Egypt's brothers rise.

• Author: DeAtkine, Norvell B.
• Position: Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt

EGYPT'S BROTHERS RISE

By James P. Farwell & Marvin Weinbaum http://nationalinterest.org/commentary/egypts-brothers-rise-5432

The authors, a defense consultant and scholar in residence at the Middle East Institute, lay out a convincing case that the leopard has not changed its spots-in this case the leopard being the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt, which in the wake of the revolution there has put on a kinder, gentler face. The authors skeptically view as a ruse the Brothers' new outreach to the public and, perhaps more importantly, the United States, a major donor to their financially strapped country.

Farwell and Weinbaum nevertheless hold out hope that the democracy movement in Egypt can avoid an Islamic government, citing various polls that indicate the public views the Muslim Brotherhood favorably but not as their government of choice.

Depicting Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, and Nobel Prize winner Mohamed elBaradei-candidates for Egypt's presidency-as "hugely popular," the authors seem to believe that the pro-democracy movement has a chance to overcome the vastly superior organizing abilities of the Muslim Brotherhood despite its cozy relationship with the ruling military regime. The authors...