Syrian Opposition Leader a Prominent Muslim Brotherhood Figure

In the case of Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia, the 'Arab Spring' set the stage for something much worse than the existent regimes. The same thing is predictably happening in Syria. The Global Muslim Brotherhood Report has picked up on a Washington Post report that quoted Louay Safi in reference to a council made up of Syrian opposition groups. Safi, who was training US troops at Fort Hood AFTER Nidal Malik Hasan's jihadist attack there on November 5, 2009 is a prominent member of the Muslim Brotherhood. There's more.

The Washington Post quotes Safi but doesn't refer to him as being affiliated with the group. GMBDR then links to an AFP photo of the council and Safi is right in the middle of it. Though that article includes a photo of Safi with the council, it doesn't once mention his name. Via the Epoch Times:

The new Syrian National Council (SNC) formed last month represents the most serious attempt so far by the diverse Syrian opposition to form an alternative to the al-Assad regime. One of the main driving forces behind it are oppositional Syrians abroad, in particular Syrian Americans.

On Thursday, the Syrian opposition group told AP that they will announce a national council made up of 60 Syrians in exile and 70 dissidents inside Syria. The announcement follows meetings in neighboring Turkey.

The Syrian American Council (SAC), which has played an important role in forming the group, presents itself as a “grassroots organization devoted to promoting educational, civic, economic, and human development, as well as advancing civil liberties and human dignity in Syria,” on its website.

The Epoch Times spoke to SAC’s PR Chairman, Hussam Ayloush, over the phone, about how the SNC came about, and what it’s plans and aims are.

GMBDR includes a bio of Louay Safi, who is tied to several Muslim Brotherhood groups and convicted terrorist fundraiser Sami al-Arian:

Dr. Safi reports that in May 1992, he became an associate professor of political science at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), closely associated with the global Muslim Brotherhood, and later became a Deputy Dean and then Dean of the Research Centre and College of Islamic Knowledge and Human Sciences. U.S. court records indicate that in 1995, Dr. Safi was in phone contact with convicted Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Sami Al- Arian. According to a transcript of the intercepted conversation, the two discussed President Clinton’s new executive order banning financial transactions with terrorist groups including the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. In 1998, Dr. Safi was a member of the advisory council of a journal published by the United Association for Studies and Research (UASR), a part of the Palestine Committee of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood which was closely tied to Hamas. In January 1999, Dr. Safi reports that he became the Research Director for the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), an important part of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood. Also in January 1999, Dr. Safi says he was a founding member of the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID) whose other founding members included several individuals associated with IIIT. CSID is also part of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood and has close relations with the U.S. State Department. In January 2000, Dr. Safi says he became editor of the American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, the publication of the Association of Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS), headquartered at IIIT. From January 2001 to January 2003, Dr. Safi says he was also AMSS President. In January 2003, Dr. Safi says he ended his position at IIIT and in January 2004 became Executive Director of the Leadership Development Center of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), another important part of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood. In November 2005, Dr. Safi became Chairman of the newly established Syrian American Congress, described on its website as …a grassroots organization devoted to promoting educational, civic, economic, and human development, as well as advancing civil liberties and human dignity in Syria.” In January 2005, local media report indicates that Dr. Safi was identified as Unindicted Co-Conspirator Four in the indictment against Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Sami Al-Arian. The report notes that Dr. Safi was the research director at IIIT which provided Al-Arian’s think tank with the bulk of its financial support.In September 2009, Dr. Safi became the ISNA Communications Director. Dr. Safi has been perhaps the leading voice at ISNA in complaining that criticism of the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood is a form of “Muslim bashing.”

The Obama administration continues to do the bidding of Turkey and the Muslim Brotherhood, which should be considered both a foreign and domestic enemy of the United States.

More at GMBDR