As tensions continue to escalate in the Middle East in the wake of the deadly terror attack on Israel by Hamas, another Islamic militant group, the Houthis, has gained infamy with a series of attacks on ships in the Red Sea from their bases in Yemen.
In one of their <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/houthi-terrorist-missile-came-within-few-seconds-of-hitting-u-s-warship-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest provocations</a>, a Houthi anti-ship missile reportedly came within just a few seconds of striking a U.S. Navy warship before it was shot down by the ship&#8217;s defensive weapon system.
The Biden administration <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/16/politics/biden-administration-houthis-global-terrorist-entity/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">re-designated</a> the Houthis as a terrorist organization — it was taken off the foreign terrorist organization list by Biden in early 2021 — and the U.S. is reportedly planning further strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen. With the prospect of a full military confrontation with the United States growing by the day, it&#8217;s important to examine who exactly the Houthis are and how they came to control a large portion of Yemen.
What would become the Houthi movement was founded by Hussein al-Houthi, a religious leader in the Zaydi sect of Shia Islam <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Houthi-movement#ref1300933" target="_blank" rel="noopener">that formed</a> in Yemen during the 9th century. The Zaydis dominated the northern part of the country until a revolution in 1962 overthrew the old kingdom and established the Yemen Arab Republic.
<div id="attachment_692809" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-692809" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-692809" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/02/GettyImages-1983525201-864x576.jpg" alt="SANAA, YEMEN - FEBRUARY 6: Commanders of Houthis and militia groups attend the commemoration ceremony on the 20th anniversary of the founder of Houthi Movement, Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi's assassination at Al Sha'ab Mosque in Sana'a, Yemen on February 6, 2024. (Photo by Mohammed Hamoud/Anadolu via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/02/GettyImages-1983525201-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/02/GettyImages-1983525201-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/02/GettyImages-1983525201-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/02/GettyImages-1983525201.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Mohammed Hamoud/Anadolu via Getty Images</div>
The new regime greatly diminished the Zaydi&#8217;s power in society until May 1990, when the Yemen Arab Republic unified with its southern neighbor, the People&#8217;s Democratic Republic of Yemen — the only communist state in the Middle East — to form the modern nation of Yemen.
Al-Houthi served in the Yemeni Parliament from 1993 to 1997 as part of the Zaydi-backed Party of Truth and helped found the Believing Youth, a religious association of young people who preached Zaydi doctrine and <a href="https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/who-are-yemens-houthis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decried</a> the influence of other Muslim sects, notably Saudi Arabian Wahabbism, in the country. Al-Houthi and the Believing Youth were particularly critical of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who responded by cracking down on the group.
Support for al-Houthi and his movement grew in the late &#8217;90s and into the early 2000s, especially after President Saleh expressed support for the U.S. War on Terror in the wake of 9/11. The U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/who-are-the-houthis-and-why-are-we-at-war-with-them/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">further radicalized</a> the Houthi movement, and it adopted the official slogan, inspired by Iran&#8217;s infamous chant, &#8220;God Is the Greatest, Death to America, Death to Israel, A Curse Upon the Jews, Victory to Islam.&#8221; It also began communicating and modeling itself after Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terrorist organization headquartered in Lebanon.
Under orders from Saleh, Yemeni government forces began attacking Houthi bases in late 2003, and the country&#8217;s military killed al-Houthi in 2004, making him a martyr to the wider movement and intensifying its resistance to Saleh&#8217;s regime.
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The Houthis retreated to the northwest corner of the country and managed to defeat the Yemeni military, backed by Saudi Arabia, several times over the next several years. Thousands were killed and hundreds of thousands were displaced by the insurgency, further destabilizing Saleh&#8217;s government.
During the Arab Spring in 2011, internal dissent ousted Saleh from office, and his vice president, Abdrabbuh Hadi, struggled to maintain order in the country, with major protests breaking out in 2014. The situation continued to deteriorate until Houthi militants stormed the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, in January 2015. The Houthis forced the president to resign and cemented their control over the northern part of the country, while opposition groups, which included a Saudi-backed coalition as well as Al-Qaeda, carved out areas of control in the southern regions.
<div id="attachment_692811" style="width: 876px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-692811" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-692811" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/02/GettyImages-454468418-866x576.jpg" alt="SANAA, YEMEN - SEPTEMBER 1: Supporters of Yemen's Shiite Houthi group stage anti government protest at Taghyeer square in capital Sanaa, Yemen on September 1, 2014. Shiite Houthi group blocked several main roads across the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Monday in response to a call by their leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi to escalate action against the government of Prime Minister Mohamed Basindawa. (Photo by Mohammed Hamoud/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)" width="866" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/02/GettyImages-454468418-866x576.jpg 866w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/02/GettyImages-454468418-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/02/GettyImages-454468418-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/02/GettyImages-454468418.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 866px) 100vw, 866px" />Mohammed Hamoud/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images</div>
In a strange twist, ex-President Saleh — the man whose crackdown a decade earlier had killed the Houthis&#8217; leader and confined them to a backwater province — now allied with the radical militants. Most of the Yemeni army supported Saleh and joined forces with the Houthis.
As the Saudis continued their attacks, the Houthis <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/who-are-the-houthis-and-why-are-we-at-war-with-them/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drifted</a> closer to Iran and Hezbollah for support. The United States also conducted over a hundred airstrikes on Houthi positions.
The war, as well as the Saudi blockade of Houthi territory, exacerbated a massive humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Almost 400,000 people died between 2015 and 2022, <a href="https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/war-yemen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Council for Foreign Relations. A cholera epidemic has ravaged the country, and five million people are at risk of famine.
In 2017, Saleh defected from the Houthis to side with the Saudis and the United Arab Emirates, but he was soon cornered in his Sanaa compound and killed by a Houthi sniper.
As the war raged on, the Houthis began <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/14/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-refineries-drone-attack.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attacking</a> Saudi oil facilities, most likely with help from Iran. The Iranian Quds Force, then led by General Qasem Soleimani, <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/iranian-and-houthi-war-against-saudi-arabia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supplied</a> weapons and training to the Houthis as part of a proxy conflict with Saudi Arabia.
As one of his last acts as president in 2021, Donald Trump designated the Houthis as a foreign terror organization in response to the strikes on Saudi Arabia as well as attacks on ships off Yemen&#8217;s coast, but Biden almost immediately <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/01/12/us-uk-strike-yemen-houthi-rebels-red-sea" target="_blank" rel="noopener">removed</a> that designation. The Biden administration also ended its support for Saudi-led offensives against the group.
After several failed Saudi offensives and Houthi gains in the country, the war began to fizzle out in the wake of the COVID pandemic. The U.N. brokered a ceasefire in 2022 that lasted most of the year. Iran and Saudi Arabia <a href="https://www.stimson.org/2023/peace-for-yemen-elusive-despite-iran-saudi-deal-and-saudi-houthi-talks/#:~:text=The%20talks%2C%20which%20began%20in,at%20the%20Yemen%20International%20Forum." target="_blank" rel="noopener">reached</a> an accord, mediated by China, to restore formal relations in early 2023, while Houthi representatives met with Saudi officials later in the year to begin negotiating a deal.
Reports indicated that the two sides were coming close to a definitive agreement when Hamas&#8217; attack on Israel derailed progress. Almost immediately, the Houthis <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67614911" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joined</a> in the assault, launching missiles and drones at Israeli targets. They soon resorted to a tactic they used against the Saudis — attacking container ships. Some of the world&#8217;s largest shipping companies have ceased transit through the Red Sea, which <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67614911" target="_blank" rel="noopener">usually sees</a> nearly 15% of yearly global trade pass through.
<div id="attachment_692829" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-692829" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-692829" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/02/GettyImages-1804440745.jpg" alt="INTERNATIONAL WATERS RED SEA, YEMEN - NOVEMBER 20: This handout screen grab captured from a video shows Yemen's Houthi fighters' takeover of the Galaxy Leader Cargo in the Red Sea coast off Hudaydah, on November 20, 2023 in the Red Sea, Yemen. On Monday, the Houthi movement in Yemen released footage and photos of the Houthi-run coastguard taking over the Israeli-linked Galaxy Leader Vessel in the Red Sea, which had 52 people onboard. Galaxy Leader is owned by Galaxy Maritime Ltd in the Isle of Man and is linked to Israeli businessman Abraham Ungar through Ray Car Carriers. (Photo by Houthi Movement via Getty Images)" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/02/GettyImages-1804440745.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/02/GettyImages-1804440745-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/02/GettyImages-1804440745-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Houthi Movement via Getty Images</div>
The Houthis have expressed hatred for the United States and Israel for over 20 years, have successfully repelled numerous attempts to destroy them, and have a strong grip on the northern part of the country — the traditional stronghold of the Zaydi sect. Further U.S. strikes, along with the re-designation of the Houthis as a terror group, could tip the balance, but for now the organization possesses the upper hand in Yemen and the conflict will most likely continue for some time.

