US President Joe Biden stressed, in a press conference marking the one-year anniversary of his presidency, on Wednesday, that ending the war in Yemen requires that the two sides “agree”, and that the request to reclassify the Houthis as a “terrorist organization” is under consideration.
In response to a journalist’s question about the UAE’s request from his administration to reclassify the Houthis as a “terrorist organization”, Biden said that “to end the war in Yemen, the two sides must agree, and this is not an easy thing”, and that the request is “under consideration.”
The UAE embassy in Washington welcomed Biden’s statement, saying, “The issue is clear – the firing of ballistic and cruise missiles at civilian targets, the continuation of aggression, and the diversion of aid from the Yemeni people.”
The UAE welcomes @POTUS comments that Houthi return to terror list is under consideration. Case is clear—launching ballistic and cruise missiles against civilian targets, sustaining aggression, diverting aid from Yemeni people. (1/2)https://t.co/GgsCcGbheR
— UAE Embassy US (@UAEEmbassyUS) January 19, 2022
And the UAE embassy in Washington had revealed in a tweet via Twitter that the ambassador, Youssef Al-Otaiba, “called on the US administration and Congress to support the reclassification of the Houthi terrorist organization as a foreign terrorist organization.”
The embassy indicated that Al-Otaiba intends to “hold meetings at the White House with the US administration and Congress in Washington, DC” on Wednesday.
In his statements today, His Excellency Ambassador Yousef Al-Otaiba described the Houthi attacks on civilian sites in the UAE as terrorist attacks, in which 3 innocent civilians were killed. He called on the US administration and Congress to support the reclassification of the Houthi terrorist organization as a foreign terrorist organization. (1/3)
— UAE Embassy US (@UAEEmbassyUS) January 19, 2022
His Excellency also touched on the call between Mr @BrothersBinZayed And@secdef They agreed to coordinate positions in response to the Houthi terrorist attack. They discussed urgent steps to tighten air defenses against missiles and drones, and enhance maritime security to stem the flow of weapons. (2/3)
— UAE Embassy US (@UAEEmbassyUS) January 19, 2022
Today, His Excellency Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba will join His Excellency Ali Al Shamsi, Deputy Secretary-General of the UAE’s Supreme National Security Council, for meetings at the White House with the US administration and Congress in Washington, DC. (3/3)
— UAE Embassy US (@UAEEmbassyUS) January 19, 2022
The Houthis claimed the attack that targeted Abu Dhabi, on Monday, which killed three people, noting that they used missiles and drones.
The Houthis threatened to carry out further attacks, calling on civilians in the UAE to stay away from “vital installations”.
The Houthis have repeatedly threatened to strike the UAE, but it is the first confirmed Houthi attack on its territory, according to Agence France-Presse.
The administration of former US President Donald Trump included the Houthis on the list of “terrorist” groups in January 2021.
After President Biden took office, he canceled the designation of the Houthis as a terrorist group to allow the continuation of the work of humanitarian organizations in Yemen, and to contribute to a solution that ends the war.
The UAE has participated in a Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen since 2015 in support of the Yemeni government in the face of the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, who launched a massive offensive to control Yemen since 2014.
The UAE announced in 2019 that it would reduce its forces in several areas in Yemen as part of a “redeployment” plan for “strategic and tactical” reasons.