Avast ye! Them clever scallywags be sayin' that signalin' a strike on them Houthis be makin' our crew stronger, but aye, at the price of shock, me hearties!
2024-01-12
Arrr! The scurvy dogs be at it again! Captain Biden, without a care for the mighty Congress, be launching an attack on them Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen! Aye, controversy be brewin' in these treacherous waters, mateys!
The United States and Britain allegedly provided advanced notice of their strikes against Houthi assets in Yemen in order to gain international support and strengthen coalition cooperation. James Anderson, former deputy undersecretary of defense, suggested that this early notice was an attempt to limit criticism from various quarters. The coalition strike, with support from Australia, the Netherlands, Bahrain, and Canada, targeted over 60 Houthi sites in 16 locations. President Biden authorized the strikes in response to Houthi attacks on international maritime vessels. Reports of the impending attack surfaced hours before it occurred, with Sky News even reporting on a cabinet meeting held by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. However, experts believe that this late-stage notice was not intended to deter further attacks. Instead, it may have been a strategy to minimize civilian casualties, as the Houthis often locate military infrastructure in populated areas. Additionally, experts speculate that involving multiple countries requires more visible political processes, which could explain the early notice. Concerns were raised about the Biden administration's policy of appeasing Iran and the lack of discussion with Congress before authorizing the strikes. However, experts argue that the president has the power to authorize limited strikes without Congressional approval in response to imminent threats. The debate about presidential war powers, according to Michael Allen, a former senior director at the National Security Council, has persisted across multiple administrations.