U.K. to Probe Muslim Brotherhood for Terror Links

The British government has launched an inquiry into the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood in Britain, following a wave of terror attacks in Egypt in response to the army’s crackdown on the group.

The Brotherhood “has risen to prominence in recent years but our understanding of the organization—it’s philosophy and values—has not kept pace with this,” a spokesperson for British Prime Minister David Cameron told The New York Times. “Given the concerns now being expressed 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 UK government has tended to look upon the Brotherhood as one of the more moderate Islamist organizations in the past. After the Egyptian Army’s 2012 overthrow of former President Mohamed Morsi, a Brotherhood member, the group was declared a terrorist organization in Egypt. The group met in London to plan its response to Morsi’s ouster.

In the time since the Army took back power in Egypt, terror attacks targeting soldiers, police and Christians, including bombings and assassinations, have increased dramatically, primarily in northern Sinai. Saudi Arabia joined Egypt in declaring the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization last month.

[NYT]