Today Kuwait handed Qatar a list of demands from other Arab countries — many of them American allies — demanding the end of support for terrorist organizations:

Arab states send Qatar 13 demands to end crisis, official says https://t.co/wHg9HToEMX — Reuters (@Reuters) June 23, 2017

.@AP has published the 13 demands made by Saudi and others to Qatar. They've given Qatar 10 days to comply. https://t.co/hPHhXUgAt0 pic.twitter.com/VIb8vtqQWM — Raf Sanchez (@rafsanchez) June 23, 2017

One of the cardinal demands is that Qatar stop funding the Muslim Brotherhood, a demand that was made clear when this crisis erupted earlier this month:

#BREAKING Major Confrontation Between Saudi, Egypt, UAE Against Qatar Over Terror/Iran Support https://t.co/RUUNAaahRE via @pjmedia_com — Patrick Poole (@pspoole) June 5, 2017

Saudi FM: Qatar must stop funding Hamas, Muslim Brotherhood https://t.co/6Cj39p3Uk3 pic.twitter.com/DLMAceNCs3 — AJC Advocacy (@AJCadvocacy) June 7, 2017

#Egypt accuses #Qatar of supporting terrorist groups "foremost among them the Muslim Brotherhood" and promoting ideology of al-Qaeda & ISIS: pic.twitter.com/PBHJSgSjED — Eric Trager (@EricTrager18) June 5, 2017

Interestingly, in addition to Qatar’s funding of the Muslim Brotherhood efforts to destabilize Arab countries throughout the Middle East, the country ensured that it would not be threatened by dismantling Brotherhood operations inside Qatar decades ago:

Also, the MB didn't pose an internal risk to Qatar's regime because Doha had dissolved its own MB org during the 1990s. 7/24 — Eric Trager (@EricTrager18) June 23, 2017

Yet as much of the Arab world moves against the Muslim Brotherhood, including the largest Arab Muslim country in the world (Egypt), the Washington, D.C. think tanks, establishment media, and pro-Brotherhood elements inside the U.S. government are doubling down on their support of the group.

This effort to move against our Arab allies in support of the Muslim Brotherhood was seen when Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said during a Senate hearing last week that designating the Muslim Brotherhood would be “problematic”:

Tillerson: Blacklisting Muslim Brotherhood is a problematic, they are parts of Turkey & Bahrein governments https://t.co/ltGi4qijDo — ilhan tanir (@WashingtonPoint) June 16, 2017

Immediately, Qatar-funded Al-Jazeera and Middle East Eye — both specifically named in the Arab allies’ demand to Qatar — jumped on Tillerson’s comments:

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warns against labelling entire Muslim Brotherhood as "terror" group https://t.co/cCsn1TY6jD — Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) June 15, 2017

Blacklisting Muslim Brotherhood would complicate US diplomacy, Tillerson says https://t.co/PrbyrEEQon pic.twitter.com/VEVgFO96FG — Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) June 15, 2017

This is a major reversal from comments he made just a few months ago, including during his Senate confirmation hearing:

Tillerson opening statement for Senate confirmation hearing lists Muslim Brotherhood alongside ISIL, AQ, Iran as "agent of radical Islam": pic.twitter.com/9Z1shzoexZ — Tobias Schneider (@tobiaschneider) January 11, 2017

This reversal comes just weeks after one of the Muslim Brotherhood’s terrorist wings threatened the U.S. Embassy in Cairo:

State Department Says Muslim Brotherhood Terror Cell Hassm Threatens U.S. Embassy in Cairo https://t.co/JVn8RNtf9r via @pjmedia_com pic.twitter.com/ax5SqxpPvR — Patrick Poole (@pspoole) May 26, 2017

This is not the first time that the State Department has undermined Trump’s stated support for the Arab allies’ coalition against Qatar:

Trump Says Qatar Funding Terror at 'Very High Level' as Tillerson Wants Blockade Eased https://t.co/umZHSpJSri #news #politics pic.twitter.com/3VLWTPUe1V — PJ Media (@PJMedia_com) June 9, 2017

