Upside down world

Fairy tale about neutrality law that violates the UN Charter

by Dr iur. Marianne Wüthrich

 

It is nothing new that some Swiss want to push for the abolition of Swiss neutrality and the NATO integration of our country – they started doing this long before 24 February 2022. Today they are using the Ukraine war to completely submit our country and its army to the “value west” and the “rules-based order” invented by some US strategists. To this end, they come up with a lot of ideas.

Participation in the wars of NATO and EU?

Recently, the relevant Swiss NATO and EU turbos spread a “manifesto” for neutrality in the 21st century, which propagates the military integration of Switzerland into NATO and the EU: “A powerful army serves a credible security policy for Switzerland, independently whether Switzerland is neutral or not. During times of peace Switzerland prepares itself with NATO and the EU so that in the event of aggression it can defend itself militarily together with the democratic constitutional states. It works closely with them in armament, training and leadership, so that the interoperability of the armed forces and the combat of combined arms is ensured.” According to the manifesto, this is one of the “cornerstones of Swiss neutrality” (sic!).1

Hague Conventions – “antiquated”?

European law expert Thomas Cottier, co-author of this paper, then tried to mislead the majority of the population, who adhere to Swiss neutrality, in a newspaper article in order to advance the goals of the “manifesto”. To this end, he first wants to do away with the neutrality law of the Hague Conventions of 1907 and thereby give Switzerland the “green light” to supply arms to the war in Ukraine. The Hague Conventions contradict the prohibition of force in the UN Charter and are “out of time” anyway.2 The long-time Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) director and ambassador Martin Dahinden debunked this bizarre claim a few days earlier, also in a NZZ commentary: “Among the Opponents of Swiss neutrality A strange argument came up: The Hague Convention of 1907, which regulates the law of neutrality, is no longer valid because there was no ban on the use of force between states under international law at that time.” In reality, however, the Hague Conventions would only define the rights and obligations of neutral states in the event of war: “But they in no way concern – neither explicitly nor implicitly – the question of whether the use of force is legitimate or not.” Cottier & Co’s intention is clear, says Dahinden: an open departure from neutrality is not politically acceptable in Switzerland today. “Hence the resort to retelling the international law foundations of neutrality and claiming that the law of neutrality is no longer valid and is outdated.”3
  It is noteworthy that Dahinden pointed out that in some wars it is controversial “whether it is legitimate self-defense or aggression that violates international law”. It takes some courage to make such a statement in times when freedom of expression has effectively been abolished.

Neutrality and the UN Charter prohibition of the use of force

The aim of the UN Charter is to maintain world peace through “friendly relations between nations based on respect for the principle of equality and self-determination of peoples” (Article 1, paragraphs 1 and 2). The prohibition of the use of force under international law according to Article 2, Paragraph 4 of the Charter is central to achieving this goal. Thomas Cottier’s claim that Switzerland is obliged to deliver war material to Ukraine in accordance with the prohibition of force in the UN Charter and Ukraine’s right to self-defence is untrue. Only in the event of a resolution by the UN Security Council under Chapter VII (“Measures in the event of a threat or breach of the peace and in the event of acts of aggression”) would Switzerland be obliged to possibly tolerate the overflight of foreign war aircraft or similar, but certainly not an active contribution to the war such as deliveries of weapons. However, due to the constellation of veto powers, such a Security Council decision is not to be expected in the Ukraine war.
  Wolf Linder, Swiss professor emeritus for political science, straightened things out in a key article from 16 July 2024. Regarding the relationship between Swiss neutrality and the UN Charter and, above all, its prohibition of violence, he stated that “the basic orientation of Swiss neutrality lies in universal international peace law, as laid down in the UN Charter.” The Charter’s prohibition of force is “the basis of neutrality that can be used to mediate, prevent and resolve conflicts worldwide. This does not mean doing nothing or remaining silent in conflicts. Neutrality earns its credibility when it raises its voice against all sides when it comes to violations of the law that endanger peace - including those committed by the ‘Western community of values’.”4

“Collective self-defense” with NATO – That’ll be the day!

