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The Biden regime is actively considering re-designating Yemen’s Houthi rebels as a “terrorist” group.
This decision comes after the Houthis claimed the seizure of a commercial ship in the Red Sea, an act condemned by United States National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby.
The Houthis, an Iran-backed group, have controlled large parts of northern Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa, since 2014 and have recently carried out attacks on Israel, launching missiles and drone attacks, and threatening to seize Israeli vessels in the Red Sea.
“The United States and the world’s largest flag states for commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea also issued a joint statement condemning, in the strongest terms, the threats and the acts by the Houthis,” Kirby said during a press conference Tuesday.
“This joint statement has 44 signatories, including NATO, the entire EU and G7, as well as Australia, Canada, Bahamas, Malta, New Zealand, Singapore, and Yemen,” he added.
John Kirby acknowledged that the U.S. government is contemplating a re-designation of the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO).
“We’re actually conducting a review right now on whether that’s the right course forward. We’ve talked about that. No decision is made right now,” he said.
Top Biden spokesman John Kirby says the Biden administration is considering re-designating the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization.
REMINDER: It was Biden who LIFTED the terrorist designation on the Houthis back in 2021. pic.twitter.com/wrlpXKxj4o
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) December 19, 2023
This potential about-face comes after Joe Biden’s action to lift the terrorist designation from the Houthi movement upon assuming office in 2021. The move was an apparent distancing from the policy installed by the Trump administration, which had labeled the Houthis an FTO in its last days.
The Trump administration had designated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) in January 2021, but the Biden administration revoked this designation the following month.
“Effective February 16, I am revoking the designations of Ansarallah, sometimes referred to as the Houthis, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) under the Immigration and Nationality Act and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced.
“This decision is a recognition of the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen. We have listened to warnings from the United Nations, humanitarian groups, and bipartisan members of Congress, among others, that the designations could have a devastating impact on Yemenis’ access to basic commodities like food and fuel. The revocations are intended to ensure that relevant U.S. policies do not impede assistance to those already suffering what has been called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. By focusing on alleviating the humanitarian situation in Yemen, we hope the Yemeni parties can also focus on engaging in dialogue.”
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