Egypt arrests three Islamists in crackdown

CAIRO, Jan 17 (Reuters) Egyptian police arrested three members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood in dawn raids today as part of a widening crackdown on the strongest opposition group in the country, a Brotherhood official said.

Essam el-Erian, a senior leader of the group, said the latest arrests bring to 228 the number of Muslim Brotherhood members held on various charges including money laundering and belonging to an illegal group.

Erian said the three members were detained last summer on charges of funding the Brotherhood but were later released by a court order. An Egyptian security source confirmed the arrests but put the number of new detainees at four.

Egyptian authorities launch regular crackdowns on the Muslim Brotherhood, which operates openly despite being officially banned since 1954.

Some analysts, however, say the government is preparing a wider assault on the group after President Hosni Mubarak said last week it posed a threat to the security of Egypt.

Mubarak has also proposed constitutional amendments that include a ban on forming political parties based on religion.

The Brotherhood says it wants to establish a civil, democratic party that is not exclusive to Muslims.

Brotherhood members running as independents control 88 seats in the 454-member lower house of the parliament, dominated by Mubarak's ruling National Democratic Party.

REUTERS MS HS1904