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]
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]
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. [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]
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]
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]
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. [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]