(Ken Silva, Headline USA) The U.S. and British militaries bombed more than a dozen sites purportedly used by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen on Thursday, in a massive retaliatory strike using warship- and submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles and fighter jets, U.S. officials said.
However, early reports indicate that the attack was mostly ineffective. The massive bombardment, which likely cost hundreds of millions of dollars, only killed five Houthis and wounded six.
Unconfirmed reports said that the U.S. officials actually warned the Houthis ahead of the airstrikes—much like they’ve done with previous strikes in Syria.
And the strike didn’t complete its goal of clearing up the shipping lanes in the Red Sea.
The Biden administration reportedly told companies to avoid that area following the strikes, as forces in Yemen responded by vowing strict retaliation. The Houthis’ military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, said in a recorded address that the strikes would “not go unanswered or unpunished.”
The strikes were also unconstitutional, as noted by numerous lawmakers, inclusing some from Biden’s own party.
“Only Congress has the power to declare war,” said Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., supporting his colleague across the aisle, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.
“I have to give credit to @RepRoKhanna here for sticking to his principles, as very few are willing to make this statement while their party is in the White House.”
Only Congress has the power to declare war. I have to give credit to @RepRoKhanna here for sticking to his principles, as very few are willing to make this statement while their party is in the White House. https://t.co/kD95sII05J
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) January 12, 2024
Sen. Mike Lee agreed with Khanna and Massie, stating: “The Constitution matters, regardless of party affiliation.”
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., joined the opposition, too.
“The Constitution is clear, only Congress has the power to declare war,” she said on Twitter. “President Biden must come to Congress and ask us to authorize this act of war.”
However, Speaker Mike Johnson joined Biden and the neocons in supporting the unconstitutional action, which he said was “long overdue.”
“We must hope these operations indicate a true shift in the Biden Administration’s approach to Iran and its proxies that are engaging in such evil and wreaking such havoc,” Johnson said.
This action by U.S. and British forces is long overdue, and we must hope these operations indicate a true shift in the Biden Administration’s approach to Iran and its proxies that are engaging in such evil and wreaking such havoc. They must understand there is a serious price to… https://t.co/fAUoR07yMb
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) January 12, 2024
Finally, it’s worth mentioning that the U.S. has provided financial and military support to the parties it bombed on Thursday. The Bush and Obama administrations both backed the Houthis in the Yemen civil war at one point, on the grounds that the faction opposing the Houthis included al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
“American officials are communicating with Houthi fighters, largely through intermediaries … to promote a stable political transition as the Houthis gain more power and to ensure Washington can continue its campaign of drone strikes against leaders of the group al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, officials said,” the Wall Street Journal reported in 2015.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.
