August 17, 2012, 10:09 AM
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In 1949, the Communist takeover of China rattled the US foreign policy establishment to its core. China's fall to Communism was correctly perceived as a massive strategic defeat for the US. The triumphant Mao Zedong placed China firmly in the Soviet camp and implemented foreign policies antithetical to US interests.
For the American foreign policy establishment, China's fall forced a reconsideration of basic axioms of US foreign policy. Until China went Red, the view resonant among foreign policy specialists was that it was possible for the US to peacefully coexist and even be strategic allies with Communists.
With Mao's embrace of Stalin this position was discredited. The US's subsequent recognition that it was impossible for America to reach an accommodation with Communists served as the intellectual architecture of many of the strategies the US adopted for fighting the Cold War in the years that followed.
Today the main aspect of America's response to China's Communist revolution that is remembered is the vindictive political hunt for scapegoats. Foreign Service officers and journalists who had advised the US government to support Mao and the Communists against Chiang Kai Shek and the Nationalists were attacked as traitors.
But while the "Red Scare" is what is most remembered about that period, the most significant consequence of the rise of Communist China was the impact it had on the US's understanding of the nature of Communist forces. Even Theodore White, perhaps the most prominent journalist who championed Mao and the Communists, later acknowledged that he had been duped by their propaganda machine into believing that Mao and his comrades were interested in an alliance with the US.
As Joyce Hoffmann exposed in her book Theodore White and Journalism as Illusion, White acknowledged that his wartime report from Mao's headquarters in Yenan praising the Communists as willing allies of the US who sought friendship, "not as a beggar seeks charity, but seeks aid in furthering a joint cause," was completely false.
As he wrote, the report was "winged with hope and passion that were entirely unreal."
What he had been shown in Yenan, Hoffmann quotes White as having written, was "the showcase of democratic art pieces they (the Communists) staged for us American correspondents [and] was literally, only showcase stuff."
Contrast the US's acceptance of failure in China in 1949, and its willingness to learn the lessons of its loss of China, with the US's denial of its failure and loss of Egypt today.
On Sunday, new President Mohamed Morsy completed Egypt's transformation into an Islamist state. In the space of one week, Morsy sacked the commanders of the Egyptian military and replaced them with Muslim Brotherhood loyalists, and fired all the editors of the state-owned media and replaced them with Muslim Brotherhood loyalists.
He also implemented a policy of intimidation, censorship and closure of independently owned media organizations that dare to publish criticism of him.
Morsy revoked the military's constitutional role in setting the foreign and military policies of Egypt. But he maintained the junta's court-backed decision to disband the parliament. In so doing, Morsy gave himself full control over the writing of Egypt's new constitution.
As former ambassador to Egypt Zvi Mazel wrote Tuesday in The Jerusalem Post, Morsy's moves mean that he "now holds dictatorial powers surpassing by far those of erstwhile president Hosni Mubarak."
In other words, Morsy's actions have transformed Egypt from a military dictatorship into an Islamist dictatorship.
The impact on Egypt's foreign policy of Morsy's seizure of power is already becoming clear. On Monday, Al-Masri al-Youm quoted Mohamed Gadallah, Morsy's legal adviser, saying that Morsy is considering revising the peace accord with Israel. Gadallah explained that Morsy intends to "ensure Egypt's full sovereignty and control over every inch of Sinai."
In other words, Morsy intends to remilitarize Sinai and so render the Egyptian military a clear and present threat to Israel's security. Indeed, according to Haaretz, Egypt has already breached the peace accord and deployed forces and heavy weaponry to Sinai without Israeli permission.
The rapidity of Morsy's moves has surprised most observers. But more surprising than his moves is the US response to his moves.
Obama administrations officials have behaved as though nothing has happened, or even as though Morsy's moves are positive developments.
For instance, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, one administration official dismissed the significance of Morsy's purge of the military brass, saying, "What I think this is, frankly, is Morsy looking for a generational change in military leadership."
The Journal reported that Egypt's new defense minister, Gen. Abdul-Fattah el-Sissi, is known as a Muslim Brotherhood sympathizer. But the Obama administration quickly dismissed the reports as mere rumors with no significance. Sissi, administration sources told the Journal, ate dinner with US President Barack Obama's chief counterterrorism adviser John Brennan during Brennan's visit to Cairo last October. Aside from that, they say, people are always claiming that Morsy's appointments have ties to Morsy's Muslim Brotherhood.
