The Biden administration is expected to soon announce plans to redesignate Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen as specially designated global terrorists, according to two people familiar with the White House decision and a U.S. official.

The move comes as the Houthis have launched dozens of attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. The group says it has attacked the ships in response to Israel’s military operations in Gaza in the aftermath of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

The three people familiar with the decision were not authorized to comment and requested anonymity to discuss the matter ahead of the expected formal announcement.

  • queermunist she/her
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    10 months ago

    They aren’t missing, they’re striking ships all the time. Yet they haven’t killed anyone. I’m not sure they’ve even injured anyone, though I could be wrong.

    That doesn’t seem like terrorism.

    • PugJesus@kbin.social
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      10 months ago

      They aren’t missing,

      You’re right, they’ve been having their missiles and drones shot down by a multinational coalition. A much better look, thank you.

      Yet they haven’t killed anyone.

      What, do you think they set their rockets and drones to ‘non-lethal’? This goes right back to “I shot at my neighbor and missed, clearly I am innocent”.

      That doesn’t seem like terrorism.

      “Use of terror in pursuit of political goals doesn’t seem like terrorism”

      What the fuck is terrorism to you, then

      Daily reminder that the flag of the Houthis is:

      God is the Greatest
      Death to America
      Death to Israel
      A Curse Upon the Jews
      Victory to Islam

      Critical support to our holsum antiracist Houthi comrades busy executing LGBT people, amirite?

      • queermunist she/her
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        10 months ago

        What, do you think they set their rockets and drones to ‘non-lethal’?

        They have enough control and precision to determine where the strikes land. That’s why they don’t miss, they get shot down by air defense. It sure seems like they’re not targeting parts of the ship that have crew. Hardly “terrorism”.

        What the fuck is terrorism to you, then

        A worthless label that basically just means “groups that the US doesn’t like” - two of the biggest terrorist organizations on the planet are the IDF and the US armed forces, but they aren’t labeled terrorist groups. It’s only when anyone fights back that they become terrorists.

        The E.L.F. was tried as a terrorist group. It’s a joke.

        Critical support to our holsum antiracist Houthi comrades busy executing LGBT people, amirite?

        Blame Israel and the US for blowing up children while waving a rainbow flag. It’s called blowback.

        • PugJesus@kbin.social
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          10 months ago

          They have enough control and precision to determine where the strikes land. That’s why they don’t miss,

          Before we started shooting them down, they missed quite often. But I don’t know why I was expecting any connection with reality at all from you.

          A worthless label that basically just means “groups that the US doesn’t like”

          So the Houthis DO sound like terrorism to you? Or are you changing definition mid-usage No True Scotsman style to avoid admitting to the fact that you’re spouting bullshit?

          Blame Israel and the US for blowing up children while waving a rainbow flag.

          Oh, yes, it was our fault that the Houthis execute LGBT people. You fucking caught us. Non-Westerners have no moral agency, only Westerners are capable of independent moral action. Your reactionary racist bullshit denigrating the essential human qualities of Yemeni people in defense of the murder of innocent LGBT people in the most horrific of ways is repulsive. “Jews for Hitler”.

          Like, it’s fucking insane. Blaming the US and Israel for homophobia in Yemen. It’s almost beyond belief. But tankies will do anything to bootlick far-right reactionaries who murder LGBT people.

          • queermunist she/her
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            10 months ago

            Before we started shooting them down, they missed quite often.

            … okay, fair. Maybe it was just luck with the rocket attacks.

            I will say that the drones are precision weapons, and they never seem to use those to kill or wound civilians. I think that matters because it demonstrates that their intent isn’t to kill or mutilate civilians, their intent is to divert vessels and disrupt trade.

            So the Houthis DO sound like terrorism to you?

            Let me clarify: terrorism, to me, should mean “killing/maiming civilians to achieve a political goal”. They haven’t done that and they don’t seem to intend to do that.

