Vessel Attacked in Red Sea off Yemen Coast, US Officials Blame Houthis https://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/4735491-vessel-attacked-red-sea-yemen-coast-us-officials-blame-houthis%C2%A0
Vessel Attacked in Red Sea off Yemen Coast, US Officials Blame Houthis
Yemeni coastguard members loyal to the legitimate government ride in a patrol boat cruising in the Red Sea off of the government-held town of Mokha in the western Taiz province, close to the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, on December 12, 2023. (AFP)
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Vessel Attacked in Red Sea off Yemen Coast, US Officials Blame Houthis
Yemeni coastguard members loyal to the legitimate government ride in a patrol boat cruising in the Red Sea off of the government-held town of Mokha in the western Taiz province, close to the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, on December 12, 2023. (AFP)
A Norwegian-owned vessel was attacked in the Red Sea on Monday in a strike that US officials said originated from Yemeni territory controlled by the Iran-aligned Houthi militias.
The attack on the M/V Swan Atlantic was the latest in a series on ships sailing the sea since the start of the Gaza war.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the US officials, who did not want to be identified, told Reuters the vessel was attacked by multiple projectiles launched from Houthi-controlled territory.
The owner of the ship said it was hit by an unidentified object and that none of its crew had been injured.
Oystein Elgan, chief executive of owner Inventor Chemical Tankers, told Reuters the ship's water tank had been damaged in the attack but all the vessel's systems were operating normally.
Operator Uni-Tankers said in a statement the crew had brought under control a small fire after the vessel was struck on its port side. The ship was carrying vegetable oils and is sailing to Reunion Island.
The Houthis have attacked vessels in the Red Sea area in protest at Israel's offensive in Gaza, launched in response to the Hamas rampage in southern Israel on Oct. 7. They say they are attacking vessels with links to Israel and have warned against sailing towards there.
Inventor Chemical Tankers has no ties to Israel, Elgan said. A US Navy destroyer responded to the ship's distress calls by moving towards the ship, the US officials said.
A British maritime authority said earlier that it had received a report of a possible explosion two nautical miles from a vessel located 30 nautical miles south of the Yemeni port of Mokha.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) authority said in separate advisories it had received reports of a second incident 30 nautical miles northwest of Mokha and another incident 24 nautical miles southeast of the port. No other information was given in the reports.
It was not immediately clear whether any of the reports related to the M/V Swan Atlantic.
Two major freight firms including MSC, the world's biggest container shipping line, said over the weekend they would avoid the Suez Canal in response to the attacks by the Houthis, who staged a coup against the legitimate government in 2014.
The Suez Canal shipping route, which leads to the Red Sea, is a vital waterway for global trade, used to transport energy and other goods between Europe and Asia, and elsewhere. The route saves on time and expense by avoiding having to navigate around the entire Africa continent.
The Houthis have pledged to continue their attacks until Israel stops its assault, but said on Saturday that real steps to ease the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip would contribute to "reducing the escalation". They also said that they were in Oman-mediated talks about its sea "operations".
That was the first indication that the militias may be willing to de-escalate. The US has said it is seeking an expanded coalition to protect ships in the Red Sea and to send a signal to the Houthis, who have also fired drones and missiles at Israel since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October.
SDF Commander to Asharq Al-Awsat: Syria Must Remain Unitedhttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5095870-sdf-commander-asharq-al-awsat-syria-must-remain-united
SDF Commander to Asharq Al-Awsat: Syria Must Remain United
Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Mazloum Abdi revealed that coordination had been taking place on the ground since the second day of the Deterrence of Aggression operation, waged by the Military Operations Command led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, against the Syrian regime.
He added however that direct negotiations have not been launched with the HTS, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, which had ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on December 8.
In an interview to Asharq Al-Awsat, Abdi stressed that the SDF was prepared to merge with new Syrian army, but only after reaching a negotiated agreement on the “suitable framework”.
Moreover, he underlined the need for “Syria to remain a united country.” The shape of its new political system should be decided by the people and constitutional discussions.
*Were you aware of the operations of the Syrian factions before December 27? Did you ever predict that Assad’s regime would fall in ten days?
We had signals that the armed factions were launching a military operation against the former regime. This was expected, but what was not expected was the rapid collapse of the army without putting up a fight. We were also surprised that their allies, who had stood by it throughout the Syrian revolution, were so quick to abandon it. I believe we will find out more in the future about what happened behind the scenes of the operation.
*Was there any coordination or communication with the HTS during those ten days of fighting?