A slightly less rose-colored assessment came from Steven Cook in Foreign Affairs. According to Cook, at worst, Morsy's move was probably nothing more than a present-day reenactment of Gamal Abel Nasser's decision to move Egypt away from the West and into the Soviet camp in 1954.
Most likely, Cook argued, Morsy was simply doing what Sadat did when in 1971 he fired other generals with whom he had been forced to share power when he first succeeded Nasser in 1969.
Certainly the Nasser and Sadat analogies are pertinent. But while properly citing them, Cook failed to explain what those analogies tell us about the significance of Morsy's actions. He drew the dots but failed to see the shape they make.
Morsy's Islamism, like Mao's Communism, is inherently hostile to the US and its allies and interests in the Middle East. Consequently, Morsy's strategic repositioning of Egypt as an Islamist country means that Egypt - which has served as the anchor of the US alliance system in the Arab world for 30 years - is setting aside its alliance with the US and looking toward reassuming the role of regional bully.
Egypt is on the fast track to reinstating its war against Israel and threatening international shipping in the Suez Canal. And as an Islamist state, Egypt will certainly seek to export its Islamic revolution to other countries. No doubt fear of this prospect is what prompted Saudi Arabia to begin showering Egypt with billions of dollars in aid.
It should be recalled that the Saudis so feared the rise of a Muslim Brotherhood-ruled Egypt that in February 2011, when US President Barack Obama was publicly ordering then-president Hosni Mubarak to abdicate power immediately, Saudi leaders were beseeching him to defy Obama. They promised Mubarak unlimited financial support for Egypt if he agreed to cling to power.
The US's astounding sanguinity in the face of Morsy's completion of the Islamization of Egypt is an illustration of everything that is wrong and dangerous about US Middle East policy today.
Take US policy toward Syria.
Syria is in possession of one of the largest arsenals of chemical and biological weapons in the world. The barbarism with which the regime is murdering its opponents is a daily reminder - indeed a flashing neon warning sign - that Syria's nonconventional arsenal constitutes a clear and present danger to international security. And yet, the Obama administration insists on viewing Syrian President Bashar Assad's murderous behavior as if it were a garden variety human rights crisis.
During her visit with Turkey's Islamist Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu last Saturday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton didn't even mention the issue of Syria's chemical and biological weapons. Instead she continued to back Turkey's sponsorship of the Islamist-dominated opposition and said that the US would be working with Turkey to put together new ways to help the Islamist opposition overthrow Assad's regime.
Among other things, she did not rule out the imposition of a no-fly zone over Syria.
The party most likely to be harmed from such a move would be Israel, which would lose its ability to bomb Syrian weapons of mass destruction sites from the air.
Then of course, there is Iran and its openly genocidal nuclear weapons program. This week The New York Times reported a new twist in the Obama administration's strategy for managing this threat. It is trying to convince the Persian Gulf states to accept advanced missile defense systems from the US.
This new policy makes clear that the Obama administration has no intention of preventing Iran from becoming a nuclear power. Its actions on the ground are aimed instead at accomplishing two goals: convincing Iran's Arab neighbors to accept Iran as a nuclear power and preventing Israel from acting militarily to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power. The missile shields are aspects of a policy of containment, not prevention. And the US's attempts to sabotage Israel's ability to strike Iran's nuclear sites through leaks, political pressure and efforts to weaken the Netanyahu government make clear that as far as the US is concerned, Iran acquiring nuclear weapons is not the problem.
The prospect of Israel preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons is the problem.
Several American commentators argue that the Obama administration's policies are the rational consequence of the divergence of US and Israeli assessments of the threats posed by regional developments. For instance, writing in the Tablet online magazine this week, Lee Smith argued that the US does not view the developments in Egypt, Iran and Syria as threatening US interests. From Washington's perspective, the prospect of an Israeli strike on Iran is more threatening than a nuclear-armed Iran, because an Israeli strike would immediately destabilize the region.