            Terrorism, to me, is also a worthless politicized label that the US just slaps on anyone who it deems a threat to its own imperial interests. Two of the largest terrorist organizations in the world are the IDF and the US armed forces , but politically they are completely immune to the label. Instead, groups like the ELF are labeled as terrorists because they did some arson.

            Oh, yes, it was our fault that the Houthis execute LGBT people.

            It’s the fault of propagandists for tying our queerness with the Western imperialist project. That’s not our fault. We didn’t choose to do that. People in power use us as totems to justify bloodshed, so the victims see this and react in a natural and entirely predictable way.

            This is blowback. This is what happens when you wave a rainbow flag while blowing up children by the thousands.

            But I don’t know why I was expecting any connection with reality at all from you.

            I don’t know why I expected a shred of decency or respect from you. You seem to delight in harassing and belittling people.

            • PugJesus@kbin.social
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              10 months ago

              I will say that the drones are precision weapons, and they never seem to use those to kill or wound civilians. I think that matters because it demonstrates that their intent isn’t to kill or mutilate civilians, their intent is to divert vessels and disrupt trade.

              Okay, so they were okay with killing people with the rockets they are still firing, but they aren’t okay with killing people with the drones they keep getting shot down.

              Let me clarify: terrorism, to me, should mean “killing/maiming civilians to achieve a political goal”. They haven’t done that and they don’t seem to intend to do that.

              So if I toss a grenade into a crowded cafe, and everyone scattered before anyone gets hurt, that’s not terrorism, right? Despite the fact that I’ve used terror against civilians with lethal weapons in an attempt to achieve a political goal.

              I missed, your honor. I’m innocent.

              It’s the fault of propagandists for tying our queerness with the Western imperialist project. That’s not our fault. We didn’t choose to do that. People in power use us as totems to justify bloodshed, so the victims see this and react in a natural and entirely predictable way.

              Oh, yes, as we all know, Yemen was very queer-friendly before the evil West started supporting LGBT rights!

              I honestly can’t tell if you’re honestly this deluded or just disingenuous.

              I don’t know why I expected a shred of decency or respect from you. You seem to delight in harassing and belittling people.

              I’m sorry for not treating your endorsement of the murder of LGBT people with kid gloves. I’m sure your feelings are very important to the queer people the Houthis regularly torture and murder.

    • Fades@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      they haven’t killed anyone

      I wonder why that is… are the missiles they use special ones that only damage shops but not people? Ah wait, never mind, it’s because 10+ nations are working together to protect the mercantile vessels from said missiles.

      You don’t get to claim how good you are by not killing anyone only because the opposition has kept you from murdering anyone.

      they are shooting miles at innocent boats that have no connection to Israel (and even if they did, that still is unacceptable). Fuck you for supporting such a thing.

      the terror plot failed so it’s not terrorism!!!

      Get a fucking grip jfc

      • queermunist she/her
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        10 months ago

        Their drones don’t target people. Why is that? Can you explain that in any way without admitting they’re not trying to kill people?

    • gigachad@feddit.de
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      10 months ago

      I’m sure the Huthi has the skill to launch missiles on boats from a distance of 180 km and specifically only hitting the parts of the boat where nobody of the crew is unfortunately smoking a cigarette at that time.

      • PugJesus@kbin.social
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        10 months ago

        Well, you see, they have trouble hitting the big-ass boats sometimes, but when they DO hit it’s with pinpoint precision on a pre-designated target and definitely not just “Whatever part of the boat is vaguely in the way”

      • queermunist she/her
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        10 months ago

        The drones are remote piloted. Those they have full control over.

        Sure seems like they’re avoiding civilian casualties.

        • PugJesus@kbin.social
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          10 months ago

          The Houthis, after all, are well-known for their humane behavior in Yemen, and efforts to avoid civilian casualties. This is entirely in-line with their-

          Oh, wait, no