Prime Minister David Cameron has ordered British intelligence agencies to look into the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood.

According to the Guardian, Cameron has enlisted both MI5 -Britain’s internal security organization – and MI6 – its foreign intelligence service – to investigate the Islamist organization. The investigation will be headed by Cameron announced the investigation at a press conference.

“We want to challenge the extremist narrative that some Islamist organisations have put out,” he told reporters following talks with new Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi.

“What I think is important about the Muslim Brotherhood is that we understand what this organisation is, what it stands for, what its beliefs are in terms of the path of extremism and violent extremism, what its connections are with other groups, what its presence is here in the United Kingdom. Our policies should be informed by a complete picture of that knowledge,” he said.

The purpose of the investigation, the Prime Minister explained, is “get our policy right” regarding the Muslim Brotherhood. The Guardian reported that Cameron was pushed to act because of Saudi Arabian and Egyptian claims that “that the Muslim Brotherhood uses London as a crucial centre for its activities.”

The New York Times, citing the Times of London, reported that “leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood met in London last year to plan their response to Mr. Morsi’s overthrow.” The New York Times also provided some historical context the concerns Prime Minster Cameron was addressing.

The issue of foreign extremists using London as a base is particularly sensitive here. In the days surrounding the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the intelligence agencies of some European countries derisively labeled the British capital as Londonistan — a reference to the ease with which Islamic militants were able to operate there.

In his speech before the Knesset last month, Cameron specifically mentioned his commitment to fight “Islamist extremism.”

[Photo: ITV / YouTube ]