But it only partially reversed course…
Three years after removing the Houthis' Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) designation, the Biden administration has reversed its decision. Kinda anyway.
The revocation came at the request of the United Nations in early 2021, even as the Houthis waged a terror campaign involving improvised explosives, mines and ballistic missiles against the internationally recognized Yemeni government.
Since declaring war on Israel last October, Houthi terrorists have waged a campaign of unrestricted naval warfare in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The redesignation follows several attacks on commercial shipping, including ballistic missile strikes on bulk carriers, noted Ryan Saavedra of The Daily Wire.
The U.S. State Department said that the decision to list the Houthis as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group will hold it accountable for their terrorist activities. The Biden administration will reconsider the designation if the Houthis stop their attacks:
The administration stressed that it did not want the designation to impact the well-being of the Yemeni civilians who live in areas controlled by the Houthis.
“The U.S. government will conduct robust outreach to stakeholders, aid providers, and partners who are crucial to facilitating humanitarian assistance and the commercial import of critical commodities in Yemen,” the statement said. “The Department of the Treasury is also publishing licenses authorizing certain transactions related to the provision of food, medicine, and fuel, as well as personal remittances, telecommunications and mail, and port and airport operations on which the Yemeni people rely.”
The administration stopped short of re-designating the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), which carries significantly harsher penalties than being designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group.
A FTO designation makes it illegal for any U.S. persons or entities to provide and kind of material support or resources to a group, including financial, training, hard assets, and even communications. A SDGT designation does not designate an entire group as a terrorist organization, rather it is used to target specific people or entities rather than a larger organization.
The New York Times also noted that a Foreign Terrorist Organization designation makes “it far easier to prosecute criminally anyone who knowingly provides the Houthis with money, supplies, training or other ‘material support.'”
The Houthi's slogan translates to “God is Great, Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse on the Jews, Victory to Islam.”
Some of the world's largest container shipping companies have paused operations around the Red Sea and Suez Canal until the safety of their vessels can be guaranteed.
Last week, Navy SEALs successfully intercepted Iranian missile components on their way from Somalia to Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen. Unfortunately, two SEALs were lost after they went overboard in rough seas.
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