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US to designate Yemen’s Houthis as a terrorist organization Monday. Is this a good idea?(1/5)
-in favor: the Houthis are increasingly brutal and corrupt, and their violence against civilians is well documented. They also play an increasingly important... https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-usa-exclusive-idUSKBN29F0P5?taid=5ffb9509224979000124e726&utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter
-in favor: the Houthis are increasingly brutal and corrupt, and their violence against civilians is well documented. They also play an increasingly important... https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen-security-usa-exclusive-idUSKBN29F0P5?taid=5ffb9509224979000124e726&utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter
...role in the regional constellation of armed groups Iran supports (Hezbollah, etc). As such, an additional tool to contain them is valuable for the US.
-arguments against: this will undeniably impede the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Yemen - which is already...(2/5)
-arguments against: this will undeniably impede the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Yemen - which is already...(2/5)
...difficult, and where the situation is dire. Moreover, listing the Houthis as a terrorist organization will make the peace process more complicated than it already is (and it already faces massive obstacles). See my piece for @SanaaCenter on this:(3/5) https://sanaacenter.org/publications/analysis/12081
So on balance? We can't dismiss the valid arguments - the Houthis are brutal, and the US & partners have limited leverage to counter them. It makes sense to build leverage, but this is not the way to do it: the humanitarian and diplomatic costs outweigh the limited gains. (5/5)
