Posted on 03/25/2018 6:03:30 PM PDT by taildragger
Saudi Arabia's capital just came under ballistic missile attack, during which Patriot missile interceptors were launched to intercept. Although it looks like at least one Patriot hit one missile, a missile fragment, or even another missile itself, came careened into the ground, resulting in this amazing video:
The trajectory of the projectile as it approaches the ground is a bit puzzling, it almost looks like it is turning while under control, but it could just be the result of the intercept. Then there is this amazing video of the Patriot missile launches, and it looks like one missile either intercepted an incoming missile at very low altitude or detonated shortly after launch either by command or due to a failure.
Here is what appears to be at least a partially successful intercept:
We still don't know how many ballistic missiles were detected and engaged, or who fired them, but it was almost certainly Houthi rebels in western Yemen. The group has put Saudi Arabia under an increasing threat of missile barrage via ever more capable ballistic missiles that some claim are being provided at least in part by Iran.
Saudi Arabia has ordered a highly elaborate missile shield from the United States in recent months to help defend their territory these types of attacks.
Just three days ago an aircraft belonging to the Saudi-led coalition was shot down over Yemen by an improvised surface-to-air missile belonging to the the rebel faction.
We will update this post as more information comes available.
UPDATE: 2:30pm PST—
It looks like a Patriot went totally amiss. As we pointed out in the first video, the trajectory looked like a missile was being guided prior to impact.
Once fragment from the engagement:
UPDATE: 3:30pm PST—
Yemen's SABA News agency claims the missile fired at Riyadh was indeed a Burkan H2 belonging to Houthi rebels, the same type fired at Riyadh International Airport back in November. It's the most advanced ballistic missile type associated with the separatist group.
The attack may have been part of a larger barrage targeting multiple locales within The Kingdom.
i'm with you except for giving them weapons. Those things can come back to hurt us. No giving weapons to anyone but the ISraelies.
But supporting the Saudis against the Iranis or the Zaydis is idiocy. No US support for either.
firebrand - I mean fought FOR the saudsi - the USA was suckered into that war. There was no need to help the Wahabbi sponsoring Kuwaitis or Saudis. The amount of $$ spent, American lives lost and US focus lost (instead the USA could have concentrated on the home front and on containing China and on helping Russia instead of bousting up Yeltsin
The Gulf War One was a mistake that caused a lot of deaths.
Trump is correct to get the USA out of these kind of wars that only help our enemies. American FIRST. Only if it shows both short and long term benefit to the USA should we be involved.
Yes and no. It helps to see the minor conflicts, and there are plenty of them, sometimes conflicting conflicts! The most recent and glaring one being when the Turks went after the pro-government forces that were on their way to help the Kurds, when Turkey is for every other purpose on Syria’s side.
But it also helps to see what is shaping up. There are two major nuclear powers involved, so that serves to focus the attention. In one sense, all the individual disputes and ambitions are subordinated to one side or the other, or will be.
We are more involved in this than most people here realize, holding the eastern side of the Euphrates in Syria, where the oil is, as others try to approach. Since Russian mercenaries are being employed, we are already at war with Russia.
I don’t think, though, that we will be involved in a major way if Israel is attacked or provoked enough by the unabated war preparations of the other side to get into the full battle. That is because of Scripture, which doesn’t prophesy any allies of Israel being in the battle, and secondarily because the Israelis are fully capable of taking care of business on their own.
People love to say that America shouldn’t be or try to be policeman of the world, but as a famous chess player said, “We all know what happens in town when there’s no cop on the beat.” We saw that in the Obama years, when not only was he refusing to defend the unjustly attacked but was actively manipulating the world behind the scenes into a game of Fruit Basket Upset.
The USA should pull out of eastern Syria and leave it to Assad. Put American troops in Israel where they are wanted and let the rest of the ME go to hades.
They are already there.
Yes and the USA should not be in eastern Syria. Leave it.
Yes, they are nice guys; they don't murder their neighbors. :)
They wouldn't be able to find anything.
The UAE's military is a different case....
But to "they are nice guys" -- seriously, compared to the Sauds, the Zaidis ARE nice guys, they never set out onjihad to kill/convert others and they were also and are also fighting jihdais sponsored by the Sauds.
Look at how their line of control matches nearly exactly with the boundary between north and south yemen
The houthis are not our enemy. They ain't our friends, but they are less dangerous than the Sauds
I’m not talking about the war. I’m talking about the missile performance.
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