[TheCradle] France's Aquitaine-class FREMM frigate Alsace has turned tail from the Red Sea after running out of missiles and munitions repelling attacks from the Yemeni armed forces, according to its commander, Jerome Henry.
"We didn’t necessarily expect this level of threat. There was an uninhibited violence that was quite surprising and very significant. [The Yemenis] do not hesitate to use drones that fly at water level, to explode them on commercial ships, and to fire ballistic missiles," Henry told French news outlet Le Figaro in an exclusive interview published on 11 April.
"We had to carry out at least half a dozen assistances following [Yemeni] strikes," he added.
The commander of the Alsace also revealed that, after a 71-day deployment, all combat equipment was depleted.
What onearth will they do in a real war?
"From the Aster missile to the 7.62 machine gun of the helicopter, including the 12.7mm, 20mm, or 76mm cannon, we dealt with three ballistic missiles and half a dozen drones," Henry adds.
According to the French commander, the Franco—Italian Aster missile — each carrying a price tag of up to $2 million — "was pushed to its limits" by the Yemeni armed forces, as the Alsace had to use it "on targets that we did not necessarily imagine at the start."
Henry added that Sanaa has markedly increased its use of ballistic missiles after relying mainly on suicide drones at the start of the country's pro-Palestine operations in the Red Sea and stressed that the French Navy has not faced such a tough battle since NATO collectively launched its 2011 war on Libya to depose the late ruler Muammar Gaddafi.
"I was there too. It wasn't the same thing. It has been even longer since we have engaged with this level of weaponry and violence. The threat to the boat was much greater in the Red Sea," Henry notes.
The Alsace entered the Red Sea in late January, a few weeks after the US and the UK launched an illegal war on Yemen to protect Israeli shipping interests. The frigate was deployed as part of the EU naval operation Aspides — Greek for shield.
With a mandate initially set for one year, Aspides saw the deployment of several EU warships and airborne early warning systems to the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and surrounding waters. According to authorities in Brussels, the mission is exclusively defensive, and its forces are not taking part in US-led attacks against Yemen.
Aspides came together after several NATO members proved hesitant or outright refused to join the floundering Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG), which a top US commander called one of the largest battles the navy has fought since the end of World War II.
"We favor a diplomatic solution. We know that there is no military solution," US Special Envoy for Yemen Timothy Lenderking said earlier this month, acknowledging the futility of Washington's military strategy against the Arab world's poorest country.
According to Yemeni sources who spoke with The Cradle, US officials recently offered Sanaa "an acknowledgment of its legitimacy" in exchange for its neutrality in the ongoing war on Gaza.
"[Washington] pledged to repair the damages, remove foreign forces from all occupied Yemeni lands and islands, and remove Ansarallah from the State Department’s ’terrorism list’ — as soon as they stop their attacks in support of Gaza," The Cradle columnist Khalil Nasrallah cited the sources as saying.
The offer also includes "severely reducing" the role of the Saudi-appointed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) and "accelerating the signing of a roadmap" with the Saudi-led coalition to end the nine-year war that has decimated Yemen.
Nevertheless, Yemeni officials have maintained that their operations in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and the Indian Ocean will continue until Israel stops the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.
"From the coast of the Red Sea or from outside it, we can achieve the goals we want in defense of our country and support of Palestine... We still have many military surprises, and there are military operations that we are keeping secret as part of a specific media strategy," Mohammad Ali al-Houthi, a senior member of Yemen's Supreme Political Council, announced on 3 April.
#3
That's the logical result of playing defense only without even attempting to neutralize the aggressors against free navigation in international waters.
I fear this is one of the portents of a general collapse of the West, first gradually and then suddenly.
#5
What on earth will they do in a real war?
Logistics, logistics, logistics. The French were 'pinching pennies' and did not send a logistics ship to the Indian Ocean. A warship will "shoot itself dry" far faster than the 'Peace time experts' predict... Besides the job of a FREMM frigate in missile defense is to empty its magazines defending more valuable ships, like the French aircraft carrier, and then hope to survive to be reloaded.
#8
Sustained arc light-style bombing should mitigate the Houthis aggression. However, I don't think anything other than a total purge would change their behavior. It looks like France only has two of them in the anti-air role; the other six are ASW.
