Houthis Detain UN Staff : US condemns action

US State Department seal. Wikimedia Commons.

The United States has condemned the detention of US by Houithi rebels of Yemen. In a statement issued on Saturday the US State Department said:

We condemn the unlawful actions of the Houthis who forcibly took additional United Nations staff members in Yemen on January 23. These actions come amid the Houthis’ ongoing campaign of terror that includes taking hundreds of UN, NGO, and diplomatic staff members, including dozens of current and former Yemeni staff of the U.S. government.

We support the UN Secretary General and all UN efforts to secure the unconditional and immediate release of all Houthi detainees. This latest Houthi roundup demonstrates the bad faith of the terrorist group’s claims to seek de-escalation and also makes a mockery of their claims to represent the interests of the Yemeni people. The Houthis have failed to commit to ceasing attacks on regional states, U.S. service members and all maritime traffic in the Red Sea and surrounding waterways in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions. The President’s Executive Order on designation of the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) recognizes these realities and will hold the group accountable for its reckless attacks and actions. - Office of the Spokesperson, US Department of State