The United States on Wednesday said it will once again designate the Houthi movement of Yemen, also known as Ansaralla, as a terrorist group.This comes after the U.S. targeted the rebels in a third airstrike, following the group’s attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The designation will take effect in 30 days.Media has confirmed that Canada is also weighing whether it should do the same.Jean-Sebastien Comeau, press secretary to Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, said, “We can confirm that our security and intelligence agencies are currently assessing whether the Houthis should be listed as a terrorist entity under Canadian law. We will have more to say in due course.”
“These attacks fit the textbook definition of terrorism,” said Jake Sullivan, United States National Security Advisor, in a statement on Wednesday. “They have endangered U.S. personnel, civilian mariners, and our partners, jeopardized global trade, and threatened freedom of navigation.
“The United States and the international community have been united in our response and in condemning these attacks in the strongest terms.”Sullivan added that the U.S. will “immediately reevaluate” the Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) designation if the Houthis cease their attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. He added that the designation is an important tool to “impede terrorist funding to the Houthis, further restrict their access to financial markets, and hold them accountable for their actions.”