Houthis, Supporters Rally in Support of Palestinians, Attacks on Red Sea Shipping

Who Are The Houthis? Everything You Need To Know About The Latest Terror Threat In The Middle East

Houthis

Iran

Middle East

Readers Pass

Red Sea

U.S. Navy

Yemen

On Friday, Houthi terrorists fired an anti-ship ballistic missile toward a U.S. destroyer, which was shot down by the U.S. ship.
“On Jan. 26, at approximately 1:30 p.m. (Sanaa time), Iranian-backed Houthi militants fired one anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward Arleigh-Burke class destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) in the Gulf of Aden. The missile was successfully shot down by USS Carney. There were no injuries or damage reported,” U.S. Central Command reported.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Houthis fire anti-ship ballistic missile toward USS Carney (DDG 64)
On Jan. 26, at approximately 1:30 p.m. (Sanaa time), Iranian-backed Houthi militants fired one anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward Arleigh-Burke class destroyer USS Carney… <a href="https://t.co/GcVqk48CeR">pic.twitter.com/GcVqk48CeR</a>
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/1750873016173560235?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The USS Carney has been heavily involved in dealing with Houthi missiles fired toward ships in the Red Sea.
In early January, Carney commanding officer Cmdr. Jeremy Robertson and sailors serving aboard the USS Carney <a href="https://news.usni.org/2024/01/02/uss-carney-sailors-decorated-for-red-sea-actions-maersk-pausing-shipping-in-region" target="_blank" rel="noopener">were honored</a> for shooting down Houthi drones and missiles in October and December. Carney commanding officer Cmdr. Jeremy Robertson was awarded a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal; the sailors aboard received the Combat Action Ribbon.
On Dec. 16, the Carney shot down 14 Houthi-launched unmanned aerial vehicles in the Red Sea. On November 29, in the South Red Sea, the USS Carney (DDG 64) shot down an Iranian-produced KAS-04 unmanned aerial vehicle launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
“Although its intentions are not known, the UAV was heading toward the warship,” U.S. Central Command <a href="https://twitter.com/CENTCOM/status/1729995968467321326" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. “At the time of the shoot down, the USS Carney was escorting the USNS SUPPLY (Oiler) and another U.S. flagged and crewed ship carrying military equipment to the region. There were no injuries to U.S. personnel and no damage to U.S. vessels.”
“On Oct. 19, 2023, the Carney crew executed critical air and missile defense duties in the Red Sea, ensuring that the Combined Forces Air Component Commander could effectively deter regional actors from horizontally escalating the crisis in the Levant. The team defended the ship and their Shipmates from a complex air attack, manifested in the form of multiple hostile air threats traversing the Red Sea, spanning a three-hour interception engagement,” a Navy spokesperson stated.
On January 13, the USS Carney (DDG-64) <a href="https://news.usni.org/2024/01/12/centcom-uss-carney-launched-tomahawk-land-attack-missile-against-houthi-radar-site">launched</a> a Tomahawk Land Attack Missile against a Houthi radar site.
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“Since mid-November, the Houthis have launched at least 34 attacks on international shipping lanes,” Voice of America <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/us-military-says-it-fended-off-another-houthi-missile-attack/7455743.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Wednesday, adding, “There have been more than 150 attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria since the October 7 Hamas terror attack against Israel, injuring at least 83 Americans, a U.S. defense official told VOA.”

