Nobel Prize goes to former Finnish President, Martti Ahtisaari, who led fact-finding mission in Jenin

Nobel Prize goes to Finnish diplomat who lead fact-finding mission in Jenin

Date: 10 / 10 / 2008 Time: 15:38
Bethlehem – Ma’an –

Former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari won the Nobel Peace Prize for his many contributions to long-term conflict resolution on 5 continents

Ahtisaari was also the head of a UN fact-finding mission in 2002, charged with investigating the actions of the Israeli army in 2002 during the Battle of Jenin, which was part of the Israeli Operation Defensive Shield after the outbreak of the second Intifadah in 2000.

Israel had targeted the Jenin refugee camp, saying that it had acted as a “launch site” for several attacks against Israeli targets. Observer missions estimate that 52 Palestinians were killed during the two weeks of attacks, as well as millions in structural damage to homes and shops as Israeli troops blasted through thin concrete or cinderblock walls in the pursuit of “wanted” Palestinians.

During the siege of the camp reports of hundreds of deaths and mass graves were circulating, which prompted the Fact-Finding Mission from the UN, which Ahtisaari headed. In his group’s final report to the UN it stated:

“The culture of impunity that exists within both the Israeli political and military echelons is of grave concern to the Palestinian Authority because of the resulting daily humanitarian implications of the incessant illegal Israeli practices being carried out against the Palestinian people in the Occupied 'Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem.”

In being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Ahtisaari joins other world figures like Mother Teresa, Jimmy Carter, Nelson Mandela, the Dali Lama , former Egyptian president Anwar Sadat, former Israeli Prime Minister Manheim Begen , the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and former Israeli prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.

Ahtisaari will be awarded 1.4 Million US dollars, in addition to the honor of receiving the award.

Former Finnish president wins Nobel Peace Prize

www.chinaview.cn

2008-10-11 00:28:16

Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Peace Prize Committee Ole Danbolt Mjoes announces the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Martti Ahtisaari at a news conference in Oslo October 10, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
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STOCKHOLM, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) -- Former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari won the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize Friday amid controversy.

Ahtisaari has been awarded the prize "for his important efforts, on several continents and over more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts," said the Norwegian Nobel Committee in its citation.

Ahtisaari used to be the U.N. Special Envoy for the Kosovo status process. He suggested Kosovo should be "independent under international supervision".

Kosovo unilaterally announced its independence from Serbia in February despite firm opposition from Serbia and Russia.

Former Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said the rewarding of the peace prize to Ahtisaari was a "political" decision, and a step inflicting more pressure on Serbia.

Leonid Slutsky, deputy head of Russia's parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, has described Ahtisaari's peace plan for Kosovoas the opening of the "Pandora's box," which has broken "the peaceful order."

Former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari (R) listens as Finland's current President Tarja Halonen speaks during a news conferenct at the presidential palace in Helsinki October 10, 2008.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
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Meanwhile, Russian state television said the choice of Ahtisaari for the prize was "political."

Ahtisaari, born in 1937, served as Finland's president from 1994 to 2000.

Ahtisaari used to serve as the United Nations Commissioner for Namibia, the U.N. Secretary General's Special Representative for the former Yugoslavia as well as U.N. Undersecretary-General for administration and management.

He was also named the U.N. special envoy for the Humanitarian Crisis in the Horn of Africa after stepping down as the Finnish president.

In 2005, he mediated peace between the government of Indonesia and Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebels, bringing an end to a three-decade conflict. He was officially appointed as the special U.N. envoy to Kosovo in the same year.

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Editor: Yan

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