The AMSI press division said al-Hayat should conduct a thorough investigation after the newspaper Saturday published a statement attributed to the group.

"The local elections are a part of the overall strategy of dividing the country, which is the policy of the United States that were documented in the articles of the constitution under which Iraq is divided. The law of the provincial assemblies is a consolidation of that strategy," said the refuted statement.

The article went on to say the AMSI, along with deposed Baathist officials, called for a boycott of the elections originally scheduled for October.

The AMSI is an organization of Sunni religious leaders established in April 2003. It opposes the U.S. presence in Iraq and is accused of backing the insurgency.

The press division stated it was the sole agency responsible for publishing statements at its official Web site.