USS CARNEY-SUNSET

U.S. Destroyer Shoots Down Houthi Ballistic Missile Headed Toward It

ballistic missiles

USS Carney

The United States Navy identified the two Navy SEALs who were killed in action during a mission earlier this month off the coast of Africa.
Spain and Japan assisted the U.S. in searching for Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Christopher J. Chambers, 37, and Navy Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Nathan Gage Ingram, 27, after they went missing on January 11.
The SEALs were climbing up onto a vessel while conducting a nighttime interdiction mission when one of them was knocked off by powerful ocean waves. Following protocol, the next Navy SEAL up jumped into the water to help rescue him.
The ship that the SEAL team interdicted was illegally transporting advanced Iranian conventional weapons to Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen.
“We extend our condolences to Chris and Gage&#8217;s family, friends, and teammates during this incredibly challenging time. They were exceptional warriors and cherished teammates and dear friends to many within the Naval Special Warfare community,” said Capt. Blake L. Chaney, commander, Naval Special Warfare Group 1. “Chris and Gage selflessly served their country with unwavering professionalism and exceptional capabilities. This loss is devastating for NSW, our families, the special operations community, and across the nation.&#8221;
Chambers had served in the Navy since May 2012 while Ingram had served in the Navy since 2019.
The Naval Special Warfare Group said in a statement that the incident remains under investigation.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
It’s with a heavy heart today that we announce the deaths of two SEALs, Chris Chambers and Nathan Ingram. They were killed in action in the Gulf of Aden during a ship boarding operation on January 11th.
The vessel was carrying Iranian weapons to the Houthis in Yemen (same… <a href="https://t.co/MSNgv5jzkn">pic.twitter.com/MSNgv5jzkn</a>
&mdash; Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) <a href="https://twitter.com/DanCrenshawTX/status/1749556093020262777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2024</a></blockquote>
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President Joe Biden said in a statement on Monday that he was &#8220;mourning the tragic deaths of two of America’s finest — Navy SEALs who were lost at sea while executing a mission off the coast of East Africa last week.&#8221;
&#8220;Over ten days, the United States military conducted an extensive search and rescue mission,&#8221; Biden said. &#8220;Recovery efforts are still continuing as we grieve this profound loss for our country. These SEALs represented the very best of our country, pledging their lives to protect their fellow Americans. Our hearts go out to the family members, loved ones, friends, and shipmates who are grieving for these two brave Americans. Our entire country stands with you. We will never fail to honor their service, their legacy, and their sacrifice.&#8221;

Hollywood Exteriors And Landmarks – 2021

U.S. Navy Identifies Two SEALs Killed In Action

Military

Navy SEAL

The U.S. Military announced on Sunday afternoon that two Navy SEALs that went missing nearly two weeks ago during a mission off the coast of Africa are now presumed dead.
The SEALs were conducting a nighttime interdiction mission on January 11 where they were climbing up onto a vessel when one got knocked off by powerful ocean waves. Following protocol, the next Navy SEAL up jumped into the water to help rescue him.
&#8220;We regret to announce that after a 10-day exhaustive search, our two missing U.S. Navy SEALs have not been located and their status has been changed to deceased,&#8221; U.S. Central Command said in a statement. &#8220;The search and rescue operation for the two Navy SEALs reported missing during the boarding of an illicit dhow carrying Iranian advanced conventional weapons Jan. 11 concluded and we are now conducting recovery operations.&#8221;
CENTCOM said that Japan and Spain joined the U.S. in searching for the two SEALs, covering more than 21,000 square miles. Additional support was provided by the Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center, the U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command, University of San Diego – Scripts Institute of Oceanography, and the Office of Naval Research – Oceanographic Support.
General Michale Erik Kurilla, CENTCOM Commander, said in a statement, “We mourn the loss of our two Naval Special Warfare warriors, and we will forever honor their sacrifice and example. Our prayers are with the SEALs’ families, friends, the U.S. Navy, and the entire Special Operations community during this time.”

