The "strange" and unexpected presence of Houthi forces in North Africa targeting the Strait of Gibraltar.
The chickents come home to roost
A major security issue has arisen with the "strange" and unexpected presence of Houthi forces in North Africa targeting the Strait of Gibraltar.
According to an Arab publication, the Houthis have begun to transfer large forces and weapons to North Africa.
After the attacks in the Red Sea, the Suez-Arabian Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean, the Houthis (if they are) appear across the Strait of Gibraltar!
This very strange war arrangement shows that the Russian-Chinese axis is trying to close the sea lanes to the American - and generally - Western warships in the event of a major regional conflict. American sources confirm that Russia will send, if it has not already done so, also P-800 Oniks anti-ship missiles to the Houthis.
The Houthis are expanding their front in North Africa – They are building a fortress in the Strait of Gibraltar!
"The militants will move to North Africa to be able to threaten the Strait of Gibraltar, which is considered a key point connecting Europe and Africa, and the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean ," reports Rai Alyoum.
According to the Lebanese newspaper Al Akhbar, the Houthis aim to establish a significant presence that could potentially threaten strategic points such as the Strait of Gibraltar from Moroccan soil.
Israeli intelligence agencies are increasingly concerned about a possible new front emerging against the country, this time in the Mediterranean, according to exclusive details approved for release by Israeli security services.
Intelligence obtained reveals that Yemen's Houthi rebels are expanding their influence in North Africa, Sudan, Egypt and Morocco with intentions to target Israel from these areas.
The Houthis are reportedly planning to deploy fighters from Yemen to strengthen their presence in those countries, posing a direct threat to Israeli interests in the Mediterranean region. Intelligence sources report ongoing efforts to transfer weapons to these newly targeted areas.
"The horror scenario is that of a missile falling into the Mediterranean Sea, which would be a disaster," a source familiar with the situation told i24NEWS . "The threat is not limited to Eilat and the Red Sea, it is right here, off Israeli shores."
Recent developments have also seen Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah engage with the Houthis and Shiite militias in Iraq, suggesting a concerted effort to expand influence.
The bottom line is this: The US sowed wind with the "War on Terror" and Obama's blessings of the Arab Spring in 2011, and even now it is reaping wind. Egregious examples include the rise of ISIS in Iraq and Syria and a still-raging Libyan civil war.
The "Wolves", who "rejoice in the anabumboola", as we speak, are the "usual suspects", Russia, China, who, through their influence in the wider region, in turn bless the Iran-Hezbollah-Houthi axis, that sail threatens political and military interests from the Straits of Gibraltar to the shores of Israel.
It is of course doubtful at the moment whether Russia and China are acting with orchestrated interests, but at present it does not really matter, in the face of the colossal breach of national security in the so-called MENA (Middle East-North Africa) region.
As we have noted in the past in related publications, Russia more specifically seems to follow the "anti-US" foreign policy doctrine, i.e. if the US supports Israel, then Russia supports Iran's axis. This was not the diplomatic norm for Russia, before the war in Ukraine, which has led the West to unite on a common anti-Russian axis.
In any other case, Russia would have rushed into a firefighting role, through diplomatic relations with Iran, and certainly, under no circumstances would it have allowed the expansion of the Houthis and their action against the security of navigation throughout the Mediterranean.
Let's not forget Putin's statements that Russia will arm the US's enemies with long-range missiles. As the facts show, the Houthis are included in this "wide range" of US enemies.
Chinese Drones in Libya - The Russian-Chinese Axis Arms X. Haftar
Italian authorities seized Chinese Wing Loong UAVs at the port of Gioia Tauro in southern Italy on June 18. They were marked as "wind turbine parts". Their destination was Benghazi, Libya for surrender to General Khalifa Haftar. The US notified Italian authorities of the shipment.
The components that made up the two drones were hidden in six containers sent on two container ships from China to the port of Gioia Tauro in Italy, where they were seized before being loaded onto ships bound for Libya, officials said.
"The parts were hidden between composite replicas of wind turbine blades to hide them and avoid checks ," Italian tax police and customs officials said in a statement. One of the drones had the slogan "Energy Saving World" written on its side.
The drones were targeting Benghazi to General Khalifa Haftar, the strongman who controls eastern Libya, sources told Defense News on condition of anonymity.
Each drone was more than 10 meters (33 feet) long, with a wingspan of about 20 meters (66 feet) and weighed more than 3 tons, according to Italian authorities. The description matches reports from sources that the drones were Chinese Wing Loong II unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Wing Loong II UAV MALE has a maximum payload capacity of 400 kg. It is capable of carrying up to 12 laser-guided bombs or missiles with a total weight of 480 kg. It has been developed primarily for the Chinese export market and is intended for surveillance and aerial reconnaissance, but also combat and strike missions.
The seizure in the southern Italian port was preceded by a Canadian police operation in April that led to the arrest of two Libyans living in Canada who intended to buy Chinese drones with Libyan crude oil. Fathi Ben Ahmed Mhaouek and Mahmud Mohamed Elsuwaye Sayeh were former employees of the International Civil Aviation Organization, a UN agency based in Montreal.
China, however, is not the only one arming Haftar.
On April 19 of this year, Defense News reported in a related publication that Russian ships were unloading thousands of tons of military equipment at the port of Tobruk in eastern Libya. The shipments, sent from the Russian-controlled port of Tartus in Syria, included towed artillery, armored personnel carriers and rocket launchers.
The equipment may in part be used to support Russia's growing military presence in eastern Libya, but was likely destined for countries further south in Africa, such as Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, where Russia has ties to the leaders of recent coups.
“There has been a constant effort by the US to engage Haftar, rather than isolate him, but he has repeatedly defied our requests and the UN's requests and has moved closer to Russia. The U.S. approach has been to run the same football play over and over and expect a different result ," said Fishman, who previously served on the National Security Council.
Through the Wagner mercenary proxies, Russia supported Haftar's failed bid to conquer western Libya in 2019 after the country split following the 2011 overthrow of national leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi.
US diplomacy has recently aimed to persuade Haftar to participate in national elections to reunify the country, while Moscow has reportedly focused on negotiating a permanent Russian naval presence in Tobruk, giving it a foothold in the central Mediterranean.
It is clear that Russia and China are backing Haftar with both seeking influence in the so-called Maghreb, which includes Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia, as well as South Africa.
The big questions that arise are two: First, are the two countries, Russia and China, acting within the framework of the Russian-Chinese axis or do they have competing interests in the region?
And secondly more important: What is the role of Russia and China, in the recent announcement of the Houthis in the expansion of the organization of North Africa, now also targeting the Western Mediterranean?