White House Refuses to Designate MB a Terror Group-But Why Now?

The Blaze is reporting that the WhiteHouse.gov petition site, where the administration has previously said it would respond to issues which receive over 100,000 signatures, has finally responded to a year long request to declare the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization. In addressing the petition, the response says only:

We have not seen credible evidence that the Muslim Brotherhood has renounced its decades-long commitment to non-violence. The United States does not condone political violence of any kind and we continue to press actors of all viewpoints to peacefully engage in the political process. The United States is committed to thwarting terrorist groups that pose a threat to U.S. interests and those of our partners.

The refusal of the administration to denounce the Muslim Brotherhood is entirely unsurprising.  The Obama Administration has repeatedly associated with Muslim Brotherhood-linked individuals and organizations on a wide variety of topics, from domestic counterterrorism, to international “democracy promotion.” The White House response ignores the role of the Muslim Brotherhood in engaging in violence in Egypt following the ouster of Mohammed Morsi, as well as its role in fundraising for designated terrorist organization Hamas. What is particularly interesting about this announcement appears to be the timing.

Although the petition received over the requisite number of responses within 30 days of its first posting in July of 2013, the Obama Administration chose now to reply. It seems likely this is a subtle response to the decision by the United Arab Emirates to name the Council on American Islamic Relations, and the Muslim American Society, two known Muslim Brotherhood front groups, as terrorist organizations.  For one the reply comes at a time when the U.A.E has doubled down on its terrorism declaration, as Ryan Mauro of Clarion Project reported:

UAE Foreign Affairs Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan was asked about the specific designations of CAIR and MAS as terrorists. “We cannot accept incitement or [terror] funding when we look at some of these organizations. For many countries, the definition of terror is that you have to carry a weapon and terrorize people. For us, it’s far beyond that. We cannot tolerate even the smallest and tiniest amount of terrorism,” he answered.

Additionally, rather than agree with the UAE and tightening up of Muslim Brotherhood-linked terror finance, The U.S.  recently dropped a suspected terror funder with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood from its Special Designated Nationals list. Finally, there is the language.  In particular, the response notes that the U.S. “remains committed to thwarting terrorist groups that pose a threat to U.S. interests and those of our partners.” Given that it is one of those partners, the U.A.E., which is anxious to see the Muslim Brotherhood listed, this seems a not so subtle jab at the U.A.E’s concerns as either unfounded, or else, questioning U.A.E’s status as an “ally.”

It seems that the Administration intends to continue its course of outreach and association with Muslim Brotherhood groups, and continue to reject the encouragement-both by allies, and the American people, to finally reject cooperation with, and instead designate the Muslim Brotherhood for its role in “incitement or [terror] funding.”