Navy SEALs

Two U.S. Navy SEALs Killed While Boarding Boat Illegally Carrying Iranian Weapons

On Tuesday, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) confirmed that U.S. Navy Forces seized a sailing ship on January 11 that was conducting illegal transport of advanced lethal aid from Iran to resupply the terrorist Houthi forces in Yemen.
“U.S. Navy SEALs operating from USS Lewis B Puller, supported by helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), executed a complex boarding of the dhow near the coast of Somalia in international waters of the Arabian Sea, seizing Iranian-made ballistic missile and cruise missiles components,” USCENTCOM  <a href="https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/3645241/uscentcom-seizes-iranian-advanced-conventional-weapons-bound-for-houthis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. “Seized items include propulsion, guidance, and warheads for Houthi medium range ballistic missiles (MRBMs) and anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs), as well as air defense associated components. Initial analysis indicates these same weapons have been employed by the Houthis to threaten and attack innocent mariners on international merchant ships transiting in the Red Sea.”
“The direct or indirect supply, sale, or transfer of weapons to the Houthis in Yemen violates U.N. Security Resolution 2216 and international law,” USCENTCOM added, noting that “two U.S. Navy SEALs previously reported as lost at sea were directly involved in this operation.”
 “We are conducting an exhaustive search for our missing teammates,” General Michael Erik Kurilla, USCENTCOM Commander, stated.
The Navy sank the dhow.
“It is clear that Iran continues shipment of advanced lethal aid to the Houthis. This is yet another example of how Iran actively sows instability throughout the region in direct violation of U.N. Security Resolution 2216 and international law,” Kurilla declared. “We will continue to work with regional and international partners to expose and interdict these efforts, and ultimately to reestablish freedom of navigation.”
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On Monday, the Islamic Republic of Iran launched ballistic missiles that landed near the U.S. Consulate in Erbil, Iraq.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a wing of Iran&#8217;s military and a designated terrorist organization, took responsibility for the attacks, saying that they were the &#8220;headquarters of spies&#8221; and &#8220;anti-Iranian terrorist gatherings in parts of the region&#8221;.
Several people were killed in the attacks, according to ABC News. No American casualties were reported. The attacks comes after Iran has activated its proxies throughout the region to launch more than 120 attacks against U.S. forces since October 17.
Ryan Saavedra contributed to this article. 
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/iran-launches-ballistic-missile-strike-near-u-s-consulate-in-iraq">Iran Launches Ballistic Missile Strike Near U.S. Consulate In Iraq</a>

USS Lewis B. Puller (FFG-23)

U.S. Navy Seizes Ship Transporting Lethal Aid From Iran To Houthis

Two U.S. Navy SEALs went missing late this week during a mission in the waters off the coast of Somalia, U.S. officials said.
The SEALs were conducting a nighttime interdiction mission on Thursday where they were climbing up onto a vessel when one got knocked off by powerful ocean waves, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/navy-seals-missing-somalia-coast-boarding-mission-41a5cf55805f8aa0ff2c4d5626690529">reported</a>. Following protocol, the next Navy SEAL up jumped into the water to help rescue him.
A search and rescue operation is underway for both SEALs in the warm waters of the Gulf of Aden, the report said, noting that the U.S. Navy has increased activity in the area to stop weapons from being shipped to Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen.
U.S. Central Command would not confirm details about the two individuals who were missing, other than identifying them as &#8220;sailors&#8221; who were &#8220;were forward-deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet (C5F) area of operations supporting a wide variety of missions.&#8221;
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The news comes as the Biden administration finally began taking military action against the Houthis late this week following dozens of terrorist attacks on international merchant vessels over the last couple of months in the Red Sea.
&#8220;Since Nov. 19, 2023, Iranian-backed Houthi militants have attempted to attack and harass vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden 28 times,&#8221; CENTCOM said. &#8220;These illegal incidents include attacks that have employed anti-ship ballistic missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and cruise missiles.&#8221;
&#8220;These strikes have no association with and are separate from Operation Prosperity Guardian, a defensive coalition of over 20 countries operating in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and Gulf of Aden,&#8221; the statement added.

Two Navy SEALs Go Missing During Operation Off Coast Of Somalia

Somalia

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-navy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Navy</a> helicopter carrying six crewmembers crashed into San Diego Bay on Thursday evening during a training exercise. 
All six crewmembers, who were operating a MH-60R Seahawk helicopter, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-01-12/crew-rescued-after-navy-helicopter-crashes-into-san-diego-bay" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survived</a> and were rescued off the coast of Coronado by a nearby Navy boat after they went down at around 6:40 p.m. local time. 
&#8220;Due to the nature of the training, a safety boat was on location,&#8221; a statement from Cmdr. Beth Teach of the Naval Air Force Pacific Fleet said.  The crew members went through medical evaluation but none of them appeared to suffer any life-threatening injuries, <a href="https://abc7.com/navy-helicopter-crash-san-diego-bay-southern-california-mh-60r-seahawk/14313874/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Navy. 
The Federal Fire Department San Francisco helped with the rescue, as did a helicopter from the U.S. Coast Guard. The MH-60R Seahawk had been stationed at Naval Air Station North Island, according to Navy officials. 
The investigation into the cause of the crash is still ongoing. 
The Navy <a href="https://www.navair.navy.mil/product/MH-60R-Seahawk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> that the MH-60R Seahawk is its “primary anti-submarine and surface warfare helicopter specially designed for all aspects of land or maritime operations from any aviation ship or air-capable vessel. The MH-60R has demonstrated unmatched multi-mission capabilities since achieving full operational capability in 2010 and has achieved the highest mission capable rates of any maritime helicopter.”
Its primary purpose is for anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, electromagnetic warfare, command and control, and non-combat operation, according to the Navy. 
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The helicopter crash comes just one week after a B-1 Lancer bomber <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/b-1-bomber-crash-lands-in-south-dakota-forcing-crew-to-eject" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crashed</a> in South Dakota, forcing the entire crew to eject during a training mission. 
The crash landing took place at Ellsworth Air Force Base during a training exercise. The 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth said that the accident happened while the plane was “attempting to land on the installation. At the time of the accident, it was on a training mission. There were four aircrew on board. All four ejected safely.”
There were <a href="https://apnews.com/article/b1-crash-air-force-bomber-ellsworth-2146e52e94ae5f928407a85030e8c60d">reportedly</a> poor winter weather conditions at the time of the crash, which is still being investigated by an officer board.

