US 'Engaging' Muslim Brotherhood

Thu, Nov 15, 2007 at 10:57:18 am PST

It’s no longer a surprise, since we’ve been posting about the US government’s outreach to the global jihad group Muslim Brotherhood (the Ikhwan), but this new report is even more disturbing since it’s clear that high-level decisions have been made that directly contravene previous policy: U.S. engages Muslim Brotherhood despite Rice.

CAIRO — The United States has resumed contacts with Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood despite Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s 2005 commitment not to “engage” with the banned group — a move that could strain relations with President Hosni Mubarak’s government.

U.S. Embassy officials said they are acting in conformity with a worldwide policy of dealing with political parties that are represented in their national parliaments. Muslim Brotherhood members can only run for Egypt’s parliament as independents, and U.S. officials say they have met them only in that capacity.

“Our rare contacts with the nominally independent members of parliament have occurred only in the full light of day, with many other Egyptians present, including members from the ruling National Democratic Party,” said Francis J. Ricciardone, the U.S. ambassador to Egypt.

Asked whether the dealings were approved by Miss Rice, who ruled out such contacts in June 2005, Mr. Ricciardone said: “Of course, we report fully to Washington on these contacts.”

For more information on the Muslim Brotherhood, and to illustrate why this program of “engagement” is incredibly shortsighted and wrongheaded, here’s a PDF from the NEFA Foundation.

(Hat tip: SeafoodGumbo.)