President Joe Biden's administration announced Wednesday that it would designate the Houthis as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” (SDGT), a weaker category than the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), which was designated under the Trump administration.
The Biden administration's nominations represent a slight reversal of previous policy and vindicate the Trump administration. In 2020, the Trump administration designated the Houthis as an FTO, cutting off the Iranian-backed organization from the international banking system.
Shortly after Biden took office in 2021, his administration announced that the designation would harm Yemeni civilians and impede peace negotiations in Yemen's civil war between the Iranian-backed Houthis and the U.S.- and Saudi-backed government. This designation was rescinded, claiming that
But dozens of missile and drone attacks by the Houthis on U.S. warships and international commercial vessels in the Red Sea since November have led to growing calls for the Biden administration to take action. It struck Houthi targets in Yemen last week, but the attacks continued.
Former Trump national security official Kash Patel called the new SDGT a “giant papier-mâché tiger.”
“The only thing you get from SDGT is [Office of Foreign Assets Control]”, he said, “but the FTO has been hit with crippling sanctions and mandatory parliamentary notices. They are literally being suffocated from global trade and banking.” [system]'' he told Breitbart News.
He added that from an intelligence perspective, unlike the FTO designation, the SDGT does not allow for prioritization to gather and conduct intense movement operations against this demanding target.
Mr Patel also criticized the 30-day period for SDGT designation to take effect.
“This false designation will not take effect for another 30 days. That means that even if terrorists continue to bomb for 30 days, there will be nothing to stop them after 30 days,” he said.
Rick Grenell, President Trump's former director of national intelligence, also pointed out that the SDGT designation is weaker than the FTO designation. He posted on x:
They don't have a full FTO designation. They have a belated and weaker SDGT designation.
They don't have a full FTO designation.
They have a belated and weaker SDGT designation. https://t.co/lzbLuNIJsT
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) January 16, 2024
Patel noted that some news headlines suggest that Biden has actually opted for a stronger FTO designation. For example, some headlines incorrectly reported that Biden had “redesignated” the Houthis as terrorists.
He said the confusion may have been intentional.
“This is another example of national security exploiting media headlines,” he said. “SDGT is getting a lot of media attention. Most of the public doesn't know the details of the designation. Now he can call them terrorists. It's like bringing a butter knife to a gunfight.”
The Houthis said the attack, which used missiles and drones, was an Israeli military attack on Hamas after Hamas launched a terrorist attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people. He said that it was a countermeasure against.
Houthi forces board the cargo ship Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea on November 19, 2023. (Houthi Media Center, via AP)
The attacks have forced shipping companies to find longer-distance alternative routes from Asia to Europe, driving up insurance and shipping costs.
The Biden administration previewed the move in a background call Tuesday, defending the decision not to designate the Houthis as an FTO, saying it was done for humanitarian reasons.
“I think we believe that the SDGT designation is an appropriate means of putting pressure on the Houthis at this time.” Said Government officials on the National Security Council. The official continued:
I think we always try to make sure that the impact of sanctions is used for the desired foreign policy effect while minimizing unintended consequences. And the SDGT gives us the possibility to continue ensuring that there are no unintended consequences for the humanitarian situation and the people of Yemen in our efforts to resolve the conflict in Yemen in order to provide humanitarian assistance. He will give it to you.
Officials also defended the fact that the designation would not be triggered for 30 days, allowing the Houthis to continue their attacks without repercussions.
They said this would allow the regime to “ensure that our actions target the Houthis, not the Yemeni people, with strong humanitarian undercuts.”
The official added that if the Houthis cease attacking ships during that 30-day period, “we will reconsider this designation.”
Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) called the SDGT designation “a step in the right direction,” but said it came too late to have any practical effect.
“This does not come close to the foreign terrorist organization designation implemented by the Trump administration,” he said.
He added: “President Biden should never have lifted the Foreign Terrorist Organization designation. He is still proceeding half-heartedly every step of the way.” It was naive to think that it wasn't. The Biden administration should redesignate the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) as part of a broader strategy to halt their attacks on our partners and global shipping. be.”
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