There was an interesting report in the New York Times as if this was almost a foreshadowing.
Officials inside the Biden administration are concerned about losing an American soldiers directly from the action of Iranian proxies.
As the Iran-backed Houthis harass shipping vessels in the Red Sea the Biden administration appears to be struggling on how to respond.
The outlet reported that officials feel “they may have no choice” to escalate the conflict should an American soldier die.
“The administration confronts a problem without a risk-free solution,” Aaron David Miller, a former Middle East peace negotiator, told the outlet. “They don’t want to strike Iran directly for fear of escalation, which only widens the margin for pro-Iranian groups, including the Houthis, to strike at U.S. forces. At some point, if U.S. forces are killed, they’ll have no alternative but to respond directly against Iranian assets.”
As with anything in this administration, people are wondering what the plan is, and it seems right now there isn’t one.
Biden was asked about the airstrikes and his answer was not great.
“Are the airstrikes in Yemen working?” a reporter asked Biden on Thursday.
“Well, when you say working, do you mean stopping the Houthis, no,” the president answered. “Are they gonna continue? Yes.”
Reporter: “Are the airstrikes in Yemen working?”
Biden: “Well, when you say ‘working’ — are they stopping the Houthis? No. Are they gonna continue? Yes.”pic.twitter.com/USs2xmbcw1 https://t.co/zxiuCUxTe4
— Just Foreign Policy (@justfp) January 18, 2024
After seemingly admitting that the strikes aren’t working White House national security spokesperson John Kirby struggled to answer why the Houthis don’t seem to be afraid of the USA.
“John, President Biden admitted yesterday that the retaliatory strikes against the Houthis aren’t working,” the Daily Caller asked Friday. “Why aren’t they afraid of the U.S.?”
“Well, you have to ask the Houthis what’s in their mindset. I’m not gonna get in between the ears of Houthi leaders,” Kirby said. “They claim it’s about Gaza, it’s not. They claim that it’s some sort of U.S. and Britain effort to wage war on them. It’s not. We’re simply trying to do two things. We’re trying to defend our Navy ships and sailors and the Navy ships and sailors of other nations that are in the Red Sea with us, and two, protecting our national shipping.”
Kirby’s face for the first five seconds of the video below is priceless.
.@reaganreese_ : ” President Biden admitted yesterday that the retaliatory strikes against the Houthis aren’t working, why aren’t they afraid of the US?”
KIRBY: “Well you have to ask the Houthis what’s in their mindset” pic.twitter.com/4O8puEQSPt
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) January 19, 2024
There don’t seem to be any answers to the questions being asked.
