Kazakh government no fan of Borat

ASTANA, Kazakhstan, Nov. 16 (UPI) -- Kazakhstan is threatening legal action against British comic Sacha Baron Cohen for his portrayal of fictional Kazakh TV personality Borat Sagdiyev.

As Sagdiyev, Cohen has conducted inane interviews with U.S. bigwigs like Newt Gingrich, Buzz Aldrin, Brent Scowcroft, Ralph Nader, Donald Trump and Sam Donaldson for his "Da Ali G Show" on HBO.

He startled his subjects with ruminations over "the terrible events of 7-11" and questions like, "Is Disneyland part of the U.N.?"

Last January he drew the ire of Jewish groups and Kazakh officials by leading Arizona bar patrons in what he called a popular Kazakh folk song, "Throw the Jew Down the Well."

Kazakh officials have complained about Cohen's act in the past, but this is the first time legal action has been mentioned, ABC News reported Wednesday.

"We do not rule out that Mr. Cohen is serving someone's political order designed to present Kazakhstan and its people in a derogatory way," Kazakh Foreign Ministry spokesman Yerzhan Ashykbayev told a Monday news conference. "We reserve the right to any legal action to prevent new pranks of the kind."