A masterpiece of disinformation is Thomas Cottier’s association of Switzerland with the “right to collective self-defense” in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter: “Switzerland has been a member of the UN since 2002. It has decided to take part in collective self-defense in favor of Ukraine, which is largely supported by the NATO states and the EU.” As the author knows very well, Switzerland cannot take part in “collective self-defense” in the Ukraine war or elsewhere, because this is tied to a military alliance, i.e., primarily to NATO membership. The Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany writes: “NATO is an alliance of collective defense.” An example of this is “the reinsurance measures in the eastern alliance area that were decided upon as a result of the annexation of Crimea in March 2014, which violated international law, and the continued destabilization of eastern Ukraine by Russia.”5
  Quite a distortion of the duty of mutual assistance in the event of an armed attack on the territory of a NATO state. As is well known, neither the Ukraine war nor the numerous previous NATO wars took place on the territory of NATO member states.
  But back to Switzerland. The untruthful claim that she is participating “of her own decision” in the collective self-defense of NATO and the EU6 in Ukraine is intended to pave the way for the neutrality-contrary plans of “Manifestation Neutrality 21”.

Blood on our hands?

It cannot be the case that a Swiss law professor suggests that Switzerland must defend the “international order” from the US test tube and the “security of Europe” by not only allowing the transfer of Swiss war material to third countries, but also “directly the export of war material to Ukraine for its defense and to protect the civilian population”. Switzerland is “entitled to do this under international law and also obliged under human rights”, Cottier claims (!).7 For this purpose, Cottier also uses Article 54, Paragraph 2 of the Federal Constitution. It says that Swiss foreign policy is committed to “preserving Switzerland’s independence” and “contributing to peaceful coexistence between peoples”. By marching in NATO’s wars? By aiding and abetting the slaughter of men, women and children using Swiss weapons? We‘ve come a long way!

Neutrality initiative: anchoring neutrality in the federal constitution

The successfully submitted neutrality initiative counters such deviations from the tried and tested Swiss path of neutrality by anchoring perpetual armed neutrality in the federal constitution as an indispensable principle of Swiss foreign policy for the good of one’s own country and the world. On the great importance of neutrality in a world of wars, Wolf Linder: “To play down neutrality today is short-sighted. The risks of war are increasing worldwide. Ukraine shows as an example that many conflicts could have been prevented or resolved peacefully if the ‘neutrality’ option had been seriously considered in a timely manner. In the multipolar world, the risk of war increases if all countries join one of the major power blocs. On the other hand, peace has greater chances worldwide if more countries remain or become independent and neutral. That’s why neutrality has a future and advantages not only for our country.”8  •

https://www.zeit-fragen.ch/en/archives/2024/nr-17-20-august-2024/verkehrte-welt

 

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Swiss voters rejected proposals to bolster biodiversity protections as well as a pensions reform in twin referendums on Sunday, according to projected results.

Switzerland may be associated with pristine natural landscapes, but environmentalists have sounded the alarm over its endangered ecosystems and were urging voters to back broader biodiversity protections.

The proposal failed, however, with only 37 percent of votes in favour and a turnout of 45.2 percent, according to provisional results reported by federal authorities around 1430 GMT on Sunday.

https://www.kpvi.com/news/national_news/swiss-voters-reject-environment-pensions-reforms-official-results/article_397f21c3-7e4b-5f74-9fea-6924886cc782.html

 

THE SWISS ARE GOING DOWN THE DRAIN...

 

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YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.

The European Organization for Nuclear Research (French acronym CERN) plans to bar close to 500 Russian scientists from its labs, including the Large Hadron Collider particle accelerator, effective December 1. Russian nuclear energy expert Alexei Anpilogov explains why the "politicized" move threatens to turn the West into a "scientific slum."

In 2008, to great fanfare and jubilation, CERN opened the 27 km-long Large Hadron Collider (LHC) – the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator, on the French-Swiss border.

Russian scientists, who had been working on their own massive particle accelerator project in the 1980s prior to the Soviet Union's dissolution, played an active and critical role in the LHC's creation. CERN signed a cooperation agreement with Russia's Institute of High Energy Physics in 1993, and up to 700 Russian specialists, plus many more from other post-Soviet republics, took part in the $4.75 billion European scientific megaproject's construction.

A decade-and-a-half after the LHC's launch, CERN intends to formally end cooperation with Russia, to ban Russian scientists from the organization's sites and demand that they hand in their Swiss and French residency permits, unless they start working for scientific institutions outside Russia.

CERN's "absolutely irresponsible" and "politicized" decision is nothing short of an attempt to "erase" Russia from international science, and a move that will inevitably backfire, nuclear energy expert and political scientist Alexei Anpilogov told Sputnik. 

The decision will result in a situation where “all countries will be extremely cautious about science megaprojects, and engaging in international scientific cooperation in general,” knowing that they could be booted at any time for “absolutely political reasons,” the observer pointed out.

