Top US envoy praises Swiss financial intelligence

Elizabeth Jones is the top State Department official dealing with US-European relations swissinfo.ch

The United States assistant secretary of state, Elizabeth Jones, has warned that not enough is known about the secretive financial networks that buttress terrorists.

Jones, who was the highest-ranking US diplomat to travel to Switzerland in ten years, lauded the Swiss financial intelligence system as one of the best in the world.

She added, however, that many countries, including a number in North America and Europe, remain in the dark about aspects of terrorist funding.

Jones made the comments to swissinfo after meeting the Swiss state secretary for foreign affairs, Urs von Daeniken, in Bern on Thursday. The two diplomats discussed Switzerland’s role in the war against terror and its decision to join the United Nations.

The US envoy also held talks with the Swiss state secretary for economics, David Syz, during her visit.

Ticino terror probe

Jones was asked about whether the US was satisfied with the Swiss investigation into Nada Management – a Ticino-based organisation, formerly known as al-Taqwa – which the US suspects played a role in funnelling money to Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda network.

“I think the best thing I can say about that is that I’m not sure we have the full story,” Jones said. She emphasised that there are many organisations throughout the world, which the US and European governments “do not know enough about”.

“I think we all need to increase the information we share in intelligence, to make sure we understand better the way these networks provide support to terrorists.”

Jones said Switzerland’s banking system had also proved to be highly effective in targeting terrorists’ financial assets and she praised Swiss banks’ “know-your-customer” and disclosure rules. “We think it’s quite a model for how other countries might conduct their banking procedures,” Jones said.

Terrorists’ accounts

Jones said Switzerland had shut down a quarter of all the accounts frozen around the world in connection with suspected terrorists.

“It is no accident that Switzerland has shut down as many accounts as it has.

“It is able to do so through the laws it has, and through the information it has demanded of its clients.”

The visit was also billed as an opportunity to discuss Switzerland’s decision to join the UN, after over 50 years of standing on the sidelines.

Jones said the US was keen to talk about the ways the two countries could cooperate on UN matters, as well as Switzerland’s role in Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and central Asia.

Switzerland’s influence as a democratic and economically stable nation would help build security in areas such as central Asia.

A cooperative effort

Jones also rejected criticism of the US’s handling of the “war against terrorism” and claims that Washington has acted unilaterally and without consideration of European concerns.

“We are, of course, concerned about the perception, mostly because we believe the perception to be a false one.

“We are not acting unilaterally and we are very interested in maintaining the coalition that developed after September 11th.”

She added that she believes military action is only a small part of the war against terrorism and that “the real war is the one countries like Switzerland are undertaking to go after the financial networks and the networks which help people move around”.

Unthinkable weapons

She also justified US efforts around the world to build momentum for a United Nations probe into Iraq’s suspected weapons of mass destruction programme.

“Whether or not there is an established link between Iraq and al-Qaeda or the Taliban, we know for a fact that Iraq is developing weapons of mass destruction.

“We are terribly concerned about these uncontrolled programmes, and terribly concerned that these weapons could fall into the wrong hands.

“And since September 11, the United States must think the unthinkable, and that is among the unthinkable thoughts we have to deal with.”

by Anna Nelson and Jacob Greber