An Islamic group in Kurdish-ruled northern Iraq said Tuesday it is relocating to avoid being hit again by U.S. airstrikes aimed at a different Islamic organization, one allegedly linked to al-Qaida and Saddam Hussein’s regime. The Kurdistan Islamic Group says it suffered 43 deaths, 30 injuries and lost six buildings in last weekend’s strikes aimed at Ansar al-Islam, an Islamic group with alleged al-Qaida and Baghdad ties. “We’re moving so we don’t give the Americans an excuse to attack us again,” Anwar Mohammad, a high-level official of the Kurdistan Islamic Group, said Tuesday. “Someone gave the wrong information to the Americans, giving them the wrong impression that we are terrorists. We are not terrorists,” Mohammad said. “We have agreements with the government. And we have no problems with Americans.” Mohammad said a convoy of 10,000 or more Kurdistan Islamic Group members would come down from the mountains and relocate temporarily to another base near the Iranian border in the next three days. Full Story
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