GRANTS PASS, Oregon – A Saudi Arabian official who started a charity in the state of Oregon has been taken off a United Nations list of people subject to sanctions for ties to Al-Qaeda but remains on a similar US list. The UN Security Council committee monitoring sanctions against Al-Qaeda removed Soliman Al-Buthe, who now is a consultant to Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Municipal Affairs, from the list Monday. Al-Buthe's attorney Tom Nelson said the UN action is some vindication for his client. “It all goes back to the days immediately after 9/11, when the government embarked on a crusade to find terrorists under every bed,” Nelson said. “A lot of innocent people got sucked in and harmed very significantly as a result. More and more of those cases are coming out all the time.” Al-Buthe said in a statement that all he ever wanted was a fair chance to clear his name. “While the Americans still refuse to disclose reasons behind their actions, the United Nations now prohibits unfair practices. It was this change that allowed me to clear my name.” He and his charity foundation remain on the Treasury Department's sanctions list. The foundation disbanded after the department froze its assets in 2004. A federal appeals court upheld the listing, but not the assets freeze. Nelson said Treasury has not responded to his application to take Al-Buthe off the list since he filed it two years ago. Treasury spokesman John Sullivan said people are taken off the list, but he did immediately respond to questions about whether Al-Buthe's request to be removed had been received or why Nelson has received no response. – Agencies