US designates three branches of Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organisations

The US on Tuesday designated the Egyptian and Jordanian branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organisations, and named the Lebanese chapter as the more-severe foreign terrorist organisation.

“These designations reflect the opening actions of an ongoing, sustained effort to thwart Muslim Brotherhood chapters’ violence and destabilisation wherever it occurs,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. “The United States will use all available tools to deprive these Muslim Brotherhood chapters of the resources to engage in or support terrorism.”

He added that the Lebanese chapter's leader, Muhammad Fawzi Taqqosh, would be designated as a specially designated global terrorist and his property and interests would be blocked.

The Treasury Department said the action against the Egyptian and Jordanian chapters was aimed at taking action to “curtail the pernicious influence of the Muslim Brotherhood” for providing material support to Hamas, naming the chapters as specially designated global terrorists.

The notice comes after President Donald Trump in November issued an executive order initiating the process of designating some chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organisations.