Biden Backs Down on Reinstating Trump's 'Terrorist' Label for Iran-Backed Houthis

President Biden will redesignate the Iran-backed Houthis as a terrorist organization three years after making the glaring mistake of removing them from the list of foreign terrorist organizations.

Biden's move comes next repeated Houthi attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea. The US military has also been attacked by terrorists.

Former President Trump included the terrorist group on the list, but when Biden became president, his administration immediately removed them, citing concerns about humanitarian aid in Yemen.

“Secretary of State Antony Blinken removed the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization and as specially designated global terrorists in February 2021, as the Biden administration sought to ease humanitarian aid into Yemen.” Fox News reported

(Video Credit: Fox News)

Despite knowing the move was a horrible mistake, the Biden administration won't admit they made a mistake.

“It was the right move in 2021 to revoke the foreign terrorist organization and SDGT designations for the Houthis,” an administration official said in an attempt to justify the action. He noted that Blinken made the decision “in recognition of a very serious humanitarian situation in Yemen.”

“Despite countless warnings and diplomatic engagement, these Houthi attacks [have] it didn't stop,” an official said, according to the New York Post “… In response to these ongoing and escalating attacks, the United States would designate Ansar Allah, or more commonly known as the Houthis, as Specially Designated Global Terrorists.”

“These attacks are a clear example of terrorism and a violation of international law and a significant threat to life, global trade, and endanger the delivery of humanitarian aid,” a senior administration official told reporters at a briefing on Tuesday .

So it turns out that the Biden administration reversing a Trump policy and removing the Houthis from the terror list was a bad idea. Now they're going backwards.

A story in 3 parts! pic.twitter.com/jD9dOCrJrE

— Libs from TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 17, 2024

The Houthis have launched dozens of attacks on ships in the Red Sea, causing companies to suspend traffic there, opting for longer routes to avoid being targeted. The Houthis claim the attacks are a response to Israel's war with Hamas, but they have hit ships that have nothing to do with Israel, including a U.S. cargo ship. On Tuesday, the Houthis launched anti-ship ballistic missiles from Yemen into the Red Sea.

“Recent Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have disrupted global shipping. Linda Thomas Greenfield, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said last week that 2,000 ships since November have been forced to divert thousands of miles to avoid the Red Sea,” the medium continued.

“We took this action to put pressure on the Houthis cease their terrorist activities, including missile and drone attacks against international shipping. The ultimate goal of the sanctions is to convince the Houthis to scale back and bring about a positive change in behavior,” a military official said, according to Fox News.

REPORTER: “Are you ready to call the Houthis a terrorist group?”

BIDEN: “I think they are.”

(Biden *removed* the Houthis' terrorist designation in 2021) pic.twitter.com/k3OYkxloYy

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 12, 2024

The Biden administration has made the designation with a caveat.

“The terrorist designation will take effect in 30 days. Officials stressed that commercial shipments of food, medicine and fuel to Yemeni ports will be exempted so as not to deny humanitarian aid to the Yemeni people amid the civil war between the Houthis and the country's government, internationally recognized and supported by Saudi Arabia, noted.

“The administration is prioritizing mitigation unwanted adverse impacts of this designation that might otherwise arise for the people of Yemen,” a second military official said.

“We are deploying as we take this action unprecedented licenses and permits to help prevent adverse impacts on the Yemeni people,” the official said. “The people of Yemen should not pay the price for the actions of the Houthis.”

The Biden administration is reportedly redesignating the Houthis as a terrorist group after they launched dozens of attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

These violent extremists should never have been delisted in the first place.

— Senator Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) January 16, 2024

“An SDGT designation will also freeze Houthi assets, but unlike an FTO designation, it will not impose immigration restrictions on members, according to the State Department. SDGT sanctions also will not touch individuals and organizations that provide “support material” to the Houthis,” Fox News explained.

The media needs to be clear: the Biden team is not putting the Houthis on an FTO list and is making clear that the smaller designation they made today could end if the Houthis simply stop attacking the Red Sea.

So it is clear that the Houthi terrorist attacks outside the Red Sea… https://t.co/dynjxLL54a

— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) January 16, 2024

The Houthis have brazenly behaved like terrorists for a long time and have threatened to take hostage sailors from more than 20 countries.

According to CENTCOM, US forces destroyed four Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles which were set to launch from Yemen on Tuesday.

“The recent attacks since November are really unacceptable,” a military official said. “We cannot stand idly by and watch what the Houthis are doing in the Red Sea and not recognize their actions for what they are.”

Terresa Monroe-Hamilton is a constitutional conservative who researches and writes extensively on politics and current affairs.

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