A cargo ship that was struck by a Houthi ballistic missile on Monday has created an 18-mile long oil slick in the Red Sea as it continues to take on water, two US officials said Friday.

The M/V Rubymar — a Belize-flagged, UK-registered, Lebanese-owned vessel — was carrying 41,000 tons of fertilizer when it was struck on Monday by one of two ballistic missiles fired from Houthi territory in Yemen.

US Central Command said the ship is currently anchored as it takes on water. “The Houthis continue to demonstrate disregard for the regional impact of their indiscriminate attacks, threatening the fishing industry, coastal communities, and imports of food supplies,” US Central Command said.

  • livus@kbin.social
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    9 months ago

    This is especially annoying because 6 months ago there was an amazing collaboration between both sides in the Red Sea to enable an international team to remove oil from a wrecked tanker.

    All the people involved thought it was a great framework for more peaceful negotiations.

    But now Israel has got its genocide on the Houthis are kicking off and saving the environment is no longer anyone’s priority.

    • derf82@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      Israel is guilty for what it’s doing, but blaming Israel for these Houthi attacks is ridiculous.

      The Houthis are self serving in these attacks. As they have claimed land, support has turned against them because it turns out they suck at providing services to the people that live in areas they control. So they are falling back to the one popular policy they have: supporting Palestinians, and fighting back against “imperialists.”

      Except attacking ships in the Red Sea is doing nothing for the Palestinians. Maybe if they only targeted Israeli vessels of ships heading to/from there, but they are not. Even getting bombed has an upside as it reinforces their underdog anti-imperialist messaging.

      • livus@kbin.social
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        9 months ago

        @derf82 I’m not “blaming Israel” for decisions taken by the Houthis. I don’t really get why you’d take that from my comment.

        Israelis made their own decisions.

        Houthis proceeded to make their own decisions about how to respond to that too. I have no doubt that they are pursuing an agenda.

        And the ecology of the Red Sea is no longer a priority for most people in the region because everyone has to make decisions based on what’s happening.

      • Jojo@lemm.ee
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        9 months ago

        they have claimed land,

        fighting back against “imperialists.”

        Hey, I think I know how they can do that basically for free!

      • Linkerbaan@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        All your talking points were debunked more than a month ago in this short interview.

        “To those who claim that we do it for our popularity, let them come forth and enhance their own popularity”

        • xor@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          9 months ago

          Ahhh the houthis said it wasn’t true, well glad that’s resolved then 👍

            • xor@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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              9 months ago

              I’m not saying you should uncritically accept the statement of whoever you’re referring to (presumably biden)

              But that is equally true for the houthis as well

              • Linkerbaan@lemmy.world
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                9 months ago

                The Houthi’s stopped attacking civilian ships during the temporary ceasefire in November.

                Biden says he wants israel to stop committing war-crimes and then bypasses congress to send israel more tank shells and mortar explosives which are primarily used to blow up houses in Gaza…

                Actions mean everything. Words mean nothing. Biden wants to commit Genocide and the Houthi’s want to stop Genocide.

                • xor@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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                  9 months ago

                  But the houthis continue to attack civilian vessels again.

                  One can both oppose the US’ (horrifying) support of Israel’s genocide, and also criticise the indiscriminate targeting of civilian vessels by the houthis.

                  • Linkerbaan@lemmy.world
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                    9 months ago

                    Yes. Because israel broke the ceasefire

                    There is nothing indiscriminate about it. They only target ships from nations participating in the Genocide of Palestinians. Their ships are illegally trespassing until a ceasefire is reached.

                    The Houthi’s have done an outstanding job at selective targeting and upholding international law. Meanwhile you are here advocating for Genocide.

                • blazeknave@lemmy.world
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                  9 months ago

                  And GOP want to eliminate democracy and replace it with autocratic theocracy. Stfu about Biden. You want a US to complain about?