The problem with this assessment is that it is nonsense. It is true that Israel is first on Iran's target list, and that Egypt is placing Israel, not the US in its crosshairs. So, too, Syria and its rogue allies will use their chemical weapons against Israel first.
But that doesn't mean the US will be safe. The likely beneficiaries of Syrian chemical weapons - Sunni and Shi'ite terrorist organizations - have attacked the US in the past. Iran has a history of attacking US shipping without a nuclear umbrella. Surely it would be more aggressive in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz after defying Washington in illegally developing a nuclear arsenal. The US is far more vulnerable to interruptions in the shipping lanes in the Suez Canal than Israel is.
The reason Israel and the US are allies is that Israel is the US's first line of defense in the region.
If regional events weren't moving so quickly, the question of who lost Egypt would probably have had its moment in the spotlight in Washington.
But as is clear from the US's denial of the significance of Morsy's rapid completion of Egypt's Islamic transformation; its blindness to the dangers of Syrian chemical and biological weapons; and its complacency toward Iran's nuclear weapons program, by the time the US foreign policy establishment realizes it lost Egypt, the question it will be asking is not who lost Egypt. It will be asking who lost the Middle East.
Originally published in The Jerusalem Post.
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'The reason Israel and the US are allies is that Israel is the US's first line of defense in the region.'
Baloney,not any more,
It's time to wake up from your delusion Caroline,The new,decadent,amoral America see's
Israel as a liability in the region and welcome's the agenda of the Islamist's seeing that their phony peace process has reached it's course ,it time to
switch over,sit back and allow Iran's swift plan to remove the thorn in Islam's side,Israel move forward .
The reason suicidal Israel can't cut Washington's tight dog leash around their neck is because ;
1. They believe America is Israel's God and obey and worship it above the True,Living God.
2. The faith challenged leaders of Israel have no where else to run to having been deceived into believing that the God of Israel is too small compared to their all powerful superpower god, America.
3.Israel has placed all their eggs in the U.S. basket assuming that their idol would usher in the new world order of peace in the Middle East
under the delusional democracy fantasy.
4.Israel is in STRONG denial,refusing to face reality of their treacherous betrayal by a close friend.
5.Idol worshipers never snap out of their strong delusion and like those who suffer from Stockholm Syndorme become enamoured by their abusers and destroyers.
The Holy One of Israel has boxed His people Israel in a corner,a conundrum where they begin to understand that their great idol whom they have religiously served and obeyed is not their God.
All the wasted years of following the lie land for peace Road Map two state solution is being rewarded ,repaid to Israel from their great lying idol.
America is collapsing,bankrupt,totally corrupt,undependable and reprobate. Iran and their partners Russia and China can see this ,Israel should also be able to read the handwriting on the wall and seek the LORD alone.
The election of President Barack Obama in 2008 and the good possibility of his being reelected later this year portends imminent disaster for the Middle East and especially for Israel. Obama and his coterie of advisers' refusal to acknowledge the inherent danger the Muslim Brotherhood poses to the rest of the world is a clear indication of where his sympathies really lie. That Jews have aided and abetted Obama's rise to power is a travesty. We can put our hopes in Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, but are they strong enough to reverse the destructive trend. Israel's very survival is at risk and in the end we will have to depend on HaShem's blessings. Caroline, It has to be heart wrenching for you to write these columns and I thank you for your strength in writing the truth no matter how ugly. Shabbat shalom to you, your loved ones and Jews everywhere.
It would appear as if The Obama Administration had been for a time, "protected by the enormity of it's stupidity". Time would appear to either be running out or to have run out.
Caroline makes a strong case for the latter.
I would ask, where are Israel's friends in The US Congress. They cannot ALL be recovering from The West Nile Virus, could they? Will Israel have to re-acquire Sinai. Should they? I think if Egypt crosses a red line Israel would have legal justification for the reacquisition, not that anyone would recognize it, well...maybe Canada.
In any case, Caroline, welcome to Los Angeles. Your excellent address before The Children of The Holocost was very courageous and thought provoking.
I'm sorry I could not make it to the event, as I was in surgery the entire day. Hopefully next time.
I hope that The Center is providing you with the best possible accomodations imaginable.