Posted by: Whiskey Mike ||
04/17/2024 11:44 Comments ||
Top||
#9
Pretending things are like they were because you don't want them to change is not the hallmark of adult leadership.
Radical elements of the Middle East including Iran and its Proxies have been escalating violence as the West keeps avoiding direct, forceful confrontation. Long ago a little bitch-slap would have stopped all this. Now, it requires at least a serious whuppin', by the collective West, but already risks serious, strategic escalation to very energetic, widespread kinetic exchanges.
Sadly, when it happens, a lot of the street-level ugliness may be coming to a neighborhood near you, literally, not just figuratively. Eight million new illegals undoubtedly have included very bad people carrying very bad things.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] The court sentenced residents of Stavropol Ansar Guseinov, Abdula and Miyasat Irkkuev, as well as Timur Bukharov to long prison terms, finding them guilty in the case of preparing a terrorist attack on behalf of the Islamic State.
As the "Caucasian Knot" reported, on October 7, 2022, the FSB reported that members of a cell of the international terrorist organization "Islamic State"* (IS), who were planning a terrorist attack, were detained in Stavropol. One of the detainees admitted plans to commit a terrorist attack and join the militants of a terrorist organization.
According to investigators, residents of Stavropol Ansar Guseinov, Abdula Irkkuev, Miyasat Irkkueva and Timur Bukharov joined the Islamic State on October 1, 2022. On October 3, 2022, they entered into a conspiracy with a member of the Islamic State to carry out a terrorist attack in Stavropol and acquired components for a homemade bomb. Later, Irkkuev made an explosive.
The Southern District Military Court in Rostov-on-Don sentenced Bukharov and Guseinov each to 14 years of imprisonment in a maximum security colony, Irkkuev to 15 years of imprisonment in a maximum security colony, Miyasat Irkkueva to 6 years of imprisonment in a general regime colony, it was reported today " Interfax" with reference to the press service of the court.
Depending on their role, they were accused of participating in a terrorist organization, preparing a terrorist attack, illegally manufacturing explosives, and illegally trafficking in explosives.
It should be noted that in October 2022, the FSB reported three times on the discovery of terrorist cells in the Stavropol region, but this aroused analysts’ distrust. “Such messages may raise doubts, because this is a case when it is impossible to either confirm or refute incoming information,” Deputy Director of the Institute of Political and Military Analysis Alexander Khramchikhin told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.
The intelligence services are motivated to spread doubtful reports about the detention of alleged terrorists in the Stavropol region to improve reporting and for propaganda purposes, journalist Elena Suslova and human rights activist Arsen Sarkisov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[KavkazUzel] Security forces suspected a resident of Vladikavkaz of publishing a comment calling for terrorism on a social network. The suspect is under recognizance not to leave the place, the Ministry of Internal Affairs for North Ossetia reported.
Employees of the Center for Countering Extremism of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for North Ossetia and the republican department of the FSB detained a 30-year-old resident of Vladikavkaz on suspicion of public calls for terrorist activities (Part 2 of Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), he was released on his own recognizance and proper behavior, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported today in North Ossetia.
According to the security forces, “using a pseudonym, the man posted a destructive comment on a page on one of the popular social networks: a statement justifying terrorist activities, approving the use of violence and containing calls for destructive actions,” according to a message on the department’s Telegram channel.
According to the Astra publication, the case involves a 29-year-old doctor at a children's hospital from Vladikavkaz, who in October 2023 left an indignant comment about gasoline prices.
Yes, but which terror group is he associated with, that drove him to complain about high gasoline prices?
[THEPOSTMILLENNIAL] Google staffers across the country barged into offices and staged sit-ins to protest the company’s $1.2 billion contract with Israel.
According to the New York Post, the "No Tech for Apartheid" protestors used accounts on Twitch and X to post live videos and images of their takeover of Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian’s office in Sunnyvale, Caliphornia, an impregnable bastion of the Democratic Party,.
The group read statements demanding the company end its participation in "Project Nimbus," a contract with Israel involving Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services, and accused the company of "powering genocide in Gazoo ...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt"s Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with an iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you"d expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... ."
Groups also occupied the 10th Floor of Google’s Manhattan offices as well as Google’s offices in Seattle as part of a "No Tech for Genocide Day of Action."
