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Helsinki, Finland, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Finnish
authorities are downplaying reports that Kurds
living in the Scandinavian country have terror
links, the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper said Monday.
The head of the anti-terror unit of Finland's
Security Police says such rumors probably reflect
conflicts within the Kurdish community of Finland.
Late last week Abdoulmajid Hakki, a long-time
Kurdish resident of Finland and member of the
Kurdish KDP party, told a TV interview that a small
group of Kurds in Finland is getting support from
the hard-line Islamic terror group Ansar al-Islam.
Hakki claimed about 30 Kurds were active in the
Finnish cell and last year the group asked for at
least $10,000 from Ansar al-Islam's leader, Mullah
Krekar, who has lived in Norway for more than 10
years.
Hakki said the money was to fund parties and other
recruitment activities.
However, Krekar's Norwegian lawyer says no money was
asked for or received by Finnish Kurds.
Police in Norway have been investigating Krekar's
suspected terrorist connections for about 18 months,
but have been unable to find evidence linking him
with terrorist activities in northern Iraq.
Copyright 2004 United Press International
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