H-60 Helicopter

Navy Helicopter Carrying Six People Crashes Into San Diego Bay

California

San Diego

U.S.

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-navy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Navy</a> service member was sentenced to just over two years in prison after he pled guilty to being bribed to send sensitive military information to a Chinese intelligence officer. 
Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, a 26-year-old from Monterey Park, California, was <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-navy-sailor-sentenced-27-months-prison-transmitting-sensitive-us-military-information" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sentenced</a> to just 27 months in prison and ordered to pay a $5,500 fine after his guilty plea for one count of conspiring with an intelligence officer and one count of receiving a bribe. Zhao <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-navy-service-member-pleads-guilty-transmitting-sensitive-us-military-information-chinese" target="_blank" rel="noopener">could</a> have faced up to 20 years in prison, 15 years for the conspiracy charge and 5 years for the bribery charge.
“Mr. Zhao betrayed his solemn oath to defend his country and endangered those who serve in the U.S. military,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Today, he is being held to account for those crimes. The Justice Department is committed to combating the Chinese government’s efforts to undermine our nation’s security and holding accountable those who violate our laws as part of those efforts.” 
He was paid at least $14,866 by a Chinese intelligence officer for sending information on the U.S. Navy operational security, military trainings and exercises, and critical infrastructure, according to the DOJ. 
Rebeccah Heinrichs, senior fellow at Hudson Institute and the director of its Keystone Defense Initiative, slammed the “slap on the wrist” that Zhao received.
“He stole secrets about things that could get Americans killed, things related to operational security, military training, and key facilities” Heinrichs told The Daily Wire. “He did it over and over and sold it to our chief enemy. His slap on the wrist sentence is shocking and sends the wrong message at a tense time when China is relentlessly trying to recruit agents.”
The Navy service member, who had a security clearance, worked at Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme, California. The DOJ said that the bribery took place from August 2021 to May 2023 during which Zhao went into restricted locations to obtain information. 
The DOJ said that the information given to the Chinese intelligence officer included the plans of a large-scale training exercise in the Pacific and operational orders and documents on Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar system in Okinawa, Japan.
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“Zhao betrayed his country and disgraced himself when he accepted bribes from an intelligence officer with the People’s Republic of China,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California. “As a result, he has now been removed from the military and will serve time in federal prison. Today’s sentence shows that my office will swiftly act to root out and punish those who seek to undermine our nation’s security.”
The investigation was led by the FBI Los Angeles Field Office’s Counterintelligence and Cyber Division, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the IRS-Criminal Investigation unit.

US Navy carriers Ford, Eisenhower in eastern Mediterranean

Navy Service Member Who Sold Secrets To China Sentenced To Just 27 Months In Prison

Bribery

Communist China

Department of Justice

Spying

Attacks from the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen against ships in the Red Sea have continued despite the formation of a naval coalition by President Joe Biden to deter the attacks.
Numerous intelligence officials from various countries <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/iranian-spy-ship-helps-houthis-direct-attacks-on-red-sea-vessels-d6f7fd40">told</a> The Wall Street Journal late last week that Iran was providing the Houthis with &#8220;real-time intelligence and weaponry, including drones and missiles&#8221; to carry out the attacks.
Iran&#8217;s paramilitary forces have a surveillance vessel in the Red Sea that is directly feeding intelligence to the Houthis so that they can coordinate their attacks on ships passing through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, according to the officials. The attacks started just a couple of weeks after Hamas, an Iranian-backed terrorist group inside Gaza, launched an attack against Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 Israelis.
The attacks have forced many ships to avoid using the Suez Canal and instead use much <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/ships-rerouted-by-red-sea-crisis-face-overwhelmed-african-ports-2023-12-22/#:~:text=Hundreds%20of%20large%20vessels%20are,oil%20prices%20and%20freight%20rates.">longer</a> routes around the southern tip of Africa, which can add weeks to their journey and greatly increase costs which are then passed on to consumers.
Biden launched Operation Prosperity Guardian last week, a coalition of 20 countries that were going to provide resources to help deter attacks on commercial ships in the region. However, that coalition has <a href="https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/cracks-form-in-new-naval-coalition-drone-strikes-spread-to-indian-ocean">started to show cracks</a> as many of the countries are not supplying ships or other major assets while the countries that are do not want their assets to be under U.S. control.
The effort from Biden has done little to deter the Houthis and Iran as ships have continued to come under attack, including on Friday, when the Houthis fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles into international shipping lanes in the Red Sea, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.
&#8220;Between 3 and 8 p.m. (Sanaa time), the USS LABOON (DDG 58) was patrolling in the Southern Red Sea as part of Operation PROSPERITY GUARDIAN (OPG) and shot down four unmanned aerial drones originating from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen that were inbound to the USS LABOON,&#8221; CENTCOM said.
&#8220;At approximately 8 p.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Naval Forces Central Command received reports from two ships in the Southern Red Sea that they were under attack,&#8221; the statement continued. &#8220;The M/V BLAAMANEN, a Norwegian-flagged, owned, and operated chemical/oil tanker, reported a near miss of a Houthi one-way attack drone with no injuries or damage reported. A second vessel, the M/V SAIBABA, a Gabon-owned, Indian-flagged crude oil tanker, reported that it was hit by a one-way attack drone with no injuries reported. The USS LABOON (DDG 58) responded to the distress calls from these attacks.&#8221;

