Other terrorist groups that the United States says are linked to bin Laden and also remained on the list are the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and the Egyptian Islamic Jihad.

Several Middle East organizations that the United States believes as terrorist groups remain on the list, including Hezbollah, Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

The Stated Department dropped the Japanese Red Army and Peru's Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement from its list of designated foreign terrorist organizations.

Although US officials say the newly released list remains virtually unchanged since the last one issued in 1999, the two groups were dropped because they have not committed any terrorist acts since their designation was last renewed.

The list must be compiled by the State Department every two years. By US law, Americans are not allowed to support any designated terrorist organizations and all US financial institutions are required to freeze the groups' assets.

(Xinhua News Agency 10/06/2001)