IRAQ: AL-ZARQAWI DENIES THREATENING REFERENDUM VOTERS

"Baghdad, 19 Sept. (AKI) - The al-Qaeda group in Iraq has published a statement in which it denies that its leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, has threatened Sunnis with death if they vote in the upcoming referendum on the Iraqi constitution. The statement, posted on several islamist internet forums, seeks to clarify the position of the group's Jordanian leader within an audio message released last week.

''The mass media has published news that amazes us," - the note reads. "And they have done so because they are dominated by the Americans who want to distort the message of sheikh Abu Musab. They attributed to him something he never said - that is that that Sunnis who went to the polling stations would be killed - because we have decided to boycott the vote," the note adds."
Adnki