Joe Biden's pick for national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, has criticized the administration of Donald Trump for designating Yemen’s Houthi militias as a terrorist group.
Sullivan said the outgoing Trump administration's decision to classify the rebels as terrorists will only cause more suffering for the people of the war-torn nation.
"Houthi commanders need to be held accountable, but designating the whole organization will only inflict more suffering on Yemeni people and impede diplomacy critical to end the war," he tweeted.
The designation is set to come into force on January 19 -- the eve of the inauguration of Biden, whose aides had hoped to mount a fresh push to end Yemen's six-year war.
Last Friday, Congressman Gregory Meeks, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, led 25 members of Congress in denouncing the Trump administration’s “short-sighted decision” to designate the Houthis a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).
“This move in the last days of the Trump administration will undoubtedly make what the UN says is the world’s largest humanitarian crisis much worse and push thousands of Yemenis towards greater peril,” Meeks said.
Several officials from Biden’s team said they were surprised about Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s announcement of the move, which will include sanctions against the movement and three of its leaders.
They believe the decision aims to restrict the moves and choices of Biden and to leave Trump’s political footprints, which could be used in the 2024 presidential race.
For Biden to undo the designation would require a lengthy legal review, and he could also face political obstacles from Iran hardliners in Congress.