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Australian Broadcasting Corporation – Swiss paper claims proof of secret US torture camps: A newspaper in Switzerland has published what it believes is the first concrete proof that the US is operating secret interrogation camps for terrorist suspects in Eastern Europe. The SonntagsBlick newspaper obtained a fax sent by the Egyptian Government to its embassy in London, which apparently reveals that Egypt is aware of Iraqis and Afghans being questioned at a camp in Romania.

The SonntagsBlick report is here. Below the fold is a translation into English

The reaction from their government? Typical:

SwissInfo – Cabinet condemns CIA leak: The cabinet has strongly criticised the publication of a secret document on alleged CIA prisons in eastern Europe. It said the publication of the classified document in the mass-circulation Sunday newspaper, SonntagsBlick, had damaged the credibility of the country.

Roughly translated from German-language article at this URL:http://www.blick.ch/sonntagsblick/aktuell/artikel30413US torture Camps:The proof!SANDRO BROTZ AND BEAT JOST11.01.2006 | 12:37:16It is the first proof: The Americans operate secret torture prisons in Europe. That comes out from a fax between the Egyptian minister of foreign affairs and its message in London. The message was intercepted by Swiss secret service – and is present Sundays view.The hearing actionAs Swiss agents fished the Egyptian fax from the etherIn the middle in the night the first sparks light falls on a dark history. It is short 15 November 2005, before half two. The hearing center Swiss of the Ministry of Defense (VBS) in room forest, a few kilometer south of Berne, schnueffelt as used and strictly according to regulation. The satellite listening system onyx is fully locked also in this night. The secret service operating surgeon with the contraction wbm writes at the “report COMINT SAT” with the order number S160018TER00000115.Knows wbm, what for an explosive message he transfers in this night for its bosses of the guidance support basis (FUB) of the army into the French (see accompanying facsimile)?In space, sent secretly from a satellite to the earth the message was intercepted five days before: on 10 November at 20.24 o’clock. It is a fax, which is exchanged between the Egyptian minister of foreign affairs Ahmed Aboul Gheit (63) in Cairo and its Ambassador in London. The title, which Swiss agents set over the message: “the Egyptians have sources, which confirm the existence of American secret prisons.” In accordance with Swiss secret service RWS haven report the Egyptians literally: “the message experienced from own sources that actually 23 Iraqi and Afghan citizens on the base Mihail Kogalniceanu in the proximity (Romanian; Anm. D Talk. ) City Constanza at the black sea were cross-examined. There are similar centercenter centers in the Ukraine, in the Kosovo, in Macedonia and Bulgaria.” Is continued to announce that according to a newspaper report the human right organization has human Rights Watch proofs, in accordance with which “on 21 and 22 September 2005 prisoners with American military aircraft by the basis Salt pit in Kabul to the Polish base Szymany and the Romanian base specified above were transported”. Explicitly the Egyptians note: “the Romanian responsible persons deny defiance of all quoted facts further the existence of secret prisons, in which the American secret service of members of aluminium Kaida cross-examines. The official rejections of the Romanians were taken up positively by the speaker of the European delegation.”The sensationFor the first time a state confirms that it knows from the existence of CIA Geheimgefaengnissen in EuropeThat fax of the Egyptian minister of foreign affairs is hardly to be over-bid at explosiveness: A state has knowledge of secret CIA prisons on European soil. So-called open SOURCES (publicly accessible sources) are not the basis for that like newspaper articles or reports of Nichtregierungsorganisationen like human Rights Watch. In the available case it concerns “own sources”, as it means in the fax. The work of the Egyptian secret service is estimated of experts, who do not want to be called in particular, as “high-professionally”. Intelligence realizations from Cairo are generally called “absolutely reliably and reliably” in the industry of the Schlapphuete. The Egyptian Ambassador in Berne did not want to express itself on request of Sundays view to fax traffic. To hand to him out the document the editorship does not correspond to its request. On demands, whether he deny the authenticity of the document, he did not want to express himself.Which