A large portion of the infrastructure involved in the LHC’s construction was made possible thanks to ideas contributed by scientists from Russia, who have long played a leading role in elementary particle physics, quantum physics and astrophysics, Anpilogov said.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20240922/cerns-politicized-plan-to-ban-russian-scientists-threatens-west-with-scientific-slum-status-1120250876.html

 

BUILD YOUR OWN MEGA-CYCLOTRON, RUSSIA!!!!!!!

 

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YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.

Swiss festival censors film amid Ukrainian threats
The Foreign Ministry in Kiev claimed that showing the documentary ‘Russians at War’ would “ruin” the event’s reputation

 

The Zurich Film Festival has dropped a scheduled screening of a documentary about Russian soldiers due to threats from Kiev, the newspaper Neue Zurcher Zeitung reported this week, citing a press statement. The decision was reportedly made over security concerns.

The documentary feature titled ‘Russians at War,’ filmed by director Anastasia Trofimova with Canadian government funding, was due to be screened at the festival next week. The feature recounts the seven months Trofimova spent with a Russian military unit at the front in the Ukraine conflict. In the film, she brought to the fore the personal stories of the soldiers she met.

The documentary premiered earlier this month at the Venice Film Festival, instantly drawing criticism from Kiev, which branded it “Russian propaganda.” A planned screening at the Toronto International Film Festival was subsequently canceled due to claims that staff had received threats.

The Zurich festival said it was forced to drop the screening amid worries over the “safety of our audience, guests, partners and employees.” The decision was made shortly after a spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, posted a message on X demanding the documentary be removed from the festival’s program.

“We urge [Zurich Film Festival] organizers not to ruin the festival’s reputation by screening ‘Russians at War.’ This is a propaganda film that whitewashes war crimes, not a documentary,” Georgy Tikhy wrote in his post. However sources have told the Neue Zurcher Zeitung that festival organizers were pressured by representatives of the Ukrainian government and pro-Kiev activists, as well as by threats expressed via social networks.

Despite caving in, the festival announced that the film would remain eligible for prizes in the competition and that the jury would view it behind closed doors.

READ MORE: Kusturica documentary on Kiev’s crimes against Orthodox Church premieres

Trofimova previously explained that her goal in making the documentary was to refute the notion promoted by the West that all Russian soldiers are war criminals. She also said her film is expressly “anti-war,” and shows the “absolutely ordinary people” fighting in the Russian army. However, after the feature’s premiere in Venice, the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture declared Trofimova a “threat to national security.”

 

https://www.rt.com/russia/604905-russian-documentary-banned-switzerland/

 

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YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.

 

The Geneva International Peace Research Institute (GIPRI) rejects the ‘’Security Policy Committee Report‘’ presented by Swiss President Viola Amherd on 29 August 2024.1
  This report is incompatible with Switzerland’s neutrality and must be rejected as contrary to the Swiss constitution and Swiss traditions of neutrality and mediation. Several organisations have already expressed similar views.
  GIPRI supports a neutral and peaceful Switzerland, a Switzerland that can play a mediating role between Russia and Ukraine, between Israel and Palestine. GIPRI advocates the values of peace and mediation in the spirit of St Nicholas of Flüe.2
  The United Nations Charter requires all States to work for peace and reconciliation between peoples.
  Of particular concern is the suggestion of a ‘revised policy of neutrality’, a euphemism for the gradual abandonment of true neutrality. More dangerous is the idea of a rapprochement with NATO, a warmongering organisation that runs contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
  Numerous scholars and law professors consider that since the end of the Cold War, NATO has undergone a harmful evolution, a metamorphosis from a defensive alliance to an aggressive and provocative one. They even consider that NATO, through its actions since 1997, in contravention of the fundamental principles of the UN Charter and the Geneva Conventions, can be seen as a ‘criminal organisation’ within the meaning of articles 9 and 10 of the Statute of the International Military Tribunal of Nuremberg (London Agreement of 8 August 1945) and according to the Nuremberg judgment of 1946.
  Since the end of the Cold War and the dismantling of the Warsaw Pact in 1991, NATO has had no raison d’être. It attempts to usurp the functions of the United Nations, but Article 103 of the UN Charter (the supremacy clause) prohibits this. NATO is no longer a legitimate organisation under Article 52 of the Charter, and must be dismantled today rather than tomorrow.
  We must acknowledge that NATO member states have committed atrocious crimes in Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria – with complete impunity. NATO members have used prohibited weapons that are contrary to the principles of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions, such as cluster bombs, chemical and radioactive weapons including depleted uranium. We cannot associate ourselves with NATO without becoming accomplices in NATO’s crimes.
  NATO had no enemies after 1991, but it created enemies in order to justify its continued existence. It provoked Russia and Belarus. Today it is provoking China. These provocations are contrary to article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter and constitute a threat to international peace and security for purposes of article 39 of the Charter.
  Switzerland must choose between the United Nations Charter and NATO.
  For this reason, GIPRI supports the Swiss federal initiative entitled ‘Safeguarding Swiss neutrality’, due to be put to a vote before the Swiss people. This is an excellent opportunity to prevent the Swiss government from pursuing its irresponsible rapprochement with NATO.  •

