Bruno cameo sparks legal threat against Baron Cohen

A Palestinian man identified as a member of a West Bank militant group in Sacha Baron Cohen's new mockumentary Bruno has threatened legal action against the outrageous British comedian.

Ayman Abu Aita told Agence France-Presse that the incident depicted in the film was based on lies and has vowed to sue Baron Cohen.

"We were betrayed by this guy when he said that he was a journalist," he told AFP.

In the film, Abu Aita is identified as a leader of the al-Aksa Martyrs Brigades, a Palestinian militia coalition.

Baron Cohen, portrayinga gay Austrian fashion reporter namedBruno, asks to be kidnapped by the group, whom he calls "the best guys in the business," so that he can become famous. He also suggests the men shave their beards because "your king Osama looks like a kind of dirty wizard or homeless Santa."

The al-Aksa Martyrs Brigades issued a statement saying it was "very upset" with the scenes involving Abu Aita, though they also said he was not a member of their organization.

"We reserve the right to respond in the way we find suitable against this man," the statement said.

According to British media reports, Baron Cohen and his family have increased their security since the release of the statement.

Baron Cohen's last film 2006's Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan also sparked a host of lawsuits and threats against the actor and satirist.