“Secretary Blinken was clear about conducting a quick review of Ansarallah’s designations, given the profound implications for the people of Yemen, home to the worst humanitarian catastrophe in the world,” said a State Department official in a statement, using another name for the Houthis.
“After a comprehensive review, we can confirm that the secretary intends to revoke the Ansarallah Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist designations. We have formally notified Congress of the secretary’s intention to revoke these designations and will share more details in the coming days. ”
Humanitarian leaders warned that the designation of terror made relief work in Yemen very difficult for them in the course of a years-long war between Saudi-led forces and Iran-backed Houthis. Humanitarian workers say the country is in danger of falling in a generalized famine.
Because the Houthis control a significant amount of territory, aid groups often need to engage with the rebels to facilitate the transfer of food, medicine and other vital items to needy civilians. If Houthis are marked as terrorists, humanitarian workers risk violating US law and criminal penalties in dealing with them.
Martin Griffiths, the United Nations special envoy to Yemen, told the UN Security Council last month that he feared the appointment would make it more difficult for him to bring the parties together to negotiate to end the conflict.
In taking charge of Foggy Bottom, Blinken made it clear that examining the assignment was one of his most urgent priorities.
“It is vitally important, even in the midst of this crisis, that we do everything in our power to obtain humanitarian assistance to the people of Yemen who are in dire need,” he said on January 27, his first full day at work. . “And what we want to be sure of is that any measures we take will not interfere with the provision of that assistance.”
On Thursday, Biden announced that the United States is ending military support for offensive operations on the Saudi-led side of the Yemen conflict. He also appointed a veteran US diplomat, Tim Lenderking, as America’s special envoy to the conflict, promising to double diplomacy to end the war.
The US military will continue to share intelligence related to the defense of Saudi Arabia and support for the fight against terrorism against Islamic State and Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Friday. However, this will end intelligence sharing related to offensive operations and training activities to reduce civilian casualties, he said.
The conflict in Yemen is, in many ways, a proxy struggle between Saudi Arabia, a US partner, and Iran, a US opponent. The Houthis expelled the Yemeni government from 2014.
The Saudis, who viewed the acquisition as essentially a rival to Iran on their doorstep, have assembled a coalition to fight back. But what many hoped was a relatively short war has dragged on, seriously damaging the civilian population thanks to violent acts on both sides.
The State Department official emphasized that the withdrawal of the designation was in no way a reflection of US views on the Houthis “and their reprehensible conduct, including attacks on civilians and kidnapping of American citizens”.
“We are committed to helping Saudi Arabia defend its territory against new attacks of this type,” said the official. “Our action is entirely due to the humanitarian consequences of this last-minute appointment by the previous administration.”
Among those who applauded the repeal was Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, who is a staunch critic of Saudi Arabia.
“Reversing the designation is an important decision that will save lives and, combined with the appointment of a special envoy, offers hope that President Biden is committed to ending the war,” said Murphy.
Blinken’s decision on Friday could provide food for aggressive Republicans – including Pompeo, who is looking to a future political post – to criticize the new government. At the same time, some Republican leaders are aware of humanitarian concerns.
After Pompeo announced the designation of terrorism in January, the top Republicans on the House and Senate foreign affairs committees asked for it to be paired with sufficient measures to mitigate the effects on suffering civilians.
“This designation will have a devastating effect on Yemen’s food supply and other critical imports, unless the executive branch acts now to issue the necessary licenses, waivers and appropriate guidance prior to designation,” Texas Deputy Mike McCaul and Senator Jim Risch of Idaho said in a statement. “Good intentions must not be eclipsed by significant unintended consequences.”
The Trump administration saw Iran as a major threat to U.S. interests in the Middle East and beyond, and Pompeo was particularly interested in punishing the Islamic regime in Tehran. In his final weeks as the top US diplomat, Pompeo launched new sanctions on Iran; the Houthi designation was considered part of that effort.
Pompeo promised that the United States would work with humanitarian organizations to find ways to give them special exemptions and licenses to continue their work. This did not reassure humanitarian aid groups, who said that the designation of terrorism was clearly hasty and that the rules lacked clarity.
The appointment took effect on January 19, the day before Biden’s inauguration.
Lara Seligman contributed to this report.