WASHINGTON – Tonight, the Biden Administration announced they are beginning the process of rescinding the Foreign Terrorist Organization designation for the Houthis in Yemen. Last month, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul expressed their wish the designation be paired with sufficient steps to mitigate negative impacts on Yemeni civilians, as Yemen imports 90 percent of its food. Upon hearing the Biden Administration’s plans to rescind that designation, Risch and McCaul released the following statement:
“As we said last month when this designation was announced, we were concerned the lack of mitigation measures would have devastating humanitarian impacts. However, the Yemeni civil war has caused significant death and suffering, for which the Iran-aligned Houthis bear significant responsibility. We strongly urge the Biden Administration to ensure the revocation of the Foreign Terrorist Organization designation is paired with significant, targeted pressure on the Houthis. We should not let the Houthis believe they have been given a free pass for their violent actions.”
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