State Dept. lashes out at Saudi Arabia and other Persian Gulf countries over Qatar embargo https://t.co/mcJIhQw8L9 pic.twitter.com/abHagHbYjK — New York Times World (@nytimesworld) June 21, 2017

Of course, entrenched elements within the U.S. government have been working to undermine any efforts by the Trump administration to take action against the Muslim Brotherhood, such as the CIA leaking to media allies a report making the risible claim that designating the group would lead to more extremism:

But as I reported here at PJ Media at the time, going back to the end of the Bush administration the CIA directly funded the “moderate Muslim Brotherhood” narrative:

CIA That LITERALLY Funded the 'Moderate Muslim Brotherhood' Narrative is Opposed to the Group's Terror Designation https://t.co/0memrz2jfM — Patrick Poole (@pspoole) February 9, 2017

The U.S. government support for the Muslim Brotherhood took root immediately during the Obama administration with Obama signing Presidential Security Directive (PSD) 11 in 2011 which ordered U.S. government departments and agencies to back the group in the Middle East and North Africa:

Inside the Ring: Secret Directive Outlines Obama Support for Muslim Brotherhood via @BillGertz http://t.co/jofbLXus8k pic.twitter.com/QBX12R9nYc — Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) June 5, 2015

Hillary Clinton’s State Department was key in organizing U.S. government support for the Muslim Brotherhood:

Clinton backed Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood leader in 2012 meeting, once-secret State Dept. talking points show https://t.co/dfz3oUpqAm — Bill Gertz (@BillGertz) October 13, 2016

Clinton authorized Muslim Brotherhood leaders to get VIP treatment when entering the U.S.:

Egyptian members of the Muslim Brotherhood dodged security screenings at JFK http://t.co/7QhJEssFjv — New York Post (@nypost) January 22, 2014

Senator Charles Grassley later discovered that Muslim Brotherhood leaders tied to terrorist financing were placed on a “hands off” list by the State Department and Homeland Security:

DHS Secretly Allowed Suspects with Terror Ties Into Country http://t.co/Qn69WjZi9J via @Kredo0 — Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) May 13, 2014

That support continued at the State Department under John Kerry:

U.S. State Department says banning Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood would be a bad idea #breaking — Reuters Politics (@ReutersPolitics) August 19, 2013

Top Muslim Brotherhood leaders visited the State Department in January 2015:

White House officials were present at those meetings:

Muslim Brotherhood: White House Official Met Us at State Department http://t.co/m96vfR63vv via @Kredo0 pic.twitter.com/rEccyl5WQa — Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) February 11, 2015

And when news of the Muslim Brotherhood leaders’ visit broke, the State Department got caught engaging in a cover-up:

SHOCKING: State Dept. Misled Reporters About Meeting with Muslim Brotherhood http://t.co/FlTRTGglTK via @Kredo0 pic.twitter.com/SB6b6ls18A — Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) February 3, 2015

And just a few days later, the Muslim Brotherhood openly declared violent jihad against the Egyptian government:

BREAKING: Open Jihad Declared in Egypt Following State Dept. Meeting with Muslim Brotherhood-Aligned Leaders http://t.co/E3NpH4XUh4 — Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) January 30, 2015

And, of course, those same Muslim Brotherhood leaders greeted by the White House and the State Department also have met with terrorist leaders, such as the head of Hamas:

Muslim Brotherhood leader Gamal Heshmat hanging out with US designated terrorist and Hamas head Khaled Mashaal pic.twitter.com/expXNmPHfZ — Patrick Poole (@pspoole) January 26, 2017

And here is Muslim Brotherhood leader Waleed Sharaby, also meeting with designated terrorist Khaled Mashaal pic.twitter.com/zD7lO664KI — Patrick Poole (@pspoole) January 26, 2017

The New York Times waded into the controversy over Qatar and the Muslim Brotherhood by backing both groups against the rest of America’s Arab allies:

Planet @nytimes : The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood is a "loose political network" https://t.co/F0yRXLwAyU — Samuel Tadros (@Samueltadros) June 21, 2017

