Congresswoman Tenney, Colleagues Urge Secretary Blinken to Re-List Houthis as Foreign Terrorist Organization

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-22), member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, today led a group of her colleagues in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging him reconsider the decision to de-list the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). The letter, which follows a similar Tenney-led effort in March 2021, comes on the heels of the deadliest attack on United Arab Emirates soil in recent years by Houthi fighters in the region.

“Once again, Houthi fighters have shown their true colors to the world with a brutal attack on the United Arab Emirates. The group has led a ruthless campaign of violence and continues to de-stabilize the region and reject good-faith efforts to negotiate a peaceful settlement to this conflict. Unfortunately, the only people who are not paying attention are President Biden and Secretary Blinken. We must be clear-eyed about what’s happening in Yemen – the Houthis continue to act like a terrorist organization and engage in terrorist activity. I urge this Administration in the strongest of terms to re-designate the Iran-backed Houthis as an FTO and SDGT before they target more innocent civilians,” said Tenney.

In part the lawmakers wrote,“De-listing the Houthis has not made the region safer, nor has it advanced the stalled peace process. Progress in addressing the instability in Yemen can only be made when those responsible for obstructing peace are held accountable for their actions.”

This letter was signed by Rep. Michael McCaul, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, as well as Reps. Joe Wilson (SC-2), Scott Perry (PA-10), Darrell Issa (CA-50), Brian Mast (FL-18), Tim Burchett (TN-2), Gregory Steube (FL-17), Ronny Jackson (TX-13), and Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27).

The full text of the letter is below.

Secretary Blinken:

In recent days, we have witnessed the deadliest attack on United Arab Emirates (UAE) soil in recent years by Houthi fighters in the region. The attack on January 17, 2022, resulted in three petroleum tanker explosions near UAE’s state oil firm Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) storage facilities and airport, killing three innocent civilians. It is evident that the Houthi rebels continue to reject good faith efforts to negotiate a diplomatic solution, instead choosing the path of violence, including against civilians and civilian targets. Administration officials have recently expressed a willingness to reconsider your decision to de-list the Houthis, also known as Ansarallah, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) under the Immigration and Nationality Act and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224. We fully support reversing this decision and re-listing the Houthis.

As you may recall, we first wrote to you in March 2021, urging you to reverse this reckless decision, after the Houthis launched multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and missiles at a Saudi Aramco facility in the city of Jazan. The attacks continued and in September 2021, a Houthi missile was fired in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, injuring two children. In November 2021, the militant group launched multiple UAVs at oil refineries in several Saudi cities, including Jeddah. In December 2021, Saudi air defenses intercepted a Houthi ballistic missile over Riyadh. De-listing the Houthis has not made the region safer, nor has it advanced the stalled peace process. Progress in addressing the instability in Yemen can only be made when those responsible for obstructing peace are held accountable for their actions.

As we noted in our initial letter to you, the Houthis very clearly meet all legal criteria for designation. They are a foreign organization that engages in terrorist activity that threatens U.S. interests and nationals. They have fired missiles at civilian airports on numerous occasions, targeted civilian energy infrastructure, and threaten international shipping. We remind you also that the Houthis have a track record of wrongfully detaining American citizens. Further, it is well established that the Houthis receive training, support, and financial backing from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is itself a designated FTO. Revoking the designation of the Houthis without any material change in its behavior, as was done previously, undermines the credibility of this important foreign policy tool.

The United States must use every available tool to increase pressure on the Houthi militants, who have done nearly everything in their power to undermine the peace process in Yemen. The previous Administration’s designations would have further isolated the Houthis, curbed their financing and deterred foreign direct support, and heightened public awareness of its activities. Considering these benefits, we again urge you to re-designate the Houthis as an FTO and SDGT to advance efforts to achieve a sovereign and united Yemen that is both free from Iranian interference and at peace with its neighbors.

Sincerely,

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