President Biden And First Lady Visit Children’s National Hospital

Attacks On Ships In Red Sea Continue As Biden’s Naval Coalition Shows Cracks

Attacks On Ships In Red Sea Continue As Biden's Naval Coalition Shows Cracks

Biden Administration

National Security

The U.S. Department of Defense is warning Congress of continued military recruitment struggles as the country will enter the new year with its smallest fighting force since before World War II. 
Ashish Vazirani, the Pentagon’s acting undersecretary for personnel and readiness, told the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday that the Army, Navy, and Air Force missed their 2023 recruitment goals by a combined 41,000 personnel, The Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12869575/pentagon-biden-army-navy-marines-space-force-military-recruit-gen-z.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The annual defense authorization bill passed by Congress earlier this week stated that active-duty troops will drop to 1,284,500 in fiscal 2024, which is down by 64,000 troops over the past three years, giving the U.S. military its smallest force since 1940, <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2023/12/14/amid-recruiting-woes-active-duty-end-strength-to-drop-again-in-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Military Times. 
&#8220;That number understates the challenge before us as the services lowered end-strength goals in recent years, in part because of the difficult recruiting environment,” Vazirani said, adding that military recruitment is facing “one of its greatest challenges” since the last declared draft ended in 1973. 
Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, expressed his concern over the decreasing military numbers.
“We need a larger force, in every branch. But the reality of recruiting is driving the numbers, not what we actually need,” Wicker told The Military Times. 
Some branches of the armed forces have gone to more extreme lengths recently to boost their recruitment levels. Earlier this year, the Navy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/navy-hires-active-duty-drag-queen-to-combat-sinking-recruitment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made</a> Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley, an active-duty sailor and drag queen, one of five Navy Digital Ambassadors in a pilot recruitment program. The Air Force <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/air-force-to-decrease-body-weight-standards-for-entry-as-americans-increasingly-too-fat-to-enlist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made a move</a> in April to recruit more Americans into its ranks by decreasing weight standards. 
The strategies didn’t appear to work, as both the Navy and the Air Force are expected to be down thousands of airmen and sailors from its 2021 numbers. The Army is facing the largest recruitment problem out of the military branches as it’s down over 40,000 troops over the past three years. The Marine Corps, which along with the Space Force met its most recent recruitment goal, is still expected to be down by nearly 9,000 active-duty service members compared to fiscal year 2021. 
The Pentagon is seeking to change the direction of the military&#8217;s poor recruiting numbers by developing a message that &#8220;resonates&#8221; with young Americans, according to Vazirani.
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&#8220;While the picture of the current recruiting environment is acutely difficult, the Defense Department and the military services are working together to resolve issues, improve processes, and expand awareness of the many opportunities military service offers,&#8221; said Vazirani. &#8220;We must reach today&#8217;s youth where they are with a message that resonates with them and motivates them to act.&#8221;

Army Recruitment

Pentagon Warns Of Military’s Dropping Numbers Heading Into 2024 As U.S. Fields Smallest Fighting Force Since Before WWII

Pentagon Warns Of Military's Dropping Numbers Heading Into 2024 As U.S. Fields Smallest Fighting Force Since Before WWII

Marines

Pentagon

U.S. Air Force

U.S. Army

U.S. Military

United States Space Force

On the eve of the annual Army-Navy football game, Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) — who served in the U.S. military for 23 years, including as a company commander in Kuwait and Iraq — fired off a <a href="https://www.ernst.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/letter_to_president_biden.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to President Biden because of reports that military families hoping to attend the game could not book reservations at local hotels as they were being used to house illegal immigrants, and some reservations had been canceled for that reason.
In early October, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/army-navy-hotel-rooms-migrants-massachusetts-foxboro/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that three hotels owned by Giri Hotel Management, according to travel agent Mark Mansbach, were working with the state of Massachusetts to house illegal immigrants. “His clients&#8217; previously booked hotel rooms were canceled to continue the lease with the state. Mansbach said at least 70 of his reservations were impacted,” CBS News reported.
“Your border policies are failing, and it is abundantly clear change is needed,” Ernst wrote Biden. “Your failed policies are directly harming military families. &#8230; As you may know, this is an event for which ‘tens of thousands of veterans will pour into the greater Boston area’ hoping to celebrate America’s Game.”
“It’s clear: these cancellations are due to your administration’s decision to ship illegal immigrants across the country to sanctuary cities at taxpayers’ expense,” she continued.
“The Army-Navy Game is not a trivial thing,” she declared. “It fosters esprit de corps between American military families, potential future servicemembers, and the Armed Forces. This is an imperative when the military is faced with the worst recruiting crisis in decades, in part driven by your politicization of it.”
“Of the five Defense Department service branches, only two met their active-duty enlisted recruiting goals for fiscal [year] 2023 &#8212; the Marine Corps and the Space Force, by far the smallest services with the lightest recruiting burden,” she noted. “What’s more, military families attending the game often use it to interest their children in a career in the Armed Services.”
“Not only is this game a recruitment mechanism, those of us who have served know it is truly an opportunity to showcase America’s finest—the incredible young servicemembers who have stepped forward to serve their country—the Corps of Cadets and Brigade of Midshipmen,” she continued. “The Army-Navy Game gives attendees—many of whom are veterans themselves—the opportunity to honor the next generation of our fighting men and women, as well as our nation.”
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“It is flatly unacceptable for our veterans and military families to be displaced because of your administration’s failure to secure our southern border. Military families who have scrimped and saved to be able to afford a trip to the Army-Navy game should not have to compete with illegal immigrants for hotel room space,” she concluded.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: DEC 10 Army vs Navy

Military Families Reportedly Shut Out Of Hotels For Army-Navy Game Because They’re Housing Illegals. Joni Ernst Blisters Biden.

