U.N. commitee delists Osama bin Laden

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UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 25 (UPI) -- The U.N. Security Council announced it removed Osama bin Laden's name from a list of sanctioned members of al-Qaida.

Bin Laden was killed in a U.S. military raid on his compound in Pakistan in May 2011. The Security Council approved of his delisting from the al-Qaida sanctions list. That means the assets freeze and other restrictions no longer apply.

"Member states shall submit to the committee a request to unfreeze ... assets and shall provide assurances to the committee that the assets will not be transferred, directly or indirectly, to a listed individual, group, undertaking or entity, or otherwise used for terrorist purposes," a delisting statement read.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said in January that while al-Qaida has experienced setbacks following the 2011 death of bin Laden, al-Qaida's affiliates are evolving as grave international threats.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, an Egyptian, has assumed control over al-Qaida following bin Laden's death. Al-Qaida affiliates from Nigeria to Somalia and North Africa have sworn allegiance to Zawahiri.