Shabbot Shalom
This would appear dramatic. However, Egypt has not been involved in any real conflicts for decades, and has only the experience of joint training exercises, and tackling Islamists who have very limited military capability. In effect, Morsi has done a 1930s' style Joseph Stalin on his military, which has been rendered even less capable, due to a severe shortage of oil and wheat, with which to feed the war machine. Morsi may well choose to launch an attack on Israel, but the outcome will be 1967, all over again, and with no prospect of a repeat of 1979.
A very tough article with plenty of valid questions. However, the United States reaction to the multifacited continuing rapid revolution otherwise known as the Arab Spring required it to make some very hard long term decisions early on, (including recognizing the likelyhood that it could not prevent the fall of Mubarak and a transition to an Egyptian government that was ultimately led by the other organized power in the country), AKA the Muslim Brotherhood. The United States does business with Egypt and Turkey even as it watches and reacts to the Islamization of their governments because it needs to buy as much stability as it can in the region even as its own regional hegemony is dissapating. There is no international path to controling the fall of Assad short of R2P which neither the US nor its allies have the stomach to undertake.
"Who lost Egypt?" A great idea for an article. But why didn't you write that article? You start by citing the history of China and a similar question asked, "Who lost China?" Not only did you not explain who lost China, but nowhere did you even attempt to explain who lost Egypt.
Nobody in the US could be held responsible for either China or Egypt. The US is not a force of nature in the world. Sometimes the best we can do is brace ourselves for the inevitable and keep our fortunes away from places like this that are doomed by the circumstances of history.
Let's say, for the sake of argument, that the Obama administration doesn't see Egypt as a potential threat to the US. If you take this view it seems a logical to contend that Obama is throwing Israel to the dogs to buy peace with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and throughout the Middle East.
Everything that has been done by the US administration has been done in a frosty and calculated way. What they have done to Israel, they meant to do. What they have done to the United States, they meant to do. Moreover, if the Marxist in chief is re-elected or his minions manage to steal the election, he will do very much more that he has. I am reminded here of his conversation with the Russian president, promising greater latitude, after his re-election. Apparently a Marxist traitor can absolve himself of any treasons, as long as the terms Marxist and traitorous aren't used by the media. No problem since they are by and large Marxist as well.
He is not a socialist. His people are not socialists. He and they and the media are Marxists and much more hard core than anyone is letting on. Unfortunately they don't like Israel but Israel shouldn't feel alone in this because they don't like the United States as constituted either. The problems that face the US are the very same faced by Israel, by the same enemies who are working in concert worldwide to bring their victory to pass in both nations. For Israel, it does mean complete destruction. For the US, another kind of destruction, which in the end may be even more costly, albeit prolonged.
Israel should always know that Millions of Americans object to our government's harsh treatment of her, no matter what the media may say or report. We are fighting to keep our country free and our liberties intact, to replace the constructed truths of our enemies with real truth and facts. To replace our Marxists currently in power with constitutionalists in an environment which accepts Jews and Christians instead of assaulting them at every opportunity. We completely understand your situation and our own.
You must hold out, until the matter is decided and act in your own best interests in any case.
You have no friends in Washington today but millions across America and elsewhere in the world, many more. The regaining of our governments and the banishment of our traitors is first and foremost in our minds. They have chosen the wrong side and allied themselves with evil. We recognise them now for what they are. Even with a smile on their faces.
Dear Caroline,
Historically Jewish people refused to listen to their holy prophets and then they ended up in slavery. Then they cried out to God and God brought them back and restored their kingdom. But this they did it again and again. But it is God's mercy (and part of establishing His kingdom on this earth, Jerusalem as His capital)that He brought the Jewish people scattered around the world back to Israel. But they abandoned the same God listening to a false prophet, Barak Obama.
You are a true prophet. I don't think they will listen to you. I really appreciate your hard work. But the liberal Jews in US will provide their money, media and vote to re-elect the Muslim Kenyan president Barak Obama. I am only hoping, God will honor prayers of people like me (who is not a Jew) and refuse another chance to this president to destroy Israel from the very White House which he has made a whore house already. Please ask your people to stop supporting the destroyer of Israel. Every vote to him is a vote against Israel.
How about this: Obama might not win if American Jews decided to vote against him.
