Many of us who have watched U.S.-Mideast policy unfold for decades, accepted there was just no way for the U.S. government to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist group.

As noted historically in Kuwait, Jordan, Libya, Egypt, Syria, Turkey and most recently Qatar, the U.S. government works collaboratively with chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Muslim Brotherhood is the political arm of authentic Islam, and can be considered much like the umbrella organization for a host of different factions of Islamic fundamentalism.

The Brotherhood is the unified political voice of many regional chapters, each with a varying degree of authentic Islam behind it.

Qatar is the central bank for the Muslim Brotherhood; Turkey represents the Brotherhood’s biggest national support network, and Egypt is the intellectual or scholastic battleground where the values of political Islam are debated.

For many years several people, ourselves included, have called for the Muslim Brotherhood to be designated as a foreign terrorist organization.  However, the duality of purpose of the Brotherhood was always given as a reason not to designate them.

Today, President Trump is trying to navigate this dynamic within his executive order [SEE HERE].

The executive order instructs the State Dept to officially begin the process to look at each chapter of the Muslim Brotherhood as a separate entity, and then see if the designation of a terrorist organization can apply to that chapter.

As noted in the Executive Order, “relevant here, its chapters in Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt engage in or facilitate and support violence and destabilization campaigns.”  It looks like Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt chapters of the Brotherhood will get the first review.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi already dealt with the extremist Muslim Brotherhood once, kicking their leadership out of Egypt.  The leaders fled to Qatar, and then ultimately ended up in Turkey, where Recep Erdogan absolutely loves the usefulness of the Brotherhood.

Jordanian King Abdullah has been balancing the Muslim Brotherhood influence for years, and Lebanon is a hot mess with the Hezbollah faction of the Brotherhood.  The Muslim Brotherhood, as a political structure, holds all kinds of extremist factions under its umbrella (al-Qaeda, al-Nusra etc.).

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Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard addressed the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Manama Dialogue, in Manama, Bahrain. The transcript of her prepared remarks is below – The Q&A Session is not transcribed.

It should be remembered that Bahrain was the second nation to erupt following the 2009 Cairo, Egypt speech of then President Barack Obama.  Tunisia was the first, Egypt was the third.  The government of Bahrain barely survived the Islamist Spring and later formed a coalition with Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE against the extremists within the Muslim Brotherhood then supported by Qatar.

DNI Gabbard speaks to the changed geopolitical environment in the era of U.S. President Donald Trump; the elimination of seemingly endless conflict driven by old guard establishment entities and influence agents around the world.  The Director highlights her personal journey toward supporting President Trump and the America First agenda that seeks genuine friendship and national partnerships based on mutually beneficial transactions.

[TRANSCRIPT] – “Thank you, distinguished guests, excellencies, friends, and fellow peacemakers. It’s a privilege to join all of you here this evening. Your Highness, thank you very much for your kind hospitality and welcoming us in hosting this important event. To IISS and your team, thank you for yet again putting on a phenomenal dialogue. It’s an honor to be able to address you here in the Kingdom of Bahrain at this pivotal time in global history.

As we gather here, we’re reminded that true security, true stability, and peace cannot be forged in isolation, but in the common collection of peacemakers working towards that common purpose. Today, I want to speak plainly for myself as a veteran and a soldier who has seen firsthand the high cost of war. As someone who serves under President Trump’s leadership, I have experienced the promise of peace. His vision is about delivering real wins, not just for America, but for our collective cause of peace and prosperity, and doing so through a very principled realism, rooted in shared goals, interests, and values.

The old Washington way of thinking is something we hope is in the rear-view mirror and something that has held us back for too long. For decades, our foreign policy has been trapped in a counterproductive and endless cycle of regime change or nation-building. It was a one-size-fits-all approach of toppling regimes, trying to impose our system of governance on others, intervening in conflicts that were barely understood, and walking away with more enemies than allies. The result: trillions spent, countless lives lost, and in many cases, a creation of greater security threats, the rise of Islamist terrorist groups like ISIS.”

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Airforce One was refueling in Qatar en route to Malaysia for the ASEAN summit.  In a little bit of a surprise, the Amir of Qatar came to the airport to pay a courtesy visit to President Trump.  Smiles all around.  WATCH:

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President Trump held a press gaggle with the traveling pool immediately after taking off from the refueling in Qatar.  Below.

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A fascinating hour-long interview with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as they outline the backstory to the Israel-Hamas peace agreement in Gaza.

During a segment (prompted below) Witkoff and Kushner are outlining the step-by-step process as they engaged the leaders of Qatar, Turkey and Egypt.  Witkoff reveals how the CIA was briefing them both, multiple times a day, and the briefing itself was exactly the opposite of what Emir of Qatar and Presidents of Turkey and Egypt were telling them.  The CIA intelligence was the exact opposite of reality.  WATCH:

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What they are describing is EXACTLY why we outlined how ‘outside govt’ emissaries were/are vitally necessary to work around the control agenda of the U.S. Intelligence Community.  This small example is stunning in magnitude when considered around the importance of the moment.

On a positive note, with Witkoff making this stunning public statement, we can now add a major datapoint to President Trump’s reference of NOT TRUSTING the CIA.  Combined with the previous assertions of Marco Rubio and Tulsi Gabbard on essentially the same level of outlook, this example of the CIA getting it wrong (misleading the administration) has long-range ramifications beyond the Hamas example.

With this backdrop for reference, surely now we can have an optimistic sense that President Trump doesn’t trust the CIA intelligence on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

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After departing the celebratory festivities in Israel, President Donald Trump now travels to the other side of the conflict equation, a meeting with Egyptian President Fattah al-Sisi, European leaders and Mideast stakeholders.

