Afghanistan, UN staff evacuated
The United Nations has announced that it has decided to evacuate its staff in Afghanistan. The evacuation has been ordered because of fears for the safety of UN staff if the United States retaliates for the attacks.
The International Committee of the Red has also said that it's reducing its level of foreign staff in Afghanistan.
"Of the 70 ICRC expatriates in Afghanistan, some 15 have already moved to Pakistan and others will arrive there in the coming days, but some 40 will stay behind in Afghanistan," said a spokeswoman for the organisation.
It is thought the Islanic fundamentalist, Osama bin Laden, who is the main suspect in previous attacks on the United States, is being sheltered in Afghanistan.
Many American diplomatic missions around the world were closed today and the rest were under increased security.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell said about a quarter of the approximately 260 embassies and consulates had closed after being asked to review security following the attacks on Tuesday in New York and Washington.
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told a news briefing there were no direct threats against US posts, but chiefs of more than 50 missions had decided to shut down.
"As you know, we've told ambassadors to make these decisions based on their own local security requirements," Mr Boucher said. "We're sure that everybody will reopen as soon as they think it's safe."
He gave no information on which embassies decided to close, but said they were spread around the world and not concentrated in Islamic countries.
In a further development, EU Ministers of Economics and Finance have issued a statement expressing their "deep grief" at attacks in the US yesterday. Central Bank Governors and the European Commission also signed the statement.
The statement said: "We offer our deepest sympathy and condolences to all of those affected by these dreadful acts. We stand ready to provide, in close co-operation with the United States, all support, which might be needed."
"All necessary measures will be taken to ensure the proper functioning of markets and the stability of the financial system. The statement added that the Central Banks in the European Union have declared that they will continue to provide liquidity for the smooth operation of the payments and settlements systems."
Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhoefstadt, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, described the attacks as a "tragedy for whole world" and said he hoped to speak with United States President George W Bush.
A special meeting of European Parliamentary leaders open to all European deputies will be convened in Brussels this afternoon.
Security has been stepped up across Russia today following the deadly attacks in the United States, with police boosting their presence around embassies in Moscow and the nation's nuclear power plants.
