From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
US relists Houthis as terror group, partially restoring Trump-era sanctions that Biden revoked
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleJacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
US President Joe Biden’s administration re-designates Yemen’s Houthi rebels as a terrorist organization, partially restoring sanctions it lifted three years ago on the Iran-backed militia group, whose repeated attacks in the Red Sea since Hamas’s October 7 terror onslaught have significantly disrupted shipping in the key maritime corridor.
The US State Department announces that it is re-designating the Houthis as a “specially designated global terrorist” (SDGT) entity, in a step aimed at blocking the group’s access to the global financial system but that falls short of the more far-reaching option the Biden administration had at its disposal — re-labeling the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO).
In 2021, Biden removed both labels, which had been applied by his predecessor Donald Trump during the latter’s final days in office.
The Biden administration argued that the Trump-imposed sanctions blocked efforts to get humanitarian aid into Yemen in areas controlled by Houthi rebels. This is the same concern that led the administration to only re-apply the SDGT label, fearing the added FTO label would again harm the ongoing humanitarian effort in Yemen, US officials briefing reporters ahead of today’s announcement explained.
The Houthis have launched dozens of attacks since November on vessels in the Red Sea in what they claim is an effort to support Palestinians amid Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships targeted have had no ties to Israel whatsoever. Over the past week, US and British forces have responded by carrying out air and sea strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, though they have not deterred attacks from the rebel group.
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas Greenfield said last week that since November, 2,000 ships have been forced to divert thousands of miles to avoid the Red Sea. The attacks have caused significant disruptions to global trade with oil prices on the rise in recent days.
The Times of Israel Community.