{"id":2145640,"date":"2024-01-10T16:14:02","date_gmt":"2024-01-10T21:14:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bidens-refusal-to-designate-houthis-as-terrorists-sparks-blowback-from-military-leaders\/"},"modified":"2024-01-10T16:17:01","modified_gmt":"2024-01-10T21:17:01","slug":"bidens-refusal-to-designate-houthis-as-terrorists-sparks-blowback-from-military-leaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bidens-refusal-to-designate-houthis-as-terrorists-sparks-blowback-from-military-leaders\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden&#8217;s refusal to label Houthis as terrorists angers military leaders"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbidens-refusal-to-designate-houthis-as-terrorists-sparks-blowback-from-military-leaders%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2145640&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<div>\n<figure><figcaption>\n<p>        Armed men\u200d stand on the beach as \u2062the Galaxy Leader commercial ship,\u2064 seized by Yemen&#8217;s Houthis, is anchored off the coast\u2063 of al-Salif, Yemen, Dec. 5,\u2064 2023. \u2063(Khaled Abdullah\/REUTERS)<br \/>\n   \u2064<br \/>\n      <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2>The Biden Administration&#8217;s Refusal to Redesignate Yemen&#8217;s Houthi Rebels as a Terrorist\u2063 Organization Sparks Tension with U.S. Military Leaders<\/h2>\n<div>\n<p>The Biden administration&#8217;s decision not to classify Yemen&#8217;s Houthi rebels as a terrorist organization is causing friction with U.S. military leaders in the\u200d region. \u200dThey are\u200b grappling with an increase\u200b in attacks by this Iran-backed militant\u200d group.<\/p>\n<p>Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, the leader of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), responsible for countering \u2063Houthi attacks on American assets in \u2062the Middle East, expressed\u200d the challenges they face since the Biden administration removed their designation as a foreign\u200d terrorist organization. This issue\u200d became evident during a congressional delegation trip to the region.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;During my conversation with \u200cthe NAVCENT commander, I specifically asked about the Houthi attacks and their designation,&#8221; said Senator Joni Ernst (R., Iowa), who led\u2062 the bipartisan congressional\u2063 delegation. &#8220;He indicated\u2062 that it would be beneficial to have them listed as a foreign terrorist organization. So, there has been some \u200dcontention \u2062regarding this\u2062 matter.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The United States and its allies are struggling to combat a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/liveblog_entry\/un-security-council-to-vote-on-us-backed-measure-condemning-houthi-attacks-in-red-sea\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wave<\/a> \u200c of Houthi attacks that pose a threat to regional military personnel and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/irans-navy-unveils-new-vessels-armed-with-long-range-missiles\/\" title=\"Iran's Navy reveals new ships equipped with long-range missiles.\">commercial shipping vessels<\/a>. The most significant attack \u2064occurred on Wednesday when American and British forces intercepted\u200b and destroyed 21 drones and missiles launched\u200b by\u200d the Iran-armed group. The Biden administration&#8217;s reluctance to \u2064redesignate the Houthis as a terrorist group suggests that the United States is trying to avoid provoking Tehran, as its terror proxies, including Hamas, wage war on Israel and sow chaos\u200d across the region, according \u2063to Senator Ernst.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s \u200bmy \u2064interpretation\u2063 of why the administration is being cautious,&#8221; the senator explained. &#8220;Whether it&#8217;s the Houthis or\u200c the leadership in Iran, they perceive weakness coming \u2063from America and are taking full advantage of it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Senator \u200bErnst \u200cand her delegation of seven other lawmakers met with\u200d leaders\u2063 in Israel, Egypt, Bahrain, and Qatar. At each stop, Iran&#8217;s malign activities were a major\u2063 concern.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;All the leaders we\u200d visited\u200c expressed concerns about Iran,&#8221; she said. &#8220;At every stop, we were \u200casked about American leadership.\u2064 They were very direct\u200c in stating that we need\u2064 American\u200b leadership.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Shortly after President Biden took office, his administration removed \u2064the Houthis from the list \u2064of\u200b foreign terrorist organizations, reversing a policy initiated by\u2062 the Trump \u200badministration. This reversal aimed to ease\u2062 tensions with \u2064Iran, the chief \u2062sponsor of the terror group, and foster goodwill with the hardline regime in Tehran.<\/p>\n<p>Since Hamas\u200b initiated its\u200d conflict \u2064with Israel in October, the Houthis have sought to escalate regional \u200bunrest \u200dthrough a series of missile attacks, aiming\u200d to disrupt commercial shipping\u2063 routes and \u2064draw the United\u2062 States into a broader conflict.<\/p>\n<p>Amidst these attacks,\u200d the Biden \u200dadministration has been pressuring Israel to \u2064end its military campaign \u200cin the\u2063 Gaza Strip and refrain \u2062from opening a new front\u2063 along\u200b the northern border with Lebanon, where the Iran-backed Hezbollah group has also intensified its terrorist\u2062 activities.<\/p>\n<p>Secretary\u2063 of State Antony Blinken is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ic1trB3b134\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">currently<\/a> in the region, urging Israel not to expand its military operations.<\/p>\n<p>Senator Ernst stated that U.S. pressure, whether real or perceived, will not deter Israel from \u200btaking all necessary measures to eliminate Hamas and counter other \u200bthreats from Iranian proxy\u200b groups.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;They made it \u2062very\u200b clear that they \u2064will continue to target Hamas,&#8221; \u200bErnst emphasized. &#8220;They have\u200c their own objectives,\u2063 and it should be up to Israel \u200cto determine what those objectives\u200d are. That&#8217;s the impression I got\u200d from the Israelis.