Top US newspapers warn against designating Brotherhood

By Michael Hernandez </p> <p>WASHINGTON (AA) – The New York Times and Washington Post newspapers have published pieces critical of ongoing considerations aimed at designating the transnational Muslim Brotherhood a foreign terrorist organization. </p> <p>&quot;Is the Muslim Brotherhood a Terrorist Group?&quot; the New York Times asks. &quot;Even experts critical of the Brotherhood agree that the organization does not meet the criteria for a terrorist group.&quot;</p> <p>The newspaper pointed to legal difficulties the decision poses, noting that the Trump administration would have to present evidence the group engages in &quot;terrorist activity&quot; that threatens America or its interests, and that rationale would have to be vetted through an interagency process that includes the State, Justice and Treasury departments. </p> <p>After the designation is made Congress would have a week to block it, and the brotherhood would have a month to appeal the decision in court. </p> <p>The White House confirmed Tuesday the Trump administration is seeking to blacklist the group following a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. </p> <p>Trump's push to designate the brotherhood would open the door to U.S. sanctions for any group, nation or entity that does business with it, or otherwise provides loosely-defined material support to the group. </p> <p>It is unclear if the administration is seeking to designate Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, its worldwide offshoots or a combination thereof.</p> <p>Ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, who had the brotherhood's backing, won Egypt's first democratic elections in 2012, but was removed from power by the Egyptian military following mass demonstrations roughly a year later. </p> <p>Sisi helped lead the coup that removed Morsi from power.</p> <p>Trump first mulled the idea of designating the Muslim Brotherhood when he assumed office in 2017, but then decided to drop the matter. </p> <p>In addition to Sisi, the designation would squarely place the U.S. alongside Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain who all oppose and have blacklisted the Muslim Brotherhood. </p> <p>In its op-ed, the Washington Post said: &quot;While the Brotherhood may be accused of promoting political extremism, it cannot be equated with organizations such as al-Qaeda, the Islamic State or Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that actually carry out acts of terrorism.&quot;</p> <p>&quot;While the Brotherhood’s commitment to democracy remains uncertain, there is a good case to be made that it’s better to co-opt relatively moderate Islamists rather than push them into the arms of terrorists,&quot; it said. &quot;That is, in fact, the argument that Post contributor Jamal Khashoggi made before he was murdered by the Saudi regime.&quot;