I said on BBC Radio Ulster last week that the UK and US pretty much had to strike back at the Houthis after they began targeting warships https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001tt4w
@joannekelly
Purely to save face, or as some sort of long time solution?
@tobychev Who, me? :) No, I know what you mean. I wouldn't say it's to save face but they backed themselves into a corner. I still firmly believe that America in particular is desperate to avoid a hot war anywhere right now.
@joannekelly
But how is "preserving credibility" different from "saving face"? Or do you mean that the verbal red lines they put down are not what is backing them into a corner, violence against Hoithis-wise?
(sorry for the sloppy opening, but it's a good question: do you feel free to give your full opinion to the BBC?After all this is part of the Gaza war(
@tobychev I suppose I see a difference because Shapps and the US must have known there was whatever % chance the Houthis would continue (they're known to be a bit mad) or even escalate, and so this was planned for. The fact that retaliatory strikes didn't happen right away means they're being more careful and, hopefully, picked good targets that will actually affect the Houthis' capabilities. Looking at what little I can verify from today, this isn't a piddly little strike on an empty airstrip.
@joannekelly
So, am I reading you correctly if I say that you, Stocker-Kelly, understand "saving face" to only refer to actions without (serious) consequences? (and made as a reaction to some external challenge made in public)
@joannekelly
That makes sense, thanks.
However, I wonder if they really boxed themselves in or if they rather just stalled for time when making these threats: Biden is under lots of republican pressure to bomb stuff, but is really not very interested in foreign policy at all and would rather not.
So the threats are more to excuse not bomb immediately while hoping things resolve themselves. It's not like the state department could _really_ expect that making a few threats would deter a regime that's been bombed for ten years already... maybe if they also offered bribes, but I don't think Biden wants to put in the capital for that.
@tobychev I look at “saving face” as trying not to be embarrassed. I think they always intended to follow through if they needed to. But that doesn’t mean they didn’t box themselves in by making threats. I hope that makes some sense.