Iron Guard of Egypt

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.[8]

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.[9] Members included Muhammad Ibrahim Kamel,[13] Nahed Rashad,[13] and General Hussein Sirry Amer.[8]

Actions

The Iron Guard's acts of political violence in Egypt included the assassinations of Amin Othman, a former finance minister, in 1944; of Rafik al-Tarzi in 1945;[14] and of the Muslim Brotherhood leader Hassan al-Banna in 1949.[8] 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.[8] They included General Amer, who was charged with the murder of an army maintenance corps lieutenant, hashish smuggling, and desertion.[8] Five of the members were charged with murdering al-Banna.[8]

References

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