Signaling strike on Houthis strengthened coalition at cost of surprise, experts say

The United States and Britain appeared to provide some advanced notice of its strikes against Houthi assets in Yemen to help build their case in the international community and strengthen coalition cooperation, experts told Fox News Digital. 

"I think a lot of it, in this case, had to do with trying to build international support for the forthcoming strike and to limit or assuage criticism that’s sure to follow from all the predictable quarters," James Anderson, who served as the deputy undersecretary of defense during the Trump administration, told Fox News Digital.

The coalition strike against Iran-backed Houthis struck over 60 targets in 16 locations with support from Australia, the Netherlands, Bahrain and Canada. President Biden said he authorized the strikes "in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea – including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history." 

Reports of the attack spread early Thursday, hours ahead of the execution of the strike, with Sky News reporting on British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s cabinet meeting to discuss the late details of the imminent strike.

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Anderson argued that the "late stage" notice was not likely an effort to deter further attacks, as "at this late date we’re really not going to convince the rebels to stop shooting" following weeks of repeated warnings. 

An aircraft takes off to join the U.S.-led coalition to conduct air strikes against military targets in Yemen from an undisclosed location. (US Central Command via X/Reuters)

Matt McInnis, former member of Policy Planning at the U.S. State Department and a senior fellow for the Institute for the Study of War, speculated that the U.S. aimed to minimize civilian casualties as the Houthis locate key military infrastructure in population centers – much like Hamas does in the Gaza Strip. 

However, he agreed that the overwhelming reason likely was to ensure coalition cooperation and make clear the international threat the Houthis posed. 

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"Countries like the U.K. often need more visible political processes than the U.S. for approving military operations," McInnis told Fox News Digital. "I presume the U.S. understood that losing some operational surprise would be a tradeoff for having allied participation."

Michael Allen, former senior director at the National Security Council and staff director of the House Intel Committee, backed up the argument that the early notice resulted from involving multiple countries "moving multiple assets," but he worried that it could also play into the Biden administration’s general policy of appeasing Iran.

A missile is launched from a warship during the U.S.-led coalition operation against Yemen's Houthi rebels. (US Central Command via X/Reuters)

"I hope it wasn’t so Iran could move its personnel, in which case it was another move by the Biden Admin to prioritize de-escalation as in we have to do this, but we intend only to hit equipment," Allen told Fox News Digital.

Alan Mendoza, co-founder and executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital that British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak likely moved quickly and, therefore, did not want to recall the House of Commons to vote on the issue, but that the "slow awakening enabled the opposition Labour Party to be brought into the discussion in real-time." 

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"The result was a consensus across both leaderships that this was the right action to take," Mendoza argued. 

The lack of discussion with Congress has proven a sticking point, with some Democrats arguing Biden needed Congressional approval before authorizing the strike, but the experts that spoke with Fox News Digital argued the president has power to authorize limited strikes, such as in the case of yesterday’s strike on the Houthis. 

Demonstrators gather outside the White House on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024 to protest the U.S. bombing of Yemen. (FOX 5 DC )

"I do think he had the right to take this without going to Congress first," Anderson said. "Whether it's a Republican or Democrat, the president has to have the ability to order these types of strikes on very short notice and in response to imminent and ongoing threats." 

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Allen noted that the debate about presidential war powers has continued for many administrations, arguing that "it’s wise for the executive to consult and notify congressional leadership but not absolutely required. Congress generally disagrees." 

Fox News Digital’s Bradford Betz contributed to this report.