US Designates Muslim Brotherhood as Terrorists, Ignores Saudi Funding
The United States, according to Al-Monitor, has slapped terror designations on the Egyptian, Lebanese, and Jordanian branches of the Muslim Brotherhood, conveniently linking them to Hamas. This move, echoing similar pushes since 2017 when the Trump administration first considered it, neatly aligns with the geopolitical interests of certain Gulf monarchies and Israel. Funny how 'terrorism' is
defined primarily by who our allies dislike, rather than, say, sources of funding for extremist groups. One might recall the historical context where Saudi Arabia, a key US ally and arms purchaser, widely supported various Islamist movements, occasionally including elements within the Muslim Brotherhood itself. This latest designation appears less about genuine counter-terrorism and more about
consolidating regional power dynamics. It's almost as if 'terrorist' is just another diplomatic tool, pulled out when it serves to isolate political opponents unpopular with US-backed regimes (or when those regimes purchase billions in US weaponry). The irony, of course, is that the US has historically tolerated, even allied with, regimes that have far more direct links to extremism funding than
many of the groups it now condemns.