The Political and Strategic Research Center in Washington, DC has lauded steps taken by the UAE in the war against terrorism, reported the Khaleej Times on Thursday.
Officials of the center commended the UAE's efforts in combating the global menace and lauded a statement made by Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, deputy prime minister and chairman of the Zayed Centre for Coordination and Follow-Up, in which he stressed the commitment of the UAE leadership and its people to fight all kinds of repression and violence against humanity.
A delegation from the center, headed by John J. Hampre, a former US undersecretary of defense, is planning to visit Abu Dhabi on October 26 to take part in a seminar on the developments in the world and the Middle East, to be organized by Zayed Center, said the paper.
The UAE has severed diplomatic ties with Afghanistan's ruling Islamic militia for refusing to hand over bin Laden.
Abu Dhabi, which recognized the Taliban in May 1997 after Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, gave the two diplomats and other Afghan staff at the embassy just 24 hours to take down the Afghan flag, close and leave the country.
Meanwhile, the central bank the UAE has also ordered the freezing of accounts and investments of 26 individuals and organizations suspected of financing terrorist activities.
"Based on the UAE's decision in conjunction with the international efforts to fight terrorism, it has decided that all banks, moneychangers, investment companies and other financial institutions operating in the UAE would freeze the accounts of certain persons/terrorist entities," the bank said.
Among the list of accounts are Osama bin Laden, Washington's prime suspect in the September 11 terror attacks in the United States that left thousands dead, and his Al Qaeda network – Albawaba.com
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