Published on: Wednesday, January 13, 2021
By: AFP
Several senior rebel leaders slammed Pompeo’s announcement on Twitter. (AFP)
SANAA: Yemen’s Huthis were defiant after Washington said it will designate the Iran-backed rebels as terrorists, a last-ditch move under President Donald Trump that the UN and US lawmakers warned would worsen the humanitarian crisis.
Unless Congress blocks the decision, the Huthis will be blacklisted on January 19, one day before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, whose aides had hoped to push to end Yemen’s devastating six-year war.
Huthi political commander Mohamed Ali al-Huthi condemned the US move in a tweet and said they had “the right to respond”.
SANAA: Yemen’s Huthis were defiant on Monday after the United States moved to brand the Iran-backed rebels as terrorists, a last-ditch move under President Donald Trump that aid groups warned.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. (AFP Photo/ File photo / MANILA BULLETIN)
Unless Congress blocks the decision, the Huthis will be blacklisted on January 19 one day before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, whose aides had hoped to mount a fresh push to end Yemen’s devastating six-year-old war.
“These policies represent a crisis in thinking and are to be condemned, and we have the right to respond,” Huthi political commander Mohamed Ali al-Huthi said in a tweet.
“The Yemeni people don’t care about any designation from (US President Donald) Trump’s administration as it is a partner in killing Yemenis and starving them.”