Saudi Arabia supports a US proposal to designate the Houthi rebel group as a foreign terrorist organisation, the kingdom’s ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed Al Jaber, said on Monday.
The Houthis have repeatedly carried out cross-border missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia from Yemen.
On January 17, they attacked the UAE, followed by a foiled attempt a week later in which two ballistic missiles aimed at Abu Dhabi were shot down.
The group was listed as a terrorist organisation during the last days of the Trump administration in 2019. But in February last year, Joe Biden’s government revoked the designation. Aid groups said the FTO designation was hampering work to import and distribute aid to Yemenis.
Instead, the US instead began to impose sanctions on individual members of the group, including Houthi leader Abdul-Malik Al Houthi and his deputy, Abdullah Yahya Al Hakim.
On Monday, Mr Al Jaber joined the UAE’s ambassador to the US, Yousef Al Otaiba, in supporting a potential US move to redesignate the Houthi group as a whole.
“The US issued a lot of decisions about classifying the Houthi leadership as foreign terrorists and we’ll work towards classifying the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation,” Mr Al Jaber said.
“There are challenges with an FTO designation with the humanitarian situation in Yemen. The aim was for the international groups not to find themselves in a difficult situation with regards to the FTO.
“They gave the Houthis a chance, and the Houthis refused all peace initiatives and insisted on killing the Yemenis and target economic facilities in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and hamper maritime security.”
US President Joe Biden said last week he was considering redesignating the group.
It started a civil war in Yemen when it stormed the capital Sana’a in 2014, forcing the internationally recognised government to flee.
A Saudi-led coalition intervened in the conflict on behalf of the government in 2015.
“This is not an optional war. It’s a necessary one,” Mr Al Jaber said. “We are fighting alongside our Yemeni brothers in their war, to support them.”
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
South Africa World Cup squad
South Africa: Faf du Plessis (c), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (w), JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn, Rassie van der Dussen.
BMW M5 specs
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Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
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AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
