Cable Viewer

Currently released so far... 5559 / 251,287

### Articles

Brazil Sri Lanka United Kingdom Sweden Editorial United States Latin America Egypt Yemen Jordan

### Browse latest releases

2010/11 2010/12 2011/01 2011/02 2011/03
2010/11/28 2010/11/29 2010/11/30
2010/12/01 2010/12/02 2010/12/03 2010/12/04 2010/12/05 2010/12/06 2010/12/07 2010/12/08 2010/12/09 2010/12/10 2010/12/11 2010/12/12 2010/12/13 2010/12/14 2010/12/15 2010/12/16 2010/12/17 2010/12/18 2010/12/19 2010/12/20 2010/12/21 2010/12/22 2010/12/23 2010/12/24 2010/12/25 2010/12/26 2010/12/27 2010/12/28 2010/12/29 2010/12/30
2011/01/01 2011/01/02 2011/01/04 2011/01/05 2011/01/07 2011/01/09 2011/01/10 2011/01/11 2011/01/12 2011/01/13 2011/01/14 2011/01/15 2011/01/16 2011/01/17 2011/01/18 2011/01/19 2011/01/20 2011/01/21 2011/01/22 2011/01/23 2011/01/24 2011/01/25 2011/01/26 2011/01/27 2011/01/28 2011/01/29 2011/01/30 2011/01/31
2011/02/01 2011/02/02 2011/02/03 2011/02/04 2011/02/05 2011/02/06 2011/02/07 2011/02/08 2011/02/09 2011/02/10 2011/02/11 2011/02/12 2011/02/13 2011/02/14 2011/02/15 2011/02/16 2011/02/17 2011/02/18 2011/02/19 2011/02/20 2011/02/21 2011/02/22 2011/02/23 2011/02/24 2011/02/25 2011/02/26 2011/02/27 2011/02/28
2011/03/01 2011/03/02 2011/03/03 2011/03/04 2011/03/05 2011/03/06 2011/03/07 2011/03/08 2011/03/09 2011/03/10 2011/03/11 2011/03/13 2011/03/14 2011/03/15

### Browse by creation date

66 72 73 75 79 86 88 89 90 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
1966/12
1972/02 1972/08
1973/04
1975/03
1979/08
1986/05
1988/01
1989/12
1990/01 1990/07 1990/08 1990/10
2000/06 2000/09 2000/11
2001/02 2001/03 2001/07 2001/10
2002/02 2002/03 2002/11
2003/03 2003/04 2003/05 2003/06 2003/07 2003/08 2003/09 2003/10 2003/11 2003/12
2004/01 2004/02 2004/03 2004/04 2004/05 2004/06 2004/07 2004/08 2004/09 2004/10 2004/11 2004/12
2005/01 2005/02 2005/03 2005/04 2005/05 2005/06 2005/07 2005/08 2005/09 2005/10 2005/11 2005/12
2006/01 2006/02 2006/03 2006/04 2006/05 2006/06 2006/07 2006/08 2006/09 2006/10 2006/11 2006/12
2007/01 2007/02 2007/03 2007/04 2007/05 2007/06 2007/07 2007/08 2007/09 2007/10 2007/11 2007/12
2008/01 2008/02 2008/03 2008/04 2008/05 2008/06 2008/07 2008/08 2008/09 2008/10 2008/11 2008/12
2009/01 2009/02 2009/03 2009/04 2009/05 2009/06 2009/07 2009/08 2009/09 2009/10 2009/11 2009/12
2010/01 2010/02

### Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
Embassy Athens Embassy Asuncion Embassy Astana Embassy Asmara Embassy Ashgabat Embassy Ankara Embassy Amman Embassy Algiers Embassy Addis Ababa Embassy Accra Embassy Abuja Embassy Abu Dhabi Embassy Abidjan Consulate Amsterdam American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura Embassy Buenos Aires Embassy Budapest Embassy Bucharest Embassy Brussels Embassy Bridgetown Embassy Bratislava Embassy Brasilia Embassy Bogota Embassy Bishkek Embassy Bern Embassy Berlin Embassy Belgrade Embassy Beirut Embassy Beijing Embassy Banjul Embassy Bangkok Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan Embassy Bamako Embassy Baku Embassy Baghdad Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen Embassy Conakry Embassy Colombo Embassy Chisinau Embassy Caracas Embassy Canberra Embassy Cairo Consulate Curacao Consulate Casablanca Consulate Cape Town
Embassy Dushanbe Embassy Dublin Embassy Doha Embassy Djibouti Embassy Dhaka Embassy Dar Es Salaam Embassy Damascus Embassy Dakar Consulate Dubai
Embassy Freetown
Embassy Guatemala Embassy Gaborone Consulate Guadalajara
Embassy Helsinki Embassy Harare Embassy Hanoi Consulate Hermosillo Consulate Hamburg
Iran RPO Dubai Embassy Islamabad Consulate Istanbul
Embassy Jakarta Consulate Jerusalem Consulate Jeddah
Embassy Kyiv Embassy Kuwait Embassy Kuala Lumpur Embassy Kinshasa Embassy Kigali Embassy Khartoum Embassy Kathmandu Embassy Kampala Embassy Kabul
Embassy Luxembourg Embassy Luanda Embassy London Embassy Ljubljana Embassy Lisbon Embassy Lima Embassy Lilongwe Embassy La Paz Consulate Lagos
Mission USNATO Embassy Muscat Embassy Moscow Embassy Montevideo Embassy Monrovia Embassy Minsk Embassy Mexico Embassy Mbabane Embassy Maputo Embassy Manama Embassy Managua Embassy Malabo Embassy Madrid Consulate Munich Consulate Montreal Consulate Monterrey Consulate Milan
Embassy New Delhi Embassy Nassau Embassy Nairobi Consulate Naples
Embassy Ouagadougou Embassy Ottawa Embassy Oslo
Embassy Pristina Embassy Pretoria Embassy Prague Embassy Port Au Prince Embassy Phnom Penh Embassy Paris Embassy Paramaribo Embassy Panama Consulate Peshawar
Embassy Quito
REO Basrah Embassy Rome Embassy Riyadh Embassy Riga Embassy Reykjavik Embassy Rangoon Embassy Rabat Consulate Rio De Janeiro Consulate Recife
Secretary of State Embassy Stockholm Embassy Sofia Embassy Skopje Embassy Singapore Embassy Seoul Embassy Sarajevo Embassy Santo Domingo Embassy Santiago Embassy Sanaa Embassy San Salvador Embassy San Jose Consulate Strasbourg Consulate Shenyang Consulate Shanghai Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis Embassy Tripoli Embassy Tokyo Embassy The Hague Embassy Tel Aviv Embassy Tehran Embassy Tegucigalpa Embassy Tbilisi Embassy Tashkent Embassy Tallinn
USUN New York USEU Brussels US Mission Geneva US Interests Section Havana US Delegation, Secretary UNVIE Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius Embassy Vienna Embassy Vatican Consulate Vladivostok
Embassy Windhoek Embassy Wellington Embassy Warsaw
Embassy Yerevan Embassy Yaounde
Embassy Zagreb

### Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
AF AJ AU AG AE ASEC AS AM AR AMGT AORC AFIN APER ABUD ATRN AL AEMR ACOA AO AX AMED ADCO AODE AFFAIRS AC ASIG ABLD AA AFU ASUP AROC ATFN AVERY APCS AER ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG AEC APECO AGMT
BE BR BA BL BEXP BTIO BM BK BRUSSELS BX BU BO BH BIDEN BY BG BF BB BC BBSR BMGT BTIU BILAT
CH CA CD CV CVIS CMGT CO CI CU CASC CBW CLINTON CE CJAN CIA CG CF CN CS CAN COUNTER CDG CIS CM CONDOLEEZZA COE CR CY CTM COUNTRY CLEARANCE CPAS CWC CT CKGR CB CACS COM CJUS CARSON CL CODEL COUNTERTERRORISM CACM CDB
DR DA DHS DOE DEA DK DJ DISENGAGEMENT DS DTRA DOD DEAX
ECON EFIN ELAB EU ETRD ENRG EPET EG EAGR EAID ETTC EINV EIND EUN EAIR ER ECIN ECPS EFIS EI EINT EZ EMIN ET EC ETC ECONEFIN ENVR ES ECA ELN EN EFTA EWWT ELTN EXTERNAL EINVETC ENIV EINN ENGR EUR ESA ENERG EK ENGY ETRO ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS ETRDEINVTINTCS ESENV ENVI ELECTIONS ECUN EINVEFIN ECIP EINDETRD EUC EREL
FR FINR FAO FTAA FREEDOM FI FARC FBI FJ FMLN
GA GG GM GV GH GE GT GR GTIP GOI GCC GAZA GZ GANGS GTMO
HU HR HILLARY HA HUMAN HO HYMPSK HURI HK HSTC
IR IS IZ INTERPOL IPR IN IT INRB IAEA IRAJ INRA INRO IO IC ID IIP ILC ITPHUM IV IWC IQ ICTY ISRAELI IRAQI ICRC ICAO IMO IF IEFIN INTELSAT IL IA IBRD IMF INR IRC ITALY ITALIAN
JO JA JOSEPH JP JOHNNIE JUS JAMES
KCOR KN KS KDEM KNNP KSPR KPAL KJUS KFRD KCRM KTIP KZ KPAO KTFN KIPR KPKO KSCA KISL KNUC KMDR KGHG KPLS KE KOLY KWBG KUNR KDRG KAWK KIRF KIRC KU KBIO KHLS KG KACT KGIC KRAD KCOM KMCA KV KHDP KVPR KDEV KWMN KMPI KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KOMC KTLA KCFC KTIA KHIV KPRP KAWC KCIP KCFE KOCI KTDB KMRS KLIG KBCT KICC KGIT KSTC KPAK KNEI KSEP KPOA KFLU KNUP KNNPMNUC KO KTER KSUM KHUM KRFD KBTR KDDG KWWMN KFLO KSAF KBTS KPRV KNPP KNAR KWMM KERG KFIN KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KTBT KCRS KRVC KSTH KREL KNSD KTEX KPAI KHSA KWAC KR KPWR KMIG KSEC KIFR KDEMAF KGCC KPIN
LE LH LY LU LG LI LO LOG LT
MARR MO MOPS MASS MNUC ML MR MZ MCAP MPOS MOPPS MTCRE MX MTCR MAPP MU MY MA MG MASC MCC MEPP MK MTRE MP MIL MDC MAR MEPI MRCRE MI MT MQADHAFI MD MAPS MUCN MASSMNUC MERCOSUR MC
NG NATO NL NI NU NIPP NO NPT NRR NE NS NAR NZ NPG NK NSG NA NT NASA NGO NP NSF NATIONAL
ODIP OIIP OREP OVIP OEXC OPRC OFDP OPDC OECD OTRA OSCE OAS OPIC OPCW OSCI OIE OIC OTR OVP OFFICIALS OSAC
PREL PGOV PTER PINR PSOE PHUM PBTS PARM PK PREF PINS PL PHSA PE PKFK PO PGOF PROP PA PARMS PUNE PORG PM PMIL PTERE POL PF PALESTINIAN PY PGGV PNR POV PAK PAO PFOR PHALANAGE PARTY PRGOV PNAT PROV PEL PINF PGOVE POLINT PRL PRAM PMAR PGOVLO PHUMBA PHUS PHUMPREL PG POLITICS PEPR PSI PINT PU POLITICAL PARTIES PBIO PECON POGOV PINL
QA
RW RS RU RP RO RIGHTS RICE ROBERT RF RFE REGION
SP SOCI SENV SNAR SL SW SY SG SU SA SMIG SCUL SO SF SR SZ SN SHUM SYR ST SANC SC SAN SIPRS SK SH SI SNARCS STEINBERG
TU TS TBIO TH TX TRGY TSPA TC TI TIP TR TT TW TERRORISM TO TFIN TD TSPL TZ TPHY TK TNGD TINT TRSY TP
UV US UK UP UN UNSC UNGA USEU UG USUN UY UZ UNO UNMIK UNESCO UNHRC UE UAE UNEP USTR UNHCR UNDP USAID UNCHS UNAUS UNCHC
VT VE VZ VM VTPREL VN
WTRO WA WI WZ WMO WTRQ WHO WWARD WB WBG WEU WHA WTO
XA XF XT XM XY XG XC XH XK XL XZ XW XR XD XE XS
YM YI YE
ZB ZI ZP ZK ZF ZANU ZOELLICK ZR ZU ZA ZO ZJ