"But that doesn't mean the US will be safe." - All this is eerily reminiscent of WWII. On the eve of that catastrophe the so-called civilised world also thought it was just the Jews so no particular need to get ruffled. We all know how that thought ended: with close to seventy million dead.
I used to the cabal that controls the USA were really stupid. But, nobody could continuly make such stupid decisions on purpose. Apparently, they know exactly what they are doing. Bring down the USA by unpayable debt, and overloading its resourses by placing as many as possible on government welfare type programs. Same with this so called Arab Spring. Make no mistake about it, this cabal knows exactly who they are supporting in these arab revolts and they know full well they are muslim brotherhood. They also know full well that they intend to drive Isreal into the sea. Our Ramadam observant President, is attempting to put the Isrealis into a no win situation so that his muslim coreligionist can realize their dream. Why else are they not suprise at what is actually going on and even throwing money at these islamist regimes after it is fully visible to all what is their true identity. This whole Arab Spring is to set up a muslim Caliphate controling the world and without and Isreal.
I will say good luck, because althought they may cause much death and distruction in the short run, they are doomed to ultimate failure. The one who watches over Isreal does not slumber or sleep.
Am Israel Chai. I was on the Temple mountain during ramadan and heard the Jews shouting and screaming from the Kotel. That was very impressive to hear, while I was standing near the dome of the rock in what felt like a closed military zone.
Israel the last obstacle for the US (and the powerful New World Order)?
I find it very hard to understand Caroline Glick's fault lines. 'Real world' vs. Fantasy World means nothing to me. But I do understand the difference between Israel and islam.
For christians the conflict is simply a fight between evil forces and the Spirit of God. During my visit to Israel, a few weeks ago, both these forces were tangible.
It is my prayer that IDF becomes strong and powerful in the grace of God, with all the intelligence it needs.
And I hope that Israeli priests and prophets will arise, to convey and share divine knowledge and wisdom.
There is another reason why Israel and America were allies in the past.
That reason is because America is one of the lost ten tribes of Israel.
That special relationship was prophesied to fall apart in the latter days.
Bible prophecy shows how the USA, Britain & Israel must first go through the Great Tribulation - World War III - and that they will be delivered once more in a second exodus.
In a span of three and one half years - Israel, America and England will suffer tribulation and deliverance from it. After two and one half years during the three and one half year period, the gentile nations who fought against Israel will themselves suffer a devastating defeat.
So their "victory" will not last long.
After three and one half years from the start of the Great Tribulation, divine intervention will take place in world affairs with the Kingdom of God being set up on this earth. At that time God's government will go out from Jerusalem.
People will be taught to keep the law (the ten commandments).
The city of Jerusalem always was - still is - and always will be the most important city on earth.
God has a future plan for Jerusalem and nothing can change that plan.
The destiny of Jerusalem is to be the headquarters of the Kingdom of God on earth. Bible prophecy reveals after 1000 years of God's government on earth, the city of Jerusalem will become headquarters of the entire universe.
Or as Henny Youngman might have said: Take My Middle East Policy..please.
Caroline,
I know you cannot battle on every front, but be careful in following the Left line on Joe McCarthy. This is important because we are going to need another McCarthy to look into Islamic influence in the government today. McCarthy was respectful of people's rights, let witnesses invoke the 5th Amendment, and did not name name unless the Dems forced him to do so.
Also, he was right, there were communists and fellow travelers making policy in the federal government. McCarthy was not setting up a gulag. He had no prosecutorial power whatsoever. His objective was to have communists and fellow travelers removed from the government. That's it. They could do what they wanted in the private economy.
I was not familiar with Teddy White in China. If he was a reporter, he would have been outside McCarthy's remit. But there was similar reporting by officials such as Service. Either Service was a fellow traveler or he was one of the most incompetent officers ever in the Foreign Service. Either way, why would it have been a good idea to keep him on the payroll?
Lastly, while Obama is an Islamic fellow traveler, I suspect you are giving the U.S. government too much credit. I bet they simply do not know the influence, history or objectives of the MB either in Egypt or in the Middle East.