President Trump travels to Sharm El-Sheikh where French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, other European dignitaries and representatives from Qatar, Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have arrived for the signing of the first phases of the Gaza peace deal.

Co-chaired by President Trump and Egypt’s ¹President El-Sisi, this summit advances post-war reconstruction and regional stability.  While there are a host of international leaders expected to be present, each of the regional leaders in the Mideast have expressed their trust in only Donald Trump.  President Trump is the fulcrum for what comes next.

Various news networks are carrying different segments of the overall visit. The most useful livestream links are below.

UPDATE: Video Added

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As noted by President Trump during his remarks about the regional state leaders requesting that he personally head the “Gaza Board of Peace,” it is only USA President Trump the regional stakeholder’s trust.

Together with the USA and Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the UAE and Qatar have tentatively constructed a ceasefire and peace plan that is contingent upon President Trump as the fulcrum to balance all interests.  This puts President Trump in an exceptionally important position.  This balance is also why only Donald Trump can pull this off.

As the difficult challenge begins, the preliminary objectives – the ‘how to do this‘ – aspect starts to surface.  As noted by the Associated Press, President Trump is sending 200 experts in transportation, planning, security, logistics and engineering from the U.S. military to frame out a “civil-military coordination center” in Israel.

The coordination center will include partner nations, nongovernmental organizations and private-sector experts.  The regional states will supplement and support the center as the transitional hub for immediate reconstruction and humanitarian aid.  It is likely President Trump will need to select and appoint members to the Gaza Board of Peace as this coordination center gets up and running.

As this process unfolds, Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to get angered by a predictable stiff-arm from President Trump.  The regional stakeholders will be watching this dynamic closely.  Domestically, this will be very interesting to watch play out.

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In a remarkable moment of transparent diplomacy, President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were simultaneously working on a Gaza peace agreement while conducting a domestic security roundtable event at the White House.

The cameras were rolling when President Trump stated the negotiation team was close to an agreement. WATCH:

Evan Vucci of the Associated Press captured an image of Rubio’s note, which read: “Very close. We need you to approve a Truth Social post soon so you can announce deal first.” Shortly after the roundtable event, President Trump shared the results of the discussions taking place in Egypt.

“I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan. This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace. All Parties will be treated fairly! This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS!”

~DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

WASHINGTON DC – […] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, called it “a great day for Israel” and thanked the Israel Defense Forces and the U.S. president.

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“The Israeli air force conducted a precision strike against Hamas leaders who were involved in terror attacks against Israel and are directly responsible for the October 7 attacks,” the IDF and the Shin Bet intelligence service said in a statement.

The IDF added: “Prior to the attack, steps were taken to minimize harm to non-combatants, including the use of precision munitions and additional intelligence information. The IDF and the Shin Bet will continue to act with determination to defeat the Hamas terrorist organization responsible for the October 7 massacre.”

SUMMARY: Israel attacked the capital of Qatar, and is waiting to see if the assassination attempts succeeded • An Israeli source said: “We attacked the top echelons of the terrorist organization” • The United States was updated before the attack, a senior White House official: “We had no ability to influence” • Qatar condemned the Israeli action: “Cowardly attack”, the UAE was also visited by “treachery” (Source, Translated)

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Once again, the narratives of the professional fake-news media collapse.

For several days the media has been saying the Trump administration FBI targeted John Bolton, hence the FBI raid on his home and office.  However, the New York Times now outlines how the investigation into John Bolton began during the Biden administration and picked up speed after they received access to his email information from an “adversarial country’s spy service.”

Apparently, John Bolton used an unclassified email system to send information to his friends and allies.  The emails were intercepted.  Bolton was discussing information that appears to have been the outcome of his access to classified information as National Security Advisor.

CTH has previously outlined how John Bolton’s business model was essentially selling information and influence.  This common DC business model seems to have formed the baseline for him to share sensitive, possibly classified information, of greater value.  This does not come as a surprise.

Selling information is the currency of affluence in Washington DC.  That’s why the removal of security clearances is looked upon as devastating within the beltway.  New York Times story below:

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Last night on CNBC Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff hinted that some stunning revelations around expansion of the Abraham Peace Accords would likely surface in the next week.   Immediately thereafter, President Trump sent a message of support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, against a judicial effort targeting the Prime Minister.

Today, we start to hear of some rather stunning developments in the region that might explain multiple background stories, including the above and the severity of response from President Trump when he felt that Israel was overreacting to the Iran missile fired during the early hours of the ceasefire.

In a stunning development, Israel Hayom is reporting on the outlines of a peace agreement and long-term solution for the Israel-Gaza conflict.  The report might explain why President Trump made bold moves in Syria recently, including the removal of all U.S./western sanctions and the close relationship between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MbS).

According to Israel Hayom, there was a 4-way call (Trump, Netanyahu, Rubio, Dermer) after the Iran strikes. President Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to “fundamental principles in general terms” including:

♦ “Gaza hostilities will conclude within two weeks.” ♦ “Four Arab nations (including Egypt and the UAE) will administer the Gaza Strip, replacing the murderous Hamas terrorist organization.” ♦ “The remaining Hamas leadership will face exile to other countries (possibly Qatar and Turkey), while the hostages gain freedom.” ♦ “Multiple nations globally will accept numerous Gaza inhabitants seeking emigration.” ♦ “Abraham Accords expansion will bring Syria, Saudi Arabia, and additional Arab and Muslim countries to recognize Israel and establish official relationships.” ♦ “Israel will declare its willingness for future Palestinian conflict resolution under the ‘two states’ concept, contingent upon the Palestinian Authority reforms.” ♦ “The United States will acknowledge limited Israeli sovereignty implementation in Judea and Samaria.”

President Trump was reportedly angered by Israeli strikes after his Iran ceasefire announcement, because he feared further hostilities would derail this complicated deal.

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