PJAK listing an error, group says

WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- A move by the U.S. Treasury Department to freeze the assets of an Iranian Kurdish group linked to separatist factions in Iraq was erroneous, officials say.

Treasury last week froze the assets of the Free Life Party of Kurdistan, or PJAK, for its alleged ties to the blacklisted Kurdistan Workers' Party, PKK.

PKK is a separatist movement operating in parts of Iraq, Turkey, Iran and Syria. The Turkish military has engaged the militant group in northern Iraq using U.S. military intelligence. PJAK operates predominately in Kurdish provinces in Iran.

Hajji Ahmadi, a PJAK official, told Kenneth Timmerman writing for Newsmax in Washington, D.C., that the link to the PKK was invalid.

"We are an Iranian party, fighting the Iranian regime. We have nothing to do with Turkey," he said.

Timmerman, a journalist known for his Iranian dissidence, said PJAK believes the move by Treasury was to win favor from the Iranians as Washington tries to improve relations with Tehran.

Treasury in the statement announcing the PJAK decision said the move was intended as a protective measure against Turkey, however.

"With today's action, we are exposing PJAK's terrorist ties to the PKK and supporting Turkey's efforts to protect its citizens from attack," said Stuart Levey, the undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence with the U.S. Treasury Department.