The United States said it was disappointed that the United Arab Emirates planned to cut off key BlackBerry services and said the Gulf nation was setting a dangerous precedent in limiting freedom of information. "We are committed to promoting the free flow of information," said State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley.
"We think it's integral to an innovative economy." The UAE said over the weekend that it would suspend Research In Motion's BlackBerry Messenger, email and Web browser services from October 11 until the government could get access to encrypted messages. Crowley said the United States was seeking additional information from the UAE about its security concerns, but urged the country to allow BlackBerry services to aid the free flow of information.