Gitmo men taken in to save UBS from probe?
OSLO/BERNE: Switzerland accepted Guantanamo detainees as part of a deal with the US to limit a probe against Swiss banking group UBS, a Norwegian daily reported, citing leaked US diplomatic cables.
The agreement between Washington and Berne was outlined in US diplomatic cables leaked by whistle-blower site WikiLeaks and quoted by the daily Aftenposten. The deal also included moving against a Swedish firm, Colenco, that had business with Iran, the newspaper said. Doris Leuthard, the Swiss minister named in the cables, was quick to deny a direct connection between the three matters.
But a cable from July 2009 described how Leuthard, who then held the economics portfolio , informed US embassy officials of Berne's decision to shut down Swedish firm Colenco's activities in Iran as requested by the US. Colenco was cooperating with Iran in building a nuclear reactor.
Leuthard said Switzerland was prepared to accept "several detainees" from Guantanamo Bay on Cuba, the cable said. In return, Switzerland wanted to limit a US probe into banking giant UBS concerning more than 52,000 US clients.
The agreement between Washington and Berne was outlined in US diplomatic cables leaked by whistle-blower site WikiLeaks and quoted by the daily Aftenposten. The deal also included moving against a Swedish firm, Colenco, that had business with Iran, the newspaper said. Doris Leuthard, the Swiss minister named in the cables, was quick to deny a direct connection between the three matters.
But a cable from July 2009 described how Leuthard, who then held the economics portfolio , informed US embassy officials of Berne's decision to shut down Swedish firm Colenco's activities in Iran as requested by the US. Colenco was cooperating with Iran in building a nuclear reactor.
Leuthard said Switzerland was prepared to accept "several detainees" from Guantanamo Bay on Cuba, the cable said. In return, Switzerland wanted to limit a US probe into banking giant UBS concerning more than 52,000 US clients.
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