Israel is eyeing a base in Somaliland to counter the Houthis ~ Elder Of Ziyon

Monday, December 16, 2024

Israel is eyeing a base in Somaliland to counter the Houthis

There are reports that the US struck Houthi positions last night.

It appears that the US has been doing far more in Yemen than has been reported, with new information about hundreds of combat sorties in recent months. These activities are being described as "the largest naval conflict the United States has been in since World War II."

It is unclear how many of these missions are defensive - protecting ships and themselves - and how many are offensive to degrade Houthi abilities.

After arriving in the CENTCOM area of operations in August, the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group worked alongside the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group, until that group left in September. Alongside intercept missions, the squadrons took part in offensive operations. Those included major strikes on Houthi military sites over two days in Nov. 9-10. The Marine Corps’ VMFA-314 took part in that operation, the first time that the Marine Corps’ F-35C saw combat. The squadron dropped 72,000 pounds of ordnance while in the Middle East, it reported.

Even more unclear is whether these sorties are deterring the Houthis at all. So far, it appears not.

Once again, Israel may have to do what the world doesn't want to.

Arab media and Haaretz have reported that Israel is looking at establishing a military base in Somaliland specifically to have a place nearby from which they can attack the Houthis.

On October 17, the pro-Qatari news website Middle East Monitor reported that Israel secretly approached Somaliland, situated across the Gulf of Aden from the Yemeni city of Aden, with a proposal that would serve both parties: Israel will set up a military base in Somaliland that will allow it to attack and deter Houthi targets, in return for formal recognition of the country and financial investments in it.

According to the report, which relies on diplomatic sources, the United Arab Emirates is mediating between the two countries, and has not only convinced Somaliland to allow the construction of the military base, but will also finance it. The UAE, a signatory to the 2020 Abraham Accords with Israel, has a clear vested interest in such a deal, as the Houthis have become a security threat for it, too, and Israeli military forces in Somaliland will certainly help it fight them.

In recent years, Somaliland allowed the UAE to use the port of Berbera and its airport as a base for its military activity in Yemen, in return for a $440 million UAE investment in Berbera port, according to foreign media. The UAE mediation follows its military cooperation with Israel, the two having reportedly established a joint military-intelligence base on the Socotra archipelago, one of the world's remotest, most ecologically diverse islands, situated in the Gulf of Aden near Yemen.

Israel recognizing Somaliland is a win-win. Somaliland is not recognized by most of the world but it is a democracy in the midst of authoritarian governments. Its most important resource is its location - right at the entrance of the Bab al-Mandeb straits, through which 12% of the world's global trade passes.

Here's where the Abraham Accords and other peace deals pay off. Moderate Arab states hate Iran and its proxies, but Israel can do the dirty work they need. Egypt will never admit to wanting Israel to deter Yemen but it has lost a significant amount of Suez Canal revenue because of the Houthis, and it would prefer Israel fix that problem while not making itself a bigger target for Islamists.

For all its formidable power, the US does not seem to ever want to deliver a knockout punch in its operations. Israel would have no problem hitting Houthi positions beyond the purely military - to destroy its ports from which Iran sends it weapons, for example.

As we've seen in Gaza and Lebanon, a knockout punch is what is necessary against fanatical jihadists. The US and moderate Arab countries are reluctant to deliver such a punch. But the Houthis will not agree to stop their murderous operations unless they are on the ropes.

Israel cannot do this from a distance. Somaliland gives Israel the chance to not only drop the next to last domino of Iranian proxies, but also to enhance its own ability to act worldwide when necessary to defend its interests.