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Ansar al-Islam denies killing Iraqi cleric
Iraqi militant group Ansar al-Islam denied on it was behind the killing of an aide to top Shiite Muslim cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, in an Internet message.

An earlier web posting from a little-known group with a similar name, Ansar al-Islam Group - Saad bin Abi Waqqas Brigade, claimed the killing last week of Mahmoud Madaen, an aide to Sistani who is a main driving force behind Iraq's January 30 elections.

Some media reports at the time said Ansar al-Islam had claimed responsibility.

The website message signed by Ansar al-Islam said: "In order to protect our credibility ... we announce that we were not behind that operation."
Posted by: Dan Darling 2005-01-16
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=53800