Nashville Standard

Rep. Mark Green has expressed approval of President Trump's recent decision to classify the Houthi movement, also known as Ansarallah, as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO). This move aligns with an executive order from the Trump administration, which aims to collaborate with regional partners to dismantle the Houthis' operational capabilities and cut off their resources. The goal is to halt their attacks on U.S. personnel, civilians, allies, and maritime activities in the Red Sea.

The designation marks a reversal from President Biden's early tenure when he rescinded this classification shortly after taking office. Rep. Green criticized Biden's actions stating, "President Trump’s designation of the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization is a significant advancement to counter their malign activities." He added that Biden's decisions "sent a clear signal of weakness to our adversaries and allies."

Green further emphasized that "President Trump understands that Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists pose a direct threat to our servicemembers and the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea." He believes Trump's actions will strengthen U.S. military efforts in the Middle East against Houthi threats.

In related legislative efforts, Rep. Green introduced the Combating Houthi Threats and Aggression Act during the 118th Congress. This bill seeks sanctions against those supporting Houthi attacks and requires reports on various aspects of Houthi threats to U.S. security interests.

The bill has been discussed in several publications including Daily Caller, Tennessee Star, and Tampa Free Press.