Egypt’s Attorney General Probes Billions in U.S. Funding to Muslim Brotherhood

by THE EDITORS January 11, 2013

In a surprising development in Cairo, the Attorney General of Egypt, Talaat Abdallah, ordered an immediate investigation of allegations advanced by two lawyers against Muslim Brotherhood leaders. Both lawyers claim the Brotherhood received ten billion Egyptian pounds (~$1.5 billion USD) from the United States government.

Egyptian media reports assert that the Obama Administration illegally granted the Muslim Brotherhood 10 billion Egyptian pounds. The reports also assert a reference was made by former Presidential candidate Mitt Romney confirming the Obama Administration granted the Muslim Brotherhood close to 1.5 billion USD.

A report also refers to an interview by Egyptian social scientist and director of the Ibn Khaldoun Center, Dr. Saad Eddine Ibrahim stating that the Muslim Brotherhood have armed militias trained in the desert near Alexandria and Cairo, and near Marsa Matruh. According to this report, Dr. Ibrahim, who also holds US citizenship and is a US professor to al Watan, said the deal between Washington and the Brotherhood includes US support to the Islamist organization in return for protecting American interests in Egypt.

This report was published in Akhbarak and in al Balad, al Dastour and al Misriyoun.

Dream Two TV station also aired the news. Egyptian opposition sources stated, "While the report has merit of exposing the Brotherhood and their relations to the Obama Administration, it also indicates the Attorney General may use it to clean the Brotherhood from this fiduciary illegality." The unnamed sources indicated, "There are multiples reports about the alliance between the Ikhwan and Washington yet this one seems to be the most incriminating. If the facts are verified, it could become the perfect storm in Cairo and in Washington."

Egyptian analysts based in Washington DC added, "While it is likely true the Obama Administration granted support to the Muslim Brotherhood, and this is common knowledge, the Morsi regime may try to oversee the investigation and declare the evidence insufficient. This would be about as useful as the Iranian regime investigating a rigged election by Ahmadinejad."

In Cairo, opposition sources said the "file" is open and more information will be pouring in. "Such a financial windfall cannot stay secret for long, not in Egypt anyway." The real question is, "What will the US Congress do when the news is stateside?"

Note sources in the US have warned about an Obama bailout to the Muslim Brotherhood regime as early as September 2011.