Yemeni Muslim Brotherhood courts Washington… an attempt to avoid terrorist designation
In a move that reveals a clear strategy, Yemen’s Al-Islah Party, widely regarded as the local branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, is seeking to improve its image with the United States and to avoid being classified as a terrorist organization. To this end, Abdulrazzaq Al-Hijri, senior party member and head of its parliamentary bloc, met with Jonathan Pechéa, the U.S. chargé d’affaires in Yemen, stressing the party’s commitment to supporting legitimacy, restoring state institutions, and working toward security, stability, and development.
According to Al-Sahwa, the party’s media outlet, Al-Hijri underlined Al-Islah’s keenness to back the legitimacy framework and reestablish the state and its institutions. This initiative is implicitly designed to enhance the party’s international image and avert the risk of being designated a terrorist group.
Al-Hijri also praised U.S. support for the Yemeni government in improving economic and public service conditions, despite the fact that Al-Islah is seen as largely responsible for the financial and economic crisis afflicting the country, including the collapse of the national currency and the decline in citizens’ purchasing power.
The meeting, attended as well by Insaf Mayo, deputy head of the bloc in Aden, addressed the latest developments on the Yemeni scene and several issues of common concern.
Al-Hijri emphasized the importance of supporting the Presidential Leadership Council and the government in order to complete the restoration of state authority and to halt Iran’s interference through the Houthi militias. This rhetoric places the focus on external threats while downplaying the crises the party itself has created in Yemen, particularly its direct role in the economic collapse.
For his part, the U.S. chargé d’affaires reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to Yemen’s stability and to achieving peace and security.
Meanwhile, reports and analyses suggest that the United States may consider adding Al-Islah to the list of terrorist organizations, due to its connections with Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, its pragmatic dealings with the Houthi militias, and the crimes it commits daily against the Yemeni population.
