DNI Chief James Clapper begs to differ.
Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) said Friday that the Muslim Brotherhood, which he called the “grandfather of Islamic jihad,” poses a threat to world oil prices and the U.S. economy.
Kirk’s comments came hours after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stepped down, raising speculation that the Muslim Brotherhood, a major Egyptian opposition group that was banned under Mubarak, will play a more influential role in the country’s affairs.
“They represent a clear and present danger, not just to Egypt and Israeli security, but also oil prices and the potential of an oil price shock hitting the U.S. economy in the middle of this fragile recovery,” Kirk said in an interview on Fox Business Network Friday.
Kirk said the group has a “very radical history.”
“My sense is that the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, for example, is the grandfather of Islamic Jihad, of Hamas, and of al Qaeda, he said.
U.S. lawmakers have set their sites on the Muslim Brotherhood, raising fears that the group could exert significant influence in Egypt, leading to instability that would threaten the availability of oil.