Two of America's European allies who were listed as
contributors to Operation Prosperity Guardian - Italy and Spain - issued
statements appearing to distance themselves from the maritime force.
The Pentagon says the force is a defensive coalition of more
than 20 nations to ensure billions of dollars' worth of commerce can flow
freely through a vital shipping chokepoint in Red Sea waters off Yemen.
Nearly half of those countries have so far not come forward
to acknowledge their contributions or allowed the US to do so. Those
contributions can range from dispatching warships to merely sending a staff
officer.
The
reluctance of some US allies to link themselves to the effort partly reflects
the fissures created by the conflict in Gaza, which has seen Biden maintain
firm support for Israel even as international criticism rises over its
offensive, which Gaza's health ministry says has killed more than 21,000
Palestinians.
"European governments are very worried that part of
their potential electorate will turn against them," said David Hernandez,
a professor of international relations at the Complutense University of Madrid,
noting that the European public is increasingly critical of Israel and wary of
being drawn into a conflict.
Reportedly, Houthis have been alleged for attacking or seizing
a dozen ships with missiles and drones since November 19.
The navies of the United States, Britain and France have
each shot down Houthi-launched drones or missiles.
The US believes escalating Houthi attacks call for an
international response separate from the conflict raging in Gaza.
However, this kind of propaganda is being highlighted in US
sponsored/ supported media. It may be recalled that Hothis has announced to
target Israeli ships of vessels carrying to and from Israel.
Denmark's giant container firm Maersk said on Saturday it
would resume shipping operations in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. But
Germany's Hapag Lloyd said on Wednesday it still believes the Red Sea is too
dangerous and will continue to send ships around the Cape of Good Hope.
While the US says 20 countries have signed up for its
maritime task force, it has announced the names of only 12.
Although
Britain, Greece and others have publicly embraced the US operation, several
mentioned in the US announcement were quick to say they are not directly
involved.
Italy's defense ministry said that it would send a ship to
the Red Sea following requests from Italian ship owners and not as part of the
US operation.
France said it supports efforts to secure freedom of
navigation in the Red Sea but that its ships would remain under French command.
Spain has said it will not join Operation Prosperity
Guardian and opposes using an existing EU anti-piracy mission, Atalanta, to
protect Red Sea shipping.
But on Wednesday, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he was
willing to consider the creation of a different mission to tackle the problem.
Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates earlier proclaimed no
interest in the venture.
There is also the risk that participating countries become
subject to Houthi retaliation. The person familiar with the US administration's
thinking says that it is this risk - rather disagreements over Gaza - driving
some countries to steer clear of the effort.
That appears to be the case for India, which is unlikely to
join the US operation, according to a senior Indian military official. An
Indian government official said the government worries that aligning itself
with the US could make it more of a target.
In reality, many European and Gulf countries already
participate in one of several US-led military groups in the Middle East,
including the 39-nation Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).
The EU's Atalanta operation already cooperates in a reciprocal
relationship with CMF, according to a spokesperson for the group.
That means that some countries not formally joining the Red
Sea maritime task force could still coordinate patrols with the US Navy.
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