As I reported on Thursday, Joe Biden made a damning admission about their military response to the attacks by the Houthis -- that it wasn't working.
READ MORE: Whoops: Biden Makes a Damning Admission About His Response to the Houthis
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby repeated that admission on Friday when he was asked to explain Biden's remarks.
REPORTER: Can you explain what Biden meant yesterday when he said "no," the strikes in Yemen aren't stopping the Houthis?
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 19, 2024
KIRBY: "It's pretty self-evident" pic.twitter.com/7Qak1JdXVV
"It's pretty self-evident," Kirby said.
Another reporter asked why they weren't afraid of the U.S.
Top Biden spokesman John Kirby has a very tough time explaining why U.S. strikes against the Iran-backed Houthis "aren't working": "You'd have to ask the Houthis what's in their mindset" pic.twitter.com/jHv9L2CElj
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 19, 2024
Kirby had no real response, saying he's not going to get inside the head of the Houthis, but the Biden team doesn't seek "conflict."
They wonder why no one fears the United States? They had to hit us a bunch of times before the U.S. had any response at all. Then, when what they do doesn't work, and the terrorists keep attacking us, Kirby responds that the Biden team doesn't seek "conflict." What kind of a response is that to terrorists?
And how embarrassing is that before the world when we have the paramount military force in the world and we can't have an effective response to stop random terrorists?
We already know (and the Houthis have to know) that the Biden team cozied up to Iran and were willing to debase themselves for a resurrection of the ridiculous Iran Deal without caring about Iran's involvement in terrorism or animosity towards the United States. They were also willing to release billions in money that had been restricted from Iran for "humanitarian reasons," and then, when asked about it being spent, Kirby was clueless.
But a new report indicates another reason that they may not take us seriously.
The Biden administration’s recently announced sanctions on the Iran-backed Houthi rebels will include a carveout that permits the terror group to engage in lucrative energy and fuel-related transactions with Americans, a decision that congressional critics say effectively neuters the sanctions.
A license issued by the Treasury Department and circulated to Congress this week authorizes "transactions related to refined petroleum products in Yemen involving Ansarallah," otherwise known as the Houthi militant group. This includes authorization for the "sale of refined petroleum products for personal, commercial, or humanitarian use in Yemen."
Not only are they giving the Houthis carveouts that make the sanctions meaningless, but the sanctions they are employing don't criminalize support for the terrorist group or force banks to seize their assets. So, that doesn't really deter people from violating the sanctions.
Republicans, including Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK), are demanding oversight and answers from the Biden administration as to why there was this exemption for the Houthis.
"This is yet another example of the president’s dangerous incompetence—why in the world would we allow energy and fuel transactions with a terrorist organization that is attacking Americans and shutting down global shipping routes?" Hern told the Free Beacon. "The world is a much more dangerous place since President Biden entered the White House. It’s not a coincidence—Biden is projecting American weakness on the world stage."
One GOP congressional source speculated this was a message to Iran that the U.S. wasn't serious about sanctions. Given everything, why would they take us seriously? How can you give a pass like this to people who are attacking us?
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