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CNN International: U.S. and U.K. Strike Iran-Backed Houthi Fighters in Yemen; Blinken Says Conflict in Gaza Not Spreading; South Africa Accuses Israel of Genocide in Gaza at U.N. Court. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired January 12, 2024 - 04:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[04:30:00]

BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR: A senior Biden administration official says these U.S. and U.K. strikes may not be the final action against Houthi targets. More now from CNN's Alex Marquardt and MJ Lee.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: The United States and the United Kingdom have announced that they have carried out what they call precision strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, more than a dozen of them because of the attacks by Houthi forces since late November against commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

This is the Red Sea right here. It is a critical waterway that sees some 15 percent of the global shipping trade pass through it.

So, there were more than a dozen strikes, mostly in the western part of Houthi-controlled Yemen, in and around the capital, Sanaa, over here on the coast. And then up here in Saada, we saw this video of the night sky glowing after these strikes. In just a moment, you'll see another strike right there. In terms of the targets that were hit -- this is both according to the Pentagon as well as the Houthis -- air bases and airports, camps, radar systems, drone storage and launch sites.

Drones have been central to those Houthi attacks. You have ballistic and cruise missile storage and launch sites that were hit, as well as coastal radar and air surveillance capabilities.

Now, in terms of what was used in these strikes, you have fighter jets from both the U.S. and the United Kingdom. This is one of the British fighter jets that was taking off in order to carry out an airstrike.

You also have ships and submarine platforms that were used, according to the Pentagon. One of the submarines that was named was the U.S.S Florida. It's a guided missile submarine. The ships and submarines are able to fire tomahawk missiles against those targets on Yemeni soil.

Now, to what extent the U.S.S Eisenhower carrier strike group was used, we don't know, but it has been in the region to try to deter any regional actors, including the Houthis and Iran, from expanding the conflict that we are seeing currently between Israel and Hamas.

The Houthis warning that they would retaliate against any international strikes, and the U.S. saying that they and their partners are prepared for that. In the wake of their strike, saying this may not be the last word in terms of military action against the Houthis.

Alex Markward, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Biden saying Thursday night that the U.S. is sending a clear message to the Houthis that their ongoing attacks in the Red Sea will no longer be tolerated.

He said in a statement that he will also not hesitate to direct further measures to protect U.S. personnel and the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.

U.S. officials, of course, have been warning for weeks that the Houthis must stop its attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea. And last week, we saw a U.S. official give what they said was a final warning.

And what we are learning tonight is that the attacks that we saw from the Houthis on Tuesday -- this was just two days ago -- had targeted some U.S. vessels. And what we are told by sources is that, had it not been for this defensive coalition called Operation Prosperity Guardian that was already set up by the U.S. and a number of its allies in the Red Sea, that we may have seen situations where ships were sunk by these attacks, and that there was even an instance within the last month where a commercial vessel carrying jet fuel may have been hit. The senior official saying that some of these were basically close calls.

Now, it was after these Tuesday's attacks that President Biden, we're told, convened his national security team, and asked them to draw up a number of possible plans for retaliation. And that is what ultimately culminated in these airstrikes conducted by the U.S. and the U.K. with the support of a number of other nations.

And what one senior military official said Thursday night was that while it's not possible to say exactly what the damage was, that the damage to the Houthi rebels and Houthi assets for the time being could be described as significant.

MJ Lee, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. wasn't alone in sending that clear message that MJ mentioned there. And it joined the U.K. and eight other countries in issuing a joint statement on the strikes. NOBILO: It reads, in part: Our aim remains to de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea, but let our message be clear. We will not hesitate to defend lives and protect the free flow of commerce in one of the world's most critical waterways in the face of continued threats.

FOSTER: Australia is one of the nations that provided support for those strikes. Here's the Australian defense minister.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD MARLES, AND DEFENCE MINISTER: These are very important actions. The actions that have been taken today, supported by Australia, are about maintaining freedom of navigation on the high seas. They are about maintaining global trade. That is completely central to Australia's national interest.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[04:35:02]

NOBILO: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken pushed back at suggestions that the war in Gaza is spreading in the region.

FOSTER: He spoke during a visit to Egypt on Thursday before the U.S. announced the strikes in Yemen. He said the conflict is not escalating, even though he recognized there are what he called danger points.

Egypt was the last stop in Blinken's latest diplomatic tour of the region, which was partly aimed at keeping the conflict contained. He said that goal is widely shared in the region.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY BLINKEN, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: We're doing everything we can with very strong regional support, again, to make sure that this doesn't spread, that there can't be a repeat of October 7th. But also, that this conflict comes to an end.

It is vital that, as long as this is going on, every effort be made to make sure that civilians who are caught in a crossfire of Hamas's making don't continue to suffer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBILO: For more on this, let's bring in Ahmed Aboudouh, an Associate Fellow with the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House. Great to have you with us this morning. The reality is in contrast to what Antony Blinken was just saying. Now, given the strikes overnight, it wouldn't be accurate to say that this war is not spreading.

