The humiliation the US suffered at the hands of the Houthis was the product of the United States military’s own arrogance, former Pentagon analyst Ret. Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski tells Sputnik.
Kwiatkowski compared the US anti-Houthi campaign to the American War for Independence, where the “arrogant” British military grossly overestimated their opponent, “a smaller, tougher, more creative set of people.”
The US military decline, she posits, has been going on for decades but was so far easy to hide because the US never fought serious enemies.
As such, there are three lessons Russia, Iran and China can derive from the US misadventures:
- Do not engage in proxy wars
- Be aware that people fighting for their land will fight harder and smarter than “a visiting professional army”
- If you have to fight people who fight for their lives and their way of life, prepare to be ruthless and to emulate their tactics and strategies
Donald Trump’s attempt to sell the US withdrawal from the anti-Houthi campaign as a success does not seem militarily credible, though the material losses the US suffered in the form of lost aircraft and downed Reaper drones are a “good reason to regroup.”
Published by Sputnik Globe
A related news from Sputnik Globe:
Houthis Deal Major Blow to US and Allies’ Reputation
Houthi fighters earlier claimed that they struck the USS Harry Truman three times within a 24-hour period.
America has the world’s greatest military budget. The Houthis have nothing — and still, they won a decisive victory over the US. Here’s how.
Hunting for US Drones
One more advanced US MQ-9 Reaper drone was recently shot downed by the Houthis.
A total of eight such drones – worth a whopping $30 million each – have been destroyed by the Houthi group in less than six weeks.
Houthi militants also managed to obliterate US MQ-1 Predator drones in two separate attacks in 2019 and 2022. Each and every such UAV costs about $20 million.
Crackdown on Israel, Strikes on US warships
The Houthis continue their “comprehensive” air blockade against Israel, the closest US ally in the Middle East. Houthi fighters conduct the anti-Israel air siege almost all by themselves.
The Houthis claimed to have staged attacks on the USS Harry Truman aircraft carrier and its escorting warships in the Red Sea in April.
The attacks came after the Houthis targeted US Navy destroyers – the Stockdale and the O’Kane – in the area late last year.
The US lost an F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet worth about $60 million last month. The plane rolled into the Red Sea from the Harry Truman aircraft carrier as the vessel was dodging a Houthi attack.
USS Carl Vinson and missile destroyer escorts sail with Japanese warships. File photo. – Sputnik International, 1920, 02.04.2025
Houthis ‘Essentially Eliminated’ US Carrier Group From Asia ‘Without Having to Fire a Shot’ – Report
2 April, 15:56 GMT
Published by Sputnik Globe
Republished by The 21st Century
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