On Nov. 13, at the Axios Future of Defense summit in Washington, D.C., U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Bill LaPlante told a packed room of private-sector, government and military leaders that the Houthis are “getting scary.” LaPlante, the Pentagon’s chief weapons buyer, was referring to the Houthis’ increasingly sophisticated weapons arsenal — something the group has been using to wreak havoc on the Red Sea for months. Yet, despite the economic, environmental, and humanitarian damage — not to mention the many civilians they’ve killed — the Houthis are still not a listed terrorist entity in Canada. Ottawa should quickly rectify that omission.
Since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks and Israel’s military response in Gaza, the Iran-backed Houthis, a Shia group based in Yemen, have been relentlessly attacking maritime shipping routes in the Red Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden. Hundreds, if not thousands, of ships have been forced to take costly and lengthy detours to avoid Houthi drones and missiles; military assets like U.S. Navy destroyers have come under attack; and several civilian vessels have been sent to the ocean’s floor. In March, the group ended up killing three civilians working on a Liberian-owned bulk carrier, and in July they fired a drone at Israel that struck an apartment building in Tel Aviv, killing one and wounding many more.
In an attempt to crack down on the Houthis, the Biden Administration announced in January that they were putting the Houthis back on a global terrorism list — the same list they had removed them from three years prior. In 2021, the administration hoped that by removing the Houthi’s Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) designation, the group might be encouraged to de-escalate, dial back the hostilities, and favour negotiations over terrorism. Yet, over the last several years, the Houthis have only become stronger, more emboldened, and more important to Tehran as the Iranian regime looks to exert power and influence throughout the region.
For Canada, there is an opportunity to be clear in its political identity as a state serious about denying legitimacy to an Islamist militant movement attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea, launching hypersonic missiles at civilian centres in Israel, and using the terrifying terrorist tactic of hostage-taking. Their conduct clearly meets the Criminal Code’s definition of a terrorist group.
A Houthis terror listing also takes aim at the Iranian regime. Iran is the Houthis’ most significant benefactor. Iran provides highly advanced weaponry to the Houthis who in turn provide Iran with live-fire testing ground for longer-range capabilities. Iran is designated by Canada as a state supporter of terrorism under the State Immunity Act.
Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are all funded by the Iranian regime, and all are ideologically grounded in genocidal antisemitism. Indeed, while the Iranian regime often chants “Death to America and Death to Israel,” the Houthis take things a step further with their slogan “Death to America, Death to Israel, curse the Jews and victory to Islam.” If Canada is committed to delegitimizing the Iranian regime’s antisemitic terrorist tentacles in Canada and around the world, the Houthis must be listed in Canada.
A terror designation of the Houthis also puts Canada in line with our closest ally and signals that we remain a trusted security partner. But make no mistake: a terror listing is more than a symbol or signal. The implications of a listing, especially if replicated by other allies, have the ability to make life harder for a group some believe could become Iran’s next Hezbollah. Ottawa could help disrupt illicit networks the group uses to fund and arm its terror machine, better enable police to charge anyone who financially or materially supports the group, and freeze any potential assets the Houthis might have in the country. When a group is listed in Canada, it becomes a criminal offence for anyone in the country, as well as Canadians abroad, to knowingly deal with property owned or controlled by the terrorist group. It also becomes an offence to directly or indirectly provide property to a terrorist group, knowing that it will be used by or to benefit a listed entity.
All told, for a nation dealing with foreign interference, defence spending deficiencies, reputational challenges with regard to its national security seriousness, and an increasingly acute problem with extremism and terrorism, listing the Houthis should be considered low-risk and high-reward.
National Post
Sheryl Saperia is CEO of Secure Canada, a non-profit organization that combats terrorism and extremism with laws, policies, and alliances.