We might be having some communications issues. I'll just check. Ahmed, are you with us? Can you hear me?

AHMED ABOUDOUH, ASSOCIATE FELLOW, CHATHAM HOUSE: Yes, I can hear you now.

NOBILO: Fantastic, OK, I was just asking, we were listening to a soundbite from the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday, saying that this war is not spreading in the region. But given the attacks overnight, surely this is fundamentally false to make that claim now, given that we've had a military escalation?

ABOUDOUH: Yes, I agree with your assessment. I think it has spread already. And not only that, I think we have a long-term strategic challenge for the United States' interests in the Middle East, but also international navigation in the Red Sea.

I think we have to think about that in the long term. If we in the United States and the U.K. deal with the escalation in the Red Sea as events, short-term events, I think we will have wrong answers to this problem. I think the strikes will not deter the Houthis' attacks. On the contrary, I think they will increase. The problem here is in which direction.

And Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and all the partners in the Middle East have been cautioning against expanding the scope and the direction of attacks in the Houthis' strategy as an answer to the strikes.

In addition, I think it will have implications on the peace negotiations inside Yemen, and the Houthis may be actually emboldened by these strikes, not deterred.

FOSTER: Could you argue -- well the Houthis have said, haven't they, that they are attacking ships linked to Israel in response to the war in Gaza. Would they now argue that the U.S. and U.K. have actually entered that war by carrying out strikes on Houthi targets?

ABOUDOUH: Absolutely. I think this was the messaging strategy from the Houthis from day one. And the strikes will give this messaging a boost, not only inside Yemen, but around the Middle East. And it will raise, unfortunately, the anti-Americanism, anti-Britishism in the Middle East going forward.

I think the Houthis have objectives behind this messaging. First, they want to recruit more fighters into their ranks. They want to boost their legitimacy inside Yemen. And they want to improve their leverage in the negotiations with the Saudi-led, Saudi-sponsored and internationally recognized government, but also with Saudi Arabia in the long term.

On the regional scale or level, I think they understand that the majority of the domestic populations in the Middle East support the Palestinians and criticize the United States approach and what was unequivocal support to Israel in the beginning of the war. And I think they want to bank on that.

The strikes may enhance this strategy, unfortunately, without reaching its declared objective of deterring the Houthis and stopping the attacks. NOBILO: Developing on that point that you're making, obviously the Houthis have said that these attacks that they're carrying out are in solidarity with the Palestinian cause. And you've touched on it a bit there. But strategically, do you think the goal was to provoke this reaction from the U.S. and its allies?

[04:40:00]

And when you were talking about how to approach this in the longer term, what do you think is the longer view as far as the Houthis are concerned and how this conflict evolves?

ABOUDOUH: I think you're right. The Houthis wanted this to happen. And I think we might have fallen for that for a central reason, which is the Houthis want to be seen and dealt with and recognized, not only in the Middle East, but all over the world, as a central component of Iran's axis of resistance in the Middle East.

Additionally, they want the world to speak directly to them. In that, they see some legitimizing that they can gain from that internally in Yemen, but also regionally.

I think the partners in the Middle East are so concerned about the long-term implications. This could take the shape of resuming the strikes by the Houthis against the UAE and Saudi Arabia and Bahrain now, having joined the coalition, but also striking the United States and the British military bases deployed in the Gulf.

Additionally, they might attempt to block the south, the southern Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandab, completely justifying that on the back of the strikes that happened today.

But also, I think we have a double problem here, or a complicated one. On the one hand, the regional countries agree that these attacks should stop and they shouldn't be allowed to happen again. But at the same time, they are very concerned that instead of stabilizing the security in the Middle East, these strikes might actually make the situation worse.

And I think that means also in the long term that the Red Sea will be a militarized region. The insurance premium for shipping will go higher and inflation might be also boosted because of the conflict in this area.

FOSTER: Yes, I mean, a lot of economists are worried about that, aren't they? Global inflation rising as a result of what's happening in the Red Sea.

Ahmed Aboudouh, thank you very much indeed.

Still ahead, Israel denying accusations of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. A live report ahead on day two of the historic hearing at the top UN court.

[04:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FOSTER: Right now, Israel defending itself at the top UN court against accusations that it's committing genocide in Gaza.

NOBILO: The second and final day of the historic hearing began a short time ago.

South Africa is calling on the International Court of Justice to intervene and order Israel to halt its military campaign in Gaza.

FOSTER: CNN's Melissa Bell joins us live outside the court in The Hague. It is a short hearing, but obviously time is of the essence here.

