CAIRO: Egypt's powerful Islamist movement, the Muslim Brotherhood, is willing to hold talks with the United States, a spokesman said Friday, taking up an offer of dialogue seen as an implicit recognition by Washington that the group will likely hold significant political power in Egypt's post-Hosni Mubarak era. US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said a day earlier that the Obama administration is reaching out to the Muslim Brotherhood in a "limited" effort to build ties and promote democratic principles. The Brotherhood was banned for decades and was heavily suppressed by Mubarak's regime, which was closely allied to the United States. But since the longtime president was ousted on Feb. 11, the ban has been lifted, and the Brotherhood is campaigning hard for upcoming parliamentary elections. Since it is the country's most organized political force, it is expected to make a strong showing and is very likely to be a member in the next government. Saying the U.S. seeks a real democracy in Egypt, President Barack Obama has acknowledged the Brotherhood should be allowed to operate freely in politics. "We welcome dialogue with America to remove any misunderstandings and bridge gaps," Brotherhood spokesman Mohamed Ghozlan told The Associated Press on Friday in response to Clinton's comments. He said it would be the first time the Brotherhood holds talks with the United States. However, there have been reports of indirect and informal contacts between Brotherhood and US officials several years ago. In her comments Thursday, Clinton said the outreach to the Brotherhood was part of a general desire in the administration to engage all Egyptian groups as long as they espouse nonviolence. Ammar Ali Hassan, expert in Islamic groups, said that the Brotherhood will likely try to float "conditions" or "reservations" on any dialogue to avoid a perception that it is allowing the US to meddle in Egypt's internal affairs. But in the end, the talks will give a boost to the group, he said, by easing worries some in the Brotherhood and the public have of a backlash if the Brotherhood becomes the dominant player in Egypt. "Now the Muslim Brotherhood will not have to worry of moving forward toward taking over power," Hassan said. "For decades, the United States has been eying this possibility and ready to open channels with whoever is the leading force in the country," he added. The Brotherhood's bid for prominence comes at a time of growing discontent by pro-democracy protesters toward the military council that took power in Egypt after Mubarak's ouster. The Brotherhood has taken a pragmatic stance, praising the junta and avoiding participation in new protests.
