News of security clampdowns on members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood is never a surprise. Although it has been banned since 1954, the group not only continues to function but wins over new members - all in violation of the law. Analysts tend to read into the timing and scale of some of the arrests, arguing they are politically motivated.

The theory has once again been floated in an attempt to interpret the latest arrests. Since the beginning of this year, 19 Brotherhood members have been rounded up.