BRITISH PM CAMERON TO PROBE BROTHERHOOD OVER EXTREMIST LINKS
David Cameron has ordered Whitehall officials to draw up an investigation that would review intelligence claims by MI5 and MI6 that the Muslim Brotherhood was allegedly behind the murder of three tourists on a bus in Egypt in February and that it planned extremist activities from Britain, The Times reported on Tuesday, Press TV reported as quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA).
“The prime minister has commissioned an internal government review into the philosophy and activities of the Muslim Brotherhood and the government’s policy towards the organization,” Number 10 Downing Street said.
The newspaper said the prime minister faces pressure to follow the example of Egypt and Saudi Arabia, which claim that the Brotherhood coordinates terrorist activities from the United Kingdom.
London is also under pressure to ban the group. Cameron ordered the investigation of the Muslim Brotherhood after it was decided that London has insufficient intelligence about the group’s activities in Britain and Egypt.
“The Muslim Brotherhood has risen in prominence in recent years but our understanding of the organization, its philosophy and values, has not kept pace with this. Given the concerns about the group and its alleged links to violent extremism, it’s absolutely right and prudent that we get a better handle of what the Brotherhood stands for, how they intend to achieve their aims and what that means for Britain,” The Times quoted a Downing Street spokesman as saying.
In December 2013, the Egyptian government officially designated the Muslim Brotherhood as a “terrorist” group.
In early March, the United Arab Emirates labeled the Brotherhood as a terrorist organization — following the example of neighboring Saudi Arabia. (T/P04/P03)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
