The Bab el-Mandeb: The World's Most Contested Chokepoint

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The Bab el-Mandeb: The World's Most Contested Chokepoint


Global Shipping, the Red Sea, and the Houthis
November 4, 2024

In this episode, Sal Mercogliano – a maritime historian at Campbell University (@campbelledu), and former merchant mariner – discusses the latest issues regarding the diversion of global shipping around Africa and avoiding the Bab el-Mandeb.

1️⃣ IMO Chief Calls for “Urgent”…

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@nicholaidajuan865

Its not like the Houthi example at the Bab El-Mandeb would ever apply to other areas in the South China Sea or the Taiwan Straits. There's war in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East; the US has just elected a president that wants to pull-up the trade draw bridge, and pullout of other defense commitments, while the Europeans are tied up with Russia. What could go wrong….

@mikesellers1879

Very good information !

@johnwdferguson3149

It is going to hurt Egypt, as they usually profit from the ships going through the Suez canal.

@petergardner5002

Germans had a period when they had wooden rifles maybe that now extends to the Navy

@bernadmanny

To be fair the Baden-Württemberg has about as much fire-power as a wet noodle.

@jghogg6570

Sal, I'm a retired US Navy Sailor who served aboard the USS Cole 2016-2019. We spent a great amount of time and risked a lot sitting just north of the BAM following the Houthis' successful attack on the Saudi Arabian frigate in January 2017. I randomly stumbled across your page several months ago now and have been sharing it with a lot of my friends. Thank you for what you do here. I wish more people truly understood how important international shipping is to our global economy and fragile it all is.

@Spacecat357

“ piracy“ Is just a word. It is not an argument.

@Spacecat357

International law just means those who control US government get to control everything on the taxpayer dime.

@taiwanluthiers

Is our new supreme leader Trump going to do something about the Houthi?

@Spacecat357

The constitution does not say that it is up to US taxpayers to make the world safe for trade. The military oath I took was to defend the Constitution. Not to defend businesses who choose to do business in dangerous parts of the world.

@Spacecat357

Your contradictions are becoming transparent. Most of the ships getting through are for Russia, China, and local, yet the Houthis are indiscriminately targeting. And I f they are targeting ships who haven’t paid them off, that is not indiscriminate.

@Spacecat357

OK, figure it out. The Russians do not need to get involved in the middle east to get back at the US. They are winning in Ukraine. You may be a shipping expert. But you need to learn geopolitics if you are going to comment on it.

@Spacecat357

Let me get this straight. The Russians are providing targeting data that is being used against their own ships. Wow!

@Spacecat357

The Saudis we’re not fighting the Houthis. It was Saudi US puppets doing the fighting.

@Spacecat357

Are these people worried about endangering human lives if they are Palestinian lives? Or people dead versus 40,000…

@5kplamse

Sal, the right way to say it is "Eh Bit Ta"

@phlogistanjones2722

It surely would be "irresponsible" to describe the Germans and NATO in general as ignoring actual, real necessary defense requirements…. surely saying they have been prevaricating for the last thirty plus years and not investing in their own defense or meeting obligations to NATO would be just awful. Good thing everything is just fine and no changes need be made….
Peaceful Skies

@ryder6070

Let's get drunk!

@MM22966

Prediction: Trump is elected. Operation Preying Mantis II begins next year.

@SerendipityChild

Commiserations on your election

@Vtarngpb

Drink! 🍺

@dcf4psu

The Houthis are now on the clock. Their days are numbered and global shipping will be celebrating.

@1Fmarcel

I think we let pretty much everything through our very narrow straits here in Denmark, but I also believe, we insist on guidance, so we don't have any more mishaps than necessary with bridges and so forth.

@TheMysteryDriver

That Isreali canal is going to be crazy

@eliasthienpont6330

The LION was here

@davidpowell7614

Excellent assessment. 👍 Thank you.

@jasonneugebauer5310

Its interesting that shipping companies are the big winner in these shenanigans. I think they are quite consistent with the turmoil.

@jasonneugebauer5310

Urgent action = we let it happen and now we want more money to fix it a year later. This is how we get increased funding.

@darshmoh1683

Bab el-Mandeb is not contested between any nations, it's international passage. Nobody contested this fact. what's going on now is artificial crisis created by USA when they send alqaeda out of Afghanistan. cultivating Chaos in Yemen for more than 2 decades. then comes the massacres in Gaza committed by (Israel, UK and USA) jointly. what you expect from the people of Yemen?? they are preventing those Criminal nations from the passage. their condition is very clear. stop the Massacres and the passage is free again. as simple as that.

@davidtran4760

By doing so it is to prevent note loss of life

@geoffmccoll4640

So a USA asse is worth more than a Houtis asse?

@geoffmccoll4640

So a USA asse is worth than an houtis?

@Ragefps

🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺

@JezDavis

If you trust any legacy media and their army of journaliars then shame on you… Russia Russia Russia

@kj6bbs

shipping czars don't care because it gives them an excuse to jack up shipping prices. why are things more expensive these days? hmmmm i wonder…

@QALibrary

Sal one of the reasons why the German Navy not sailing through this area could be that the ships are not loaded with live ammunition – this story broke a few years ago that ships and aircraft are not loaded with real ammunition due to budget cuts and the state of readiness of the armed forces and ammunition supply

@scott1572

Because you say they have no connection does not mean they have no connection 😂
You have all the intricate details of company ownerships and their tangled webs I'm sure.

@rexnelson8604

Houthis selling "Chicago Insurance"?

@lsutigernfla1

Drink

@scottyallen7237

Sal, what you reveal is that the damn Houthis are a Mofia shakedown protection racket! Israeli ownership is a rouse of an excuse for attacking a ship – they are going to target anyone who does not pay the protection money. The US Navy should be charging ships to be protected by the US as it seems these shipping firms are willing to pay not to be attacked. Why should we do it for free?

I think you should be running a cabinet-level agency to straighten out the US maritime policy and infrastructure.

@xorebro

The trade in the Mediterranean must have stop. But good trade for Latinamerika and africa. Long way to new york genua and Rotterdam. And problems in panama.

@CandyVan69

Good ole arabs

@PaulCashman

I was hoping to see an increasingly tipsy Sal starting to slur his words toward the end of the video thanks to numerous mentions of That Strait…and I was brutally disappointed.
Not disappointed in the video, though! Stellar content as always!

@davidoldboy5425

The IMO have ever since their inception been a typical overstaffed (by wrong people) bureaucratic nightmare, very surprised they even noticed this, someone obviously kicked their rear.

@SpringIsBACK

Another great episode, Sal!

@hamedog100

is anyone else hearing a bit of a weird noise with this video? When Sal is talking?
Apart from that, yet another excellent and informative update