Downing Street has postponed the publication of a report into the Muslim Brotherhood, which was scheduled for this afternoon.
In a written statement to the House of Commons, David Cameron set another imprecise publication date stating that, “a report into the main findings of the Muslim Brotherhood Review will be published alongside the Government’s new counter-extremism strategy.”
“Wider strategy” and “broader policy questions” were cited as reasons behind the delay. The prime minster maintained that, “it is clear that further, more comprehensive measures will be required in the next parliament to tackle the threat from extremism in the UK, and to support communities to challenge those who oppose British values.”
This added delay will fuel suspicion that the report’s major conclusion, thought to clear the Brotherhood of any terrorist links, will be re-hashed to appease the government’s Middle Eastern allies.
The Independent earlier reported that Number Ten was bracing itself for a diplomatic row with Saudi Arabia and Egypt following publication of the long-awaited report into the Islamist organisation. The report was commissioned last April, but, it is suspected that the delay in publishing is due to the divergence between the report’s findings and the stances of Britain’s strategic allies in the Middle East.
Sir John Jenkins, the British diplomat heading the investigation, is believed to have cleared the Brotherhood of being a terrorist organisation.
Sir Jenkins’ conclusions were passed on to Downing Street last July after months of gathering evidence about the movement’s activities. His report has caused great embarrassment to the prime minster who has allegedly been led into this “witch hunt” by allies in the Middle East.
It is believed that the delay in publishing the report, which was completed eight months ago, is Downing Street’s attempt to reduce the potential political damage caused by this embarrassment through a well-timed publication of the investigation.