I'm wondering if anyone has dealt with this before... I made a contribution to my US IRA, and I would like to claim it as a deduction from my Swiss taxes. My understanding of the US-CH bilateral agreement is that this is allowed for the first 5 tax years after switching your tax home. The problem is that it's written in very general terms. I am looking for something specific, preferably from a Swiss source, that ties American IRA or 401K contributions to the Swiss 3rd pillar. Thanks.

I would recommend a professional tax consultant. They are usually very quickly saving you back the money the cost you.
Swiss tax law is not very specific, and sometimes even depend on who is reading your tax declaration in Switzerland. A professional knows best the local "canton" or "Gemeinde" people and how they handle certain issues.