Canal, the Gulf of Aqaba, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the
Arabian Sea, all the way to the Persian Gulf.</span><br><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">As the US competes with China and Russia, its overarching goal is to assert </span><a href="https://new.thecradle.co/articles-id/7561"><span style="color:rgb(164,4,4)"><u>dominance over international corridors</u></span></a><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">,
fortify energy security, and manage geopolitical conflicts in West
Asia. However, the US escalation to safeguard Israel's interests raises
the specter of igniting a regional war, contradicting Washington's
claims of seeking to avoid such a scenario.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">This
heightened tension raises concerns about potential US attacks on Yemen,
jeopardizing the fragile truce that halted the seven-year war led by
Saudi Arabia and the UAE. It also risks undermining the UN-mediated
efforts to consolidate the ceasefire. </span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm">According to <a href="https://new.thecradle.co/articles/us-pressures-saudi-arabia-to-postpone-imminent-peace-deal-with-yemen">news reports</a>, the US is already <span style="color:rgb(25,25,25)">applying pressure on Riyadh to delay the signing of a </span><a href="https://new.thecradle.co/articles-id/7489">peace agreement</a><span style="color:rgb(25,25,25)">
with Yemen. Washington is instead urging the Saudis to renew their
confrontation with Yemen by joining the expanded maritime protection
task force.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">Such
involvement implies US, western, Arab or Israeli military actions in
the aggression against Yemen, amplifying regional resentment against
perceived US bias in favor of Israel.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><strong>‘Containment coalition’ </strong></span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">In
response to the challenge posed by Yemen to the US-Arab-Israeli
alliance, various ideas and proposals are emerging, including: </span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">Targeting
missile and drone launch sites and radar installations in Yemen;
Reclassifying Ansarallah as a terrorist organization and imposing
sanctions, including an arms embargo; </span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">Strengthening the armament of the “Coast Guard” affiliated with the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (</span><a href="https://www.newarab.com/news/yemens-stc-ready-work-israel-against-houthis"><span style="color:rgb(164,4,4)"><u>STC</u></span></a><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">);
Monitoring Iranian naval forces' movements and establishing an air and
missile defense network in the region; Exploring the utilization of
Israel and Saudi Arabia's capabilities to form a “</span><a href="https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/containing-houthis-yemen-issues-and-options-policy-review"><span style="color:rgb(164,4,4)"><u>containment coalition</u></span></a><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">,” as suggested by The Washington Institute.</span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">The
Biden administration's moves, presented as efforts to safeguard
international interests, makes one wonder about the real motives for
creating a new naval task force and the possible impact on peace and
stability in West Asia. </span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">As
the US chases its strategic objectives, there’s a genuine concern that
it could destabilize an already unstable geopolitical situation,
bringing in other great powers into the equation. </span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">It
is important to remember the maxim that no action goes without a
reaction. Whatever the American and Israeli plans to confront
Ansarallah, they will face a response. If history is any judge,
Washington's foreign adventures are rife with unintended consequences
that bolster its foes. </span></p><p style="margin-left:0cm"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34)">If
the plan is to destroy Yemen's military capabilities, Sanaa will
respond harshly and could well “close the Red Sea for years,” official
Yemeni sources tell <i>The Cradle</i>. The sources say that Ansarallah
sent its “defensive threats” to Washington in response to US threats
they received through intermediaries. Accordingly, Washington and Tel
Aviv's options appear very limited in confronting Yemen.</span></p></span></div></div></div></div>
</div>