U.S. Lifts Yemeni Militant Group’s Terrorist Designation for Humanitarian Reasons...

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U.S. Lifts Yemeni Militant Group’s Terrorist
Designation for Humanitarian Reasons


MARCH 16, 2021

JUDICIAL WATCH



Days after a “humanitarian situation” compelled the Biden administration to revoke
the terrorist designation of a Yemen-based militant group, the U.S. is sending the
Islamic nation $191 million in assistance. Yemen is a hotbed of terrorism that serves
as the headquarters of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). The international
community strongly opposed the Trump administration’s classification of another
Yemeni radical faction, Ansarallah, as a specially designated global terrorist entity
asserting that it would come with repercussions for humanitarian operations. In a
Federal Register bulletin announcing the move the State Department writes that
Ansarallah, also known as Partisans of God, has committed or has attempted to
commit, or poses a significant risk of committing, or has participated in training
to commit, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the
national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States.

The Biden administration did not waste much time caving into the demands of leftist
global entities to reverse the designation. Leading the pack was the famously corrupt
United Nations, which joined forces with independent humanitarian organizations
to demand Ansarallah be removed from the government’s terrorist list. UN officials
expressed “deep concern about the adverse humanitarian impact,” and the director
of a nonprofit called it a “death sentence.” In mid-February Secretary of State
Anthony J. Blinken obliged, explaining that the decision to revoke Ansarallah’s terrorist
designation 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,”
according to State Department announcement. “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.”

It is worth noting that shortly after Blinken’s decision the U.S. Treasury’s Office of
Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned two key militants of the Iranian-backed Ansarallah,
which is sometimes referred to as the Houthis. The agency identifies them as Mansur Al-Sa’adi
and Ahmad ‘Ali Ahsan al-Hamzi and claims they are responsible for orchestrating attacks
by Houthi forces impacting Yemeni civilians, bordering nations, and commercial vessels in
international waters. “These actions, which were done to advance the Iranian regime’s
destabilizing agenda, have fueled the Yemeni conflict, displacing more than one million
people and pushing Yemen to the brink of famine,” the OFAC writes in an a press release.
The document proceeds to explain that the Houthis have waged a bloody war against the
internationally recognized Yemeni government using ballistic missiles, explosives, naval mines,
and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to attack bases, population centers, infrastructure,
and nearby commercial shipping. “The Iranian regime has intensified this conflict by providing
direct financial and materiel assistance to the Houthis, including small arms, missiles,
explosives, and UAVs,” according to the U.S. Treasury.

The conflicting actions of two American government agencies may seem confusing to some,
though Secretary of State Blinken does acknowledge Ansarallah’s terrorist traits and that its
leaders threaten Yemen’s peace, security, and stability. In the announcement quashing the
terrorist designation, Blinken says this: “The United States remains clear-eyed about
Ansarallah’s malign actions, and aggression, including taking control of large areas of Yemen
by force, attacking U.S. partners in the Gulf, kidnapping and torturing citizens of the
United States and many of our allies, diverting humanitarian aid, brutally repressing Yemenis
in areas they control, and the deadly attack on December 30, 2020 in Aden against the cabinet
of the legitimate government of Yemen.” The Secretary of State promises to “closely monitor”
the terrorist organization’s activities and actively identify additional targets for designation,
especially those responsible for explosive boat attacks against commercial shipping in the
Red Sea and missile attacks into Saudi Arabia. Blinken assures the U.S. is committed to
helping its partners defend themselves against threats arising from Yemen. In the meantime,
American taxpayer dollars keep pouring into the country. The latest allotment of $191 million,
announced this month, comes on the heels of a $160 million allocation at the end of 2020 to
“alleviate the suffering of the people of Yemen.”