U.S. Officials Frustrated with Biden Response to Red Sea Attacks

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U.S. Officials Frustrated with Biden Response to Red Sea Attacks

U.S. officials expressed frustration over what they perceive as the Biden administration downplaying a significant threat in the Red Sea. Politico reported that during a prolonged firefight, Houthi rebels targeted three U.S. commercial vessels, prompting a response from the USS Carney. The Biden administration refrained from confirming the warship as a target, aiming to avoid escalation, though officials acknowledge increased threats.

More from Politico:

“People are thinking this is an Israel thing, and because they are heavy-handed in Gaza no one is saying anything,” the official said. “The world should be condemning this.”

A second U.S. official acknowledged that the U.S. has taken pains to say it does not know whether the Carney was the target because it is “trying to avoid unnecessary escalation.” But the official also pointed out that the administration has deliberately left some wiggle room and has not said definitively that the warship was not targeted.

“We are not hesitating to take action against forces or militia groups that could be a threat to our forces,” the official said.

Some DOD officials have said explicitly that the increase in attacks on commercial shipping is an escalation. Adm. Christopher Grady, vice chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, highlighted the attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea as “a big deal.”

The attacks are seen as an escalation in the region. The U.S. will need to consider potential responses, including engaging partner nations for a maritime task force and holding Iran accountable for enabling the attacks.

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