It often pains me to read Ms Glick's articles because they are true and gutsy and show how crazy backward both my Country and much of the West are... falling toward disaster by ignoring or avoiding reality. It's also painful to read some of the comments. I'm just a goy in the Midwest living near both a large Jewish population and the largest Arab population in America. With the exception of one of my wonderful Jewish physicians, almost all of my Jewish friends support Obama. One of my dear friends recently told me she feels more in common with the local Muslims than she does with white Christians like me. Now a large contigent of my Christian friends support the Progressive party along with my Jewish friends. I think they truly believe that white Christian Conservatives are far more dangerous than any Muslim political group here in America. Evangelicals, especially, receive the most disdain. Suport for Israel meets with calls of racism, Islamophobia, etc. @Marcel - I know the "new decadent amoral America" exists... but within her are so many of us who support Israel, stand up for freedom of speech and recognize the true threat Islamism poses around the world and especially to Israel and America. Sadly, our own people (primarily Progressives) hate our own Country as much as they hate the idea of defending Israel. I just hope you and others remember we are not all amoral and that G-d will spare us as He offered to spare Sodom and Gomorrah if at least 50 (or whatever number) righteous people were found. I fall far short of being righteous but I know many wonderful people who are. I applaud Ms Glick and others who speak the truth.
One of the chief reasons a "Who lost Egypt?" argument has not occurred in the US is that a foreign policy consensus failed to develop after the al-Qaeda attacks of 2001. The stagnant US economy- along with two unresolved conflicts in the Middle East- has also not provided the political capital necessary for a vigorous defense of US interests in general or Israel in particular. Obama's accommodationist foreign policy is a delaying tactic in order to not derail his domestic agenda. Also, general support for Israel has been declining over the past 20 years in the absence of Soviet- era proxy conflict in the Middle East (among other developments).
Egypt is already out of control - there are reports on crucufications of secular critics of Morsi close to the presidential palace - http://www.wnd.com/2012/08/arab-spring-run-amok-brotherhood-starts-crucifixions/
Just as the world is still paying for Jimmy Carter's betrayal of the Shah, we will likely suffer for decades for Obama's support of the Muslim Brotherhood.
This is the tragic result whenever the United States elects someone to the presidency with such a twisted world view.
In the past, Israel had strong leaders who made courageous decisions and protected their people. I hope it's current leadership proves itself worthy of their inheritance.
There is only one Islamist plan that makes any sense at all. The Egyptian Islamists will move closer to the other Islamists, in particular Iran. In the worst case, Egypt will let Iran put weapons (missiles) in Egypt, and a new Islamist government in Syria will do likewise.
But Iran wants to be the regional hegemon. If Iran fights Israel, it will be popular enough that Syria and Egypt will sign on as allies (vassals). Iran doesn't have to destroy Israel to do this, just survive a war with Israel.
The purpose of all this is creation of a working monopoly on middle east oil, with Islamists (Iran) at the helm. This puts the US and Europe under Iran's thumb, an intolerable situation that will lead either to hot war, cold war, or submission by the West.
Israel is not the primary target, Israel is a tool for creating the new Islamic Empire, by uniting the Muslim world. Bad for everybody.
Here's my advice to Bibi:
If you attack Iranian installations now, American public opinion will be with you. Obama will be forced, at a minimum, to provide rhetorical support. If you wait until after the election, Obama will move to actively block your efforts.
Israel's strategic situation will be dire indeed, come 2013, should Iran acquire nukes. We already see an incipient Iranian-Egyptian rapprochement.
It is unbelievable how stupid the west has become.
Such a short time after WW2.
We have a short memory a lack of understanding history,and all wish for a quite life and do not wish to see the dangers lurking around every corner.
Shame on all of us what a disaster for our children and theirs.
M.Raynor.
The Socialists in the Democratic Party display that their intentions are to convince Iran to aim their nuclear weapons at Israel instead Europe and the USA and join them in their anti-Semitic/Christian agenda towards Israel. The Socialists are not offering defense weapons systems to Iran's enemies to defend them from Iran but rather they are doing this in order to prepare them for the war with Israel that they are behind orchestrating. The Socialists in the Democratic Party see this possibility of war in the future because they are behind orchestrating the over throw of the governments that outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood in order to unshackle the Muslim Brotherhood in these countries as part of their plan to increase the threat to Israel, and use the increased threat to force Israel to capitulate to the demands of the Muslim Brotherhood.