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>During the congressional delegation&#8217;s visit, they also\u200d toured\u200b Israeli villages devastated by Hamas terrorists\u2063 and met with the families of\u200d those \u2064still held \u200bcaptive by \u2063the terror\u2064 group. \u2062They also spent time \u2064with hostage negotiators from various nations, advocating for the\u2064 release of all Americans captured by\u200b Hamas on\u2062 October \u20647.<\/p>\n<p>Ernst also highlighted Israel&#8217;s need for various munitions from the United States and assured that Congress will work this week to allocate the necessary funds to \u2063fully\u200c equip the Jewish state.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> Why do Republicans and some Democrats argue that the removal of the Houthi rebels from the terrorist organization list \u2064sends the\u2062 wrong message to Iran and undermines U.S. efforts to counter its influence in the region?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Olicy implemented by the Trump administration in its final \u2063days. The \u2064move was met with\u2063 criticism and \u200dconcern from\u200c U.S.\u200c military \u2064leaders, who \u200dview the Houthi rebels as a\u200b significant \u200dthreat in the region.\u200b By refusing to designate them as\u2064 a terrorist\u2062 organization, the Biden administration\u2063 is\u2063 sending a message that it is\u2063 willing to overlook the group&#8217;s destabilizing and violent actions.<\/p>\n<p>The Houthi\u200b rebels, also known as Ansar\u200c Allah, \u200bhave been at war with the Yemeni government since 2014. The\u200d conflict \u2063has \u200bresulted\u200b in a humanitarian crisis, with millions of people\u2063 facing \u200bfamine and displacement. The rebels have received significant\u200b support \u2063from\u2063 Iran, both in terms of weapons \u2062and military training.<\/p>\n<p>The\u200d decision \u200dto remove the Houthi rebels from the terrorist organization list has drawn criticism\u200b from Republicans and some Democrats alike. They argue that \u200cit sends the wrong message \u200cto Iran and undermines\u2062 U.S. efforts to counter \u2063its influence in the region. The \u2063recent increase in \u2064Houthi \u200dattacks on American assets and commercial shipping vessels only adds to \u2064these concerns.<\/p>\n<p>Vice Admiral Brad\u2064 Cooper, during his conversation with the congressional delegation, emphasized the importance of designating the Houthi rebels\u200c as a terrorist \u200dorganization. The designation would provide\u200b the U.S. military with additional tools and resources to counter the group&#8217;s attacks effectively. It would\u200b also send a clear \u2064message to Iran that their support \u2062for such\u200c militant groups will not be tolerated.<\/p>\n<p>The Biden \u200badministration&#8217;s\u2063 reluctance to take a tougher stance\u200d on the Houthi\u200c rebels can be seen as part of its larger strategy towards Iran. The \u200cadministration is currently engaged in negotiations to\u200c revive \u2062the Iran nuclear deal, which has faced criticism for its \u200black of addressing Iran&#8217;s regional\u2064 aggression. By not designating the Houthis as a terrorist \u2064organization, the administration may be trying\u2062 to avoid jeopardizing these talks and further escalating tensions with Iran.<\/p>\n<p>However, this approach is not \u2063without \u2062its risks. The \u200cHouthi attacks pose \u2062a direct\u200b threat to American\u200d personnel \u200cin \u2062the \u200bregion, as well\u200b as to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/chinas-military-announces-live-fire-drills-surrounding-taiwan-following-pelosi-arrival\/\" title=\"China\u2019s Military Announces Live Fire Drills Surrounding Taiwan Following Pelosi Arrival\">international shipping lanes<\/a>. By failing to designate the group as a\u200b terrorist organization, the United States is sending\u200b a\u200b message of weakness\u2062 and emboldening the rebels \u200bto continue their destabilizing activities.<\/p>\n<p>The concerns expressed by Senator Joni \u2062Ernst and other\u200c lawmakers during their delegation\u200b trip highlight the urgent \u200cneed for a reassessment of the \u200cBiden administration&#8217;s policy towards the\u2064 Houthi rebels.\u200c It is\u200d essential to prioritize\u200c the security and well-being of American personnel \u2063and to send\u200d a clear message that the United States \u2064will not tolerate \u2064attacks on its \u200dassets\u2062 or\u200c those of its allies.<\/p>\n<p>As the situation in\u200b Yemen continues\u200d to deteriorate, \u200dit is crucial for the \u200cBiden administration to take a firmer stance on the Houthi rebels. Designating them\u200b as a terrorist \u200borganization would not only \u2062provide\u200d the U.S. military\u200c with the necessary tools to counter their attacks but also send \u2064a\u200c strong \u2062message to Iran about the\u200b consequences\u2063 of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admin-reportedly-hits-brakes-on-6b-transfer-to-iran\/\" title=\"Biden Admin reportedly halts B transfer to Iran.\">supporting militant groups<\/a> \u200din \u200dthe region. The Biden administration\u200d must prioritize the safety\u2064 and security of American personnel and \u200ctake\u2062 decisive \u200daction to address the threat posed by the \u2063Houthi rebels in Yemen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Armed men guard the Galaxy Leader ship, captured by Yemen&#8217;s Houthis, near al-Salif, Yemen. The Biden administration&#8217;s decision not to label the rebels as terrorists is straining relations with regional military leaders, who face challenges in the area<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":117,"featured_media":2145641,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2145640","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-free-beacon"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2145640","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/117"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2145640"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2145640\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2145641"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2145640"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2145640"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2145640"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}