                  You know when your asshole friend picks a fight and is completely in the wrong, and you hate them for it, but you gotta fuck up the other guys bc it’s your friend, but THEN you can whoop your friend’s ass?

                  That’s how fiscal conservatives held their nose and pulled the lever in 2016. If they can do it in spite of autocracy at home, you can do it for a decades long situation of which US policy is never going to change, as long as there are nukes in Iran.

                  • Linkerbaan@lemmy.world
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                    9 months ago

                    You know when your asshole friend picks a fight and is completely in the wrong, and you hate them for it, but you gotta fuck up the other guys bc it’s your friend, but THEN you can whoop your friend’s ass?

                    No I don’t know that one.

                    That’s how fiscal conservatives held their nose and pulled the lever in 2016.

                    So did Biden get elected in 2020 or not? We’ve heard this scary talk about Trump becoming a dictator before in 2016. Let me check who’s president right now…

    • SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca
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      9 months ago

      The old white man’s burden concept seems to have made a comeback.

      You consider non-white people to be not responsible for their actions because you consider them to be savages that will naturally cause chaos unless under the guidance of the white man. If they are causing chaos it’s somehow the white man’s fault for not guiding them appropriately.

      Personally I think the Houthis are responsible for their actions. Same with Hamas. Same with all the other psychopaths in the region. If you’re going to blame anyone besides these groups for their actions, then maybe consider Iran first.

            • livus@kbin.social
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              9 months ago

              Woooo0Oo

              Seriously though I finally managed to find a comment where they lay out their thought process.

              Never having been to the US myself, I had no idea conservative Americans (or all Americans?) see Middle Easterners who live in Israel as “white”.

        • SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca
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          9 months ago

          But this is the thought pattern is it not?

          It’s not “hey these Houthi guys seem to be bad dudes.” It’s all about finding a way to blame others for the actions of this group.

          And when you consider it on a broader front this inability to criticize various groups and governments in the middle east doesn’t result in any improvements happening. The middle east is dominated by authoritarian psychopaths because there’s a refusal to put the spotlight on them. Because these psychopaths continuously get away with horrific acts because of white man’s burden style logic, there can’t be any real change.

          If the Houthis were criticized more for torturing people, maybe pressure can be put onto Iran to stop supplying weapons to them. If we considered Mister Bonesaw a little more responsible for his actions, maybe the horrific acts committed against the Houthis may not have happened.

          Sure we should criticize the US and Israel, but laying all blame on the perceived “white men” of the middle east has resulted in stagnant authoritarian power structures in the middle east. Well other than Israel of course, which will very likely dump Netanyahu in the next election, because they actually have those in Israel.

          The unhealthy fixation on the US and Israel (which the Houthis call for the deaths of both on their flag) means psychopaths like the Houthis maintain power. That same fixation that’s promoted on this site.

            • SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca
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              9 months ago

              Kinda have to because you’re not telling me how you think. The Palestinian movement is just memes and slogans meant to justify their violent fervor and there isn’t a lot of rational thought going on.

              You can’t even refute that there’s a “white man’s burden” kind of thinking behind a lot of the memes in slogans, because that would mean thinking in terms of people in the middle east being responsible for their own actions, which opens up a can of worms you want to keep closed.

              At least I can only assume, because you aren’t able to write out your thoughts.

          • livus@kbin.social
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            9 months ago

            @SpaceCowboy Aaaaah the penny finally dropped. I’ve been really perplexed by your reply to me.

            • I see the actions of the Houthis as something they do under their own agency

            • my focus was on Red Sea ecology and the amazing collaboration last year (which really was fantastic) I’m not going to rabbit on about various human rights abuses by many of the participants, I’d be there all day and it’s not the focus of my comment.

            criticize the US and Israel, but laying all blame on the perceived “white men” of the middle east

            TIL you guys even think that way!!! Wow. In my country we do demographics by ethnicity. “Race” is quite a weird construct. I never realised the US has decided that one but it seems rather arbitrary.

