It was a strong appearance of the new intelligence service heads. As a Patriot, he was deeply touched by his appointment, it was a Moment of great emotion for him. “Ladies and gentlemen”, said Jean-Philippe Gaudin in his presentation in April of a year ago taken, “I am a man of Power, but a man of responsibility.” His responsibility: the security of the country. “We live in a complex and uncertain world, which is characterized by a tendency to Chaos and uncertainty. The Federal intelligence service is the first line of defense of Switzerland.”
to defend, As he intends to do, his Switzerland, that is now clear. Gaudin, a former Swiss military attaché in Paris and former chief of Military intelligence, has driven in his first year in office, is as spectacular as legally questionable secret project. In close cooperation with the French Ministry of defence, the new chief of the Federal intelligence service (NDB) aims to connect Switzerland to a French satellite system. This does not show classified documents, the existence of this newspaper.
Gaudin has requested his former political leaders, Federal councillor Guy Parmelin (SVP), 2018 a stake in the French satellite program “compo ante Spatiale Optique” (CSO). A Swiss spy in the Orbit. Troop concentrations, anchored warships, military vehicles – all around the world.
VBS expects to have 84 million
in order Gaudin wants to make a news service that he had already called in his tenure as chief of the Military intelligence service (MND). Since 2010, the MND has a small cell that acquires satellite images from commercial providers and analyzed. Hardly in the office as the new chief of the NDB, complained Gaudin his Federal service, which bought for this purpose was enough high. Unequal richer for the experience of a new cooperation with the French would be there.
At the request of Gaudin, France and Switzerland had proposed already a number of investment options at your new super-satellite. Gaudin requested that his Federal Council as a preferred variant, the French two percent of the programming capacity to buy. This would allow the Swiss intelligence service-employees receive up to 15 high resolution images per day. Cost: one-time fee of 56 million euros (63 million Swiss francs), shopping bonus, plus annual operating costs of EUR 1.3 million to be paid to France. Would be added on the Swiss side, all sorts of computer science material for the price of 4.5 million Swiss francs. The defense Department (VBS) is calculated in an internal estimate project-related costs of a total of 84 million euros for the next ten years.
Wants to cooperate with France: the secret service, chef Jean-Philippe Gaudin. Photo: Beat Mathys
The Canton of Vaud Gaudin joined with his concern for Parmelin open ears. Already in June 2018, before the official inauguration of the new intelligence chiefs on 1. July, signaled Parmelin at a Meeting with the French defense Minister Florence Parly to be “fundamental interest” in a new cooperation. You could count on until the end of August 2018 with an official response, dismissing Parmelin his counterpart. Necessary internal investigations, and legal nature. The date could not comply with Parmelin and Gaudin then, precisely because of these investigations. This newspaper a statement from the 27. August 2018 of the Directorate for international law in the Department of foreign Affairs (FDFA), Corinne Cicéron, Buhler signed by the Director. The opinion includes such a serious neutrality law and neutrality policy concerns that the project was delayed.
The Directorate for international shows right in their opinion to different possibilities, such as the “neutrality law and neutrality policy problems” could be tackled. These workarounds contain so much political dynamite that even Gutgesinnte in the VBS discard the hands.
In the Letter, it means that Switzerland be allowed to be used as a neutral state military cooperation in principle, but only under certain conditions. Neutrality is legally safe to the pure reference of satellite images, because of this the Switzerland, France, leave no military support. Otherwise it’s behaving with the payments to France. These are to be made in accordance with the opinion only to times of peace, neutrality, legally, safely or if France is participating in military operations in the framework of a UN mandate to maintain or restore world peace. In terms of neutrality problematic, the payments would be should France participate without a UN mandate of an international armed conflict, as it used to be already occurred. The payments of the neutral Switzerland would have to be done according to the Head of the Directorate for international law in this case, before or after a war in France.
Reputation
The Directorate of international law in their Letter to the VBS, not only neutrality law, but also neutrality on political issues. “The well-known financial contribution to a military system of France could be perceived in the community as difficult to reconcile with the Status of the permanent neutrality of Switzerland”. France is regarded as a great military power and was in recent years repeatedly active military.
The Letter refers to the possible risk of reputational damage for Swiss neutrality, France should be in an international armed conflict involved, and the new satellite system CSO. Other States would recognise the neutrality of Switzerland “less and respect, this could have direct consequences for the security and independence of Switzerland”.
As a possible solution approach, the Director, Bühler proposes to divide the one – time payment of 56 million euros in annual contributions of 5.6 million Euro over a period of ten years. In its opinion, it means literally: “the smaller the contributions made by Switzerland to the CSO, the less they are perceived in the perception of the community of States as a substantial support of a military system of France.”
would prevent the rates of such allocation year-on-year, according to the Directorate of international law that Switzerland devices suspected to have a military System of a belligerent state financed. The amazing findings of the legal Advisor to the FDFA is to say: Once 56 million euros in France point of view is to be transferred from Neutrality problematic. To pay ten annual installments of 5.6 million for the exact same purpose, it’s not.
The VBS responded yesterday to questions on the topic of reluctant. With the delicate Dossier Parmelins successor, Viola Amherd (CVP) is responsible. The opinion of the Department, remained in General: “Switzerland is pursuing the development of the French satellite reconnaissance system CSO very carefully. The questions are included in the analysis. Up to now, but were taken no Decisions for any participation.” If there’s anything to change, will communicate the VBS. One thing is clear, under the new Federal councillor Viola Amherd but: “participation in such programs must be approved by the Parliament.” The future of Gaudins satellite project with France seems more uncertain than ever.
(editing Tamedia)
Created: 13.02.2019, at 22:19
