Aerial footage shows moment RAF Typhoon strikes Yemen military target
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The coordinated overnight strikes on Yemen launched by Britain and the United States killed at least five people, wounded six, and “will not go unanswered and unpunished”, a Houthi spokesperson has warned.
Rishi Sunak and US president Joe Biden both issued statements in which they condemned the “reckless actions” of the Houthi group that has targeted dozens of international cargo ships in the Red Sea, a major artery of world commerce, since the start of Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.
Huge explosions were seen in Yemeni cities including Sanaa and Hodeidah in the early hours of Friday, with the US military saying 60 strikes were launched against 16 sites linked to the Houthis’ military operations.
Three weeks ago the US launched Operation Prosperity Guardian, a concerted effort to protect international shipping in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks.
Late on Thursday, Mr Sunak held an emergency cabinet meeting, amid speculation the UK would launch strikes.
Following reports from the cabinet meeting, opposition MPs had called for a recall of Parliament before the UK took military action.
No plans for parliamentary vote on Yemen strikes, says No 10
Rishi Sunak’s spokesperson has told reporters there are no plans for a parliamentary vote to retrospectively approve strikes on Yemen.
Watch: Labour accepts timing for Houthi strikes was not in UK's hands, says John Healey
Government publishes its legal position on ‘necessary’ strikes in Yemen
The government has published a summary of its legal position following the military strikes on Houthi targets.
It states: “Military intervention to strike carefully identified targets in order to effectively downgrade the Houthi’s capabilities and deter further attacks was lawfully taken.
“It was necessary and proportionate to respond to attacks by the Houthis and this was the only feasible means available to deal with such attacks.”
It continues: “The UK is permitted under international law to use force in such circumstances where acting in self-defence is the only feasible means to deal with an actual or imminent armed attack and where the force used is necessary and proportionate.
“The government will notify the United Nations Security Council of the actions it has taken under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.”
‘Certainly a risk of wider conflict’ after UK-US strikes, says foreign policy expert
There is “certainly a risk of wider conflict in the region” after the US-UK strikes in Yemen, with many among the “tinderbox” of nations and groups involved believing the stakes “are becoming existential”, a foreign policy expert has said.
Sophia Gaston, head of foreign policy at the Policy Exchange think tank, said this is partly because there are so many proxies for different states, such as the Houthis and Hezbollah for Iran.
“The existence of so many nations with both direct national interests and also higher interests in pursuing different goals and outcomes necessarily makes this a kind of tinderbox.
“And I think there are a lot of these players who believe that the stakes at the moment are becoming existential. So I think that always is a recipe for a higher risk of conflict.”
But, she said, since Hamas’ sattack on Israel on 7 October unleashed the Gaza conflict, many nations have sought to “hold their nerve”.
“What’s interesting in this situation is that while things feel more febrile than ever, and the risks are considerable, we have also seen many of the parties involved in the region taking a decision that further escalation is not in their interest.”
US politicians criticise Biden for launching Houthi strikes without backing from Congress
Across the Atlantic, US president Joe Biden is also facing criticism over his failure to seek the backing of Congress for the strikes launched by Britain and the United States last night.
Mr Biden’s fellow Democrats Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna, Rashida Tlaib, Cori Bush, Jason Crow, Barbara Lee, Mark Pocan and Val Hoyle have voiced objections to the president’s alleged failure to honour his constitutional obligations to brief the House and Senate before he took action.
“This is an unacceptable violation of the Constitution,” said Ms Jayapal. “Article I requires that military action be authorised by Congress.”
While this is correct, Article II of the Constitution also empowers the president, as commander-in-chief, to direct the use of military force to protect the nation from an attack or threat of imminent attack and to protect important national interests.
Joe Sommerlad has the report:
Labour ‘fully supportive’ of strikes, says Starmer
Labour is “fully suppportive” of the action needed to respond to attacks by Houthi rebels and it is “for the government” to make a statement to parliament about the intervention, Sir Keir Starmer said.