only assumes the whole world so far, could be confirmed by the Egyptian sources: The USA kidnap, hide and cross-examine in the war against the terror systematically their prisoners. “we used neither airports nor the air space in Europe in order to bring persons to places, where they were tortured”, said the US Foreign Minister Condoleezza Rice (51) approximately one month ago when meeting the NATO ministers of foreign affairs in Brussels. Which did not say it: That it does not give prisons or no transportation.The SchweigerArmy general Christophe saucy ice needs 48 hours, until he reactsTotal explanation state of emergency prevails now also in the German Parliament Buildings – since Sundays view confronted on Wednesday the army point with questions to its own Schnueffelrapport. How is the army secret service added to spy on a friendly state? Were Secretaries of Defense Samuel Schmid (59) informed, Foreign Minister me LINE Calmy Rey (60) and Minister of Justice Christoph Blocher (65) about important contents of the message? Did the business test delegation (GPDel) of the Swiss federal advice responsible for the secret services receive from it knowledge? Was the paper passed on to the US secret service or other states, how should have been usual with Onyx messages?48 hours elapse, until army general Christophe saucy ice (60) reacted. The questions of the Sundays view were not answered, communicated the commander of corps on Friday categorically. One inform in detail however the GPDel. Their president, SVP Staenderat Hans Hofmann (66, ZH), avowedly on Friday afternoon on request, it does not have a knowledge of the explosive procedure. Nevertheless Hofmann rates the exposure spontaneously as “indiscretion specialsame”.Radio silence also at the independent control instance (UKI) to the monitoring of the radio clearing-up. Their members – three high-ranking officials out defense -, law and traffic Ministry – all orders for radio clearing-up must examine in accordance with the regulation over the electronic war guidance. With insufficient legal standard the control instance can request the order stop at the federal advice Samuel Schmid (VBS), responsible for the respective intelligence service, or Christoph Blocher (law and police section, EJPD).Also was order for Egypt, possibly even its attitude examined required? The UKI chairman professor Luzius Mader, vizedirektor in the Federal Office for law, rejects the answer of questions: “for the public information about the activity of the UKI the VBS is responsible.” In addition, it means there: NO COMMENT. Schmid speaker Jean Blaise Defago: “the VBS does not express itself to the questions.”The consequencesVBS boss Samuel Schmid introduces an administrative investigationHektik, nervousness, concealing: The excitement in Berne is understandable. At the most three to four people get those of hearing report in the original to read. Important messages are converted to confidential reports, which hushes up and masks sources purposefully.”that the procedure with the Egyptian fax now becomes public, is a disaster”, says a high-ranking secret service Insider. “I would have gone thereby to cord TRACKS to Federal President at that time Samuel Schmid, that as a VBS boss of chairmen of the federaladvisable safety committee am.”Whether and when Schmid informed its both Upper House of Parliament colleagues in the safety committee (SiA), like a state secret is guarded. The VBS is not silent itself over it out, Calmy Reys State Department says anything to it and also the Ministry of Justice of Christoph Blocher blocks off. EJPD speaker Sascha Hardegger: “we take in addition no position.”Stand firmly as only, push VBS speaker Defago after that Upper House of Parliament Schmid will introduce an administrative investigation for indiscretion, how the secret paper could arrive at the public.The ErmittlerWhich international experts to the exposures sayMay a newspaper publish secret documents over possible CIA prisons? On this question the UN special correspondent about the torture, the Viennese says right professor Manfred Nowak (55): “no question, naturally. There a public interest exists “(see interview, page 7). “that is a Scoop”, says thickly Marty (61), Sonderermittler of the Council of Europe in the CIA affair and FDP condition advice. Under the reservation that it is not possible him to examine the authenticity of the document it admits klipp and clearly: “it is an additional indication for something, which we already assumed.” The truth comes now “out by the piece”. Ex-Mafiajaeger Marty, which examines the CIA affair for two months, requests the governments: “finally the truth says. in this thing”