PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF (PDB) – Israel prepares for a new battlefront against the Houthis in Yemen, striking back at the group for its drone and missile attacks and signaling a potential lengthy campaign that would take the battle far from Israel’s borders.
The Houthi movement, which control parts of Yemen and are backed by Iran, was once considered by Israel’s security establishment to be a more manageable threat than Hamas in Gaza or Hezbollah in Lebanon. The group attacked Israel soon after the Hamas-led terror assault on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Since then, the Houthis have fired on or intercepted commercial and naval vessels transiting the Red Sea. In recent weeks, they have also stepped up their attacks on Israel, sending missiles flying toward Israeli cities, most of which were intercepted but forced millions of people to rush to bomb shelters on a near-nightly basis.
The Houthis “are more technologically advanced than perceived by many” and should not be “underrated,” said an anonymous Israeli official.
With support from Iran, the Houthis have been able to take “practical steps” in pursuing their ideology, which calls for the destruction of the US and of Israel.
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here’s a roundup of today’s other top defense stories ending the week from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.
Not the President’s Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEFING – the PDB:
POLITICS
WORST PRESIDENT SINCE FDR – Jimmy Carter, 39th US president, a Navy veteran and the only commander-in-chief to graduate from the Naval Academy, dies at 100.
3 non-negotiables in the quest for peace in Ukraine. Trump has vowed to end the war in Ukraine “within a day” of returning to the White House, or perhaps even before. Early indicators suggest he may just pull it off.
US to send $1.25 billion in weapons to Ukraine, pushing to get aid out before Biden leaves office.
Major leadership shakeup, new budget battles coming to VA in 2025. But how much all of that will impact veterans benefits and health care is less clear.
IRAN THREAT/ISRAEL WARS
Israel built an ‘AI factory’ for war. It unleashed it in Gaza. Years before the Gaza war, Israel transformed its intelligence unit into an AI testing ground, triggering a debate about whether humans were sufficiently in the loop.
Behind the dismantling of Hezbollah: Decades of Israeli intelligence. Investigation shows how extensively Israel penetrated the Lebanese militia, closely tracking the group’s commanders and culminating in the assassination of its leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
U.S. PUSHED THIS – A lead organization monitoring for food crises around the world withdrew a new report this week warning of imminent famine in north Gaza under what it called Israel’s “near-total blockade,” after the US asked for its retraction.
Israel detains the director of one of northern Gaza’s last functioning hospitals, and over 240 others, during a raid. As always, Hamas terrorists were using the facility.
CHINA THREAT
China unveils amphibious assault ship that can launch fighters.
China’s new domestically developed Y-20 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) jet spotted. It is based on the four-engine Y-20 cargo plane.
Japan approved a record $55 billion defense budget for 2025 as it accelerates building up its ‘strike-back’ capability with long-range cruise missiles and starts deploying Tomahawks to fortify itself against growing threats from China, North Korea and Russia.
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
Ukraine risks losing all the Russian land it seized within months. It forces have lost about half the territory seized in Russia’s Kursk region and may lose the rest in a matter of months, potentially depriving Kyiv of important leverage for ceasefire talks with Russia.
2024 was a year of triumphs and setbacks for Russian leader Vladimir Putin, with a deadly attack by gunmen in Moscow and an incursion by Kyiv’s troops on his territory.
DOWNED AZERBAIJANI AIRLINER
NORTH KOREA THREAT
North Korea’s Kim vows the toughest anti-US policy just as Trump prepares to take office.
Jetliner skids off runway and bursts into flames while landing in South Korea, killing 179 after a potential bird strike and its landing gear apparently failing to deploy. All but two of the 181 people on board died in one of the country’s worst aviation disasters.
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
Afghan Taliban forces target Pakistan in retaliation for deadly airstrikes.
US MILITARY
END of PDB
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
READ NEXT: Foreign Power Targets US Finances – Biden Drops Bombshell
Needed to survive
All I know from reading is: The fighting concerning Jews, has been ongoing battle since beginning of HISTORY !!! UNTILL one or the other has TOTAL ANIOLATION of the other it will continue !!!!! This has been written in sands of Time, Bible if you think its anything but a fairy tale. AS far as any war is concerned there is no real winner. But if there is a GOD, In this case I would favor the JEWS ! Just for precautionary reasons. Nothing to lose, but possible a lot to gain if they are Gods chosen ??????????????????????/ If no God ?? Then one of them needs to ABLIDERATE the other to stop all the senseless KILLING and destruction over all things : RELGIOUS beliefs ! which no one can PROVE one way or the other. So all the Jews on this side, and all the Jew hatters on the other. Let it come too a complete climax for the strongest. Then all the different countries can do business with the victor. That the reason for other counties involvement. They what a piece of spoils at some one else EXSPENCE of LIFE and LIMB !!!!!!!!!!!!! Thus Saithe the SHEPARD ! thus saithe Flock of sheared sheep !!!!!!!
It is way past time for the world to turn Yemen in to a lake.
New YEAR a New world Piece Solution !!! Since world enemies can circle the World in a International Space Station and play space games and live together, Talk about Bed buddies ?? Lets all here on earth just walk around with our heads in the clouds and sing Won’t you be my neighbor. WAIT!!! that’s already been tried. The governments walking around with their heads up their behinds, does not seem to be working well ? So maybe the idea of WWIII is the correct approach ? Every one launch all their NUKES at once, Blow the Earth too smithereens and send all remains to OUTER SPACE where we can all Live Happily Ever AFTER ? Outer space . The new frontier ! a cold dark vacuum of intense Radiation, flying giant Rocks, Makes perfect sense, Be no time to worry who doing what, except : food-water-Oxygen, avoiding Planet size rocks. Even some happy times ? taking Moon walks and watching super Nova’s Destroy whole UNIVERSES. This is a idea that could literally Rock Your WORLDS !!!!!!!