Trump declared Houthis to be terrorists. Within weeks, Biden reversed it. 3 years later, Biden partly restored it. There's a lesson here. ~ Elder Of Ziyon

Friday, December 27, 2024

Trump declared Houthis to be terrorists. Within weeks, Biden reversed it. 3 years later, Biden partly restored it. There's a lesson here.

On January 10, 2021, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a statement:

The Department of State will notify Congress of my intent to designate Ansarallah – sometimes referred to as the Houthis – as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entity, pursuant to Executive Order 13224. I also intend to designate three of Ansarallah’s leaders, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, Abd al-Khaliq Badr al-Din al-Houthi, and Abdullah Yahya al Hakim, as SDGTs.

These designations will provide additional tools to confront terrorist activity and terrorism by Ansarallah, a deadly Iran-backed militia group in the Gulf region. The designations are intended to hold Ansarallah accountable for its terrorist acts, including cross-border attacks threatening civilian populations, infrastructure, and commercial shipping.

The designations are also intended to advance efforts to achieve a peaceful, sovereign, and united Yemen that is both free from Iranian interference and at peace with its neighbors. Progress in addressing Yemen’s instability can only be made when those responsible for obstructing peace are held accountable for their actions.

The "experts" at Brookings said this would be a major mistake. "Designating the Houthis would be bad for Yemeni civilians, bad for peace talks, and, ultimately, bad for U.S. national security."

One of the first things the Biden administration did was to reverse this decision. The brilliant analysts won! As Antony Blinken wrote that February:

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.

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.

And then the Houthis attacked the world's shipping.

Oops!

Almost exactly three years after Pompeo made his announcement, Blinken said this:

The Department of State today is announcing the designation of Ansarallah, commonly referred to as the Houthis, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group, effective 30 days from today.
The Houthis must be held accountable for their actions, but it should not be at the expense of Yemeni civilians. As the Department of State moves forward with this designation, we are taking significant steps to mitigate any adverse impacts this designation may have on the people of Yemen. During the 30-day implementation delay, 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 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 main reason given in 2021 was to ensure Yemeni civilians get aid. The re-designation (even tough not as extensive as Pompeo's FTO desgination) ensured that aid would still get through. And no one is worried that aid sent to UNRWA or WFP is not going to make it into Gaza because Hamas is a FTO.

Which means that Biden's taking away the terror designation from the Houthis did nothing to dissuade their terrorism, as Blinken hoped, and very possibly helped them strengthen themselves.

It is important to aid civilians. But it is more important to get rid of the terrorists who are not only threatening the world but are also terrorizing those same civilians!

The "experts" and State Department Arabists "won" in 2021, and so did the Houthis. The very idea of removing the terrorist designation of a group whose very motto includes "Down with the USA! Curse the Jews!" is enough proof that the "experts" are often idiots.