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Houthis 'take control' of key island in global shipping route

bbc.com

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Re: Houthis 'take control' of key island in global shipping route

#411

Post by bpodgursky »

kryogen1c wrote: post #381
bpodgursky wrote: post #341

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you think the chain of command looks like in the third world? Even in the Russia/Ukraine conflict they use Telegram for basic operations. All chat applications are dual-use.

> What do you think the chain of command looks like in the third world? I have no idea, but Im certain that twitter recordings do not put frontline forces in disarray. > use Telegram for basic operations an encrypted private communication channel is very different than public social media

You have far, far too much faith in the professionalism of armed forces in the developing world. 99% of it is just random 22 year old guys with guns and dual-use communication tech.

Re: Houthis 'take control' of key island in global shipping route

#412

Post by BLKNSLVR »

autoexec wrote: post #389
bhouston wrote: post #151

The Houthis created a fake audio of a major Yemeni commander telling his troops to retreat which was subsequently amplified on Twitter/X, telegram, etc. Apparently, this helped the Houthis advance quickly as the opposition forces were in disarray. https://x.com/BashaReport/status/2097862335494795579

If that's true, it's insane that it worked. It should be obvious to not take orders from twitter. There's a chain of command for a reason and random people on social media are no part of it. Sounds like the opposition forces would have to be so stupid that any number of Looney Tunes style tricks would have worked. Maybe next they can send out a rabbit in a dress to make opposition fall in love with it.

Yep, the Commander In Chief only issues orders on Truth Social.

Re: Houthis 'take control' of key island in global shipping route

#413

Post by ericmay »

anon7725 wrote: post #397
ericmay wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

"We have seen what happened with Venezuela, but at least Mexico and Canada can somewhat keep a lid on it. Which is above and beyond what they owe the rest of us since they did not create that problem. The United States government is ideological in a way that westerners don't really understand. Trump is too via his desires regarding Greenland and Canada but the American system isn't too alien to our own views - they p…

Bad argument for many reasons (and lazy). But Maduro was a criminal, supported Russia evading US and EU sanctions, and his gang and their disastrous economic policies resulted in around 1/3rd of Venezuelans leaving the country resulting in a humanitarian disaster.

Re: Houthis 'take control' of key island in global shipping route

#414

Post by ericmay »

thriving_earthw wrote: post #377
lenerdenator wrote: post #329

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Believe it or not, they're not exactly a 1-to-1. Up until fairly recently, Israel was a stand-out in the region for actually having things like decently fair elections and a political class derived from a relatively wide sample of its populace. Other countries in the region were either Arab nationalist republics, Islamic republics, or authoritarian monarchies. While it was ethno-theocratic, it was one that seemed to…

They want to nuke the land they consider holy?

Then what is the point of a nuclear weapon? You're saying they won't use it anyway?

Re: Houthis 'take control' of key island in global shipping route

#415

Post by nemomarx »

mitxela wrote: post #360
rdm_blackhole wrote: post #286

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Europe and the rest of the world will try to coup with the shock The two major economies in the EU (France and Germany) are both facing severe recessions and a parliamentary deadlock + soon to be elections would will be most certainly won by Putin's allies and/or radical communists. All of this to say I would not hold my breath on Europe doing much at all in the coming months/years.

The election in Germany is predicted to be won by AfD. Are they communists?

They're in the Putin's ally camp in this metaphor I think, since they are against military intervention in Ukraine.

Re: Houthis 'take control' of key island in global shipping route

#416

Post by saxonww »

nwellnhof wrote: post #347
mmooss wrote: post #316

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They don't announce their secret nuclear weapons programs before they are complete (though they are sometimes discovered), but some countries have violated international law and developed them, precisely to protect their sovereignty: - North Korea - Israel - India - Pakistan All retain their sovereignty, though I can't prove any causal effect and certainly nuclear weapons isn't the only cause. Others have pursued the…

> Ukraine gave up their nuclear weapons Ukraine never had nuclear weapons. Russia is the sole legal successor of the USSR and these were all Russian nukes on Ukrainian territory. > in exchange for peace from Russia There isn't a single mention of nuclear weapons in the Budapest Memorandum.

> There isn't a single mention of nuclear weapons in the Budapest Memorandum.

https://web.archive.org/web/20170312052208/http://www.cfr.or...

Points 4 and 5 mention and are about use of nuclear weapons.

I think the memorandum was intended to be a security guarantee to Ukraine after they (and Belarus, and Kazakhstan) joined the NPT and transferred formerly-Soviet nuclear weapons to the Russian Federation. I don't know why anyone would suggest otherwise.

Re: Houthis 'take control' of key island in global shipping route

#417

Post by etchalon »

ericmay wrote: post #284
dalyons wrote: post #256

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you think in the current situation they are more or less likely to try for a nuke than before?

I don't think there's any change. But I think it's less possible.

There's zero evidence its less possible, including counter evidence it remains possible because we keep being told we have to attack Iran to prevent them from attaining a nuclear weapon.

So apparently, we've yet to do anything to prevent them from doing it.

We've just killed children.

Re: Houthis 'take control' of key island in global shipping route

#418

Post by Arodex »

bluGill wrote: post #331
soperj wrote: post #220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can ask the same question of the US. They're the only ones to have actually used them (and they try to justify it still). For all those who are about to reply saying it was justified because it saved American lives, why didn't you use it Afghanistan or Iraq?

Almost nobody today was alive when the US used nuclear weapons. We can ignore them at this point. Judge the current US policy by the current US.

>Judge the current US policy by the current US.

Then it is obvious we need to preemptively nuke the USA right now.

Re: Houthis 'take control' of key island in global shipping route

#419

Post by mrguyorama »

spwa4 wrote: post #248
jonplackett wrote: post #195

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Saudi Arabia who they’re fighting against by proxy, and who we sell lots of bombs to, and are soon going to help get nuclear technology, not so great either. https://www.humandignitytrust.org/country-profile/saudi-arab...

Just so it's clear that you're trying to cause confusion: these are light water reactors that cannot in any way shape or form be used to make bombs. Slightly harder to design and build. Much cheaper to run. Excellent for power. Bad for bombs. And, yes, just to get ahead of your next question: the US (and Europe and Russia and China) have offered to help Iran create these. Explaining it to them. Send people and engine…

>But they are not looking to destroy the world or the region, and yes, sorry to say, but Iran is.

Then why did Iran discontinue their other WMD programs, like much cheaper and easier to manage chemical weapons programs?

Why is Iran holding back and not targeting Israel's water infrastructure? If they just want to kill everyone they have options right now that they aren't taking.

Why does Iran hold back if they would use a nuke as soon as they get one because they just want to destroy the region?

Iran objectively wants to build a nuke, and has willingly sacrificed everything to do it, but it wouldn't have taken becoming a rogue state and trillions of dollars of GDP to kill Israel to their liking. Other than a nuke, Israel's retaliation options are fairly limited.

Re: Houthis 'take control' of key island in global shipping route

#420

Post by tptacek »

mrala wrote: post #310
2OEH8eoCRo0 wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarkha > "God is great, Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse on the Jews, Victory to Islam"

This is also mentioned in the article that you linked: > In April 2016, during UN-brokered peace talks in Kuwait, Houthi representatives gave the United States a "sincere apology" for the "Death to America" slogan, claiming that the slogan was used for "domestic consumption as a means to attract support in the streets and create a common cause between their supporters to keep them united." > During the Red Sea crisis…

They did that just as they began the starvation siege of Taiz.
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