Iron Guard of Egypt explained

The Iron Guard of Egypt was a secret pro-Axis society and royalist political movement formed in Egypt in the early 1930s[1] and used by King Farouk for personal and political vendettas.[2] The guard was involved in attacks on Farouk's declared enemies,[3] operating with a license to kill, and is believed to have taken orders from Farouk personally.[4] Its other functions included protecting Farouk, serving as a special operations force, and gathering military intelligence.[5]

History and members

Thought to have been formed during the 1930s[6] by Aribert Heim (this claim is backed by the appearance of the Iron Guard of Palestine[7] and the Iron Guard of Romania in the same time period),[8] It was made up mostly of army officers and was connected to the Free Officers, a secret military group.[9] The Iron Guard ceased operations in 1952.

Yusuf Rashad was the chief organizer of the Iron Guard in 1944 or 1945,[10] [11] and recruited Anwar Sadat.[12] Another leader was Captain Mustafa Kamil Sidqi. Members included Muhammad Ibrahim Kamel,[13] Nahed Rashad, and General Hussein Sirry Amer.

Actions

The Iron Guard's acts of political violence in Egypt included the assassinations of Amin Osman, a former finance minister, in 1944; of Rafik al-Tarzi in 1945;[14] and of the Muslim Brotherhood leader Hassan al-Banna in 1949. They also attempted twice, in 1945 and 1948, to assassinate Mustafa el-Nahhas.[15]

Twelve members of the Iron Guard were court-martialed in Cairo on October 2, 1952, on charges of instigating and carrying out assassinations. They included General Amer, who was charged with the murder of an army maintenance corps lieutenant, hashish smuggling, and desertion. Five of the members were charged with murdering al-Banna.[8]

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sadat and His Legacy. 3 June 2015.
  2. Political Assassination in Egypt, 1910-1954. 217848. 1982. Donald M.. Reid. The International Journal of African Historical Studies. 15. 4. 625–651. Boston University African Studies Center. 10.2307/217848.
  3. Web site: Anwar Sadat Facts. 3 June 2015.
  4. News: Egypt's teenage queen. 5 March 2015. 3 June 2015. Al-Ahram. 2 June 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150602183459/http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/10601/31/Egypt%E2%80%99s-teenage-queen.aspx. dead.
  5. Book: 9781491871744. Farida, the Queen of Egypt: A Memoir of Love and Governance. Hashem. Farouk. Morad. Abou-Sabe'. AuthorHouse. 22 May 2014.
  6. http://almesryoon.com/%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%AA%D8%B1-%D8%A3%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B7%D9%86/718341-%D9%83%D9%8A%D9%81-%D8%A3%D9%86%D8%B4%D8%A3%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%86%D8%B8%D9%8A%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B6%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%AD%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%9FAl Mesryoon
  7. http://eltaher.org/biography/english/biography_p29_en.html Iron Guard during the 1936-1939 Great Revolt in Palestine
  8. Web site: Farouk's 'Iron Guard' in Court Martial Trials. 1952-10-03. The Townsville Daily Bulletin. 2016-07-04.
  9. Political Assassination in Egypt, 1910-1954. Reid, Donald M.. 1982. The International Journal of African Historical Studies. 15. 4. 625–651. JSTOR. 10.2307/217848. 217848 .
  10. Book: Jr, Arthur Goldschmidt. Historical Dictionary of Egypt. 10 October 2013. Scarecrow Press. 9780810880252 . 11 August 2023. Google Books.
  11. Book: Tripp, Charles. Contemporary Egypt: Through Egyptian Eyes: Essays in Honour of P.J. Vatikiotis. 11 November 2002. Routledge. 9781134927050 . 11 August 2023. Google Books.
  12. Book: Reich, Bernard. Political Leaders of the Contemporary Middle East and North Africa: A Biographical Dictionary. 21 February 1990. Greenwood Publishing Group. 9780313262135 . 11 August 2023. Google Books.
  13. [:ar:الحرس الحديدي]
  14. Web site: The Body Matured, but the Mind Didn't. today.almasryalyoum.com. 2016-07-04.
  15. Book: The Secret War for the Middle East: The Influence of Axis and Allied Intelligence Operations During World War II. Aboul-Enein. Youssef H.. Aboul-Enein. Basil H.. 2013-01-01. Naval Institute Press. 9781612513096. en.

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