BERN/BRUSSELS (Own report) – As Finland and Sweden are about to join NATO, Switzerland is preparing to draw closer to the western military pact. Switzerland is seeking “new forms of cooperation” with NATO, Defense Minister Viola Amherd declared. This would be possible despite the country’s official neutrality. Concrete proposals for expanding the cooperation will be submitted in September. Notwithstanding its neutrality, Switzerland has been cooperating with NATO since the 1950s, mainly informally, at first, and formally only after joining the Western alliance’s Partnership for Peace program in 1996. “Common tactics, techniques and procedures for missions” have long been established, as was noted on the occasion of the participation of a Swiss fighter squadron in a current air force exercise of NATO member countries. The purchase of F-35 fighter jets, decided by Bern in the summer 2021 – which is being met with protests – also serves to draw the country closer to NATO. The Ukraine war facilitates legitimizing the rapprochement to NATO. Read more

BERLIN/BERN/WASHINGTON (Own report) - The investigation into the German BND's criminal activities against dozens of UN member nations and international organizations using Switzerland's Crypto AG, is being held up in Germany. Parliamentary interpellations in Berlin are being drowned in time-consuming procedures. Whereas the Swiss government has appointed a special investigator, German instigators are keeping silent. Together with the CIA, they are responsible for spying on allegedly allied nations with rigged encoding devices. Obviously, the Munich based Siemens AG, with its legendary links to the BND, has been involved in these illegal operations. The investigation is being delayed due to Berlin and Washington's competing strategic interests. The BND and CIA's tactical cooperation dates back to the post-war era. Through its intelligence operations - with Crypto AG - the BND became an instrument used in the creation of the EU. Read more