Signs brought by the group to the locations included, "Thomas Kurian: Drop Nimbus," "Googlers Against Genocide," and "Don’t Be Evil, Stop Retaliation."
The protestors also wore shirts that read, " Googlers Against Genocide, No Tech for Apartheid."
"Google, Google you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide. Google, Google you can’t hide, you are funding genocide," they chanted, also citing Google CEO Sundar Pichai.
Courtesy of Frank G: the full NY Post story can be seen here.
Posted by: Fred ||
04/17/2024 00:00 ||
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[11156 views]
Top|| File under: Hamas
It is clear Google, Facebook and other TECH companies seem to have attracted lots of minions for the Liberal, Socialist Democrats' (LSD) agenda.
So How Stupid Are They?
They support a Terrorist group that would quickly behead these minions for their openly practiced lives, beliefs and social practices.
It should be noted that the LSD agenda is clearly Racists being Anti-Jewish, Anti-White and now supports Islamic Terrorism and Death to America.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Over 1,000 migrants gathered outside NYC City Hall on Tuesday ahead of a City Council oversight hearing focused on the experience of black arrivals.
The majority of attendees were from Haiti and Guinea, West Africa, and seeking more aid, better shelters and work permits, according to reports.
Only 250 people were allowed inside the 10am hearing, but hundreds more flocked to the park across the street.
Videos circulating on social media show the crowd chanting and cheering.
Some people were allegedly encouraged to attend under the false pretense they would receive green cards and work visas, and were led to City Hall by an activist group, a source told the New York Post.
[TheIntercept] American forces did most of the heavy lifting responding to Iran’s retaliation for the attack on its embassy in Damascus.
THE UNITED STATES shot down more drones and missiles than Israel did on Saturday night during Iran’s attack, The Intercept can report.
More than half of Iran’s weapons were destroyed by U.S. aircraft and missiles before they ever reached Israel. In fact, by commanding a multinational air defense operation and scrambling American fighter jets, this was a U.S. military triumph.
The extent of the U.S. military operation is unbeknownst to the American public, but the Pentagon coordinated a multination, regionwide defense extending from northern Iraq to the southern Persian Gulf on Saturday. During the operation, the U.S., U.K., France, and Jordan all shot down the majority of Iranian drones and missiles. In fact, where U.S. aircraft originated from has not been officially announced, an omission that has been repeated by the mainstream media. Additionally, the role of Saudi Arabia is unclear, both as a base for the United States and in terms of any actions by the Saudi military.
In calculating the size of Iran’s attack and the overwhelming role of the United States, U.S. military sources say that the preliminary estimate is that half of Iran’s weapons experienced technical failures of some sort.
“U.S. intelligence estimates that half of the weapons fired by Iran failed upon launch or in flight due to technical issues,” a U.S. Air Force senior officer told The Intercept. Of the remaining 160 or so, the U.S. shot down the majority, the officer said. The officer was granted anonymity to speak about sensitive operational matters.
Asked to comment on the United States shooting down half of Iran’s drones and missiles, the Israel Defense Forces and the White House National Security Council did not respond at the time of publication. The Pentagon referred The Intercept to U.S. Central Command, which pointed to a press release saying CENTCOM forces supported by U.S. European Command destroyers “successfully engaged and destroyed more than 80 one-way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles (OWA UAV) and at least six ballistic missiles intended to strike Israel from Iran and Yemen.”
Israel says that more than 330 drones, low-flying cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles were launched by Iran, including some 30 Paveh-type cruise missiles, 180 or so Shahed drones, and 120 Emad intermediate-range ballistic missiles, as well as other types of weapons. All of the drones and cruise missiles were launched from Iranian territory, Israel says. Some additional missiles were also launched from inside Yemen, according to IDF data.
Most media reports say that none of the cruise missiles or drones ever entered Israeli airspace. According to a statement by IDF spokesperson Adm. Daniel Hagari, some 25 cruise missiles “were intercepted by IAF [Israeli Air Force] fighter jets outside the country’s borders,” most likely over Jordanian territory.
Israel’s statement that it shot down the majority of Iranian “cruise missiles” is probably an exaggeration. According to U.S. military sources and preliminary reporting, U.S. and allied aircraft shot down the majority of drones and cruise missiles. U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that the Royal Air Force Typhoons intercepted “a number” of Iranian weapons over Iraqi and Syrian airspace.
