Yemen: 9 UN Workers Detained by Houthis
Yemen: 9 UN Workers Detained by Houthis
The Facts
According to the internationally recognized Yemenis government, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have detained at least nine UN workers, as well as three employees of the US-funded National Democratic Institute (NDI) and three from a local human rights group.
Houthi intelligence officers raided the employees' homes and offices and confiscated their phones and computers. Those from the UN who were detained included from the agency's offices of human rights and humanitarian affairs.
The Spin
The Houthis have long miscalculated the potential benefits of their terrorism. From their years of civil war — which cost cost Yemeni lives dearly while Iran faced little impact — to attacking aid workers and cargo ships, the world has grown no closer to recognizing them. Despite Western forces backing down militarily, so long as Houthi attacks on civilians continue, economic sanctions will remain. Yemen's ability to rebuild and prosper is now solely in Houthi hands.
The Houthi movement began as a fight against America's post-9/11 killing of millions of Arabs and continues in response to Israel's genocide in Gaza. The Houthis have never blamed, nor attacked Western people but rather western governments like the US and UK. Since 2019, even US allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have sought peace, but Washington has hindered such efforts every step of the way.
