Meanwhile, in Switzerland, Kerry aide threatened with arrest (investigating AQ Khan connections)

[beachmom]

Of course, I am sure it was no fun for Franz, but Kerry's investigations could be made into a movie, if this sort of intrigue keeps up:

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/spytalk/2009/06/what-nuclear-secret-was-kerry.html

Swiss police threatened to arrest an aide to Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., for espionage last month if he entered the country in pursuit of a CIA connection to Pakistan's secret nuclear bomb smuggling.

Douglas Franz, a former newsman who recently became a top investigator with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which Kerry chairs, is an expert on Pakistani nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan, suspected of aiding Iran, North Korea and Libya in their secret nuclear bomb programs.

...

Last month Franz told Swiss authorities he wanted to question Urs Tinner, a Swiss citizen suspected of supplying Khan's network with "the technical knowledge and equipment that was used to make gas centrifuges for uranium enrichment," The Associated Press reported May 25.


In his book, Franz, a distinguished former New York Times reporter and managing editor of the Los Angeles Times, reported that Tinner had been recruited as a CIA informant, perhaps as early as 2000.

This was originally reported here, but I missed it:

http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2009/05/25/swiss_warn_us_senate_investigator_in_nuclear_probe/

Switzerland has warned a U.S. Senate investigator not to interview a Swiss lawyer involved in a nuclear smuggling case, a spokesman for the Swiss Justice Department said Monday.

The spokesman, Folco Galli, said the department sent an e-mail May 11 rejecting a request by Douglas Frantz, the chief investigator of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Frantz had asked to interview Roman Boegli, the lawyer for Urs Tinner, a Swiss citizen suspected of supplying the clandestine network of Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan with the technical knowledge and equipment that was used to make gas centrifuges for uranium enrichment.

Tinner's brother, Marco, and his father, Friedrich, are also under investigation by Swiss authorities for participation in Khan's nuclear smuggling ring.

"Mr. Frantz requested our permission to question the lawyer," Galli said. "We told him that such permission couldn't be granted" because Swiss investigations in the case are still under way.

Urs Tinner, who was released in December after almost five years in investigative detention, has yet to be charged. A Swiss parliamentary panel is investigating the government-ordered shredding of thousands of files of evidence in the case on the grounds they contained information that could endanger national security.

Newsweek views this as "The Swiss Say Get Out And Stay Out"

http://www.newsweek.com/id/199159

[karynnj]

1. If the media had liked JK, his entire life would have made a

far more fascinating biography than any Presidential candidate in my life time - including Obama and McCain. As fiction, an editor would likely recommend cutting parts out because there is just too much.

The Franz story is fascinating and it's interesting to think of what he is investigating.

[beachmom]

2. Also, here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5876524

[beachmom]

3. This bizarre behavior by the Swiss is not a trend for other matters:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8110050.stm

Switzerland agrees to US tax deal

The news comes amid an ongoing row between UBS and the US government

Switzerland has agreed a new bilateral framework on sharing tax information with the US, as it continues to ease its once strict banking secrecy.

In March, the Swiss government announced that it would start to abide by the current global standards on sharing bank data.

Switzerland is hoping these moves will help secure its removal from a list of countries considered likely tax havens.

In February Swiss bank UBS had to give the US details of 300 account holders.

The US government had accused the 300 - all American citizens - of using their Swiss accounts to avoid paying tax.

UBS gave their details to US authorities after legal action in America.