Muslim Brotherhood allegedly planned to build army

[The Guid]

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/mi ... mber-.html

One-time deputy Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood leader Khairat al-Shater planned to establish a “Revolutionary Guard” modeled after Iran’s elite military unit, a former member of al-Qaeda told an Egyptian TV channel.

Under Brotherhood rule, Islamist youths would be trained as a separate military unit rivaling Egypt’s existing army, to resemble a force similar to Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guards, former al-Qaeda operative Mohammad Tawfic said in an interview with al-Mehwar, a private satellite channel.

“Shater was planning to establish a national defense college and recruit 50 thousand youths, including 30 thousand from the Islamic movements, and 20 thousand from al-Qaeda through [al-Qaeda chief] Mohammad al-Zawahiri,” said Tawfic.
Full loyalty

“This college would have fresh graduates every six months and become like the [Iranian] Revolutionary Guard, pledging full loyalty to the president,” he added.

Egypt’s Brotherhood came to power in 2011, ruling for just one year before former President Mohammad Mursi – who hailed from the Brotherhood – was ousted in July 2012 following mass protests against his rule.

Shortly after Mursi was toppled, Shater, along with most other senior Brotherhood figures were detained by the interim government’s security forces.

Whilst I am not here to defend the Egyptian army, if this is true it explains why they felt the need to go to drastic lengths rather than just wait for the Muslim Brotherhood to fail at the ballot box.

[Siege]

Whilst I wouldn't put it past the Brotherhood, I also don't trust a single thing coming out of the state-controlled Egyptian media right now.

[The Guid]

Very fair point. If someone wants to change the title to include "alleged" or somesuch other qualifier that would probably be a good idea; and one I probably should have put in myself.

To be honest this was my own biased viewpoint against the MB coming through in my choosing to believe it readily.

[cosmicalstorm]

I would be surprised if they did not try it. I wonder what will become of Egypt? Will they kill each other and wreck the Nile?

[GrandMasterTerwynn]

I would be surprised if they did not try it. I wonder what will become of Egypt? Will they kill each other and wreck the Nile?

Wreck the Nile? Not bloody likely. What will become of Egypt? After the military finishes shooting all the dissidents, rigging the judiciary, and intimidating the populace into meekly voting for security ... it'll go right back to being run the way it's been run for the last half-century.

[K. A. Pital]

Very fair point. If someone wants to change the title to include "alleged" or somesuch other qualifier that would probably be a good idea; and one I probably should have put in myself.

Indeed, and I did it.