On Tuesday’s broadcast of “CNN News Central,” House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) said that putting the terrorism designation on the Houthis “cuts off aid in a thousand different places and makes the Yemeni people even more desperate, and it puts the Houthis in a stronger, more powerful position.”
Co-host Boris Sanchez asked, “To that point about the substance of the action itself, Congressman, President Biden took the Houthis off the terrorism designation. He essentially removed the label of terrorist group from them, which you supported. President Trump put them back on and carried out this action. Ultimately, what do you think needs to happen with this group that is backed by Iran that’s been in the midst of this civil war now for more than a decade?”
Smith responded, “Well, two things need to happen: One, we do need to militarily stop them. We need to work with partners in the region to cut off the flow of arms from Iran to the Houthis. The president is correct, the Houthis do make some of their weapons, but they [rely] mostly on the flow of those weapons from Iran into Yemen. So, that needs to be cut off. And, yes, we do need to attack them. And I think targeting their leadership is perfectly appropriate. But the second thing that needs to happen is there needs to be some sort of future for the Yemeni people, putting them on the terrorist list didn’t stop our ability to attack them, as, again, President Biden did, repeatedly, to try and stop what they’re doing in the Red Sea, what it does is it cuts off aid in a thousand different places and makes the Yemeni people even more desperate, and it puts the Houthis in a stronger, more powerful position.”
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