US Designates Houthis ‘Specially Designated Global Terrorist’
After accusing Yemen-based Houthis of engaging “in unprecedented attacks against United States military forces and international maritime vessels operating in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden”, the United States of America has designated the Shia Islamist political and military organization as ‘Specially Designated Global Terrorist‘.
Calling the said “attacks fit the textbook definition of terrorism”, National Security advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement the Yemen-based group “have endangered U.S. personnel, civilian mariners, and our partners, jeopardized global trade, and threatened freedom of navigation. The United States and the international community have been united in our response and in condemning these attacks in the strongest terms”.
This designation of Houthis, also known as Ansarallah, according to Mr Sullivan, is an important tool to impede terrorist funding to the group, further restrict their access to financial markets, and hold them accountable for their actions.
“If the Houthis cease their attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the United States will immediately reevaluate this designation,” the statement said.
“The designation will take effect 30 days from now, to allow us to ensure robust humanitarian carve outs are in place so our action targets the Houthis and not the people of Yemen. We are rolling out unprecedented carve outs and licenses to help prevent adverse impacts on the Yemeni people. The people of Yemen should not pay the price for the actions of the Houthis. We are sending a clear message: commercial shipments into Yemeni ports on which the Yemeni people rely for food, medicine and fuel should continue and are not covered by our sanctions. This is in addition to the carveouts we include in all sanctions programs for food, medicine, and humanitarian assistance,” the US statement said.
Last week, in a major escalation, the armed forces of the United States and United Kingdom, with support from the Netherlands, Canada, Bahrain, and Australia, conducted joint strikes against a number of targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. The West claimed their operation was in accordance with “the inherent right of individual and collective self-defence, consistent with the UN Charter”. However, many Democrat leaders and Congress representatives in the United States criticised President Joe Biden for conducting air strike on Houthis sites in Yemen without the permission from the Congress. Joining them, many countries including Russia, Iran, Syria and Turkey among others came down heavily on the US over its attack on the Houthi sites.
