Luncheon on the Houthis of Yemen and the Threat They Pose (Austin)

Participate in a luncheon discussion on the Houthis of Yemen and the threat they pose in the region and world. The Houthis of Yemen, once a minor Iran-backed militia, have emerged after the attacks of October 7 as a major force within Tehran’s “axis of resistance” due to their drone and missile attacks on ships in the Red Sea, their alliances with al-Shabaab and other jihadis, and their arms deals with Russia. The U.S. and western forces responded to the Houthis attacks on shipping beginning in January 2024 hitting Houthis targets in Yemen multiple times every month for 2024 and early 2025. On March 15, the U.S. began a series of strikes more intensive than any of the previous strikes against Houthi targets and for the first time targeted Houthi militant bases, leaders, and missile defense systems. Those strikes continue. 

Former United Kingdom Ambassador to Yemen Edmund Fitton-Brown will address this transformation, what enabled it, how their rise to power affects regional dynamics, as well as the effects of the newest offensive and how the west can best counter the Houthis. 

Speaker Background
Ambassador Edmund Fitton-Brown is a senior fellow with New America’s Future Security program and a former British diplomat. He graduated in history from Cambridge University and joined the Foreign Service in 1984. His career included postings in Finland, Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Italy, and the United Arab Emirates; and culminated as UK Ambassador for Yemen from 2015 to 2017. 

He speaks Arabic, Finnish, and Italian, and he is best known as a specialist regarding the Middle East and counter-terrorism. He joined the United Nations in 2017 as an expert with the ISIL/Al-Qaida/Taliban Sanctions Monitoring Team before taking over as coordinator of the team in January 2018. He was based in New York but undertook official missions all over Africa, Asia, and Europe. He functioned as the UN’s principal authority on the global threat posed by ISIL and Al-Qaida, making frequent appearances at high-level conferences and in the media. Ambassador Fitton-Brown completed his UN contract in July 2022 and moved to Austin, Texas. He holds advisory or fellowship positions with the Counter Extremism Project, the Middle East Institute, The Soufan Center, and the Royal United Services Institute.