CNN: Muslim Brotherhood 'Energized' By Events in Libya

• Muslim Brotherhood "energized" by opportunity to become "important player" in post-Gadhafi Libya -- just like in Egypt.

• Claims it has no organizational ties to larger Brotherhood, but admits ideological ones.

• CNN ignores those ties.

It wasn't too long ago that Obama officials and the media refused to recognize the extremist ties of the Muslim Brotherhood, especially as the group took a prominent role in Egypt. Now, the Brotherhood is looking to do the same thing in Libya. And again, the media is ignoring its past.

In a piece from last week, CNN profiles prominent Libyan Brotherhood leader Dr. Abdulmonem Hresha. In it, CNN paints the Brotherhood as a political organization largely separate from the Brotherhood elsewhere.

"The prominent member of the Muslim Brotherhood now lives in London, and anticipates the group could become an important player in a post-Gadhafi environment," CNN reports. "As in Egypt and Tunisia, the Brotherhood in Libya has been energized by the sudden upheaval sweeping the Arab world."

It goes on to say the Libyan Brotherhood "says it has no organizational links with the Brotherhood elsewhere."

It's unclear what "no organizational links" actually means. Does it not share leaders? Funding? Maybe, maybe not. But here's what the group is wiling to admit: it "shares the philosophy of the pan-Arab Islamist movement founded in Egypt in the 1920s."

Would that philosophy include the ideology laid out in the Muslim Brotherhood's 1995 playbook written by the group's fifth leader? That's the one called "Jihad is the Way" that preaches about a revitalized Muslim caliphate and, not surprisingly, jihad:

“Jihad for Allah,” [author Mustafa] Mashhur wrote, “is not limited to the specific region of the Islamic countries, since the Muslim homeland is one and is not divided, and the banner of Jihad has already been raised in some of its parts, and shall continue to be raised, with the help of Allah, until every inch of the land of Islam will be liberated, and the State of Islam established.”

So how does CNN treat the group? For the most part, it goes out of its way to point out when the Libyan Brotherhood is making claims about itself, as to not confuse those claims with CNN's. Still, however, its silence about the Muslim Brotherhood's past and ties says a lot. And then there is this little nugget:

A more prominent role for the Brotherhood in Libya could dent support for al Qaeda and other jihadist groups, especially in eastern provinces that have witnessed significant radicalization in recent years.

But isn't the Muslim Brotherhood also a radical group that birthed the terror group Hamas? CNN's assertion is also odd considering Hresha admits the group would like to rule by Islamic -- or Shariah -- law in Libya:

Hresha says that if his organization forms a political party, it would seek to legislate according to Koranic principles, which would include, for example, a continued ban on the sale of alcohol.

"Why shouldn't we be able to press our point of view -- we are humans too," he said.

That doesn't sound radical at all, especially considering Shariah law includes stoning of homosexuals and cheating women.

Up until now, the Libyan Brotherhood has been in hiding. In 1998, CNN says, the group was the target of a Gadhafi crackdown. But now, "Despite years of repression, Hresha claims the Brotherhood still has thousands of members scattered across Libya, with chapters in almost every single town, including Sirte, Gadhafi's birthplace on the coast west of Tripoli."

"We've been working secretly till this moment," Hresha tells the network.

And there's nothing to worry about.