17
May 2010
Past Event
1950s Redux: The Continuing Allure of the Muslim Brotherhood for U.S. Policymakers

1950s Redux: The Continuing Allure of the Muslim Brotherhood for U.S. Policymakers

Past Event
Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C. Headquarters
May 17, 2010
Share:
Default Event Image
17
May 2010
Past Event

1015 15th Street, N.W., 6th Floor
Washington, DC 20005

Read Transcript Read Transcript
Speakers:
Hillel Fradkin,

Hudson Senior Fellow and Director of the Center on Islam, Democracy, and the Future of the Muslim World

Ian Johnson,

Author and journalist

Hudson Institute's Center on Islam, Democracy, and the Future of the Muslim World held a discussion with Ian Johnson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of the new book, A Mosque in Munich: Nazis, the CIA, and the Rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in the West (Houghton Mifflin, 2010).

While most people are familiar with how alliances made in the 1980s with Islamist radicals operating in Afghanistan have come back to haunt the United States, Ian Johnson argues that courting Islamists goes back to the 1950s, when the United States was looking for allies during the Cold War. By examining the history of a key mosque in Munich, he shows how the CIA and West German agencies funded a group of Muslims, paving the way for the Muslim Brotherhood.

The lessons from that period are especially instructive today, when Western countries are once again debating the courting of Muslim Brotherhood activists as potential allies in the ongoing struggle with al-Qaeda and connected terrorist movements.

Related Events
See More
26
November 2025
Virtual Event | Online Only
America and Saudi Arabia at a Strategic Crossroads: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s US Visit
Featured Speakers:
Michael Doran
Bernard Haykel
Getty Images
26
November 2025
Virtual Event | Online Only
America and Saudi Arabia at a Strategic Crossroads: Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s US Visit

Hudson Institute’s Michael Doran and Bernard Haykel will discuss Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s recent visit to the United States and its implications for the future of the US-Saudi partnership. 

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Michael Doran
Bernard Haykel
Learn More
01
December 2025
Virtual Event | Online Only
Ambassador Youssef Amrani on the US-Morocco Relationship
Featured Speakers:
Ambassador Youssef Amrani
Michael Doran
Getty Images
01
December 2025
Virtual Event | Online Only
Ambassador Youssef Amrani on the US-Morocco Relationship

Hudson’s Michael Doran will host Youssef Amrani, Morocco’s ambassador to the United States, to discuss Morocco’s emerging Atlantic strategy, its role as a stabilizing force in Africa, and the geopolitical opportunities reshaping the US-Morocco partnership. 

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Ambassador Youssef Amrani
Michael Doran
Learn More
05
December 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Moldova’s Euro-Atlantic Path: Regional Security, Energy Opportunity, and Democratic Resilience
Featured Speakers:
Mihai Popșoi
Igor Grosu
Leah Kieff
Moderator:
Luke Coffey
Getty Images
05
December 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Moldova’s Euro-Atlantic Path: Regional Security, Energy Opportunity, and Democratic Resilience

Hudson’s Luke Coffey will host Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mihai Popșoi, Speaker of the Moldovan Parliament Igor Grosu, and Center for Strategic and International Studies Senior Associate Leah Kieff to examine the current political, security, and geopolitical situation in Moldova and the region going forward.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Mihai Popșoi
Igor Grosu
Leah Kieff
Moderator:
Luke Coffey
Learn More
09
December 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
America’s Competitive Edge: Antitrust, Standards, and Intellectual Property for US Tech Leadership
Featured Speakers:
Dina Kallay
Urška Petrovčič
Getty Images
09
December 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
America’s Competitive Edge: Antitrust, Standards, and Intellectual Property for US Tech Leadership

Hudson will host an exclusive luncheon conversation with Dina Kallay, deputy assistant attorney general for international, policy and appellate at the Antitrust Division of the US Department of Justice. 

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Dina Kallay
Urška Petrovčič
Learn More
See More
Related Research
See More
See More