 

https://www.zeit-fragen.ch/en/archives/2024/nr-18/19-17-september-2024/man-kann-sich-nicht-mit-der-nato-verbuenden-ohne-mittaeter-zu-werden

 

 

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YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.

Switzerland has not intervened in wars for more than 200 years, but during World War II it made an exception for Nazi gold and weapons. Hereʼs the story of Swiss flexible neutrality

 

On March 11, 2023, Switzerland decided to dispose of 60 decommissioned Rapier anti-aircraft missile systems, although they could be transferred to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Prior to that, Swiss parliamentarians refused to loosen the ban on the re-export of ammunition to Ukraine. The Swiss explain this position by their neutral status, according to which they cannot fight and supply weapons to anyone. The country has the oldest policy of neutrality in the world — dating back to the beginning of the 19th century. Although before this it took part in many wars, and the Swiss Guards were the most sought-after mercenaries in Europe. After the Second World War, the Swiss were criticized a lot for the flexibility of their neutrality. After all, they made a compromise with the Nazis: they allowed military cargo to be transported through their territory, traded with Germany, kept Nazi gold in Swiss banks, and refused to let Jewish refugees in. Such Swiss maneuverability was manifested in the future as well. The country is not a member of NATO and the European Union, but closely cooperates with them. Switzerland also began to support UN economic sanctions even before joining the organization. "Babel" recalls how Switzerland gained neutral status and explains claims to its flexibility.

 

From the “golden age” of Swiss mercenaries to “eternal neutrality”

The history of the Swiss state began on August 1, 1291. It was then that the three local communities-cantons information reference
From the French — land. An administrative unit in some states, best known in usage for the Swiss cantons. From the very beginning, the cantons in the Swiss Confederation had sovereign rights. Now they can be compared to states in a federal state.
of Schwyz, Uri and Unterwalden concluded a defensive alliance against the Holy Roman Empire information reference
A state in Western and Central Europe that existed in 962-1806. It included the territories of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Italy, France and other countries.
under the rule of the Habsburg information reference
One of the most powerful European monarch dynasties from the Middle Ages to the beginning of the 20th century. Representatives of the family were emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, Austria-Hungary and even the Mexican Empire in 1863-1867, as well as kings of Germany, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, etc.
dynasty. In 1315, the Swiss defeated the overwhelming Habsburg army and their allies. After that, they were joined by other local communities, which united in the confederation of cantons.

At the beginning of the 15th century, the Swiss Confederation became so strong that it went on the offensive. Over the next century, the Swiss captured the lands of the Holy Roman Empire, French kings, and Italian dukes. The territory of the Confederation expanded to 13 cantons, and the Swiss gained the fame of the best warriors, they were hired by all European rulers.

Everything changed after the Battle of Marignano in September 1515. Then the French and Venetians, thanks to their artillery, completely crushed the Swiss infantry, dispelling the myth of its invincibility. Since then, the Swiss Confederation has abandoned wars for new territories and focused on defense. The last time the Swiss took part in European wars was after the conquest of the country by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1798. After the defeat of Napoleon, the Swiss revived their Confederation, which at that time consisted of 22 sovereign cantons. Today, the Swiss Guard of the Vatican, which guards the residence of the Pope, reminds of the tradition of military mercenaries.

After the Napoleonic wars, the great powers began to redraw the map of Europe at the Congress of Vienna in 1814 and concluded with the Paris Peace Agreement in 1815. The Swiss question was one of the most difficult. On the one hand, all major European powers sought to attract Switzerland to their side because of its strategic location in the Alps. On the other hand, the Swiss used to fight a lot in different battles for different countries and no longer wanted to take sides. Therefore, they proposed a third option — neutrality. In practice, this meant that Switzerland would not participate in armed conflicts between countries and would not provide weapons to either side. The European states agreed to this and guaranteed the “eternal neutrality” of Switzerland.

