Urs
Tinner: At the heart of the controversy over Pakistan's nuclear
program, it seems that he and his family, after
helping A. Q. Khan
build Pakistan's first nuclear, turned CIA-informant. Now the
Swiss
are asking themselves if the U.S. has undue influence in
Switzerland.
Nachrichten,
Switzerland
Does the CIA 'Have
a Free Ride' in Switzerland? Are We the 51st State?
"The
fidelity of the Federal Council to the wishes of the U.S. administration is
shocking. How sovereign is our government? Why not just join the Union as the
51st State? Then, at least, we'd know where the government really sits."
By Patrik Etschmayer
Translated By Patrik
Etschmayer
July 13, 2009
Switzerland - Nachrichten - Original Article (German)
After the quarrel that erupted
last week among the Federal Council [the Swiss collective head of state], the Federal
Criminal Court and Parliament, Swiss citizens have likely asked themselves if
they are residents of a banana republic. Two of the highest government agencies
are warring with one another over files that should no longer exist, since they
were supposed to have been shredded long ago. These should be put to use in a trial
process centering on nuclear arms smuggling, spying, counter-espionage, and the Tinner family with
their small high-tech firm in the Rhine-valley, thanks to which Pakistan obtained
a nuclear bomb and much later - Libya was prevented from doing so.
[Editor's Note: In May, the
President of the Swiss Confederation, Pascal Couchepin, announced that the
Tinner files, believed to number around 30,000 documents, had been shredded.
This was justified to keep them from, "getting into the hands of a
terrorist organization or unauthorized state." However, it is alleged that
this was a cover-up to hide the involvement of Urs Tinner (photo above) with the CIA. Then in
December, 2008, the Swiss government revealed that there were additional
documents yet to be destroyed. Swiss Federal Council members said they wanted
to destroy these files as well, while the Federal Criminal Court said
the files had to be preserved in order to address outstanding legal issues. Parliamentary
leaders have agreed to mediate between the two "warring" agencies].
That plans which could help
build a nuclear bomb must to be rendered unusable - or at best be destroyed - is
desirable and right. But in the past, [when the Federal Council took similar
actions related to the Tinner Affair], all documents were shredded - not
just those with technically-sensitive contents.
In a country where, in all
other cases, every action is carefully weighed and where politicians specialize
in distinguishing at least 64,000 shades of gray, this all-inclusive act
carried out under the emergency law seems simply suspicious. Particularly since
these files contain so much information concerning the entanglements of the
Tinner family with the secret services
The relevant contacts existed
since 2003. Back then, the Tinners were supposedly in touch with the CIA, facilitating
the prevention of nuclear weapon proliferation, for example by ensuring that a
ship carrying centrifuge parts destined for Libya was intercepted and diverted.
[Editor's Note: Early in
2003, according to The
New York Times, the Tinners met with C.I.A. agents at a hotel in
Innsbruck, Austria, to discuss cooperative terms. Several months later on June
21, 2003, at the Swiss mountain village of Jenins, Marco Tinner signed a
contract with two C.I.A. agents, The New York Times quoted a Swiss official as saying].
[In October, 2004] when the
Tinners were arrested based on suspicion that they had violated the law on war materials,
it was after the well-known chronology of events had run its course. The
nuclear smuggling network of Abdul Qadir Khan [A. Q. Khan], the "Father"
of the Islamic nuclear bomb, had been shattered.
What now remains is the
question: What was and is so dangerous about these files - apart from plans for
the building of nuclear bombs - that the Federal Council is so anxious to have
them destroyed? According to recent statements, the documents that have now
emerged had been prepared in 2006 for the trial of a CIA operative who had been
active in Switzerland. But on the order of the Federal Council, the trial was
prevented from occurring for political reasons.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
According to a report by a
special fact-finding committee, the original documents were destroyed under
pressure from the United States (after a request for the files to be handed
over to Washington was rejected on the basis of Swiss neutrality). Moreover, there
were six additional CIA agents in Switzerland working on the Tinner case, and
again, no charges were filed by law enforcement after the government banned any
indictments. And again - that was most likely due to pressure from the United
States.
The file copies must not be
destroyed now. But the files have already been split up and are being treated
differently. Apparently, the technical plans (and this is a good thing) are to
be shredded. But the documents dealing with the CIA, which were at first
destined for destruction, are now supposedly being stored separately and have
been locked away.
The fidelity of the Federal
Council to the wishes of the U.S. administration is shocking. It's only logical
that the U.S. would seek to protect its interests by stating its demands. But the
fact that these requests were met with minimal resistance from our government
raises questions: How independent is the Swiss judicial system? How sovereign
is our government and what are the threats against it? What would be the
consequences if real resistance were shown? Does the CIA have a free ride in
Switzerland? And if this is the case, why not just join the Union as the 51st
State? Then, at least, we'd know where the government really sits.
CLICK HERE FOR GERMAN VERSION
[Posted by
WORLDMEETS.US July 14, 4:13pm]
