"“... It's striking there's been no uncontrolled escalation [by Israelis' enemies] in the past five months", said Edmund Fitton-Brown, the UK's former ambassador to Yemen, who is now an adviser to the Counter Extremism Project, a non-profit group based in Germany and the US. "There is some sense in which Hamas foisted this crisis on everyone else and they have to calculate their own interests in response," he said."

"In the latest episode of the “Sanctions Space” podcast, Justine Walker is joined by Edmund Fitton-Brown, senior advisor at the Counter Extremism Project and former U.K. ambassador to Yemen. They discuss the ongoing tensions in the Red Sea, the political situation in Yemen and the origin and aspirations of the Houthi group, as well as sanctions actions taken by the U.S. and others against the Houthis."

CEP Senior Advisor Ambassador Edmund Fitton-Brown: "'This isn't about Gaza. It's about the Houthis trying to disrupt international trade and the world economy just for the sake of it. Solidarity against this is very important,' said Edmund Fitton-Brown, the UK's former ambassador to Yemen...

'What they have morphed into in recent years is a free fighting outfit. They love to fight. They enjoy conflict,' said the ex-diplomat, who is now an adviser to the Counter Extremism Project, a non-profit group based in Germany and the US."

CEP Senior Director Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler interviewed for story "The US has carried out a second day of military strikes on Houthi rebel targets in Yemen. US officials say the new targets posed a threat to shipping in the Red Sea, which has been disrupted by Houthi attacks in recent weeks. Houthi leaders have vowed to retaliate following the attacks."

"The Houthis are a Yemeni militia group named after their founder, Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi. They represent the Zaidi branch of Shia Islam and emerged in the 1980s in opposition to Saudi Arabia's religious influence in Yemen. With an estimated 20,000 fighters, their official name is Ansar Allah. The group controls most of the west of Yemen and oversees the Red Sea coastline.

Vanessa Feltz speaks with the former UK ambassador to Yemen, Edmund Brown and lecturer in political science Arash Azizi."

"Houthi rebels have promised to retaliate for airstrikes carried out by the US and UK in Yemen. Washington and London say they hit the targets to protect international shipping from Houthis attacks. Counter extremism expert Hans-Jakob Schindler says there is no alternative to using force to keep traffic flowing in the Red Sea."