According to the @nytimes, the Muslim Brotherhood has "officially forsworn violence". This is bullshit.https://t.co/AunT6rNHkr — Islamism Map (@IslamismMap) June 19, 2017

MB mourned Bin Laden & the "blind sheikh" & urged supporters to join Syrian jihad, but @nytimes still claims it "renounced violence." pic.twitter.com/yPlZcBZUwg — Eric Trager (@EricTrager18) June 21, 2017

It’s not just the New York Times, as virtually the entire U.S. media establishment has come out against any efforts to designate the Muslim Brotherhood — even branding such efforts as an attack on all Muslims, with the Washington Post, NPR, Foreign Policy and the Huffington Post all joining the pro-Brotherhood chorus:

The Muslim Brotherhood has made mistakes. But we are not terrorists. https://t.co/gdu8kaoN9E via @nytopinion — The New York Times (@nytimes) February 22, 2017

Analysis: Why listing the Muslim Brotherhood as a terror group is a bad idea https://t.co/UPOzxPGd1t — The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 10, 2017

Here's how the push to designate the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization could hurt American Muslims https://t.co/4sH8zU4TOw — Abigail Hauslohner (@ahauslohner) January 11, 2017

Some critics now claim, without evidence, that the Muslim Brotherhood is pushing its agenda in the U.S. https://t.co/rDLKtVCXzD — NPR (@NPR) March 24, 2017

Muslim Brotherhood, Mainstream In Many Countries, May Be Listed As Terror Group https://t.co/xDBxT0Tdfk — NPR World (@nprworld) February 22, 2017

Here's why designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization is a bad idea: https://t.co/OBIU4443Jb pic.twitter.com/7TCHhr0vqO — Foreign Policy (@ForeignPolicy) March 3, 2017

Designating the Muslim Brotherhood a terror group would cripple U.S. foreign policy, argues @lpintak https://t.co/DOPcFpBTzi — Foreign Policy (@ForeignPolicy) February 22, 2017

Huffington Post in Arabic (@HuffPostArabi) publishes tribute to Muslim Brotherhood founder Hassan al-Banna: https://t.co/5xq9ODGtu3 — Eric Trager (@EricTrager18) May 25, 2017

Interestingly, a senior Muslim Brotherhood leader said earlier this year that they had invested $5 million in public relations efforts in the U.S. to defeat any terror designation of the group:

Senior Muslim Brotherhood official brags they spent $5 million in PR push to successfully stop US terror designation https://t.co/QaODZVPhli — Patrick Poole (@pspoole) June 23, 2017

How much of that $5 million was directed at getting pro-Brotherhood pieces published in the New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, Foreign Policy and Huffington Post?

The Washington, D.C. foreign policy establishment is also firmly against taking any action against the Muslim Brotherhood:

Cruz’s proposed ban on the Muslim Brotherhood overlooks the true nature of the contemporary organization. https://t.co/MbzB4JPQlS — Foreign Affairs (@ForeignAffairs) March 26, 2017

The Muslim Brotherhood in the United States has played an influential part in shaping the public face of Islam. https://t.co/QErdPZf18B — Foreign Affairs (@ForeignAffairs) April 8, 2017

If Washington labels the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group, Sisi will have a freer hand for repression at home. https://t.co/CIuzxJ05oi — Foreign Affairs (@ForeignAffairs) April 15, 2017

And so have the D.C. think tanks, in particular, the Brookings Institution:

“There is not a single American expert on the Muslim Brotherhood who supports designating them” a terrorist org https://t.co/IazivAMeN4 pic.twitter.com/NzbV913wFZ — Brookings (@BrookingsInst) April 16, 2017

The White House is considering designating the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist org, but doing so could be illegal: https://t.co/BJMrt3qfjt pic.twitter.com/LtULk394fU — Brookings (@BrookingsInst) February 10, 2017

What are the chances the Muslim Brotherhood abandons non-violence? @shadihamid and @will_mccants surveyed experts: https://t.co/8AMZ8bCHgm — Brookings FP (@BrookingsFP) June 19, 2017

