US BlackBerry comments 'disappointing': Ambassador

The UAE's ambassador to the United States, Yousef al Otaiba, last night described the US State Department's comments on the UAE's decision to suspend certain BlackBerry services as "disappointing". PJ Crowley, a State Department spokesman, had earlier said the UAE's decision set a "dangerous precedent". In a statement released by WAM the envoy said the US government's comments contradicted its own approach to telecoms regulation. "In fact, the UAE is asking for the same sovereign right and exactly the same regulatory compliance - and with the same principles of judicial and regulatory oversight - that BlackBerry grants the US and other governments and nothing more," he said. "The UAE requires compliance for the very same reasons as the US: to protect national security and to assist in law enforcement. It is regrettable that after several years of discussions, BlackBerry is still not compliant with UAE regulatory requirements even as it complies with similar policies in other countries."