by Oui
Sun Dec 24th, 2023 at 09:53:57 AM EST
It may be that the US, in an effort to manufacture consent for a wider escalation of this war, is overplaying this threat and some Australian media outlets seem to be slipping this request into an incubator for a consent to go to war with Iran. No evidence has been offered to support this, but many media articles describe the attackers as "Iranian-backed Houthis."
In October, it was reported that the US had sent a second Carrier Strike Group (CSG) into the region. The conflict in Gaza is limited to a few square miles on land, yet the US has two aircraft carriers stationed there. If the goal is to prevent an escalation, calling on Australia and other "international allies" to get involved seems contradictory to what the US claims it is trying to achieve.
Before the request, Australia took the very unusual step of voting (in a non-binding resolution) against the interests of the US. This is something not seen in a long time. This may have been done to placate a growing domestic opposition to Israel's actions but it makes little difference since the US had already vetoed a ceasefire through the UN Security Council.
Pentagon's Operation Prosperity Guardian "Falls Apart" As Spain, Italy, France Reject Request, Not Under US Command | Zero Hedge |
International Coalition Builds Deterrence Capacity Against Red Sea Shipping Threat
Within what US Department of Defense press secretary Major General Patrick Ryder referred to (during a 21 December press briefing) as a 'coalition of the willing', the original list of named countries participating in Operation 'Prosperity Guardian' - Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the Seychelles, Spain, and the United Kingdom - now includes Australia and Greece. The coalition also includes contributors that have not been named. *) both Australia and the Netherlands offered naval commanders but no ships to date.
"We expect to see the coalition continue to grow," said Maj Gen Ryder.
The task force commenced operations on 18 December. Announcing the move, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said `Prosperity Guardian' - established under the US Navy-led, 39-member Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) maritime security partnership, and commanded by CMF's US Navy-led, Red Sea-focused Combined Task Force (CTF) 153 - is designed to deliver safe passage for merchant shipping using the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, plus the Bab-el-Mandeb straits connecting them.
Describing the situation as an escalating threat to the free flow of commerce and the maintenance of international law, Austin said the task force will bring collective action to "jointly address security challenges ... with the goal of ensuring freedom of navigation for all countries, and bolstering regional security and prosperity". "Countries that seek to uphold the foundational principle of freedom of navigation must come together to tackle the challenge posed by this non-state actor launching ballistic missiles and uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) at merchant vessels from many countries lawfully transiting international waters," Austin continued.
Naval Coalition to Expand into Indian Ocean …
Major setback for US-led naval coalition as France, Spain and Italy leave | PressTV Iran News |
In a major setback to a US-led maritime task force in the Red Sea to protect passage of Israeli-owned and Israel-bound merchant vessels, France, Spain, and Italy have officially withdrawn their participation from the alliance.
The three nations have explicitly stated their commitment to operating exclusively under the command of international bodies such as the United Nations, NATO, or the European Union, choosing not to align with the United States.
The French Defense Ministry announced in a statement that it supported efforts to secure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and surrounding area and said it already operated in the region.
However, it said its ships would stay under French command and did not say if it would deploy more naval forces.
Italy's Defense Ministry also said it would send naval frigate Virginio Fasan to the Red Sea to protect its national interests in response to specific requests made by Italian ship owners.
It said this was part of its existing operations, and was not part of the US-led naval coalition in the waterway.
Moreover, Spain's Defense Ministry said it would only participate in NATO-led missions or EU-coordinated operations.
"We will not participate unilaterally in the Red Sea operation," it noted.
Iran denies involvement in attacks on ships in Red Sea | Xinhua News |
TEHRAN, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani rejected Britain's accusations that Tehran is involved in Yemen-based Houthis' recent attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea.
Kanaani made the remarks in a statement published on the Foreign Ministry's website, in response to a statement by the British government released, in which it "condemned the attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea by Houthis" and said "Iran has long provided military and political support to Houthis and bears responsibility for the actions of its proxies and partners."
"Such claims are made with certain political objectives and are indicative of the British officials' bids to distort the region's realities and susceptibility to being impacted by the preferences of third parties, including Israel," wrote Kanaani.
Houthi Red Sea ship seizure sparks “global outrage” | Arab News - 20 Nov. 2023 |
See my previous diary …
Isolation of the U.S. From the World
