LONDON - A prominent Saudi dissident said Wednesday that authorities had not contacted him about a move in the United Nations to impose international sanctions against him. | "Hey! My ATM card's not working and the infidel bank tellers just point at my pants and laugh!" |
The United States, Britain and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday asked the U.N. Security Council to freeze the assets and ban international travel by Saad al-Fagih for allegedly providing financial and material support to al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden.  Al-Fagih expressed surprise that the British government joined in the move. "I am here in their country, why do they have to ask the U.N.?" he said in a telephone interview. Britain's Foreign Office said authorities didn't have sufficient evidence of any wrongdoing by al-Fagih which would support action under British law. If the United Nations imposes sanctions, however, Britain would be able to act. "For some time we have been well aware of particular Saudi concerns about Dr. al-Fagih's activities," said a spokeswoman at the Foreign Office, speaking on condition of anonymity. Anti-terrorism sanctions require all 191 U.N. member states to impose a travel ban and arms embargo against a list of those linked to the Taliban or al-Qaida and to freeze their financial assets. The list has 318 individuals and 115 groups. |