Bern, Switzerlan – Group Slams Swiss-Iran Gas Deal

Bern, Switzerlan – The World Jewish Congress criticized Switzerland for participating in a gas deal with Iran that it condemned as a propaganda triumph for Tehran's hard-liners.

Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey traveled to Iran to sign the deal.
Photos of the ceremony with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sparked a furor in Switzerland. "It became clear immediately that the visit by the Swiss foreign minister was a propagandistic triumph for the mullahs," WJC President Ronald Lauder, wrote in a statement.

The U.S. Embassy, in a posting to its Web site, questioned whether Switzerland's position as representative of American interests in Iran and Cuba could be affected. [AP]