Bombing the Houthis is Necessary & Overdue
International shipping sea lanes must be kept open and free
The challenges in the Middle East are nuanced, and so must the solutions. For months I’ve been exploring these nuances, and advocating for reason in an emotionally charged, seemingly insane region. Manichean “all or nothing” expectations and thinking are the root of these problems, and invariably lead to greater escalation, more problems.
An exception is the binary reality of the Houthi rebels of Yemen disrupting world trade. Since shortly after Israel launched its ground invasion of Gaza, the Houthis have launched hundreds of drones and missiles, attacked and boarded ships, kidnapping crews. That has forced the rerouting of major shipping lanes, adding weeks, and soon impacting the world economy:
Here is the express mission statement of the US Navy:
The United States is a maritime nation, and the U.S. Navy protects America at sea. Alongside our allies and partners, we defend freedom, preserve economic prosperity, and keep the seas open and free. Our nation is engaged in long-term competition. To defend American interests around the globe, the U.S. Navy must remain prepared to execute our timeless role, as directed by Congress and the President.
That is the very purpose of having a Navy, to which over $244B was funded in 2023. Yes, a quarter trillion dollars of the US annual budget has been allocated with the explicit purpose of keeping the seas open and free for international commerce. Last I checked, the United States is a Super Power. Acting like one is long overdue, at least regarding this specific challenge.
The Biden administration’s resistance and delay attacking the Houthis is understandable, but the time has past for restraint. Our military strikes on Yemenis soil over the past 48 hours are inevitable, necessary, sound, and not at all surprising. They beckon what will no doubt become a destructive and risky extension of the ongoing war, but we have no choice.
The Yemen Civil War has been a cataclysmic disaster, but that doesn’t matter. The Israel-Hamas War is complex and escalating with Hezbollah along the Lebanese border, but that doesn’t matter, either. The Houthis have threatened retaliation for our attacks, and we run the risk of direct confrontation with Iran, but none of that should influence our attacks.
Calls for continued restraint, and making our response contingent on a cease fire in Gaza are misguided. Diplomacy will not work here. The world cannot be held hostage by Iranian proxies hurling drones and missiles at random supply ships in the Red Sea, regardless of their motivation or perceived justification. The seas must be kept open and free, full stop.
That all said, our military strikes must continue to focus exclusively on destroying Houthi capabilities and resources that are disrupting trade. Should their strategy shift to directly attacking Israel, too, as they have already teased, then new decisions will need to be made. But for now, concerns over “deterrence vs escalation” are moot and a waste of time.
Some wars are just. This aspect of the broader Middle East war is unambigous, and demands action equally forthcoming and resolute. Although the Houthis are conducting asymmetrical warfare akin to that of Hamas, unlike Israel, the US Navy’s end game in the region is clear: keep the seas open and free. “Damn the torpedoes, and full speed ahead…”
