Islamic Voice has a story on the opening of an office of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood.

In Washington DC.

And they openly state that the aim of the office is “infiltration” of the US government to influence its attitude toward “political Islam.”

Muslim Brotherhood Office in US

Washington DC

The Syrian Muslim Brotherhood (SMB), in alliance with the ex-vice- president of Syria, Abdul Halim Khaddam, a staunch Ba’athist, have opened an office in Washington DC. The aim of the office is to infiltrate the US government and influence its apathy towards political Islam. Ammar Abdul Hamid, a Syrian intellectual who works at Brookings Institute, will be running the office for the National Salvation Front. His duties are to sell political Islam and Ba’athism to reluctant US government officials and to give the Muslim Brotherhood a platform in the Think Tank community of Washington from which they can preach democracy.

So, have the Democrats caught Bin Laden yet? (Hat tip: BabbaZee.)

UPDATE at 11/15/06 11:01:34 am:

Hang on—this story may be disinformation according to Andrew Cochran at Counterterrorism Blog: Reform Party of Syria Should Substantiate ‘Muslim Brotherhood’ Charge Against Activist. (Hat tip: Kenneth.)

Intrigued, I called the Brookings Institution’s Saban Center for Middle East Policy, where Abdulhamid is a nonresident fellow, and asked for a response. They issued a press release last night stating: “Mr. Abdulhamid is not a member of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood and has never been. He is not opening and will not be opening an office for the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood and/or the National Salvation Front in Washington DC… Ammar Abdulhamid is a founding liberal member of the NSF, a broad-based, pragmatic coalition of Syrian opposition groups and independent liberal activists… Mr. Abdulhamid is also the director of the Tharwa Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving public information and discussion regarding diversity and human rights issues in the Arab world.” A spokeperson for the Center also called me and vociferously denied it (and I mean really vociferously). You can read the press release here. …

I don’t read Arabic and welcome readers’ translations of the linked Arabic sites above. In the meantime, my conclusions are: (a) the RPS should either substantiate the charge or recant it; (b) I smell an internecine conflict between Syrian dissident groups which is not beneficial to their cause; and (c) Mr. Abdulhamid appears to be careful about his associations and, hopefully, will remain careful. My thanks to the Saban Center for their rapid response and to my two expert friends for their contributions. I will post updates to this story as needed.

UPDATE at 11/16/06 8:30:53 am:

Ammar Abdulhamid has a blog, and reading it confirms that he’s been the target of a disinformation campaign: Amarji - A Heretic’s Blog.