BRIEFS

EGYPT’S MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD INCREASINGLY SUPPORTIVE OF HEZBOLLAH

Since the start of the latest Israel-Lebanon conflict, the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood (MB) in Egypt has increasingly offered verbal support to the Shiite Hezbollah movement. The general guide of the MB, Muhammad Mahdi Akif, announced that 10,000 MB members were ready to travel to Lebanon to fight “with Hezbollah” against Israel (Asharq al-Awsat, August 21). Akif also castigated Arab leaders for failing to support Lebanon and Hezbollah, saying that these leaders “are more oppressive to us than to the Zionists and Americans” (Asharq al-Awsat, August 21). The statements fall on the backdrop of the MB taking a more public profile as of late. In March, authorities arrested hundreds of MB members who were protesting the extension of Egypt’s emergency laws and who were supporting two pro-reform judges who were critical of the ruling government (Jerusalem Post, August 19). Additionally, on August 18, Egyptian police arrested 17 MB members after raiding a house in the Nile Delta province of Menoufia. Authorities allege that the 17 members were strategizing about resuming the group’s past banned activities (Jerusalem Post, August 19).

SUSPECTS ARRESTED IN ATTACK ON U.S. CONSULATE IN PAKISTAN

Pakistan has arrested some eight individuals for their involvement in the March attack on the U.S. Consulate in Karachi that killed U.S. diplomat David Foy and three others. Authorities announced on August 18 the arrest of six individuals responsible for the attack, who they accuse of belonging to the militant group Jaish-e-Muhammad (Dawn, August 19). The six suspects were apprehended by Pakistani intelligence agents and then handed over to the police. On August 21, however, Pakistani police announced the arrest of two additional individuals responsible for the attack, yet labeled the two new suspects as members of al-Qaeda (Gulf Times, August 22). The two al-Qaeda suspects were identified as Anwar-ul-Haq and Usman Ghani. According to Jahangir Mirza, the police chief of southern Sindh province, “Both of them belong to al-Qaeda and have no links with any local militant group. They are trained militants and have fought against U.S. forces in Afghanistan” (Gulf Times, August 22). Mirza also explained that the car used in the March suicide attack was equipped with explosives from Waziristan, located in the troubled Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) (Dawn, August 22). According to the police chief, the attack involved more than 400 pounds of composition C-4 explosives placed in the car’s CNG cylinder, seats and other hollow areas into where the C-4 could be molded (Dawn, August 22). Mirza further stated that the mastermind of the operation, Qari Zafar, is still wanted by authorities (Dawn, August 22).