### Browse by classification

CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN SECRET SECRET//NOFORN UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

### Community resources

Follow us on Twitter Check our Reddit Twitter this Digg this page Contact us on IRC

courage is contagious

### Viewing cable 09BERN350, SWISS REACTION TO UBS AGREEMENT \

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:

- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.

To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #09BERN350.

Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
09BERN350 | 2009-08-20 15:03 | 2011-03-14 06:06 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Bern
Appears in these articles: http://www.letemps.ch/swiss_papers

`

    VZCZCXYZ0000
    RR RUEHWEB

    DE RUEHSW #0350/01 2321510
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH
    R 201510Z AUG 09
    FM AMEMBASSY BERN
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6015
    INFO RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
    RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC

` `

    2009-08-20 15:10:00	09BERN350	Embassy Bern	CONFIDENTIAL	09BERN68	VZCZCXYZ0000\
    RR RUEHWEB\
    \
    DE RUEHSW #0350/01 2321510\
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH\
    R 201510Z AUG 09\
    FM AMEMBASSY BERN\
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6015\
    INFO RHMFISS/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC\
    RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC\
    	C O N F I D E N T I A L BERN 000350 \
     \
    SIPDIS \
     \
    DEPT OF JUSTICE FOR B.SWARTZ, \
    L/EB FOR K.KIZER AND W.TEEL \
     \
    E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/19/2019 \
    TAGS: ECON EFIN PREL SZ
    SUBJECT: SWISS REACTION TO UBS AGREEMENT \
     \
    REF: BERN 68 \
     \
    Classified By: DCM L.Carter for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). \
     \
    ¶1.  (C) Summary.  President and Finance Minister Hans-Rudolf \
    Merz, Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, and Foreign \
    Affairs Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey in an August 19 press \
    conference praised the UBS agreement as the only possible \
    solution and a "Peace Treaty."  The Ministers were quick to \
    limit the reach of the agreement to UBS only, although the \
    Justice Minister recognized the agreement could open the door \
    for similar requests from other Swiss banks if those banks \
    committed similar egregious acts like UBS.  Media \
    commentators and political pundits covered a range of \
    opinions from declaring the agreement a true victory for the \
    U.S. to an absolute win for Switzerland.  Unlike the media, \
    local business leaders and the Swiss Bankers Association \
    universally expressed relief that the UBS case was resolved. \
    The UBS case had been a dark cloud over bilateral relations, \
    with concerns it could escalate to a seriously damaging event \
    similar to the Holocaust asset case a decade ago.  Current \
    Swiss opinion indicates, however, that the agreement will \
    mollify all but the most anti-American voices and leave our \
    bilateral relations relatively unscathed. End Summary. \
     \
    ------------------------------------- \
    FEDERAL COUNCILLORS PRAISE RESOLUTION, GOOD BILATERAL \
    RELATIONS \
    ------------------------------------- \
     \
    ¶2. (U) President and Finance Minister Hans-Rudolf Merz, \
    Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, and Foreign Affairs \
    Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey discussed the resolution of the \
    UBS case in a press conference on August 19.  Widmer-Schlumpf \
    touted the bilateral agreement as the only possible solution. \
     She commented that it was necessary to preserve the Swiss \
    legal system against the unilateral enforcement of US \
    regulations, which could include freezing UBS' US-based \
    assets.  Calmy-Rey called the agreement a "Peace Treaty" and \
    praised the good Swiss connections with the US for making the \
    agreement possible.  While President Merz emphasized that the \
    agreement only applied to the specific case of UBS, Widmer- \
    Schlumpf countered that the tax treaty language "tax fraud \
    and the like" coupled with the recently adopted OECD \
    standards for administrative assistance could open the door \
    for similar requests for information from other Swiss banks \
