Old CIA papers expose Brotherhood’s secrets

1986 document warned against growing influence of extremists

Aformerly classified CIA document, titled ‘Building Bases of Support’, has exposed new secrets about the Muslim Brotherhood’s radical schemes since its establishment, supported by the fundamentalism of writer Sayyid Qutb, who was executed by Jamal Abdul Nasser’s government in Egypt.

The recently declassified document, republished yesterday in UAE’s Arabic-language Al Khaleej daily, was prepared by the CIA in 1986. It warned against the growing influence of extremists, whose number was estimated then by the CIA at 30,000 from around 24 fanatical groups with different ideological backgrounds. It said most of these elements were involved in perpetrating acts of terror.

“The Brotherhood has been successful in building a fundamentalist network through the recruitment of educators, students, journalists, other professionals and businessmen,” said the document, adding that “increased factionalism is the Brotherhood’s most serious potential problem”.

The document underlined the key influential role played by scholar Yousuf Al Qaradawi in directing the illicit group’s tactics, warning against his future schemes and subversive machinations. The Egyptian Al Qaradawi now resides in Qatar.

Meanwhile, an Egyptian court has sentenced five people, including the head of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, to life in prison on violence-related charges. It’s the latest of several life sentences for Mohammad Badie, who has also been sentenced to death in separate trials since his 2013 arrest. The Cairo Criminal Court yesterday sentenced four others to 10-15 years imprisonment on the same charges.