U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday calling on the U.S. secretary of state to designate the Houthis as a terror group within the next 30 days.
Trump designated the Iranian-backed group, which is also known as Ansar Allah, as a foreign terrorist organization in January 2021, during his first term.
“Within one month of taking office, the Biden administration reversed the Houthis’ designation,” per a White House fact sheet. “As a result of the Biden administration’s weak policy, the Houthis have fired at U.S. Navy warships dozens of times, launched numerous attacks on civilian infrastructure in partner nations and attacked commercial vessels transiting” between Yemen and the Horn of Africa “more than 100 times.”
“Under President Trump, it is now the policy of the United States to cooperate with its regional partners to eliminate the Houthis’ capabilities and operations, deprive them of resources and thereby end their attacks on U.S. personnel and civilians, U.S. partners and maritime shipping in the Red Sea,” the White House stated.
The executive order calls for the U.S. Agency for International Development administrator and the secretary of state, after the Houthis are redesignated, to “jointly review United Nations partners, nongovernmental organizations and contractors operating in Yemen.”
“Following this review, the president will direct USAID to end its relationship with entities that have made payments to the Houthis, or which have opposed international efforts to counter the Houthis while turning a blind eye towards the Houthis’ terrorism and abuses,” the White House said.
Published on Wed, 22 Jan 2025 18:05:48 -0500. Original article link
