The Associated Press, citing unnamed State Department officials, reported Friday night (Feb. 5) that the Biden Administration is moving to revoke the Trump Administration’s designation of the Houthi Ansarallah movement of Yemen as a terrorist group, but strictly for humanitarian reasons. One unnamed official said that the removal changed nothing about the Biden administration’s views of the Houthis, who have targeted civilians and kidnapped Americans. “Our action is due entirely to the humanitarian consequences of this last-minute designation from the prior administration, which the United Nations and humanitarian organizations have since made clear would accelerate the world’s worst humanitarian crisis,” the official said.
Additional details also emerged on Friday as the administration’s policy towards the Saudi/U.A.E. war in Yemen. Defense News reported yesterday that the sales to Saudi Arabia that have been put on hold are for precision guided munitions worth $760 million, including 3,000 GBU-39 small diameter bombs made by Boeing and 7,000 Paveway IV smart bombs built by Raytheon.
A White House spokesman also said that arms sales to the Saudis will go back to the usual interagency process with Congressional notification and consultation, rather than being on the emergency basis that was being used by the Trump Administration. Added an administration official, speaking on background, “we are ending all American support for offensive operations in Yemen, including relevant arms sales. Importantly, this does not apply to offensive operations against either ISIS or AQAP [Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula].”
