| Iran denied Saturday reports it had taken in Ansar al-Islam militants wounded in a US military strike on the group, which is accused by Washington of trying to develop crude chemical weapons and of having links to both Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network and Saddam Hussein's regime. After US strikes against Ansar, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan officials openly challenged neighbouring Iran, accusing it of providing a rear base for Ansar and plying the group with ammunition, supposedly to harrass the PUK as it edges closer to Washington. "Iran has been helping Ansar. How else can 800 men fire 200 mortars a day?" argued a PUK military chief, Mustafa Sayed Khader. "So Iran should be very careful, and know that the war against terrorism has no price limit." The Iranian ministry spokesman said "these rumours are part of psychological operations by warring sides". |