The Ruthless Houthis: Terrorists Or An Entity Of Particular Concern?

On Tuesday, March 3, Yemen’s UN recognized government called upon the United States to designate the Houthi rebels as a terrorist organization. Yemen’s Minister of Information, Moammar Al-Eryani, personally called on Congress to make this designation in a recent tweet, where he accused both the Houthi and Iranian forces of targeting neighbouring countries in an effort to threaten international trade. Speaking on behalf of the Yemeni government, Al-Eryani called for the United States “to designate Houthis militia as a terrorist org as one of Iran’s dangerous arms in the region, for killing, abduction and displacement for millions of Yemenis.” Additionally, Al-Eryani posted several video clips from a recent House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who has been a leader in the Trump administration’s initiative to apply “maximum pressure” on Iran. 

Both Barack Obama and Donald Trump have pondered making such a declaration, but neither has yet acted upon it. In December, the United States formally designated the Houthis as an “Entity of Particular Concern,” specifically for violations against religious freedom. This gave the United States a greater ability to impose sanctions on the Houthis, and while Trump has not yet instituted such policies, it would impose a heavy financial burden upon the rebel forces. In February, the Washington Post reported that the Trump administration threatened to suspend humanitarian assistance to Yemen “in response to the Houthi movement’s proposed 2 percent ‘tax’ on assistance projects.” While a Trump spokesperson attempted to justify that this was a “last resort” option, this policy would certainly have led to devastating consequences, considering that 80 percent of the entire Yemenis population requires some kind of humanitarian aid. Fortunately, no such dilemma was needed, as the Houthis quickly abandoned their taxation proposal as a result.

Yemen has been in civil war since 2014, when the Houthis, a coalition of Shiite Islamic militants, rose up against the Sunni government and President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi. As the Houthis gained power, they demanded a reduction in gas prices and the resignation of President Hadi. Before long, the Houthis had overthrown the Presidential Palace and established a close alliance with the Shiite Iranian government. In March 2015, a coalition of Gulf states “launched a campaign of economic isolation and airstrikes against the Houthi insurgents, with U.S. logistical and intelligence support.” Saudi Arabia has been a prominent leader in this movement and currently houses the exiled President Hadi. Since then, Yemen has descended into complete chaos, as Saudi led bombings have caused absolute destruction across the country, leaving civilians suffering amidst nationwide famine and dire living conditions. According to BBC, 3.65 million people have been displaced and over 18 million lack access to clean drinking water. The U.S. based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) has reported that over 100,000 people have died since the war first began. This includes 23,000 total deaths in 2019 alone, making it the second deadliest recorded year since initial violence broke out.

By designating the Houthis as terrorists, the rebel organization would, in fact, be “further [isolated]” from the international community. No American ally would recognize the Houthis as the legitimate governors of Yemen, thus baring the rebels from creating foreign alliances with any western or democratic state, as well as the ability to ever participate in the free trade market. It would also further empower the Hadi government as the rightful leaders of the Yemenis people. However, there are serious repercussions that the Trump administration will have to carefully consider before designating the group as terrorists. For example, there is a possibility that the Houthis would respond with increased violence and aggression, thus hindering any opportunity for an imminent ceasefire or peace treaty. There is also a chance that they would resume stealing foreign aid from refugees and people in need, thus making the ongoing humanitarian crisis even worse. The Houthis would no doubt become extremely reliant on the Iranian regime, who within the last year have bombed Saudi oil fields and shot down an American drone over the Strait of Hormuz. 

While the Houthis are undoubtedly a violent extremist organization, who have robbed their own people of life-saving humanitarian assistance, one could certainly argue that it is better to rather keep the rebels designated as an Entity of Particular Concern for the time being. As a result, the Trump administration will need to be very careful if they are considering following through on Minister Al-Eryani’s wishes. The world must remember that the people of Yemen have suffered for far too long, and achieving a peaceful solution must be the number one priority. This does not mean the United States, or any other pro-democratic state, should ever bow to the wishes of a ruthless regime like the Houthis. However, in a world where cooperation is hard to come by, it may be better to seek out de-escalation options in order to preserve peace.

Peter Koenigsbauer

Related