Saudi dissident set to come off U.N. al Qaeda blacklist

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Source: Reuters

Exclusive: Saudi dissident set to come off U.N. al Qaeda blacklist

By Louis Charbonneau
UNITED NATIONS | Sat Jun 30, 2012 5:08pm EDT

(Reuters) - A U.N. Security Council committee is set to remove Saudi dissident Saad al-Faqih from the United Nations' al Qaeda sanctions list this weekend if no council member demands that the 15-nation body intervene, U.N. diplomats said on Saturday.

The London-based Faqih was added to the U.N. al Qaeda sanctions list in December 2004, days after the U.S. Treasury Department hit him with U.S. sanctions for suspected links to the late Osama bin Laden's militant network, which was responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

"Unless someone calls for the Security Council to take up the issue, Saad al-Faqih will be de-listed tomorrow at 5:30 p.m (2130 GMT)," a council diplomat told Reuters on condition of anonymity. "So far no one has called for the council to act."

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There are currently 252 individuals and 69 entities or groups on the United Nations al Qaeda sanctions list, including Faqih. All individuals on the list are subject to asset freezes and an international travel ban.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/30/us-saudi-dissident-un-idUSBRE85T0L020120630

[Eugene]

1. U.N. confirms Saudi dissident, his group off al Qaeda list

Source: Reuters

U.N. confirms Saudi dissident, his group off al Qaeda list

By Louis Charbonneau
UNITED NATIONS | Mon Jul 2, 2012 11:01am EDT

(Reuters) - A U.N. Security Council committee has removed Saudi dissident Saad al-Faqih and his Movement for Islamic Reform in Arabia (MIRA) from the U.N. al Qaeda sanctions list, Germany's U.N. envoy confirmed on Monday.

Reuters reported on Sunday that the decision to de-list Faqih came after the 15-nation council's al Qaeda sanctions committee failed to reach a consensus to override the al Qaeda-sanctions-list ombudsman, who had recommended removing Faqih from the U.N. blacklist.

"After thorough consideration by the Committee the entries in the Al Qaeda Sanctions List related to Mr. Saad Rashed Mohammed al-Faqih and (his group) were removed from the Al Qaeda Sanctions List today," German U.N. Ambassador Peter Wittig said in a statement.

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A U.N. diplomat told Reuters on condition of anonymity that Faqih "may not be a saint but he doesn't belong on this list."

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/07/02/us-saudi-dissident-un-idUSBRE8610ST20120702