Egypt Backs Off Muslim Brotherhood Ban

Probably a tad too provocative

Egypt should not ban the Muslim Brotherhood or exclude it from politics after the army's overthrow of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi, the interim prime minister said, reversing his previous stated view.

The apparent about-turn fuelled speculation that the military-installed government may now seek a political settlement to the crisis, but also coincided with a new call for protests by Mursi's supporters.

Hazem el-Beblawi, the interim prime minister, had proposed on August 17 that the Brotherhood, the Arab world's oldest and arguably most influential Islamist group, should be dissolved, and said the government was studying the idea.