The Biden Administration announced on Feb. 5, 2021 that it will remove the Houthis from two U.S. terrorist lists, less than three weeks after the group was added to the lists by the outgoing Trump administration.C&SN News reports. (February 7)
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) announced Jan. 28, 2021 that it will pause publication of a final rule that would have prohibited the largest U.S. banks from denying financial services in coordination with others. Read more at C&SN News. (February 1)
Amnesty International’s guide encourages civil society to combat discrimination specifically in the counter-terrorism context. Download the guide at Amnesty International. (February 3)
Aid agencies working in Yemen welcomed the decision, which supports their efforts to mitigate one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters. Samy Magdy reports at The Washington Post.(February 6)
“This war has to end,” Biden told diplomats, saying the conflict had created a “humanitarian and strategic catastrophe.” Ellen Knickmeyer writes at The Washington Post. (February 4)
Rights groups say hundreds have lost their lives due to Duterte’s regime that equates any left-wing activity with terrorism. Raissa Robles reports for theSouth China Morning Post. (February 2)
The Biden administration needs to reckon with the ways in which counterterrorism efforts have been used oppress across the globe. Christopher Rogers and Jordan Street argue at Just Security. (February 1)
Excluding civil society from security assistance programs overseas increases the risk for human rights abuses, corruption, and erosion of democratic institutions via counterterrorism measures. Daniel R. Mahanty and Elena Crespo write at Just Security. (February 9)
Relief International stated payments “related to negotiating humanitarian access with an armed group in a conflict zone,” but that they may “violate some of its most important core principles and policies.” Ian Cobain reports at the Middle East Eye. (February 10)
Islamic Relief Worldwide was a “highly effective charity” performing “crucial humanitarian work around the world”, said Dominic Grieve, the former Conservative attorney general who led the independent review. Harriet Sherwood writes at The Guardian. (January 28)
While U.S. law makes it a crime to provide “material support” to a foreign terrorist organization, there is no comparable law that makes domestic terrorism a federal crime, even though individual acts committed by domestic terrorists may be illegal. Masood Farivar reports at Voice of America. (February 10)
Any domestic terrorism agenda for the Biden administration will have to build a cross-agency understanding of what constitutes domestic terrorism, as well as ensure civil liberties are protected. Ken Dilanian reports at NBC News. (February 5)
Lawmakers indicated interest in enacting a new domestic terrorism statute despite warnings from civil rights groups that such a law could be used to target a broader group of Americans. Rebecca Beitsch reports at The Hill. (February 4)