Asked how concerned he was that MPs will currently not have the oppportunity to debate the strikes until Monday, he told broadcasters on a visit in Bury in Greater Manchester: “I want the Prime Minister to make a statement as soon as possible, but the principle of taking action against the Houthi rebels is really important.”
Sir Keir said Labour was “fully supportive of the action that is needed to stop these attacks taking place”.
Italy declined to take part in airstrikes, source claims
Italy declined to take part in US and British strikes overnight against the Houthi group in Yemen, a government source has told Reuters, with Rome preferring to pursue a “calming” policy in the Red Sea.
The source, who did not want to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, also said the government would have needed parliamentary backing to take part in any military action, making swift approval impossible.
Britain and the US struck multiple targets in Yemen from the air and the sea, while the Netherlands, Australia, Canada and Bahrain provided logistical and intelligence support, US officials have said.
Commons Speaker ‘happy to facilitate’ recall of parliament ‘at any time'
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has said he is “happy to facilitate” a recall of parliament “at any time” amid calls for greater consultation of MPs on British military action against Houthi rebel bases in Yemen.
With the Commons having finished business for the week on Thursday, MPs will currently be unable to debate the strikes until Monday.
Sir Lindsay said: “I was invited to a meeting at the Cabinet Office last night to be briefed about the air strikes on Houthi rebel bases.
“I made representations to the deputy prime minister about the need for the House to be informed at the earliest possible opportunity and that I would be happy to facilitate a recall at any time.”
Four RAF Typhoons used in airstrikes on Yemen
Four RAF Typhoon FGR4 fighter jets were launched from a base at Akrotiri in Cyprus in last night’s airstrikes.
Typhoons are 16m long and have an 11m wingspan, about the same size as the length of a double decker bus, can fly at a maximum speed of Mach 1.8 – almost twice the speed of sound – and have a maximum altitude of 55,000ft.
Fighter jets were equipped with the advanced and highly accurate precision bombs, capable of destroying the majority of targets while minimising collateral damage, according to reports.
The Paveway IV has four main parts, a guidance system in the front which can be reprogrammed mid-air, a 225kg warhead in the middle, a tail section to guide the bomb and a smart fuse to control how it detonates. Air crews are able to choose the impact angle and attack direction of the low-cost and all-weather bomb.
Four RAF Typhoons took off from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus
Sunak says Yemen strikes were self-defence amid row over not consulting parliament
Rishi Sunak has said strikes on targets linked to Houthi rebels in Yemen were “self-defence” to protect shipping lanes, as the PM faces a backlash over his decision not to consult parliament.
Labour leader Keir Starmer has said he supports the strikes – but demanded a Commons statement “at the first opportunity” and a summary of the government’s legal position today.
A political row has erupted over the PM’s failure to seek approval of parliament for the strikes –despite briefing the Labour leader ahead of time and a late-night cabinet meeting.
The Lib Dems’ foreign affairs spokeswoman Layla Moran said it was “shameful” for Mr Sunak to bypass parliament. The SNP and some Labour MPs have also demanded the recall of the Commons.
Kate Devlin and Adam Forrest from our lobby team have the full report:
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMib2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmluZGVwZW5kZW50LmNvLnVrL25ld3Mvd29ybGQvbWlkZGxlLWVhc3QveWVtZW4taG91dGhpLXJlYmVscy11ay11cy1haXJzdHJpa2VzLXJlZC1zZWEtYjI0Nzc1MDQuaHRtbNIBAA?oc=5
2024-01-12 11:47:44Z
CBMib2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmluZGVwZW5kZW50LmNvLnVrL25ld3Mvd29ybGQvbWlkZGxlLWVhc3QveWVtZW4taG91dGhpLXJlYmVscy11ay11cy1haXJzdHJpa2VzLXJlZC1zZWEtYjI0Nzc1MDQuaHRtbNIBAA
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