Middle East

Saudi Arabia welcomes US plan to designate Houthis a terrorist organization


Mon, 2021-01-11 17:49

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Monday welcomed a US announcement that it plans to designate the Iran-backed Houthis as a terrorist organization.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said late on Sunday that the Trump administration will blacklist the Yemeni militia on Jan. 19.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the move would help the Yemeni people, improve international security and neutralize the Houthi threat.

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The designation would “help end the dangers it (the Houthis) poses, which have led to the deteriorating humanitarian situation of the Yemeni people, and the continuing threats to international peace and security and the world economy,” the ministry said.
Supplies of missiles, drones, other weapons and funds to finance the Houthis’ war would also be cut off, helping stop the militia from “targeting the Yemeni people and threatening international navigation and neighboring countries.”
Since seizing the capital Sanaa in 2014 and sparking the conflict with Yemen’s internationally recognized government, the Houthis have repeatedly attacked Saudi Arabia’s cities and infrastructure with missiles and explosive drones. It has also been accused of attacking shipping near some of the world’s busiest sea lanes off Yemen’s coast.

Pompeo said he intends to designate three Houthi leaders, including Abdul Malik Al-Houthi, Abd Al-Khaliq Badr Al-Din Al-Houthi, and Abdullah Yahya Al-Hakim as “specially designated global terrorists.”
The action will come into effect one day before President-elect Joe Biden takes office.
Saudi Arabia said it hoped Washington’s move would support existing political efforts to resolve the conflict and force the Houthis to return to the negotiating table.
The ministry said the Kingdom also supported UN envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, in his work to end the war and reach a comprehensive political solution.

The Iran-backed Houthi militia, officially called Ansar Allah, has committed war crimes and violations against the Yemeni people, and has also launched repeated attacks toward Saudi Arabia. (File/AP)
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US intends to designate Houthi movement in Yemen as foreign terror groupYemeni govt welcomes US decision to designate Houthis as terrorist organization



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