In the future, Switzerland only strengthened its neutral status. In 1863, Swiss businessman Henri Dunant founded the private organization International Committee for Aid to the Wounded. It called for the development of international treaties that would guarantee the safety of neutral doctors and hospitals for the wounded on the battlefield. This idea was supported by the Swiss government, which in 1864 invited the governments of European and American countries to an international conference in Geneva. As a result, the Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Fate of the Wounded on the Battlefield was adopted, as it became the first document enshrining the humane customs of war in Europe. In 1901, Dunant received the first Nobel Peace Prize. And the organization founded by him is now known all over the world under the name of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Armed neutrality during the world wars

During the First World War, Switzerland followed a policy of neutrality. However, after the start of the war in August 1914, more than 250,000 people were mobilized. They were sent to cover the borders just in case. After all, Switzerland bordered several countries from warring blocs: with Germany and Austria-Hungary from the Quadruple Alliance 
The military-political bloc of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Bulgarian Tsardom, and the Ottoman Empire that opposed the Entente countries in the First World War.
and with France and Italy from the Entente 
A military-political bloc, the main members of which were Great Britain, France and the Russian Empire. It was formed in 1904-1907. In the First World War, he opposed the Quadruple Alliance led by Germany and Austria-Hungary.
. However, nobody was going to violate Switzerlandʼs neutrality then, so it gradually reduced the number of troops on its borders.

...........................

 

After the initiative was intercepted by the anti-Hitler coalition in 1943-1944, Allied aviation began to harass Switzerland. This was especially true of American pilots who not only flew into Swiss territory, but also mistakenly bombed Swiss cities several times. In response, the Swiss aviation began to force the offending planes to land, and sometimes even shot them down. After World War II, the US apologized and paid the Swiss more than $18 million in compensation.

Claims to “flexible” neutrality

Objections to the neutrality of Switzerland began during the Second World War. Surely, Germany didnʼt attack it not because it was afraid of the Swiss defense strategy. The German forces greatly outnumbered the Swiss, and any one of the German tank regiments had about three times as many combat vehicles as the entire Swiss army.

Switzerland had to make concessions in order to become more useful to Germany as a partner than as an enemy. The Swiss allowed German and Italian goods, including military goods, to be transported through their territory. They agreed to sell gold and other precious metals to the Germans for Reichsmarks and gave them a large credit in Swiss francs. According to the agreement with the Nazis, Switzerland did not allow nearly 25,000 Jewish refugees into its territory.

Subsequently, new claims arose. Switzerland was accused of holding billions of dollars worth of Nazi gold in its banks. Added to this were accusations that Swiss banks refused to return the assets of Holocaust victims to their descendants. Switzerland had to apologize for all this until the 1990s. In August 1998, Swiss banks agreed to pay $1.25 billion in compensation to the heirs of victims of the Nazi genocide.

As for participation in international organizations, Switzerland also had to show flexibility here. The country is not a member of NATO, but has joined some of the Allianceʼs programs and helped peacekeepers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. And during the Cold War, it had secret agreements information reference
This is about Gladio operation of the 1960s. Its purpose was to oppose a possible invasion of the USSR and its satellite countries into Western Europe.
with NATO countries in case of a new armed conflict in Europe.

Switzerland was one of the founding members of the European Free Trade Association in the 1960s. However, it never joined the European Union, although it has a number of cooperation agreements with it and is part of the visa-free Schengen zone.

After World War II, the League of Nations was replaced by the United Nations. But Switzerland did not want to fully join the organization, fearing that it would again be forced to support economic sanctions. However, it became a member of some of its institutions: the International Court of Justice, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNESCO. In the 1990s, Switzerland revised its position and began to join international UN sanctions, and in 2002 became a member of the organization. Switzerland justifies this flexibility by the fact that it doesnʼt violate the main historical principles of its neutrality: not to participate in wars, not to join any military alliance, and not to supply weapons to anyone.

Translated from Ukrainian by Anton Semyzhenko.

 

https://babel.ua/en/texts/91596-switzerland-has-not-intervened-in-wars-for-more-than-200-years-but-during-world-war-ii-it-made-an-exception-for-nazi-gold-and-weapons-here-s-the-story-of-swiss-flexible-neutrality

 

 

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YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

 

HYPOCRISY ISN’T ONE OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS SINS.

HENCE ITS POPULARITY IN THE ABRAHAMIC TRADITIONS…

 

 

PLEASE DO NOT BLAME RUSSIA IF WW3 STARTS. BLAME AMERICA.

 

SEE ALSO: https://www.rt.com/news/610771-switzerland-party-nato-drift/

Switzerland drifting towards NATO – largest party     The nation’s neutrality is being jeopardized by its policies on the Ukraine conflict and cooperation with the bloc, the SVP has said