[Obama] Administration Deliberately Vague on Brotherhood

[Casino67]

Rightsidenews.com:

American policymakers are trying to downplay any role the Muslim Brotherhood will play in an emerging Egyptian government, saying only that President Hosni Mubarak's successors must be open and tolerant of religious minorities and govern an open society.

Statements by senior policy officials to the media and before congressional committees since Mubarak's Feb. 11 resignation show that the Obama administration does not consider the Brotherhood to be an extremist organization, despite its written commitment to creating an Islamic state and its leadership's history of threats and hate speech.

The Brotherhood made good Monday on its pledge to form a political party, called the Freedom and Justice Party. General Guide Muhammad Badie said the party is open to everyone, provided they "accept its platform and tendencies." That platform hasn't been issued yet.

United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice minimized the Brotherhood's potential power Sunday during an appearance on NBC's Meet the Press. "There's no indication that the Brotherhood is going to dominate Egyptian politics," she said. Host David Gregory noted the Brotherhood's standing platform "would seek 'the preservation of honor' by stoning adulterers, punishing gays, requiring Muslim women to cover their heads and shoulders in public and killing Muslims who leave their faith."