RIM Avoids Bahraini Ban - Report
WATERLOO, Ontario (
) --
Research In Motion
(RIMM)
has avoided a BlackBerry ban in Bahrain, according to published media reports.
With a number of Middle Eastern countries citing BlackBerry services as a
potential national security hazard
, the
Associated Press
reports that Bahrain has no plans to follow its Persian Gulf neighbors.
Bahrain's foreign minister, Sheik Khaled bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, told
AP
that security fears do not outweigh the technological benefits of the devices.
"We're not saying there is no security concern," he, said, in an interview. But, the minister added that "there are many other ways for the criminals or terrorists to communicate, so we decided we might as well live with it."
RIM, which launched
a new BlackBerry last week
, has also made progress in negotiations with Saudi Arabia.
The Canadian phone maker reached a preliminary agreement with the Saudi Arabian government over the weekend
that will allow its BlackBerry service to continue operating there
, according to published media reports.
-- Reported by James Rogers in New York
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