The United Arab Emirates (UAE) broke off diplomatic relations with Afghanistan's ruling Islamic militia today, thereby cutting one of the Taliban's last links to the outside world.
"The government of the United Arab Emirates has decided to break relations with the Taliban government in Afghanistan,'' a foreign ministry spokesman told the official WAM news agency.
The UAE federation, one of only three countries to have ties with the Taliban regime, said a week ago that it was reviewing the links following the September 11 jetliner terror attacks on New York and Washington.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are the only other countries to have diplomatic relations with the Islamic hardliners who have sheltered prime suspect Osama bin Laden.
"The Emirati authorities have made intense efforts to persuade the Taliban to give a favourable answer to the (UN) Security Council request to hand over bin Laden so that he can be given a fair trial by an international court on the charges linked to the terrorist attacks,'' the spokesman said.
Riyadh downgraded ties with Kabul to charge d'affaires level in 1998 in protest at the Taliban's refusal to hand over bin Laden.
AFP