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]

This article is about secret Egyptian pro-Axis society and royalist political movement. For other uses, see Iron Guard (disambiguation).

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
  1. "Sadat and His Legacy". Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  2. Reid, Donald M. (1982). Political Assassination in Egypt, 1910-1954. Boston University African Studies Center. JSTOR 217848.
  3. "Anwar Sadat Facts". Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  4. "Egypt's teenage queen". Al-Ahram. 5 March 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  5. Hashem, Farouk; Abou-Sabe', Morad (22 May 2014). Farida, the Queen of Egypt: A Memoir of Love and Governance. AuthorHouse. ISBN 9781491871744.
  7. Iron Guard during the 1936-1939 Great Revolt in Palestine
  8. "Farouk's 'Iron Guard' in Court Martial Trials". The Townsville Daily Bulletin. 1952-10-03. Retrieved 2016-07-04.
  9. Political Assassination in Egypt, 1910-1954 DM Reid - International Journal of African Historical Studies, 1982 - JSTOR
  10. Historical Dictionary of Egypt, Goldschmidt Jr., Scarecrow Press 2013, Page 207
  11. Contemporary Egypt: Through Egyptian Eyes: Essays in Honour of P.J. Vatikiotis, Charles Tripp, Routledge 2002, Page 71
  12. Political Leaders of the Contemporary Middle East and North Africa: A Biographical Dictionary, Bernard Reich, Greenwood Publishing Group, 1990 Page 454
  13. ar:الحرس الحديدي
  14. "The Body Matured, but the Mind Didn't". today.almasryalyoum.com. Retrieved 2016-07-04.
  15. Aboul-Enein, Youssef H.; Aboul-Enein, Basil H. (2013-01-01). The Secret War for the Middle East: The Influence of Axis and Allied Intelligence Operations During World War II. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 9781612513096.

Further reading
  • The Game of Nations: The Amorality of Power Politics, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1970
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