The Swiss media recently reported that the Swiss and German companies had aided Pakistan’s Nuclear Weapons Programme in the 1980s, triggering tension with Mossad, the National Intelligence Agency of Israel. As per the Swiss media reports, Mossad was behind bombing and threatening German and Swiss companies, for helping the South Asian nation implement nuclear weapons programme. Pakistan and Iran had reportedly worked together during the 1980s in order to develop nuclear weapons with Swiss and German technical assistance.

As expected, the report, first published by Swiss daily Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) on January 2 (2022), has triggered a sensation across the Globe. The daily mentioned that the then US President, Jimmy Carter, had maintained close contact with the Swiss companies. President Carter was aware of the fact that Pakistan and Iran worked closely to construct nuclear weapons devices in the 1980s, and the Swiss and German companies were actively assisting the two Islamic nations.

The Carter Administration had reportedly provided the Swiss and German companies with diplomatic support. Perhaps, Washington DC wanted Pakistan and Iran to successfully implement their respective nuclear programme, keeping in mind the influence of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (April 28, 1937 – December 30, 2006) in West Asia. And now, the US is worried about the Iranian nuclear programme!

The Swiss daily further mentioned: “Many of these suppliers, mainly from Germany and Switzerland, soon entered into business worth millions with Pakistan: Leybold-Heraeus, Walischmiller, Cora Engineering Chur, Vakuum-Apparate-Technik (VAT, with the chief buyer Friedrich Tinner) or the Buchs metal works, to name a few. They benefited from an important circumstance. the German and Swiss authorities interpreted their dual-use provisions very generously. Most of the components that are required for uranium enrichment, for example, high-precision vacuum valves, are primarily used for civil purposes.” The National Security Archive in Washington DC, too, recently published diplomatic correspondence from the US State Department from Bonn and Bern in 1980s, revealing new information to shed more light on how the West had allowed Pakistan to acquire the nuclear technology.

Soon after receiving the information, Mossad had reportedly bombarded at least three facilities, including one of Cora Engineering Chur on May 18, 1981, another of Wälischmiller on May 18, 1981, and the third one of Heinz Mebus on November 6, 1981. The Mossad had also warned other firms over the phone. The Swiss media report reads: “The suspicion that the Mossad might be behind the attacks and threats soon arose. For Israel, the prospect that Pakistan, for the first time, could become an Islamic State with an atomic bomb posed an existential threat.“

Following the bombings on those facilities, the Organisation for the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in South Asia claimed the responsibility, without explaining the reason. At that period of time, no one had any information about the Swiss and German firms. However, people believed in the Organisation’s claim. Interestingly, there is still no proof that Mossad had bombed those facilities.

The report surfaced nearly four decades later, and more than 23 years after Pakistan test-fired its first nuclear weapon in 1998. However, Islamabad has never revealed the involvement of Swiss and German companies in providing Pakistan and Iran with technical support. Israel, Switzerland and Germany, too, have maintained silence. Meanwhile, Global Geopolitics has changed a lot in the last 40 years, and the US’ diplomatic ties with the two Asian countries have deteriorated in recent times.

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Published by Koushik Das

Koushik Das (born on May 16, 1976 in Kolkata) is a career journalist. Based in the Indian capital of New Delhi, Koushik writes mainly about foreign policies and current geopolitical issues, and rarely about other topics. His own political ideas are highly influenced by Antonio Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Michel Foucault, Michael Oakeshott and others. English philosopher and political theorist Oakeshott (Dec 11, 1901-Dec 19, 1990) says that “in political activity, men sail a boundless and bottomless sea. There is neither harbour for shelter nor floor for anchorage, neither starting-place, nor appointed destination. But we have to keep afloat”. (Rationalism in Politics, 1962) As a student of Political Science, Koushik loves to share his views on issues, which have great impacts on his thought process (and also on India, South Asia and of course on the global community), with his readers through his website – Boundless Ocean of Politics. By doing so, he tries to keep himself afloat. You will find some of his articles in https://inserbia.info/today/ (https://inserbia.info/today/author/kou_das13_i/), as he has been trying to assess the global geopolitics since 2003. You can also mail him at kousdas@gmail.com View all posts by Koushik Das