(NationRise.com) – US President Joe Biden admitted on January 11 that the Houthis are “terrorists,” even when his administration revoked former President Donald Trump’s designation of the Yemeni group as a terrorist organization. The commander-in-chief made the admission during a press conference, following his decision to deploy airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen along with the United Kingdom.
The president reversed Trump’s designation of the Houthis as terrorists in February 2021, which prompted criticism from many political analysts who claimed that the decision would allow them to return to the international banking system. The Biden administration explained back then that if the United States kept labeling the Houthis as terrorists, it would hurt innocent civilians in Yemen and could affect negotiations with the rebels.
Since the Israeli government declared war against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas following the October 7 attacks, the Houthis have been firing missiles against international commercial and US military warships in the Red Sea. The terrorists have been claiming they would keep up their strikes as long as Israel maintains its military operations against Hamas. According to the Pentagon, the Houthis have attacked ships on 26 occasions since November.
President Biden ordered the airstrikes to degrade the terrorist group’s ability to maintain their attacks. The Pentagon said in a statement that the US would carry out further actions if necessary, pointing out that nearly 200 munitions were fired at 16 different areas in Yemen targeting the Houthis.
When asked how soon he’ll be willing to redesignate the Houthis as a terrorist group officially, the commander-in-chief said it was “irrelevant.” He also told reporters that his administration had already put together a group of different governments around the world who support the military actions against Houthi rebels.
President Biden added that the United States and its allies will keep bombing the terrorist group in Yemen if they keep attacking vessels and warships in the Red Sea.
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