Anger erupts over Nobel Peace Prize recipient

[The Balkan]

From Saturday's Globe and Mail
October 10, 2008 at 9:43 PM EDT

LONDON — It is a sign of the times, perhaps, that the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the soft-spoken Finnish diplomat Martti Ahtisaari was immediately met with angry and violent-sounding responses in several countries Friday.
Mr. Ahtisaari, 71, a former Finnish president who became a behind-the-scenes negotiator in many of the world's hot spots, has spent the past 20 years quietly pushing for a form of peace that brings an end to violence and paralyzing conflict, without necessarily pleasing the parties at the table or pretending to be neutral.
In terms of lives saved, it has been an enormously successful approach – although Mr. Ahtisaari has left lingering enmities, as exemplified by the responses to the prize heard in some countries last night.
“This is some kind of a sick joke,” one Serbian listener told the Belgrade radio station B92 Friday night, before denouncing him as a “Nazi.” Another asked: “So the Finnish guy wins an award for managing to split a country in two? What is the world coming to?”

In Russia, even government figures were willing to denounce him. “I can't fathom how the Nobel Prize or any other award could be granted to Ahtisaari,” Russia's ambassador to NATO said in Brussels Friday.
This sort of openly vented anger – and his characteristic silence in its face – is the sort of thing that has always surrounded Mr. Ahtisaari's approach to conflicts. He has not always pretended to be neutral or guided by high principles; rather, he tells interlocutors, he is simply interested in getting the conflict to end.
In passing up bolder and more heroic-seeming figures – such as last year's choice of former U.S. vice-president and climate-change champion Al Gore – the Nobel judges put their stamp of approval on the modern, European vision of peace-making, which Mr. Ahtisaari has come to embody.
That vision has put him at the centre of many of the world's most nettlesome conflicts. Notably, he brokered the deal that ended South Africa's military control of Namibia and gave that country its independence in 1990; the deal with the government of Indonesia that ended the independence aspirations of the breakaway region of Aceh, the lengthy and ultimately successful effort to get the Provisional Irish Republican Army to give up violence in Northern Ireland and, most controversially, the lengthy talks with Serbia that resulted in the Albanian-majority region of Kosovo becoming an independent nation earlier this year.
His role in that decision infuriated Serbs, who saw him as an advocate of Western and European interests rather than a neutral mediator and who bitterly resented the loss of a region that was both an ancient Serbian religious site and the location of terrible acts of Serbian repression of minorities.
The decision also reinforced a long-held resentment against Mr. Ahtisaari by Russians, whose distrust dates back to his period as president of the former Soviet satellite state of Finland, from 1994 to 2000.
This was almost inevitable: He was born in the Finnish region of Karelia, which was annexed by the Soviet Union and remains part of Russia today; his family was forced to flee along with many other ethnic Finns.
But Mr. Ahtisaari's peace-negotiating organization, Crisis Management Initiative, has sometimes rubbed United Nations officials and international-law leaders the wrong way by avoiding a totally neutral or impartial approach. In last year's Kosovo negotiations, his strongest card was Europe's power over Serbia's potential membership in the European Union, a threat he did not hesitate to dangle, say diplomats involved in the negotiations.
The declaration of independence that resulted from the talks infuriated Russians and annoyed many figures in the international-law community. Yet it has been a surprisingly successful move, producing an end to violence and allowing Serbia to move toward economic normality and membership in Europe.
This week, Kosovo was recognized as a state by neighbouring Montenegro, which as a Slavic country, a Russian ally and a former federal partner of Serbia, surprised many observers by acknowledging the new reality.
This is not the first time the Ahtisaari approach has rubbed people the wrong way. In his early days in Namibia, where he began as a Finnish ambassador, he was seen as eager to impose Western interests on the region in an atmosphere that was still guided by Cold War animosities.
One Australian negotiator on the Indonesia-Aceh peace talks told the Associated Press Friday that Mr. Ahtisaari began “from a very naive position. He was, by definition, pro-Indonesia, supporting the integrity of the state and dismissing Aceh's insistence on independence.”
After initial fury from the Aceh representatives, however, his tough approach ended up winning their respect, and fully ended a decades-long bloody conflict.
Behind the bland, self-effacing Scandinavian façade, Mr. Ahtisaari has never been afraid to make such positions known, and dangle very solid carrots and sticks at the bargaining table.

[Invisigoth]

They gave a Nobel peace prize to Henry Kissinger for crying out loud...

[Othree52]

That freakin' damn Peace Prize lost all creditability when Arafat won it back in '94. I havnt taken that sh*t seriously since......

[Knutsen]

That freakin' damn Peace Prize lost all creditability when Arafat won it back in '94. I havnt taken that sh*t seriously since......

Since i was born i haven't taken it seriously; Kissinger already had it. Arafat's prize was just continuing the criteria.

[Russian_dude]

I mean he would have deserved a prize if he came up with a plan that BOTH parties accepted... As it stands, his "peace" plan was only made possible through war.

[Rudolph]

The Nobel Peace Prize is the most worthless, yet highly-acclaimed award in mainstream media. Sometimes it seems the world places more value in someone who created conflict, then stopped it, than someone who avoided all conflict at all... (latter not referring to anyone specific, although we could all come up with a few names).

[LineDoggie]

They gave a Nobel peace prize to Henry Kissinger for crying out loud...


I've actually met Kissinger several times, a Buddy from Iraq works for him. Nice enough guy

[Thor]

Let me first of all say that Ahtisaari is the first recipient in many years who have helped in bringing actual peace, in the true spirit of the prize.