    if those banks had committed similar egregious acts like UBS. \
     President Merz, who previously expressed regret at UBS' \
    unacceptable actions (reftel), appealed to Swiss banks to \
    respect U.S. laws and the Qualified Intermediary regulations. \
     \
    -------------------------------- \
    NO CLEAR TREND IN MEDIA OPINIONS \
    -------------------------------- \
     \
    ¶3. (U) Media commentators and political pundits covered a \
    range of opinions from declaring the agreement a true victory \
    for the U.S. to an absolute win for Switzerland.  Neither the \
    political persuasion of the papers nor the region of the \
    country defined a clear Swiss opinion about the effects of \
    the agreement.  Newspaper articles ranged from claiming the \
    broader interpretation of "tax fraud and the like" in the tax \
    agreement was the "last nail in the coffin of banking \
    secrecy" to citing legal experts that announced Switzerland \
    had been the clear winner because Switzerland's legal \
    procedures had not been compromised.  Another paper took a \
    completely different approach arguing that even though the \
    agreement was the only tenable solution, it placed undue \
    pressure on Switzerland's governmental system of separation \
    of powers between the Federal Council and the Tax \
    Administration Court. \
     \
    ------------------------------ \
    BUSINESS RELIEVED BY AGREEMENT \
    ------------------------------ \
     \
    ¶4. (C) Unlike the media, business leaders universally \
    expressed relief that the UBS case was resolved.  Swiss \
    American Chamber of Commerce CEO Martin Naville told econoff \
    that the agreement was a positive outcome for two reasons: 1) \
    the agreement was signed under a partnership spirit without \
    the adversarial tone expressed in previous months; and 2) the \
    exchange of information will be in accordance with the double \
    taxation treaty.  He highlighted that political will to \
    ratify the recently revised treaty would not exist if the IRS \
    did not conform to the requirements of the original treaty. \
    Naville expected there to be some domestic policy noise about \
    Switzerland relinquishing its sovereignty and its tradition \
    of bank secrecy, but these opinions would not cloud the \
    positive impact of the resolution. \
     \
    ¶5. (C) Thomas Pletscher, Executive Board Member of \
    EconomieSuisse, Switzerland's largest umbrella organization \
    for Swiss business and industry, echoed Naville's sentiments \
    calling the agreement a "relief."  Pletscher stated that the \
    overall industry response had been positive.  He told econoff \
    that a long drawn out court case posed "a danger of \
    overshadowing" and "seriously damaging" otherwise good \
    bilateral relations.  In addition, the agreement established \
    a procedure to avoid a clash of the two countries' legal \
    frameworks.  Pletscher was not concerned about the agreement \
    breaching Switzerland's banking secrecy.  He stated that the \
    agreement marked the "end of Hollywood's version of banking \
    secrecy" which was always an inaccurate portrayal.  Banking \
    secrecy was designed to protect individual privacy, not to \
    hide criminal conduct. \
     \
    ¶6.  (C) The Swiss Bankers Association's Head of U.S. Affairs \
    Heinreich Siegmann reiterated the relief that the complicated \
    matter had been resolved amicably and within the Swiss legal \
    framework.  Siegmann informed econoff that maintaining the \
    stability of Swiss law was crucial to the continuing success \
    of the Swiss financial center. \
     \
    ------- \
    COMMENT \
    ------- \
     \
    ¶7.  (C)  Post expects that the UBS case will provide the \
    Swiss media fodder for claiming the U.S. bullied Switzerland \
    into an agreement that marks the demise of banking secrecy, a \
    national heritage.  However, Swiss government and business \
    leaders generally view the agreement as a mutual compromise \
    that protects Swiss sovereignty while enabling the U.S. to \
    enforce its tax laws.  The UBS case was a dark cloud over \
    bilateral relations, with concerns it could escalate to a \
    seriously damaging event similar to the Holocaust asset case \
    a decade ago.  Current Swiss opinion indicates, however, that \
    the agreement will mollify all but the most anti-American \
    voices and leave our bilateral relations relatively unscathed. \
    BEYER \

`