Mideast ally ripped for 'PLAYING DEFENSE' against Houthis

>> Bill: TENSIONS ESCALATING IN. THE MIDDLE EAST. HOUTHIS RAMPING UP ATTACKS. ACROSS YEMEN AND SAUDI ARABIA. BACKED BY IRAN. REBELS STRIKING GOVERNMENT. HEADQUARTERS IN THE CITY. YESTERDAY. YEMENI OFFICIALS SAYING THE. STRIKES KILLED FIVE, INJURED AT. LEAST 16. WHERE DOES THIS GO NOW? REBECCA HINRICH.

THERE IS A QUESTION ABOUT U.S. INVOLVEMENT AND WHETHER OR NOT. WE CAN STEER CLEAR WHEN THE. SAUDIS AND OIL INDUSTRY ARE. UNDER BARRAGE THERE. HERE IS JACK KEANE TALKING ABOUT. THE STRENGTH OF THE HOUTHIS. FIRST, WATCH. >> THEY ARE NORTH OF 300,000. SOME SOMETIMES ARE 350,000. THIS IS A FORMIDABLE SOURCE THAT. SAUDI ARABIA EVEN WITH A SMALL. COALITION OF U.S. TARGETING, PROVIDED INTELLIGENCE, ISRAEL. PROVIDING SOME COVERT.

OPERATIONS, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT. THAT MEANS, LIKELY NOT GOING TO. DEFEAT THEM. HAVE TO DEAL WITH THEM IF WE. NEED TO GO BACK TO MAJOR. CONFLICT OPERATIONS. >> Bill: FROM IRAN'S PERSPECTIVE. THIS ENABLES THEM TO HAVE A. DIFFERENT FRONT LINE. >> REMEMBER, THIS IS THE HOUTHIS. ARE FUNDED, DIRECTED AND TRAINED. BY THE IRANIANS WITH THE AXIS OF. RESISTANCE AND PROXY GROUPS.

THE HOUTHIS HAVE BECOME A ROBUST. PAIR MILITARY FORCE NORTH OF. 300,000. A DECADE AGO THERE WAS 30,000. I AGREE WITH JACK THERE NEEDS TO. BE A MUCH MORE ROBUST U.S. EFFORT WHERE WE TAKE THE FIGHT. BACK TO THE IRANIANS. THE SAUDIS HAVE TO DO MORE, TOO. THEY DO HAVE SIGNIFICANT. MILITARY CAPABILITIES. THE SAUDIS SHOULD NOT REBUFF ANY. HELP THAT THE ISRAELIS ARE. OFFERING BECAUSE THE SAUDIS. DON'T WANT TO HAVE ANY KIND OF.

INCREASED NORMALIZATION WITH THE. ISRAELIS, IT IS NONSENSE AT THIS. POINT. THIS IS ABOUT SAUDI DEFENSE ANA. THEIR NATIONAL SECURITY. THEY SHOULD TAKE ANY HELP THEY. SHOULD GET FROM THE ISRAELIS. A COALITION EFFORT. IT WILL TAKE A MUCH MORE ROBUST. U.S. MILITARY OPERATION. >> Bill: THE SUGGESTION IN YOUR. ANSWER IS THAT THE SAUDIS ARE. NOT ALL IN. WHY WOULD THAT BE? >> THE SAUDIS TEND TO BE -- THEY. ONLY -- THEY BASICALLY PLAY. DEFENSE, BILL, UNLESS THEY SEE.

THE UNITED STATES BACKING THEM. IN A MUCH STRONGER WAY. THE UNITED STATES IS THE FORCE, THEY WANT U.S. HELP WITH. TARGETING AND WITH THE. OPERATIONS, AND THE SAUDIS. REALLY ARE RISK-AVERSE AND PLAY. DEFENSE UNLESS THEY KNOW THE. UNITED STATES IN PARTICULAR. BACKING THEM. IT'S JUST THE WAY IT'S BEEN. WE'RE THE ONLY POWER IN THE. REGION THAT HAS THE KIND OF. MILITARY CAPABILITY, MILITARY. COMPETENCY AND ESSENTIALLY THE. MORAL AUTHORITY AND THE LEVERAGE. POLITICALLY TO BRING THESE OTHER.

GROUPS TOGETHER TO HAVE A. COALITION EFFORT. BUT THE HOUTHIS ARE AN IRANIAN. PROXY, BILL AND REALLY ARE AFTER. THE U.S.-LED NETWORK OF ALLIES. IN THE MIDDLE EAST. >> Bill: NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT.. UKRAINE QUICKLY. THIS SPARKED THIS WEEK. STARLINK AND STAR SHIELD. STARLINK IS WHAT THE UKRAINE. MILITARY USES TO HELP THEM FOCUS. TON RUSSIANS WITH TARGETING. STAR SHIELD IS LINKED TO. STARLINK BUT OPERATED BY THE. U.S. MILITARY. THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. THE "WALL STREET JOURNAL". EDITORIAL L BOARD.

ZELENSKYY IS OPEN TO THE. STARLINK DEAL AND WRITES THE. EPISODE THIS WEEK REVEALS HOW. MUCH THE UKRAINIANS ARE DOUBTING. U.S. SUPPORT AND FIGHTING A. DEDICATED AMERICA AND THE. KREMLIN. DISCRETE DEAL FOR STARLINK WOULD. BE A START TOWARD GETTING A. BUNGLED PEACE PROCESS BACK ON. TRACK. HOW DO YOU MEASURE UP THE EVENTS. OF THIS PAST WEEK AS IT RELATES. TO THIS SATELLITE COORDINATION. AND THE U.S. GOVERNMENT THAT. ELON MUSK IS CONTROLLED BY THE. WHITE HOUSE? >> LOOK, THE UKRAINIANS NEED.

STARLINK, THEY NEED STAR SHIELD. THE MILITARY COMPONENT AND THEY. NEED IT TO EXTEND IT FURTHER. INTO RUSSIA SO UKRAINE CAN HIT. RUSSIAN LAUNCHERS HITTING. UKRAINIAN ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE. THAT HURT CIVILIANS. UKRAINIANS CANNOT STOP HITTING. RUSSIAN OIL REFINERIES UNLESS. THEY GET SOMETHING THAT CAN HELP. THEM SURVIVE. IT MEANS MISSILE DEFENSE. INTERCEPTORS FROM THE UNITED. STATES OR THE U.S. MILITARY TO. AUTHORIZE DEEPER STRIKES INSIDE. RUSSIA TO STOP THE RUSSIAN WAR.

MACHINE. THEY CAN'T STOP FOR NOTHING. THE PRESSURE HAS TO BE AGAINST. THE RUSSIANS OR THEY NEED A. GREATER MILITARY ADVANTAGE. >> Bill: EVERYTHING YOU SAW IN. RED IS THE LAND BRIDGE PUTIN IS. LOOKING FOR. HE WANTED THAT.