The Trump administration designated several branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations in a move that will send shockwaves across the Middle East.
The move will send shockwaves across the Middle East, where the organization has deep roots
Connor Echols – ResponsibleStatecraft.org
The Trump administration designated several branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations in a move that will send shockwaves across the Middle East.
“The United States will use all available tools to deprive these Muslim Brotherhood chapters of the resources to engage in or support terrorism,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a statement.
The decision comes just a month after President Trump instructed the State Department to consider issuing designations against Muslim Brotherhood branches in Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon. The policy appears tailored to slow down calls on the right to designate the entire Muslim Brotherhood as a terror group — a move that national security experts say would fuel extremism among moderate members of the group while diverting resources away from dealing with more violent groups, like al-Qaida or ISIS.
The move drew praise from hawkish analysts on the right. Mariam Wahba of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies called Trump’s decision “the most robust and consequential effort to tackle the growing threat posed by the world’s largest and most potent Islamist organization.” The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy lauded the move and promised to “continue to brief policymakers” on its research about the organization and “on policy options for addressing the Muslim Brotherhood’s long-term strategy.”
FDD and ISGAP played a crucial role in advancing the push to designate the Muslim Brotherhood, alongside officials and lobbyists representing Israel and the UAE, as RS reported last month.