The US State Department and intelligence officials are meeting in Washington today to debate whether or not the Bush administration should engage with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Eli Lake reports in today’s NY Sun. As Eli, who has lived in Cairo, points out, this story has added significance after Hamas’ takeover in Gaza. Egypt has long used the Muslim Brotherhood as a back channel to Hamas:
The Bush administration is quietly weighing the prospect of reaching out to the party that founded modern political Islam, the Muslim Brotherhood.
Still in its early stages and below the radar, the current American deliberations and diplomacy with the organization, known in Arabic as Ikhwan, take on new significance in light of Hamas’s successful coup in Gaza last week. The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood is widely reported to have helped create Hamas in 1982.
Today the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research will host a meeting with other representatives of the intelligence community to discuss opening more formal channels to the brothers. Earlier this year, the National Intelligence Council received a paper it had commissioned on the history of the Muslim Brotherhood by a scholar at the Nixon Center, Robert Leiken, who is invited to the State Department meeting today to present the case for engagement.
On April 7, congressional leaders such as Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the Democratic whip, attended a reception where some representatives of the brothers were present. The reception was hosted at the residence in Cairo of the American ambassador to Egypt, Francis Ricciardone, a decision that indicates a change in policy.
2 responses so far ↓
1 bijan // Jun 21, 2007 at 4:29 am
There is more to this story than meets the eye. Its worth knowing that the Hamas lobby groups “Forward Thinking” and “Conflict Forum” set up by ex-MI6 aganet and ex-EU Security advisor Alistair Crooke have been lobbying for the recognition of the Muslim Broptherhood and Hamas by the US Government and EU for the last 3 years. It will be a monumental mistake for the US Government if it falls into this well prepared trap. The ultimate goal of the Muslim Brotherhood is the creation of an Islamic Calipahte after the over throw of all moderate Arab/Islamic Governments. Also dont not forget that Egyptian Islamic Jihad which morphed into Al Qaeda was created by members of the Moslem Brotherhood. Zawahiri was an early follower and member of the Muslim Brotherhood.
2 Charles Levinson // Jun 21, 2007 at 2:45 pm
Egyptian Islamic Jihad was created by ex-Muslim Brothers who were turned off by how moderate the group was. I think that’s worth mentioning. I am a staunch secularist and am totally turned off by religious politics, but Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood is no different than the religious right in America. And I firmly believe that the key to moderating groups like the Brothers, and ensuring they stay moderate, is through engagement. And I think the same thing applies to Hamas.
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