[t-shirt]

Voters reject move to end armed forces

Items compiled from Chicago Tribune news services

Published December 3, 2001

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND -- Swiss voters Sunday overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to scrap the armed forces, cherished by many as vital protection for the small, long-neutral Alpine country in the heart of Europe.

Only 384,991 people, or 21.9 percent of those participating, voted in favor of the initiative.

The proposal was put forward by a coalition called Switzerland Without an Army under a law that allows anyone to force a referendum by collecting 100,000 signatures from voters.

"The lack of security following the Sept. 11 attacks made it difficult to conduct a reasoned discussion of defense policy," said Jo Lang, spokesman for the coalition.

[17th Miss Regt]

"The lack of security following the Sept. 11 attacks made it difficult to conduct a reasoned discussion of defense policy,"...

The Sept. 11 attacks blew their position out of the water so, lacking anything of merit to say, they went ballistic and shouted and screamed. Most of Switzerland just watched and shook their heads.

[meyer]

"The lack of security following the Sept. 11 attacks made it difficult to conduct a reasoned discussion of defense policy," said Jo Lang, spokesman for the coalition.

On the contrary; the events of 9/11 reinforced the necessity of an armed citizenry. Leftists are so twisted sometimes.

[muawiyah]

There are over 1/3 of a million voters in Switzerland who are candidates for creation of an anti-Swiss terrorist network.

That's entirely too many - probably more than in the United States, a nation many times Switzerland's size.