Football

Joe Biden

Joni Ernst

There’s a famous comic from 2014, during the last major war between Israel and Hamas. It was done by cartoonist A.F. Branco, and it depicted then-Secretary of State John Kerry sitting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a member of Hamas. The Hamas terrorist has a baby strapped to him with dynamite; he holds a paper reading, “DEMANDS: DEATH TO ALL JEWS.” Kerry is asking Netanyahu, “Could you at least meet him halfway?”
<div id="attachment_662371" style="width: 792px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-662371" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-662371" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/2Branco-Cartoon-Post-Hamas-Kerry-Netanyahu-copy.jpg" alt="A.F. Branco. LegalInsurrection.com. @2014." width="782" height="563" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/2Branco-Cartoon-Post-Hamas-Kerry-Netanyahu-copy.jpg 782w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/2Branco-Cartoon-Post-Hamas-Kerry-Netanyahu-copy-300x216.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/2Branco-Cartoon-Post-Hamas-Kerry-Netanyahu-copy-768x553.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 782px) 100vw, 782px" />A.F. Branco. LegalInsurrection.com. @2014.</div>
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
This weekend, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, appeared on CNN, where she was asked about why there hasn’t been more international outrage over Hamas’ systematic rape of Israeli women. The accounts of Hamas rapes have been legion — over the weekend, 39-year-old Yoni Saadon <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ten-hamas-fighters-were-raping-the-woman-she-begged-for-death-6ldlmh8sp">told</a> the U.K.’s Sunday Times that he saw a beautiful woman “and eight or 10 of the fighters beating and raping her. She was screaming, ‘Stop it already! I’m going to die anyway from what you are doing, just kill me!’ When they finished,” Saadon said, “they were laughing, and the last one shot her in the head.”
Jayapal <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/international/4340811-cnn-bash-jayapal-hamas-violence-rape-women-israel/">stated</a>, “I think we have to be balanced about bringing in the outrages against Palestinians.”
Balance, you see, is the key.
Balance in all things.
Never mind the new reports emerging from hostages about just what they experienced in Gaza at the hands of Hamas. According to <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12819673/The-sickening-horrors-endured-Hamas-terrified-hostages-kidnapped-Israeli-women-children-drugged-starved-shot-threatened-violence-spoke-held-inferno-finally-released-49-days.html">the Daily Mail</a>, “For weeks, they were starved, beaten, drugged, branded and made to watch footage of Hamas terrorists invading their homeland with weapons pointed to their heads, until the moment was right for the terror group.” One hostage was operated on by a veterinarian. Many of the hostages were kept with supposed civilians in the Gaza Strip, giving the lie to the hard-and-fast distinction between Gaza’s Hamas members and the civilian population.
But still, why can’t the Israelis meet their Jew-hating terrorist enemies halfway?
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1861-for-the-left-balance-means-shrugging-at-sexual-assault-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h4>
Increasingly, this seems to be the logic of the Biden White House. Although, to be clear, they aren’t actually asking Israel to meet the Palestinians halfway — they’re asking them to meet them 80% of the way. As Israel’s offensive against Hamas renews in Southern Gaza, the White House has now ratcheted up its absurd and continuous demands for Israel to do a better job protecting civilians, as though Israel is in the business of murdering civilians the same way Hamas is or as though Israel isn’t taking insane precautions to avoid their killing. Israel is actually taking more precautions to avoid civilian deaths than any army in modern history, as Ron Dermer, Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs, pointed out over the weekend.
“I think what the Israeli army has done — in prosecuting this war is unprecedented in the history of warfare,” Dermer <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/week-transcript-12-3-23-white-house-nsc/story?id=105333629">stated</a>. “When you have an enemy right on your border, and you&#8217;re doing everything to get the civilians of that enemy out of harm&#8217;s way, I don&#8217;t think any other country, including the United States — I don&#8217;t know if you ever faced a situation like this — would take such great care.”
Yet Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spent the weekend warning the Israelis that the government risks “strategic defeat” in Gaza even if they win a “tactical victory” because Palestinians might be driven “into the arms of the enemy.” This, naturally, creates a catch-22: Israel can’t get rid of Hamas without civilians dying, specifically because Hamas wants civilians to die; if Israel does get rid of Hamas and civilians die, by Austin’s logic, Israel will suffer a “strategic defeat”; if Israel doesn’t get rid of Hamas, Israel will suffer an actual defeat.
That’s a no-win scenario.
And yet the White House seems eager to provide Israel with no-win scenarios. Thus, the Biden administration is reportedly encouraging Israel to restore humanitarian aid into Gaza at the same levels as they did during the recent ceasefire. That’s political idiocy. 
First off, it removes all incentive for Hamas to come back to the table: If the aid is something Hamas wants, since they steal it all, giving them the aid while Hamas continues to hold hostages is idiotic. 
Second, Israel is currently at war. The fuel the U.S. wants shipped into Gaza goes largely to Hamas. Then, of course, the media lie about it, leading to awkward exchanges. 
A Sky News reporter <a href="https://twitter.com/DoronSpielman/status/1731083081111441709">berated</a> an IDF spokesman, saying residents would not be able to access the digital map of Gaza the IDF published because residents didn’t have “power to power up their cell phones.”
The IDF spokesman responded by noting, “All of your viewers saw our hostages being paraded through the streets as they were released to Israel over those seven nights and hundreds of Gazans holding their phones videoing them. So clearly, there’s enough power to power their phones when they’re parading our hostages throughout Gaza. Now that same power to their phones will be to get the maps, download the maps, look at the flyers.”
The Sky News reporter immediately shut down the interview.
