Middle East and North Africa

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If you told me in 2001 that the US will spend $2.4 trillion and 20 years to replace the Taliban with the Taliban I would have thought you were crazy. (lemm.ee)

submitted 3 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Yet that's exactly what happened and the US public are not only okay with it, but eager to repeat it again.

So now I am taking bets on how much time and money do you think the US will lose in the Middle East to achieve nothing except looking foolish in the eyes of the world.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Got it, I thought maybe I missed something that happened today specifically.

Here’s my view on the shitshow that is Earth:

I’m not cheering the attacks on Yemen but that’s a sort of fuck around and find out thing (US/UK in general, I know there has been recent Houthi drone/Israel response that seemed to be overkill). Israel on the other hand can go fuck themselves with what they are doing in Gaza. I think a lot more people are actively opposed to the Israeli response to Hamas than any US/Houthi stuff.

But wtf do I know.

[+] [email protected] -13 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Yemen’s motives are clear, and they have offered to stop their blockade if the genocide in Gaza stops. But regardless of why, or whether you believe the Yemenis are justified or not, the US is losing in Yemen.

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4501958-houthi-fight-pentagon-cost/amp/

In most cases, the U.S. is launching $2 million defense missiles to stop $2,000 Houthi drones, a discrepancy that the Yemeni rebel group has noted in its statements mocking Washington.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Trusting statements from the houthis, eh? It's not about the cost delta between the drone and the interceptor anyways, it's about protecting global trade which is far more valuable

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Come on, the US is losing? It’s barely a conflict at this point and it’s mostly shooting down Houthi attacks, right? I’m not saying the US is ‘winning’ but you’re lying to yourself if you think the US military is using all of their resources against the Houthis.

[+] [email protected] -7 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Yes it is. The Israeli port of Eilat for example went bankrupt due to the blockade by the Yemeni forces.

To date, the US has lost at least three Reaper drones over Yemen, each costing $30m.

Estimates of the total cost of the operation range between $260m and $573m per month – that is, between $1.8bn and $4bn so far.

None of the US and its allies’ actions in the Red Sea have stopped the disruption of shipping lanes. Shipping and insurance costs have soared.

President Biden himself has admitted that the strikes against Houthis do not work. Yet, he has refused to stop them even as experts are suggesting that “strategic inaction” may in fact be more effective. He has also refused to use the most effective way to stop the Houthis: to press Israel into putting an end to the genocide in Gaza. The Houthis have repeatedly made clear that their attacks will stop as soon as there is a ceasefire.

US foreign policy fails again, this time against the Houthis

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

You are highly skilled at taking someone who more or less agrees/understands what you’re saying and turning them off what you have to say. GG

[+] [email protected] -6 points 3 months ago (1 children)

True. This is something that I need to work on and improve. I am aware of it but don't know how to mitigate it.

To me it looks like my response is well cited with numbers and quotes, but I know that it comes across as abrasive and I don't know where this failure is happening.

Thank you for the honest feedback.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I might’ve been unfair in my reply but I also think we both have different criteria for what we think winning and losing looks like. The numbers you cited, whether true or not, don’t really mean much in this situation. 3 $30m drones is literally nothing compared to the full military budget. The other numbers, and I might be wrong, were already budgeted for so either way, the US was going to spend that money.

So to me, looking at just the costs doesn’t really convince me either way. Now if we look at the live situation, it’s basically ‘the west’ attempting to shoot down the Houthi attacks. More of a defensive strategy in my eyes.

Just as an example, look back at that swarm Iran sent at Israel. Do you really think the US is incapable of doing the same bombardment on Yemen?

[–] [email protected] -5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Has the US achieved any of its goals against Yemen? What has the prosperity guardian guarded?

Or to put it differently. When did the US lose against Taliban? In 2001? Or in 2021?

Taking out Iranian drones and projectiles cost the US over a billion dollars and required the coordination of multiple countries. In a war of attrition the US will lose, just like in Vietnam and Afghanistan before.

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/19/missile-drone-pentagon-houthi-attacks-iran-00132480

“The cost offset is not on our side,” said one DOD official.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

You’re just wasting my time at this point without even understanding what you are replying to. Have the Houthis ended the genocide? Isn’t that their goal? Lmao this is why I rarely even bother going back and forth with anyone online, I just get irrelevant BS.

[–] [email protected] -5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Have the Houthis ended the genocide?

No, and if you will define success by only this metric then they aren't successful.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

Hahahahha I knew your name looked familiar. You’re that user that doesn’t understand what you are replying to. Thanks for the ban, go chop up a journalist lmao