Officials Find Biden’s Response to Red Sea Attacks Inadequate

(TheConservativeTimes.org) – A number of U.S. officials are disappointed and frustrated by the Biden administration’s lackluster response to recent attacks on U.S. maritime military vessels in the Red Sea.

According to these officials, who spoke under condition of anonymity to news outlet Politico, the White House seems to be deliberately downplaying the incidents. U.S. ships in the area have shot down several explosive drones reportedly launched by Houthi rebels from Yemen.

Furthermore, these officials claim that there is a clear and present danger for U.S. ships in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf, adding that there has been no other time that U.S. ships in the area have been subjected to such attacks.

The Houthi rebels have already taken responsibility for several of the attacks, a large number of which have also been directed at commercial ships that have traversed the area. The Houthi rebels – which is believed to be one of the many armed Islamist and jihadist groups backed and supported by Iran – say that they are targeting vessels that are supposedly supporters of or are affiliated with Israel.

The latest attack happened only recently, when the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Carney responded to a distress call from a commercial ship that said it was on the receiving end of missile fire. Upon reaching the area, the USS Carney was forced to fire back in self-defense in a firefight that reportedly lasted for several hours. The destroyer shot down three drones during this time. Only days earlier, another Navy destroyer, the USS Thomas Hudner, shot down several one-way attack drones in the same area.

Despite all this, the White House has been reluctant to issue any definitive statement on the matter, saying only that it will discuss the issue with its global partners and allies to determine the “appropriate responses” to the attacks.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that U.S. is unable to asses if the Carney was the intended target of the attacks. Pentagon officials have seconded the statement, saying that there is no evidence yet that the Houthi rebels are specifically targeting U.S. military ships.