Mullah Krekar, the Islamic radical now in prominent residence in Norway, is in more hot water. This from AP, with thanks to Nicolei:
A Norwegian court Monday ordered the founder of an Islamic group allegedly linked to al-Qaida held for another month while authorities investigate charges against him that include plotting to murder political rivals in northern Iraq.
The ruling against Mullah Krekar, founder of the Ansar el-Islam militant group, comes as an Iraqi Kurd official said he suspected that foreign militants or Ansar el-Islam carried out Sunday’s suicide bombings in Iraq that killed at least 67 people.
Krekar, a refugee in Norway since 1991, has been held since being arrested at his Oslo home Jan. 2 on numerous charges, including allegations he plotted the attempted murders of political rivals in northern Iraq between 2000 and 2001.
Ansar al-Islam, a group of Kurds in northern Iraq, is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the United Nations. The group had 600 fighters in northern Iraq before being bombed by U.S. forces and overrun by rival Kurdish militias.
Krekar has said he no longer leads the group, but a Norwegian court last month said it found grounds to suspect he still plays a key role.
In its three-page ruling Monday, the Oslo district court said “the accused, with reasonable grounds, can still be suspected for illegal acts.” It gave no details but ordered Krekar held until March 1 with police control of his mail, visits and other contacts.
The United States claims Ansar al-Islam has links to the al-Qaida terror network, an allegation Krekar has repeatedly denied.
He has denied heading Ansar al-Islam, too, although not consistently.