Perhaps not coincidental to their open opposition to designating the Muslim Brotherhood, the Brookings Institution has received tens of millions from the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

Foreign Powers Buy Influence at Think Tanks. Including Brookings, CSIS & Atlantic Council. http://t.co/WKtHtondjh — Liam Stack (@liamstack) September 7, 2014

Hamas-Backing Qatar, Also Funding Brookings Institute, Home of Former U.S. MidEast Envoy Indyk http://t.co/GWT8BEHBfp — Algemeiner (@Algemeiner) September 7, 2014

And Brookings just signed a new funding agreement with Qatar last month:

Given the efforts of our major Arab allies to move against the Muslim Brotherhood, the Trump administration is reportedly revisiting the terror designation issue:

As Gulf states cut ties with Qatar, Trump team debates Muslim Brotherhood terror designation https://t.co/ELk6QR0uoK pic.twitter.com/rn8OFPag72 — Fox News (@FoxNews) June 6, 2017

And efforts on both sides of Capitol Hill continue to encourage the administration to designate the Muslim Brotherhood:

SCOOP: Congress Moves to Label Muslim Brotherhood a Terrorist Group https://t.co/4pfpLDy5Ws via @Kredo0 pic.twitter.com/f6Nmc2hA8A — Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) November 3, 2015

Proud to introduce Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act w @MarioDB. It's time to call the enemy by its name https://t.co/0V7Psi2jC1 pic.twitter.com/YPM47AQjNH — Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) January 10, 2017

It's time for State Dept to take a serious look into the Muslim Brotherhood. Org threatens our national security.https://t.co/WGlB8LM6tQ — Mario Diaz-Balart (@MarioDB) February 9, 2017

But in addition to the Muslim Brotherhood’s $5 million public relations push against the terror designation effort, along with the support from U.S. think tanks, the establishment media, and pro-Brotherhood interests inside the U.S. government, the Brotherhood itself is trying to derail such congressional efforts:

Muslim Brotherhood Ally Falsely Smears Senator to Block Terror Designation Bill https://t.co/p2UqrXrkLg via @Kredo0 pic.twitter.com/Cx3bwV4fE5 — Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) January 28, 2017

Reports On Creation Of Muslim Brotherhood Lobby To Prevent Trump Admin From Designating It A Terrorist Organizationhttps://t.co/XB5elZQHb0 pic.twitter.com/dHHor6JDmG — MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) March 17, 2017

Refusing to take action against the Muslim Brotherhood may damage our relations with a number of Arab countries trying to put an end to the group’s malignant influence in the region:

https://twitter.com/nadeemmalik/status/871646203817021440

Jordan, too, has made efforts to dismantle their Muslim Brotherhood affiliate:

Police in Jordan shut headquarters of main opposition movement, Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, group officials say https://t.co/YDl1cx72tI — BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) April 13, 2016

The elected Tobruk faction of the Libyan government has followed the lead of these other countries and designated their Muslim Brotherhood affiliate, which openly cooperates with Ansar al-Sharia:

Libya's Parliament issues a terror-list containing 75 names. Most have strong links to Muslim Brotherhood, AQ and Qatar. #Libya pic.twitter.com/28CZfNkcEy — Matog Saleh (@MatogSaleh) June 10, 2017

Justice and Construction Party (Muslim Brotherhood): Inclusion of party leadership on terror list is slander. #Libyahttps://t.co/6hzR6Srpey pic.twitter.com/nvAlLPk8oz — Alwasat (@alwasatengnews) June 10, 2017

As has Israel:

Israel Bans the Muslim Brotherhood for Inciting Violence, Seeking to Replace Israel with Caliphate https://t.co/m5brzeBNKk #tcot — PJ Media (@PJMedia_com) November 17, 2015

Brotherhood members in Jordan accused of planning attacks on Israelis http://t.co/gnAYR6IP4Y — The Times of Israel (@TimesofIsrael) December 2, 2014

And even Nigeria:

Strangely, at this point the U.S. has taken a more hardline stance in support of the Muslim Brotherhood than most of the Arab world, including Saudi Arabia. Is that the side we want to take — against the majority of our Middle East allies?