The Ansar Allah movement has been added to the list of terrorist organisations a day before the inauguration of new US president Democrat Joe Biden
The State Department has notified the US Congress of its intention to overturn a previous administration’s decision to include Yemen’s Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement on the list of terrorist organizations. The US foreign ministry told TASS on Friday.
The State Department spokesman recalled that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken had earlier said he would “review [the decision] to list Ansar Allah [as a terrorist organisation], given the serious implications for the people of Yemen”, – “After a full review [of the matter], we can confirm that the Secretary of State intends to reverse [the decision] <…>. We have formally notified Congress of the Secretary of State’s intention”, – the State Department added.
“This decision in no way affects our view of the Houthi and their reprehensible behaviour, including attacks on civilians and the abduction of American citizens. We are determined to help Saudi Arabia protect its territory from further such attacks. Our actions are entirely driven by the humanitarian implications of this [last-minute move] by the previous administration <…> which, as the UN and humanitarian organizations have since made clear, is forcing the worst humanitarian crisis in the world”, – the State Department spokesman emphasized.
The US Treasury Department announced the day before the inauguration of the new US President, Democrat Joe Biden, that the Ansar Allah movement had been listed as a terrorist organisation.
On February 4, Biden said that Washington stops supporting the combat operations of the Arabian coalition in Yemen and intends to intensify efforts for a peaceful settlement in that Arab country. At the same time, the White House chief noted that Saudi Arabia is facing missile attacks “from Iranian-backed forces”, so the US will continue helping the kingdom to protect “the sovereignty, territorial integrity and its people”.
The conflict in Yemen has been ongoing since August 2014. The military confrontation intensified after the Saudi-led coalition troops invaded the country in March 2015. The ongoing war has created the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. According to the UN, more than 24 million Yemenis – about 80 per cent of the population – are in need of humanitarian assistance, while the number of internally displaced people exceeds 3 million.