The Jordanian government has also hinted that its aircraft downed some Iranian weapons. “We will intercept every drone or missile that violates Jordan’s airspace to avert any danger. Anything posing a threat to Jordan and the security of Jordanians, we will confront it with all our capabilities and resources,” Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said during an interview on the Al-Mamlaka news channel.
French fighters also shot down some drones and possibly cruise missiles.
U.S. aircraft, however, shot down “more than” 80 Iranian weapons, according to U.S. military sources. President Joe Biden spoke with members of two F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft squadrons to “commend them for their exceptional airmanship and skill in defending Israel from an unprecedented aerial attack by Iran.” Two F-15 squadrons — the 494th Fighter Squadron based at Royal Air Force Lakenheath in the United Kingdom, and the 335th Fighter Squadron from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina — are forward deployed to the Middle East, at least half of the planes at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.
Two U.S. warships stationed in the Mediterranean — the USS Carney (DDG 64) and the USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) — shot down at least six ballistic missiles, the Pentagon says. The War Zone is reporting that those ships may have fired Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) interceptors in combat for the first time. A U.S. Army Patriot surface-to-air missile battery in Erbil, Iraq, shot down at least one ballistic missile. Wreckage of an Iranian missile was also found outside Erbil, as well as in an open area outside the province of Najaf.
Iran’s attack marks the first time since 1991 that a nation state has attacked Israel directly. Contending with extremely long distances and utilizing scores of decoys and swarm tactics to attempt to overwhelm Middle East air defenses, Iran managed to hit two military targets on the ground in Israel, including Nevatim Air Base. According to the IDF, five missiles hit Nevatim Air Base and four hit another base. Despite the low number of munitions successfully landing, the dramatic spectacle of hundreds of rockets streaking across the night sky in Syria, Iraq, and Iran has left Tehran contented with its show of force.
Iran “has achieved all its goals, and in our view the operation has ended, and we do not intend to continue,” Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, said over the weekend. Still, he cautioned, “If the Zionist regime or its supporters demonstrate reckless behavior, they will receive a decisive and much stronger response.”
Posted by: NoMoreBS ||
04/17/2024 13:12 ||
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[11142 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
[IsraelTimes] Lebanese media reported one dead in an Israeli drone strike on a vehicle in the town of Ain Baal, near Tyre, about 15 kilometers (nine miles) from the Israel border.
The IDF later confirmed it had carried out the strike, saying it targeted and killed the commander of Hezbollah's coastal region
The Israeli military and Lebanon’s Hezbollah exchanged fire on Tuesday, with the terror group launching two attack drones at northern Israel as a top commander behind recent attacks was killed in an airstrike.
Three people were lightly hurt in the Hezbollah drone attack, according to media reports and local authorities.
The Israel Defense Forces said the two explosive-laden drones struck areas near the northern community of Beit Hillel.
Hezbollah claimed to have targeted an Iron Dome battery in the area. The terror group has made similar claims in recent months, which have been dismissed by the IDF as empty boasts.
The IDF said it was investigating why sirens did not sound during the attack.
Footage circulating on social media purported to show one of the drones flying over the Galilee Panhandle.
Shortly after the drone attack, Lebanese media reported one dead in an Israeli drone strike on a vehicle in the town of Ain Baal, near Tyre, about 15 kilometers (nine miles) from the Israel border.
The IDF later confirmed it had carried out the strike, saying it targeted and killed the commander of Hezbollah’s coastal region.
Ismail Yousef Baz, whose rank is equivalent to a brigade commander, was "a senior and veteran official in the military wing of Hezbollah," holding several positions, the latest being the commander of the coastal region, the army said.
Baz was the sixth Hezbollah officer with a rank equivalent to a brigade commander to be killed by Israel in recent months, according to the IDF. The military has said that more than 30 Hezbollah commanders have been killed in its strikes in the past six months.
Posted by: lord garth ||
04/17/2024 00:00 ||
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[11136 views]
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[THEPOSTMILLENNIAL] Google staffers across the country barged into offices and staged sit-ins to protest the company’s $1.2 billion contract with Israel.
[IsraelTimes] Lebanese media reported one dead in an Israeli drone strike on a vehicle in the town of 