Then there’s the no-win scenario being pressed forward by the White House after Hamas falls — the supposed option of the Palestinian Authority taking over in the Gaza Strip. Vice President Kamala Harris, fresh off her disquisitions on the power of school buses and Venn Diagrams, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/harris-israel-gaza-war-middle-east-dubai-52c47491efc64689c7cbc73f68429bf3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> we have to “revitalize the PA. 
Revitalize the PA? The PA doesn’t even have full control of its citizens in Judea and Samaria. 
The Arab world thinks Mahmoud Abbas, president of the PA, is a joke — and so do the people he rules over. If elections were held in the West Bank today, Hamas would likely win.
All of this is silly nonsense.
And the White House knows it is silly nonsense.
In fact, because the radical Muslim world perceives the White House’s weakness, they’re pushing. Hard. 
According to the <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/u-s-navy-destroyer-and-multiple-commercial-ships-attacked-in-the-red-sea-pentagon-says#:~:text=The%20drones%20did%20no%20damage,consider%20%E2%80%9Call%20appropriate%20responses.%E2%80%9D">Associated Press</a>:
<blockquote>Three commercial ships in the Red Sea were struck by ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen on Sunday and a U.S. warship shot down three drones in self-defense during the hourslong assault, the U.S. military said. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by the Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran. …
In a statement, U.S. Central Command said the attacks “represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security. They have jeopardized the lives of international crews representing multiple countries around the world.” It said the three commercial ships and their crews are connected to 14 countries. 
According to Central Command, the USS Carney, a Navy destroyer, detected a ballistic missile fired from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen at the Bahamas-flagged bulk carrier Unity Explorer. The missile hit near the ship. Shortly afterward, the Carney shot down a drone headed its way, although it’s not clear if the destroyer was the target. The drone was also launched from Yemen.</blockquote>
Now, in a normal time, this would be an act of supreme idiocy. The United States Navy remains the world’s foremost guardian of the freedom of the seas; the Bab el-Mandeb Strait is the route by which 10% of all global trade passes. Attacking the U.S. Navy directly is absolutely insane.
Unless you believe that the United States is weak.
So why would the terrorists believe that?
Perhaps because the Democratic Party’s base is <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/545045/americans-back-israel-military-action-gaza.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">showing sympathy</a> for terrorism.
The <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/545045/americans-back-israel-military-action-gaza.aspx#:~:text=Americans'%20Views%20of%20Israel's%20Military,and%204%25%20have%20no%20opinion." target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest Gallup poll</a> shows that 50% of Americans approve of Israel’s military action in Gaza, with 45% disapproving — but there is a heavy partisan breakdown here. 71% of Republicans agree with Israel’s actions; just 36% of Democrats do. What’s more, just 30% of people aged 18 to 34 do, compared with 67% who don’t; and only 30% of people of color do, compared with 64% who don’t. 55% of Democrats think the U.S. should send <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/545045/americans-back-israel-military-action-gaza.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more humanitarian aid</a> to the Palestinians, compared with just 12% who think more military aid should be sent to Israel.
Meanwhile, domestic Muslims are mobilizing to pressure the Biden administration.
According to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/12/02/muslim-americans-swing-states-anti-biden-campaign" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Axios</a>, “Muslim American leaders from Michigan, Minnesota, Arizona, Wisconsin, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, and Pennsylvania are expected to meet in Dearborn, Mich.” to launch what they call an #AbandonBiden campaign. “Leaders from swing states,” they say, “will work together to guarantee Biden’s loss in the 2024 election.”
It should be noted, by the way, that the leaders of this campaign have their own ugly histories. According to <a href="https://jewishinsider.com/2023/12/several-muslim-leaders-protesting-biden-at-conference-defended-oct-7-hamas-massacre/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jewish Insider</a>, one of the leaders, Hassan Shibly, was forced to step down as a local head of the Council on American-Islamic Relations for alleged domestic abuse and sexual misconduct and calls Israel “Zionist ISIS”; several of the leaders supported October 7.
This is the kind of action the terrorists are looking for. They believe if they create enough trouble, they’ll get Americans thinking twice about supporting Israel. 
This is nothing new, of course. In fact, it was precisely Osama Bin Laden’s strategy in the 1990s. He believed America was a “paper tiger and after a few blows ran in defeat.” An hour-long interview with Bin Laden in May 1998 <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/binladen/who/miller.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">documents</a> this: “Bin Laden believes that what we consider to be terrorism is just the amount of violence required to get the attention of the American people. His aim is to get Americans to consider whether continued support of Israel is worth the bloodshed he promises.” Bin Laden told the interviewer, “So we tell the Americans as people and we tell the mothers of soldiers and American mothers in general that if they value their lives and the lives of their children, to find a nationalistic government that will look after their interests and not the interests of the Jews.”
This tactic seems to be working, at least with the members of the political Left. That’s why members of the Progressive Caucus have to downplay the mass rape of women — because they want to cave in precisely the way Hamas, the Houthis, and Iran wish them to cave, but they don’t want to lose all moral credibility. So instead, they sort-of condemn rape — but they have to make sure to retain balance.
Cowardice requires balance, after all.

5Screenshot 2023-10-25 at 2.36.22 PM copy

For The Left, ‘Balance’ Means Shrugging At Sexual Assault

For The Left, 'Balance' Means Shrugging At Sexual Assault

Ben Shapiro

Hamas

Hostages

Israel

Muslims

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