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, it's gotten underway a short while ago and as expected, Max and Bianca, what we have heard from the Israeli lawyers so far is the question of self-defense putting into the context of the armed conflict all that has happened in Gaza these last three months with the lead counsel who first stood saying that in fact South Africa's attempts to bring this case are a manner of subverting the 1948 genocide convention itself, turning it, he explained, into an aggressor's weapon. Have a listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAL BECKER, LAWYER REPRESENTING ISRAEL: The entirety of its case hinges on a deliberately curated, decontextualized and manipulative description of the reality of current hostilities.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BELL: And of course, today, as yesterday, protesters have gathered a reminder, of course, Max and Bianca, of how keenly felt this particular conflict is with the Palestinian, pro-Palestinian protesters today, the ones who've essentially been given the floor in front of the court of justice.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWD CHANTS: Free, free Palestine!

BELL (voice-over): Passionate protests on the streets outside of court. As inside, South Africa laid out the details of their case.

RONALD LAMOLA, SOUTH AFRICAN JUSTICE MINISTER: Even an attack involving atrocity crimes can provide any justification for or defense to breaches to the convention.

BELL (voice-over): Israel has denied all accusations, calling the case a quote blood libel. South Africa is accusing Israel of breaching the 1948 genocide convention through its military response to the Hamas attack, which it says has killed more than 23,000 people.

ADILA HASSIM, SENIOR COUNCIL, SOUTH AFRICA: At least 200 times it has deployed 2,000-pound bombs in southern areas of Palestine designated as safe.

BELL (voice-over): But South Africa is also accusing Israeli leaders of making no distinction between Hamas and the civilians of Gaza.

TEMBEKA NGCUKAITOBI, SENIOR COUNCIL, SOUTH AFRICA: The genocidal intent behind these statements is not ambiguous to the Israeli soldiers on the ground. Indeed, it is directing their actions and objectives. These are the soldiers reputing the inciting words of their prime minister.

CROWD CHANTING (through translated text): We know our slogan, there are no "uninvolved civilians."

BELL (voice-over): The moment welcomed by international groups in support of the Palestinian people, with many noting the importance of Israel's presence too there to defend its response to the Hamas attacks on October 7th that killed at least 1,200 people.

BALKEES JARRAH, ASSOCIATE Director, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: The fact that they're here, that they're represented and that they're presenting their formal response to South Africa's case is significant and suggests that they attach legitimacy to the court.

BELL (voice-over): Israel will be making its case here on Friday. But just after the South African delegation had finished, a spokesman for Israel's foreign ministry dismissed their claims as groundless and false, accusing them of being the representatives of Hamas in court. But South Africa's goal, a call for the world court to order Israel to stop the war.

VUSIMUZI MADONSEIA, SOUTH AFRICAN AMBASSADOR TO THE NETHERLANDS: The consequences of not indicating clear and particularized specific provisional measures would, we fear, be very grave indeed for the Palestinians in Gaza, who remain at real risk of further genocidal acts.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BELL (on camera): Now, although there were pro-Palestinian supporters here yesterday, this space had officially, Max and Bianca, been given to pro-Israeli protesters.

[04:50:00]

And it's an important reminder of the communications campaign that's going on outside the court. The families of hostages are inside today, and that is part of the Israeli efforts today, not just mounting their defense inside the court, but reminding the world of why it is they're fighting this war -- Max and Bianca.

FOSTER: OK, Melissa Bell, thank you so much for bringing us that, and we'll bring the results as they come through.

Up next, many schools across the U.S. are closed, and airlines have already cancelled more than 1,000 flights as coast-to-coast storms impact the country. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NOBILO: Let's get you one last update on our breaking news this hour.

[04:55:00]

The U.S. and U.K. have launched a series of air and sea-based strikes on Houthi militants in Yemen. The Pentagon says targets include drone, missile, radar and surveillance sites. A senior U.S. military official described the damage as significant. A Houthi military official says five people died and six were wounded in the attacks.

FOSTER: The strikes come after weeks of attacks on commercial shipping by the Iran-backed group. The U.S. says more than 2,000 ships have been forced to reroute to avoid the Red Sea.

NOBILO: Houthi militants are lashing out against the U.S. and the U.K. strikes.

One senior leader issued a statement saying, quote: We will confront America, make it kneel down and burn its battleships and all its bases and everyone who cooperates with it, no matter the cost.

FOSTER: The Houthi leader also called on the world to prepare for America's defeat and vowed not to abandon the people of Gaza.

A quick look at the extreme weather affecting millions across the U.S. today and through to the weekend. Because more than 50 million people in the south-east are under threat of severe storms, where tornadoes, high winds and large hail threaten that entire region.

NOBILO: Tornadoes -- you did that in my accent. And more than 240 daily cold temperature records could be tied or even broken across the country through Tuesday, courtesy of a massive storm system impacting the U.S. Over the next week, more than 83 percent of the U.S. population is expected to see below freezing temperatures.

FOSTER: Wow. Send you into the weekend for that lovely news.

NOBILO: Exactly. Remember that good things and good people still occur in the world.

FOSTER: Yes. Have a lovely weekend. Thanks for joining us here on CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Max Foster.

NOBILO: And I'm Bianca Nobilo. "EARLY START" is next right here on CNN.