Geneva, July 03: Switzerland answered a US request and ordered a freeze on any assets belonging to former Iraqi officials today, even though some Swiss officials complained that US president George W. Bush is using the fight against terror to strengthen U.S. Global "hegemony."
The government said banks and financial institutions must report any funds linked to 55 Iraqi officials named on the U.S. most- wanted list, including former president Saddam Hussein and his two sons. The list was approved by the U.N. Sanctions committee earlier this week. Switzerland had already ordered a precautionary freeze on Iraqi assets as a result of earlier U.N. Security Council resolutions. According to Swiss national bank figures, some USD 315 million in Iraqi assets were deposited in Swiss financial institutions at the end of last year, but there were no details on who the owners were. Mindful of lingering international suspicions that Swiss banking secrecy acts as a cover for dictators` ill-gotten gains, Switzerland has been quick to block bank accounts and take other action in the war against terror.
In an unusually scathing report published yesterday the Swiss federal data protection commissioner accused Washington of undermining national laws and running roughshod over bilateral accords.

"In the battle against the so-called axis of evil, the Bush administration is striving for hegemony at all levels", said Hanspeter Thuer.

"Increasingly, national legislative powers are being undermined by U.S. Attempts to impose their own legal system on the rest of the world."

Bureau Report