            The part where you think I’m somehow criticizing the US is drawing a really long bow. I can kind of see how you might have projected the rest of what you thought onto my comment, but this is a bridge too far.

      • livus@kbin.social
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        9 months ago

        @SpaceCowboy

        old white man’s burden

        I think you might have replied to the wrong comment?

        If not, I don’t understand how any of this applies. I suggest you read my link about the collaborative efforts in the Red Sea last year.

      • Linkerbaan@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        You’re right dude. Once Americans are the real victims of the war crimes they commit in the middle east.

        And Genocide Joe is the victimest victim of them all

        • SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca
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          9 months ago

          Keep repeating your slogans, doesn’t change the fact that Hamas deliberately murdered women and children on October 7, and the Houthis publicly crucify people.

          It’s obvious to anyone outside the bubble you live in how horrific the psychopaths you support really are.

          The Palestinians are the biggest victims of Hamas for sure, but the continued support of Hamas indicates you don’t actually care about Palestinians. You just want to hate Israelis.

        • acceptable_pumpkin@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          “GeNoCiDe JoE” is the new Let’s Go Brandon from the same alt-right trolls. I never see you fools criticizing Trump when he literally states he will be a dictator. Know what will happen in the Middle East? Same as now, except American arms and troops will directly be involved.

          • graymess@lemmy.world
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            9 months ago

            Please pay attention this time, it’s getting old: Holding Democrats accountable for their support of genocide is not the same as supporting Republicans.

            • acceptable_pumpkin@lemmy.world
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              9 months ago

              Agreed, but there are plenty people posting that they can’t vote for Biden because of the situation in Gaza. I get the criticism, and I wish we had a more progressive Democrat candidate, but given the reality of our options, not voting for Biden is akin to supporting Trump. In no reality would a Trump presidency be better for Palestinians, or frankly Americans, the West, etc.

              • graymess@lemmy.world
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                9 months ago

                No, not voting for Biden is not voting for Biden. I’m sure Biden is counting on your argument to get elected, but it’s not going to work. You can’t guilt the left into voting for a genocide supporter. If Biden loses, that’s on Biden and the Democrats. He and the DNC know what they can do if they want votes from anyone left of center.

                • acceptable_pumpkin@lemmy.world
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                  9 months ago

                  Ok, but back in reality with the voting system in the US, that is exactly what happens. If you can’t comprehend how much worse Trump will be, that’s on you. The national election between Trump and Biden (which is who the candidates will be), not voting for Biden is a vote for Trump. Use whatever logic you’d like, but that is what the actual effect is.

              • Linkerbaan@lemmy.world
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                9 months ago

                The fact that you don’t have a more progressive Democrat candidate is the DNC’s fault. You can blame the Democrats for that.

                Stop blaming voters for not wanting to vote for Genocide. If Trump wins it’s going to be on the DNC, just like how they screwed over Bernie in 2016 and then Hillary lost to Trump.

                • acceptable_pumpkin@lemmy.world
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                  9 months ago

                  Sure, a Trump win is in the DNC and not the “burn it to the ground” people that are all over the place here on Lemmie, or naive fools. Just remember to keep blaming the DNC when Trump wins and takes away all your rights. That’ll show them.

                  • Linkerbaan@lemmy.world
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                    9 months ago

                    In 2020 holding your nose and voting for Biden was one thing because he was supposed to be a milquetoast centrist, not a Genocidal maniac.

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      9 months ago

      Please note it is not so much Israel as Nyet N’ Yahoo. This is the work of a desperate criminal trying to remain in power.

      • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        And then 72 percent of Israelis say aid shouldn’t be allowed in until prisoners are released.

        I’m sorry. But starving people en masse is not it. It’s time to treat Israel the same way we treated Germany. Disarm, occupy, hang the war criminals, and force a government representative of everyone from the river to the sea. And yes that means an end to their ethnostate. That’s the point. They’ve fucked around. It’s time for the find out.