Pompeo to label Yemen's Houthis a foreign terror group
Relief organizations in Yemen warn the designation will hamstring their life-saving work in a country already considered to have the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
The Trump administration will designate Yemen’s Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said late Sunday, despite months of pleading from relief organizations who say the move will bring aid delivery in the war-torn country to a standstill.
Pompeo will notify Congress of his intention to designate the Iran-aligned group, which is mired in a six-year-long civil war against a Saudi-led military coalition supporting the internationally recognized government in Yemen. In a statement emailed to reporters, the secretary of state said the move holds the Houthis responsible for terrorist acts in Yemen, a country considered by the United Nations to be the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
“If Ansar Allah did not behave like a terrorist organization, we would not designate it as an FTO (Foreign Terrorist Organization) and SDGT (Specially Designated Global Terrorist),” Pompeo said, using the Houthis’ formal name. “It has led a brutal campaign that has killed many people, continues to destabilize the region and denies Yemenis a peaceful solution to the conflict in their country.”
The move, which also includes the labeling of three Houthi leaders as specially designated global terrorists, takes effect on Jan. 19 — a day before President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration. In his statement, Pompeo said the designations were intended to advance peace efforts aimed at ensuring Yemen is “free from Iranian interference and at peace with its neighbors.”
