IMF, World Bank cancel meet
By Our Correspondent | 18 Sep 2001
"This decision was taken out of deepest respect and sympathy for the families of all those touched by the horrific events of last Tuesday, and in order to dedicate law enforcement personnel fully to the extraordinary and immediate priorities at hand," both the organisations said jointly in a release on 17 September.
Officials of the two organisations had signaled their plans last week shortly after the attack. About 100,000 protestors had been expected in the nation's capital during the meeting, and providing security for the groups would have stretched law enforcement resources needed to respond to the terrorist attack, CNN had reported ealier. "The IMF and the World Bank suggested the meeting itself would not be rescheduled."
"The normal business of the WB and the IMF will not be interrupted," the statement said. "Alternative arrangements for conducting the required business of the meetings will be determined. We expect to return to the normal schedule for the WB and the IMF meetings in 2002."