"US Designating Yemen’s Houthis A ‘Terrorist’ Group" Topic

"The State Department will notify Congress of its intent to designate Houthi rebels as a foreign terrorist organization, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday, despite intense pushback from US diplomats and aid groups in Yemen.

"These designations will provide additional tools to confront terrorist activity and terrorism by Ansarallah, a deadly Iran-backed militia group in the Gulf region," Pompeo said in a statement…"

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Amicalement
Armand

Iran backs a militia anywhere … they are terrorists. They have been backing a bunch of Shia in Iraq for decades …

Courtesy of CNN

The United States also supports many anti-government rebels)))
How to distinguish terrorists from freedom fighters?

What their cause is? Do they kill civilians indiscriminately? It's actually fairly easy to tell the difference.

I understand. But these guys in skirts don't seem to be engaged in terror in the usual sense of the word. Why are they terrorists? The question was this.
They struck at airports and oil companies, but it is quite legitimate military targets, especially after the Saudis bombed markets and residential areas on the territory of the rebels.

The reason is always the same – a change of government)))
And the rebels will always be supported by those who, in one way or another, benefit from their activities. We look at Libya – there is such a tangle of opponents and "allies" that even the devil will break his leg (Russian proverb))))

Good to hear, but about 4 years late.

"Freedom fighters" are the good guys, preferably with an ideology that matches our on, on at least some fronts, though the olde, "….the enemy of my enemy is my friend…" sometimes also applies.

Iran, and anyone allied with them ARE the enemy.

Well, as KSA has recently signed a deal with US for 200M USD of bombs, and they're using them in Yemen against Houthi, it is much better from PR point of view to name them terrorists….but the border between terrorists and freedom fighters is very thin indeed.

"good guys, preferably with an ideology that matches our on"

Smells a little hypocritical, do not you?))) That's exactly it and blurs the image of "light city on a hill")))
Just the usual dirty politics and expediency)))

Remember the good old days when Yemen was promoted as the war on terror done right.

Seems that the US will do everything for their Saudi master… the only person terrorized by the Houthis are the Saudis, you know the great country that dismember journalist in their embassy or put in jail for 8 years a women protesting to be allowed to drive.

It's also funny to note that the Al Queada guys in Yemen are not in the Houthi zones.

That's the typical double standard that undermine day after day US credibility.

Not really true … Get this … the US supports the Saudis as a bulwark against Iran. Many in the Saudi gov't support the US. And yes we know most of the 9/11 were Saudis as well as AQ.

E.g. the situations in with e.g. Jordan and Egypt. Their gov'ts support the US. But many of their population does not. just like in Saudi Arabia. Also note the US not longer has to be dependent on Mid East oil. That could change in the near future though? And note : We have to remember … it is a World Economy. There is an interdependency of economies with much of the world today.

That IMO is the "Realpolitik" of the situation. The theocracy of Iran has not proven to be the "friend" of the US. There is a long history of this. E.g. Iranians overran our embassy. And yes we know it because of our support of the Sha, etc., etc. It is not a simple equation.

Add the religious, ethnic, tribal, warlord, cleric, etc., hatreds and differences going back centuries. You don't have a solid entity in the Mid East and e.g. A'stan. But various factions, nations, jihadi/terrorists groups, etc., etc.. The color is many, many shades of grey. With few clean hands in the lot.

That's the typical double standard that undermine day after day US credibility

You can leave the space in that comment blank that says the "US". There are many, many, many more nations, groups, factions, etc., whose name can be put in that space. Besides the US.

To quote one of my favorite Pogo comic strips of long ago in the news paper., "We have met the enemy … and they is us …"

So dudes defending their country from war crime committing foreigners are terrorists?

In the same world Saudi's bombing a schools, funerals, markets and hospitals are key American allies. I guess no different to US drobe strikes….

And then Americans wonder why so many people view them as the bad guys.

One corrupt gang want to take power from another corrupt gang. Iran supports and arms one gang the Suadis the other. Welcome to Middle East politics. They are expert in basing and firing weapons from schools, hospitals and public places so experts who have never been closer than their PC get all outraged when the other side bomb them.

Tally Ho!

One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. If the Houthis were fighting for the Saudis against Iran, then the US would not have branded them as terrorists. Hypocritical? You betcha.

Here you need to go back to the initial meaning of the term. A terrorist is one who carries out terror. Terrorism has the being the systematized use of randomly focused violence by organized groups against non-combatants to effect a political objective. The Houthis, in fact, are not terrorists. But the Saudis are clearly engaged in terrorism.
White is called black and black is called white. This is how the Overton Window works)))
You can call them enemies, accomplices of Iran. This is true. But they are not terrorists. It's a lie. Who needs to be fooled?

Cuprum2, you are correct about the definition of what is a terrorist. The term is inappropriately used by politicians all the time.

And then Americans wonder why so many people view them as the bad guys.

I don't … but again many gray areas with no clean hands anywhere. Mother Teresa would have had a hard a time fighting a war against islamo-fascists … You find no clean hands with "allies" in the Mid East or A'stan.

Another case IMO, "the means justify the ends". It has devolved to that when the islamo-fascist jihadis brought their terrorism to the USA and Europe. In the long run they had "reaped the whirlwind". With estimates of overall losses somewhere as high as 4 million(?). Including terrorists, local militaries, militias and non-combatants.

With little to show for it, but high losses in those regions. Going to war with the West has to be very costly, so they know it's a bad idea to attempt it.

For better or worse …

Nick gets it …

One corrupt gang want to take power from another corrupt gang. Iran supports and arms one gang the Suadis the other. Welcome to Middle East politics. They are expert in basing and firing weapons from schools, hospitals and public places so experts who have never been closer than their PC get all outraged when the other side bomb them.

Legion KSA are Islamo-fascists as are the Al Qaeda types who gained a lot of power in Yemen due to KSA et al attacking Yemen.

Houthis were not Islamo Fascists. They are in fact another more Shias that the Sunni Islamo Fascists want to destroy in their pursuit of global Sunni dominance.

Legion KSA are Islamo-fascists as are the Al Qaeda types who gained a lot of power in Yemen due to KSA et al attacking Yemen.

You can't swing a dead jihadi without hitting an Islamo-fascist, terrorists, "freedom "fighters" etc., in the entire region. Our only real ally in that area is the Israelis.

Houthis were not Islamo Fascists. They are in fact another more Shias that the Sunni Islamo Fascists want to destroy in their pursuit of global Sunni dominance.

Yes it all revolves around the Sunni hating the Shia and vis versa. That is the norm. Recent intel say Iran is AQ's new hang out. They only have one thing in common, they both hate the USA and Israel. Just makes Iran a bigger threat/enemy.

As I said before, with all the factions in that region. You need numbered different colored jerseys and a roster to tell who is who. Houthis are just another faction.
Until the entire region decides to come into the 20th Century let alone the 21st. They will continue to kill each other off and live in the past.

The US supports Saudis over Iran and their supporters … yep … that is the way it is. Maybe if Iran didn't overrun our embassy and hold our people hostage over a year. We may have a more favorable outlook of them ?

Yes most of the 9/11 murders came from Saudi Arabia. We all know that. Did any high ranking member of the Saudi gov't/Royal family give orders for those high jackers to attack on 9/11 ?

And again as long as those in that region/area continue to fight and kill each other there … that is fine with me. Keep it there … In my old age I'm not much of a humanitarian. When it comes to those in the Mid East, Africa, A'stan, etc. So … Drop me off your Christmas card list.

Houthi ‘Terror' Scuds Now Threaten Most Of Saudi Arabia

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Armand

And where did they get the Scuds ?