Against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war, global shipping is under fire in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. And President Joe Biden has no one to blame but himself for empowering the Iran-backed group to target vessels that may or may not be tied to Israel.
Ten percent of the world’s oil stocks travel through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, making safe passage critical for the global economy.
Former President Donald Trump had the Houthis declared a terrorist organization and backed Saudi efforts to contain them. He exercised his second presidential veto to negate a congressional resolution opposing American support for Saudi efforts against the rebels.
⚠️ US to launch a new coalition against Yemen tomorrow
The Pentagon is expected to announce tomorrow the formation of Operation Prosperity Guardian, a new task force to protect shipping from Yemeni attacks in the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait and Red Sea
The operation will be within the… pic.twitter.com/kMngyEzXxF
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But from day one, Biden foolishly backtracked on his predecessor’s wise foreign policy.
Now the administration is forced to admit its mistakes in a very public manner. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced during a visit to Israel on Monday that Washington is creating “a multinational maritime task force” to counteract the Houthi attacks in the gulf.
Just as the inept Biden has been forced to do with the border crisis, he now must revert to Trump’s successful policies to correct his own mistakes.
The rebels claim they will continue to target shipping as long as Israel seeks to root out Hamas terrorists to its south. Missiles and drone attacks are disrupting passage through the area — all with the backing of Iran’s rogue state.
Some international commitments have been secured. Norway said it will furnish naval officers and other NATO nations said they will also consider supporting the effort.
The Houthi attacks, if not successfully countered, will cause increased disruptions to trade through the shortest route between Europe and Asia. Already there are several reports of shipping companies rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa to avoid the region.
This route adds thousands of miles, extra costs, and delays to an already long journey. This means further disruption of supply chains which will inevitably lead to more global inflation.
Rebels claimed they launched attacks on two more cargo vessels Monday. Now insurers are charging more for shipping premiums, another cost that will be passed on to consumers.
And the U.S. president is left trying to solve a mess of his own creation.
