...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is
God is Great, Death to Americaâ„¢, Death to Israel, a curse on the JewsThey like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him...
officials for their leading roles in the offensive on Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
's Marib, a senior US diplomat said Thursday, in a sign of Washington's frustration with the lack of positive engagement from the Iran-backed group.
"The United States is dissatisfied with Houthi actions," US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking told news hounds during a phone call.
Lenderking, who has made five trips to the region since being appointed by Biden, said the US was imposing sanctions on the two officials to show the international community that Washington "does have levers to press; the United States is dissatisfied with the actions of the Houthis."
During the US diplomat's most recent trip to the region, the Houthis refused to meet with UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths. Lenderking, again, scolded the group for rejecting the meeting. Asked if he met with Houthis, Lenderking did not say when his last meeting with the previously-designated terrorist group was.
"As you know, we have met with the Houthis over the years, on a number of occasions and at different levels.
Certainly, there is no restriction from the administration on my meeting with them, and I consider that constructive engagement," Lenderking said.
Despite the US going "out of its way" to send strong signals to the Houthis that it wants to be constructive in Yemen, Lenderking voiced his frustration with the group’s behavior.
The Houthis are "not winning in Marib," he said, referring to the group's offensive on one of the Yemeni government's last strongholds in the north.
"If there were no offensive, if there was commitment to peace, if the parties were all showing up to deal constructively with the UN envoy there would be no need for designations," Lenderking said.