Houthi attacks: Why New Zealand is sending Defence Force personnel to Red Sea - The Front Page

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced a team of six Defence Force personnel will enter Yemen. Photo / Mark Mitchell

An international politics expert believes the New Zealand Government is doing the right thing by sending defence personnel to the Red Sea.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced a team of six from the Defence Force would enter Yemen, to provide “precision targeting” as Western countries seek to hold back Houthi rebels in the area.

The rebels, who control large parts of Yemen, have been attacking container ships passing through the route for weeks, saying they are doing so in support of Palestine, which remains under daily bombardment by Israel.

Speaking to The Front Page, the Herald’s daily news podcast, retired University of Auckland international relations professor Stephen Hoadley, believes the Gaza conflict is just an excuse for the rebels to take action.

“This is an opportunity for them to display their militancy, their commitment to their, I think, misdirected cause. And if the attacks on Israel had not taken place, they would probably have to find some other occasion or pretext to engage in what they’re doing.”

He said the task the Defence Force will carry out is a necessary one.

“It’s humane, unless you take the position that any kind of military action is inhumane. But if there is to be a military action, it is better to be precise, better to be targeted to other military targets, which is perfectly legal under international law, and to avoid civilian casualties as much as possible.”

The defence of the Red Sea has sparked criticism from some, who see the military action in Yemen as valuing commercial reasons over the issues in Gaza.

Hoadley said while the Red Sea is an important shipping route, and losing control of it could further push up inflation, the main concern is what would happen if the Houthi rebels succeed in shutting down the route.

“If the Houthis were successful in closing off their waterway, would Iran then tackle the Straits of Hormuz, where Iran can easily, with long-range artillery and missiles, close off the entire Persian Gulf - that is, an entire waterway with which a majority of the world’s energy travels?

“Would this, in fact, encourage further actions by Iran and by Hezbollah against Israel, by Hamas to fight on, by the rebels in Syria?

“So the question that arises for statespeople is, is deterrence a better option, or is compliance a better option?”

Listen to the full episode to hear more from Stephen Hoadley on the state of the Red Sea and Gaza conflicts.

The Front Page is a daily news podcast from the New Zealand Herald, available to listen to every weekday from 5am. This episode was presented by Chelsea Daniels, an Auckland-based journalist with a background in crime/justice reporting who joined Newstalk ZB in 2016.

You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.