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Swiss Politics

Rumsfeld was on ABB board during deal with North Korea

This content was published on Feb 24, 2003 Weapons experts say waste material from the two reactors could be used for so-called “dirty bombs”. The Swiss-based ABB on Friday told swissinfo that Rumsfeld was involved with the company in early 2000, when it netted a $200 million (SFr270million) contract with Pyongyang. The ABB contract was to deliver equipment and services for two nuclear…

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Swiss Politics

UN seeks Switzerland’s help in Iraq

This content was published on Feb 23, 2003 The federal government is expected to respond to the request within the next few days. Switzerland has already sent two contingents of infrastructure specialists to Iraq to help restore the headquarters of UN weapon’s inspectors. In an interview with the French-language newspaper “dimanche.ch”, Christophe Keckeis, the deputy commander of the Swiss Air Force, said he…

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Swiss Politics

Defending neutrality

This content was published on Feb 23, 2003 The author, Stefanie Frey, maintains that Switzerland remained faithful to the principle of neutrality. “Switzerland never violated neutrality and never intended to violate it,” Frey, the author of “Switzerland’s Defence and Security Policy during the Cold War”, told swissinfo. She says Switzerland remained politically neutral even though the Soviet Union may have counted the Swiss…

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Swiss celebrate Napoleon’s historic act

This content was published on Feb 20, 2003 The Act of Mediation in 1803 ended five years of French rule and laid the foundations for modern-day Switzerland. Couchepin headed a delegation of around 60 Swiss representatives who participated in a grand ceremony, accompanied by Napoleonic hymns, at the Senate Chamber in the French capital. Prior to the ceremony, the French senate president Christian…

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Swiss Politics

Aviation deal fails to get off the ground

This content was published on Feb 20, 2003 A Senate commission said the agreement – which limits flights into Switzerland’s main airport at Zurich – gave too much away. The Senate is likely to follow the commission’s advice by refusing to ratify the deal during the March parliamentary session. The commission urged the Senate, by 8 votes to 3, to scuttle the agreement.…

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Swiss mark signing of landmark act with Napoleon

This content was published on Feb 20, 2003 The Act of Mediation, signed on February 19, 1803, returned to the Swiss a greater degree of cantonal rule while ensuring France still had overall power. The turn of the 18th century was a tumultuous time for Switzerland. French troops invaded Switzerland in 1798 and within weeks Napoleon promulgated a new constitution intended to replace…

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Magglingen declares sporting vision

This content was published on Feb 18, 2003 The proposals, based on three days of discussion at the Swiss federal office for sport in Magglingen, will be presented to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan at the end of March. As Annan’s Special Adviser on Sport for Development and Peace, former Swiss sports minister Adolf Ogi presented the two documents on Tuesday, urging delegates…

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Swiss Politics

Swiss firm helped build Saddam’s bunkers

This content was published on Feb 17, 2003 One is located directly under the headquarters of Saddam Hussein’s ruling Ba’ath party. The Iraqi regime decided in the 1980s to take advantage of Switzerland’s expertise in constructing underground safe havens. The Swiss Alps contain a network of underground bunkers – built during the Cold War – large enough to house the entire population. Zellweger…

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Swiss Politics

Swiss declare Iraq conference a success

This content was published on Feb 16, 2003 Officials added though that funding for assistance projects remains scarce. The meeting, which ended on Sunday in Geneva, brought together 21 aid agencies and 29 countries to discuss humanitarian assistance to Iraq in the event of war. The Iraqis themselves were not invited, while the United States, who is spearheading war preparations declined to attend,…

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Swiss Politics

Thousands join anti-war protest in Bern

This content was published on Feb 15, 2003 Organised by anti-war groups, the rally – one of the biggest ever in Switzerland – coincided with similar demonstrations across Europe and the rest of the world. Political parties such as the Social Democrats and the Greens, as well as trade unions and aid organisations, such as Heks and Caritas, joined the protest. People from…

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