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Many of us have long suspected that the Tinner Family — Father Freidrich and brothers Marco and Urs — Swiss businessman who participated in the AQ Khan network — were also US intelligence assets (See Urs Tinner and Tinner Talks).

World Radio Switzerland reports that a Swiss court ruling “confirms” that the Tinners were assets — though how this was confirmed is not made clear:

For the first time, it’s been officially confirmed that the Swiss brothers Urs and Marco Tinner did work for the American Central Intelligence Agency, the CIA. The brothers and their father have been suspected of smuggling nuclear secrets for a group that supplied weapons components to Libya. The documents related to their case have been the subject of dispute – the Americans and some members of the Swiss government have wanted the documents destroyed. The Tinners and the CIA denied that they were working together but information revealed in a ruling today from the Federal Court confirms that there was a secret collaboration between them. The case against the Tinners continues.

Update | 8:33 23 February 2009 In the comments, reader Nik posts the relevant passage of the document, in which the court notes that “die Tinners auch für die USA gearbeitet hätten.”