No coordination was taking place with the HTS before the operation. We did get in contact on the second day to avert a clash between our forces in some Aleppo neighborhoods and to evacuate refugees from the Tal Rifaat camps that had been attacked by Türkiye-backed factions. This field coordination is still ongoing.
Syrian Kurds wave independence-era flags during a rally in support of the SDF in the northeastern city of Qamishli, on December 19, 2024. (AFP)
*What will Syria look like after Assad’s collapse? Will you take part in negotiations with the HTS over the shape of the state and its political system?
We have not yet launched direct negotiations with the HTS, but we believe that Syria should be a decentralized democratic state where the country’s diversity will be safeguarded by the constitution and the rights of all segments of society, including the Kurds, will be ensured.
We are not seeking Syria’s division and we are prepared to play our role in building and in partnering with the government that will rule the country. Syria has witnessed a lot of bloodshed. We are urgently calling for comprehensive direct dialogue to pave the way for the era of peace so that Syria can forge ahead and rebuild itself.
*Do the Kurds wants a federal or confederate Syria?
Above all else, it is imperative that Syria remain united. We believe that a lot of discussions will be held over the shape of the ruling system. This will be up to the people to decide and up to the constitutional discussions.
*What are the SDF’s conditions should negotiations be held over the regions controlled by the autonomous administration?
We don’t want to call them conditions, but there are some issues that are imposed by the reality on the ground and that should be taken into consideration. The priority lies in ending the military operations throughout Syria, especially the attacks carried out by Türkiye and its affiliated factions against the SDF. This will allow us, as Syrians, to discuss the future of our country without foreign interference of dictates. The regions controlled by the autonomous administration are Syrian and their representatives should have their voices heard and they should be part of discussions on building the future.
About the country’s resources, they belong to all the Syrian people. We are committed to a future where the resources are fairly and equally distributed by the state to all Syrians so that everyone can enjoy stability and prosperity. Attention must be given to regions that had been marginalized by the Assad regime.
*Leader of the new administration in Damascus Ahmed al-Sharaa had called on all Syrian armed factions to lay down their arms. Some have already done so; what is the SDF’s position on this?
The Syria of the future must have a unified national army that defends the country and its citizens. This is not up for debate. The SDF’s weapons will go to the army and the SDF will merge with the army. However, for this to happen, we need to have direct negotiations to reach a framework over how this can be implemented.
*There are growing Kurdish concerns over the city of Ain al-Arab, or Kobane. What are the SDF’s plans should it be attacked?
The threat by the Türkiye-backed factions against Kobane remains very serious. We are working with our partners in the US-led international coalition to ease the tensions there. That is why we proposed that the region be removed of all weapons. This will ease the concerns that Türkiye has spoken about. Türkiye, however, has not yet responded to this proposal and it continues to amass its forces. The truth is the attack on Kobane will be a disaster and will pose a major threat to the stability of the region. We hope it won’t happen.
*Are there direct or indirect contacts or negotiations with Ankara over the Syrian regions bordering Türkiye?
Indirect contacts are taking place with Türkiye through our partners in the international coalition. However, we want to hold direct negotiations to ease Türkiye’s fears, but Ankara has so far not expressed its readiness for such talks even though we are.
*Regional and international powers have constantly demanded that you sever ties with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). What do you say to these demands?
We have previously said that the SDF does not have organizational ties to the PKK. Some of its members have joined us in battles against ISIS. We fought side by side, but they will be removed once the military operations end and once the mechanism to do so is in place. The decision making in northern and eastern Syria has long been in the hands of the people and it will remain so. There are no justifications for these fears.
Syrian Kurds wave independence-era flags during a demonstration in support of the Syrian Democratic Forces in the northeastern city of Qamishli, on December 19, 2024. (AFP)
*Will the SDF allow the Syrian members of the Peshmerga in Iraqi Kurdistan return to Syria?
We are talking about building a national Syrian army, the laying down of arms and merging the factions with the army. If members of the Peshmerga return home from abroad, then they will naturally play a role in building their nation.
*What is your assessment of the threat posed by ISIS in Syria?
Combating ISIS is a priority for the Syrian people and region. The SDF is ready to work with the new Damascus government in operations against the organization and in combating terrorism.
We are committed to ensuring the security of our neighbors. Syria will not pose a threat to their safety and stability. We are prepared to work with the central government to put in place measures that guarantee that no non-Syrian actors will threaten Syria and its neighbors’ security. We are also ready, in principle, to hand over the responsibility of monitoring the border to the Damascus authorities according to an agreed framework.
*Are you planning on visiting Damascus?
Of course. Damascus is our capital, and we will visit it when the conditions are right.
