By Ali Al-Jaradi
FOR THE YEMEN POST 

 Since 2004, the Yemeni government has failed to convince Washington to include Houthi rebels within the list of terrorists. In an interview with Aljazeera channel, Abu Bakr Al Qirbi, Yemen’s Foreign Minister said, “at the heart of the dispute between Yemen and U.S., is the registery of Houthi rebels within the world terrorist movements list.”
Coincidentally, many analytical reports and remarks by American politicians charged the Yemeni government with “turning a blind eye on the activities of Al-Qaeda”; some have used a diplomatic tone like, “the Yemeni government does not take enough measures to fight Al-Qaeda members”. Others have gone far beyond charging the government with “a mysterious coalition with Al-Qaeda”. On Thursday December 17th, President Obama phoned the Yemeni president congratulating him for the success of what Yemeni authorities called a successful mission against Al-Qaeda organization in Abyan, Arhab and Sana`a city; though it left a vast number of innocent women, men and children dead and injured.
What draws wonder in this phone congratulation is, according to official media content, “Obama expressed the U.S. worry about the Houthi rebellion movement in Sada’a.”
It means that U.S. worrys about the situation in the north equals the allowance for U.S. to attack Al-Qaeda members in the south and inside Sana’a city.
The Daily Telegraph published this month “U.S. has sent Special Forces to train carefully chosen units from the Yemeni army.” Media during the latest attacks on Al-Qaeda avoided the disclosure of hidden information as what happened in the murder of Alharthi in 2002, when the Yemeni government misleadingly adopted the operation and then was embarrassed when U.S. newspapers published that the operation was performed by a U.S. fighter.

Washington and Houthi; the Egg and the Stone.
The carry out of December 17th operation in 2009 inside Sana’a and Abyan was preceded, in three days time, with a video tape extract that was published by Houthi office showing images of 120 dead bodies and 44 injured people which they said were killed by a U.S. fighter. However, the Yemeni government turned a blind eye to the fate of 160 Yemeni citizens while the U.S. administration denied its involvement in the incident.
This charge by Houthi rebels against U.S., combined with U.S refusal to include the group within the terrorist list draws the same level of surprise brought by the Houthi invasion of Saudi lands though it is already in a difficult war with the Yemeni military.
It also holds up the notion that Houthis were previously aware, via high-level insiders in the Yemeni regime, of U.S -Yemeni compromise concerning a will-be U.S. attack against Al-Qaeda members. According to media sources both sides reached a compromise that Yemeni government allows U.S. forces to attack Al-Qaeda members while U.S. turns a blind eye on the situation in Sada’a in return. This led Houthis to charge U.S. with murdering innocent people and therefore win public consolation and receive international power as a movement that fights (U.S Air Force, Yemeni and Saudi military.)

U.S. and Iran Swallow the Island and the Gulf
As the U.S. administration refuses to consider Houthi rebels as a terrorist movement, it also refuses to charge Iran with supporting Houthis.
“We do not have any independent information about Iranian support for the Houthi movement in Yemen,” U.S. Assistant Secretary of State was quoted saying.
Stratfor; a U.S based security consultancy center, on the other hand, is inquiring about the U.S. Navy role to prevent the trafficking of weapons to Houthis via Iranian navy forces that heavily exists in the Red Sea.
Russian News Agency also wonders why U.S. doesn’t help their allies, Yemen and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), in their war against Houthi rebels and prevent the trafficking of weapons as its Navy forces heavily exist in the international sea routes near the Yemeni coast.
While U.S. allies are wondering why the U.S. is defending stances of Iran, and U.S. reports warning policy makers of an eminent threat to U.S interests posed by the Houthi movement in Yemen, the U.S. official stance is limited to misleading statements like the quoted statements of General David H.Petraeus head of U.S. central command: “Washington gives military support to its ally, Yemen, in part of their militarily cooperation” and “the U.S. administration is providing training and consultancies to Yemen and KSA” .
So, are we facing a double administration from the U.S as is the case with Iran (Wilayat el Fakih and Najad government)? No, the case is different.
As the Iranian religious leader has eminent power over the government, the U.S. administration is led by its interests and not by a particular person.
As U.S. refuses to include Houthi rebels within the list of terrorists, it, on the other hand, seeks to build strong relations with the Yemeni government and KSA.
The U.S. administration, that provides training and consultancies to Yemen and KSA, is the same administration that its navy forces turn a blind eye to the trafficking of weapons for the rebellion movement through the Yemeni coast.
These contradictory stances plainly serve the U.S. interests. It sells weapons for both clashing sides and uses the rebellion movement to put more pressure on both countries Yemen and KSA. Moreover, it uses the rebellion movement as a card in its negotiations with Iran.