Naval drama(s) off Arabia (catch all)

[tequila]

The Chinese already landed in Aden to take off their nationals. I wouldn't imagine this would be much more than an antipiracy mission, as listed - what exists in Yemen that China would be interested in?

[davidbfpo]

The USN has:

seven combat ships in the waters around Yemen as the Saudi-led bombing campaign there continues.....the destroyers USS Forrest Sherman and USS Winston Churchill; the minesweepers USS Sentry and USS Dextrous; and three amphibious ships carrying about 2,200 Marines, the USS Iwo Jima, the USS New York and the USS Fort McHenry, a Navy official told The Washington Post. The USNS Charles Drew, a dry cargo ship, is also in the region.

Link:http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/c...de-continues/?


Given the diplomatic skill shown by Iran in the region for sometime now, leaving aside for a moment the alliance in Iraq, would Iranian ships actually carry weapons? What if they carry non-military cargoes, such as medical or relief supplies?

[AdamG]

The Chinese already landed in Aden to take off their nationals. I wouldn't imagine this would be much more than an antipiracy mission, as listed - what exists in Yemen that China would be interested in?

Perception (China is a Player): China has invested heavily in Africa, they want the locals to take them seriously.

Force Projection: the Chinese have three surface ships in that convoy. Think they might have slipped a sub or two into the mix?

[tequila]

Perception (China is a Player): China has invested heavily in Africa, they want the locals to take them seriously.

Force Projection: the Chinese have three surface ships in that convoy. Think they might have slipped a sub or two into the mix?

Yemen isn't in Africa. I doubt many African countries where China has an interest care about Yemen.

Here is an interesting article about Africa's relative non-importance in Chinese foreign policy circles. If there is a sub in the mix, it's likely because the military wanted to do an exercise, not some sort of mischief-making at work. That would require a much higher level of attention than Africa usually gets.

http://www.brookings.edu/research/pa...ign-policy-sun

[davidbfpo]

WSJ reports:

An Iranian flotilla suspected of carrying weapons bound for rebels in Yemen reversed course and appeared to be heading home, averting a potential confrontation in the Gulf of Aden, U.S. defense officials said Thursday.

Link to first paragraph only:http://www.wsj.com/articles/fresh-ai...es-1429787821?

[AdamG]

Pentagon officials say the US is monitoring the seizure by Iran of a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship.

The MV Maersk Tigris was moving through Iranian waters in the Straits of Hormuz, according to the Pentagon.

Iranian patrol vessels fired warning shots across the bow of the boat, US officials said, branding the action "inappropriate".

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-32503660

[AdamG]

In the chaotic web of alliances in Yemen's new conflict, China's relatively meek intervention might be overlooked. But it's a noteworthy sign of China's growing geopolitical power, which has gained a lot of attention in Sub-Saharan Africa but also extends to the Middle East. And while the evacuation may look like they are cutting their losses, it may actually serve an important strategic purpose to extend China's reach.

China's interest in Yemen goes back decades, with Beijing helping with infrastructure developments in Yemen as far back as the 1950s. In recent years, however, the relationship clearly deepened: In 2013, President Xi Jinping welcomed President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to Beijing on an official visit and the two nations even vowed military cooperation. Beijing announced a $507 million loan to help develop the port of Aden that year, though some local media reports said that the loan had been suspended this year before it was due to commence.

For China, the logic behind the relationship was clear. Firstly, Yemen oil production could provide energy for China's booming economy, and China has spent over a decade investing heavily in Yemen's oil industry. Just as important, however, was Yemen's geographical location. Not only was Yemen close to the Horn of Africa, where China has a substantial economic footprint, its location by the Gulf of Aden made it a strategic location for the Suez Canal: In fact, the ships that rescued the Chinese nationals this week were part of an international anti-piracy operation in the region that China had been a part of since 2008.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...-global-power/