DISCORD OVER GAZA
While the US says 20 countries have signed up for its maritime task force, it has announced the names of only 12.
“We’ll allow other countries, defer to them to talk about their participation,” US Major General Patrick Ryder told reporters last week.
The EU has signalled its support of the maritime task force with a joint statement condemning the Houthi attacks.
Although Britain, Greece and others have publicly embraced the US operation, several mentioned in the US announcement were quick to say they are not directly involved.
Italy’s defence ministry said that it would send a ship to the Red Sea following requests from Italian ship owners and not as part of the US operation. France said it supports efforts to secure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea but that its ships would remain under French command.
Spain has said it will not join Operation Prosperity Guardian and opposes using an existing EU anti-piracy mission, Atalanta, to protect Red Sea shipping. But on Wednesday, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he was willing to consider the creation of a different mission to tackle the problem.
Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates earlier proclaimed no interest in the venture.
Public anger over Israel’s Gaza offensive helps explain some of the reluctance of political leaders. A recent Yougov poll found that strong majorities of Western Europeans – particularly Spain and Italy – think Israel should stop military action in Gaza.
There is also the risk that participating countries become subject to Houthi retaliation. The person familiar with the US administration’s thinking says that it is this risk – rather disagreements over Gaza – driving some countries to steer clear of the effort.
That appears to be the case for India, which is unlikely to join the US operation, according to a senior Indian military official. An Indian government official said the government worries that aligning itself with the US could make it more of a target.
INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT NEEDED
In reality, many European and Gulf countries already participate in one of several US-led military groups in the Middle East, including the 39-nation Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).
The EU’s Atalanta operation already cooperates in a “reciprocal relationship” with CMF, according to a spokesperson for the group.
That means that some countries not formally joining the Red Sea maritime task force could still coordinate patrols with the US Navy.
For example, while Italy – a member of Atalanta – has not said it will join Operation Prosperity Guardian, an Italian government source told Reuters that the US-led coalition is satisfied with Italy’s contribution.
The source added that the decision to send a naval frigate as part of existing operations was a way to speed the deployment and did not require a new parliamentary authorization.
The US effort to draw international support for its Red Sea security push comes as the United States faces pressure on multiple fronts from Iran’s military proxies in the region.
Beyond the Houthis in Yemen, Iran-backed militia have been attacking US troops in Syria and Iraq.
So far, the United States has carried out limited retaliatory air strikes against the militia in Iraq and Syria, but it has refrained from doing so in Yemen.
Michael Mulroy, a former deputy assistant secretary of defence for the Middle East under the Trump administration, said the Pentagon’s goal with the new maritime coalition appeared to be to make any future Houthi attacks an international issue in order to divorce it from the Israel-Hamas war.
“Once the military vessels in Operation Prosperity Guardian start protecting commercial shipping and come under a direct attack, (the Houthis) will be attacking the coalition, not just the US,” Mulroy said.
Source: CNA
