By
Matthew
Russell Lee,
Exclusive
He is an opponent of the Saudi royal family, accused in late 2004 by the US of being affiliated with Al Qaeda and then quickly put on the UN's Al Qaeda or Resolution 1267 sanctions list.
Now the ombudsperson recommends him for removal from the list, but it can only be done with the concurrence of all Council members.
And, as of the morning of June 29, there were many members against his removal, including the UK where he resides.
But why? Some ask, why wouldn't the UK then arrest him? (Several Council members told Inner City Press that the European Court of Human Rights might have something to do with this.)
Stranger still, they say, the UK at one point applied themselves to have Sa'ad al-Faqih removed from the list. This was unsuccessful.
And now that al-Faqih himself is applying for removal, with a similar recommendation from the ombudsperson, the UK opposed it.
Inner City Press spent June 29 asking questions about Al-Faqih's case, and an even lower profile one of a Djiboutian removed from the Al Qaeda sanctions list "only to be added to the Eritrea sanctions," as one Permanent Representative on the Council told Inner City Press, shaking his head.
It seemed obvious that comment should be sought for this article from the UK itself, but the proceedings of the 1267 committee are confidential.
Then late on June 29 Inner City Press learned that the UK had changed its position and now no longer opposed al-Faqih's removal from the sanctions list. But what of the others who were opposed? Watch this site.