Secondly, what some numbnuts don't understand is that the prize isn't meant to be some award for random monks and Ghandi-like individuals. Hiter and Stalin would have both deserved to share the prize had they managed to negotiate a peace that would have spared the lives of 50 million people. Impact, not pious character, should be the first criteria.

[helomech]

That freakin' damn Peace Prize lost all creditability when Arafat won it back in '94. I havnt taken that sh*t seriously since......

I'm in total agreement!And the fact they gave it to Al Gore too,wtf?

[The Dane]

Let me first of all say that Ahtisaari is the first recipient in many years who have helped in bringing actual peace, in the true spirit of the prize.


X2... a good choise.

[JRT]

The decision also reinforced a long-held resentment against Mr. Ahtisaari by Russians, whose distrust dates back to his period as president of the former Soviet satellite state of Finland, from 1994 to 2000.


At first my hair grew up and blood pressure rose up but then again perhaps this is a more accurate view than Finns like to admit...

Anyways Ahtisaari should have got the prize back in 05/06 when the Aceh deal was signed. The CV is impressive, Namibia, cease fire in Kosovo '99, N. Ireland, Aceh. I don't believe even Russians disagree over 1999, since Chernomyrdin was a big part of those negotiations as well.

What comes to Kosovo's independent status, there are as many opinions as a$$holes but at least there is no more shooting around. What comes to Russian opposition of the Ahtisaari plan it would be interesting to know what alternatives were presented, at least in the Finnish media it was only reported that Russia opposes the plan but no alternatives were for the (mainstream) public.

[Kaerry]

The decision also reinforced a long-held resentment against Mr. Ahtisaari by Russians, whose distrust dates back to his period as president of the former Soviet satellite state of Finland, from 1994 to 2000.


...what? I wonder if that's some perverse reintepretation of history or just a product of idiocy. Or both.

[V.I.D.]

Al Gore is Mother Theresa in comparison to this arrogant prick. This is why he's especially beloved among the Serbs (calling the whole nation "guilty"):
Ahtisaari: Serbs have a burden to pay for (http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2006&mm=08&dd=26&nav_id=36317)

26 August 2006 | 11:50 | Source: B92 Priština, Belgrade -- Marti Ahtisaari told Belgrade, in the context of latest developments over Kosovo, that every nation has a burden to pay for

http://www.b92.net/news/pics/2006/08/115360047444f01a12414c2180739705_orig.jpgMarti Ahtisaari (FoNet)

UN special envoy for Kosovo status negotiations told officials in Belgrade that the policy of Slobodan Milošević had to be taken into account in the process of determining Kosovo’s future status. “Every nation in the world has a burden it has to pay for”, Ahtisaari said.

“The democratic leadership in Serbia today cannot be held accountable for the actions of Slobodan Milošević, but the leaders in Belgrade have to face the heritage and responsibility, because this historical heritage cannot be ignored, but rather must be taken into account in the process of finding a solution for the future status of Kosovo“, Ahtisaari said. The Serbian team for negotiations previously asked Ahtisaari to clarify his statement that Serbs were guilty as a nation and warned that his claim could bring into question his unbiased position in the negotiations. The coordinator of the Serbian delegtion Leon Kojen told a press conference that the team from Belgrade had expressed dissatisfaction and resent towards this statement made by Ahtisaari at the meeting with members of the Serbian delegation on August 8 in Vienna.

There is progress…

At the end of his four-day visit to Priština, where he met with the Kosovo negotiations team, Ahtisaari said that the talks were successful and that there has been progress on issues of decentralisation and the protection of minority rights. He declined to reveal more details and said this would have been unfair towards his interlocutors in the talks, because of a possible influence on the further course of the status negotiations. Ahtisaari pointed out, however, that the gaps between the two parties were narrowing down, adding that a lot has remained to be done in relation to matters of decentralisation, determining the competencies of the new Serb municipalities and the entire set of issues related to the protection of minority rights. Ahtisaari announced his expert team would visit Belgrade very soon and stressed that he expected positive reactions as those received in Priština. Ahtisaari also said that he still insisted on negotiations over technical issues, which are a prerequisite for dealing with the main question of status. The general impression after Ahtisaari’s press conference is that there has been a certain kind of compromise and agreement between the UN envoy and the Kosovo negotiation team over issues of decentralization, minority rights and the protection of cultural monuments. According to well-informed sources in Priština, the two delegations have found common ground on all of these issues except for Mitrovica, the ethnically divided town in northern Kosovo that is still waiting for a solution that will be acceptable to all sides in the negotiations.

Nojkić: Ahtisaari not satisfied

Ranđel Nojkić from the Serbian List for Kosovo Metohija claims it is realistic to assume that Marti Ahtisaari has left Kosovo unsatisfied because he did not succeed in moving the issues of decentralisation and minority rights from deadlock. „My impression is that the Albanians are not prepared to make any concessions, not because of Ahtisaari and the international community, but because of the public opinion and their own people whom they are representing in Kosovo institutions. Quite probably the Albanians, their leaders and the Priština team for negotiations are prepared to accept an imposed solution and this is something I believe is going to happen“, Nojkić says. He added that the problem of Kosovska Mitrovica should have been dealt with earlier. „Kosovska Mitrovica is indeed one of the larger issues, I’m afraid that the other Serb enclaves will follow the example of northern Kosovo and raise certain issues in a more extreme manner in order to box out a situation that will provide them with security and peace”, Nojkić explained. He said the international community had underestimated the gravity of the situation in northern Kosovo and allowed things to go out of hand.

[alee]

Yeah, you should consider ALL merits from Mr. Ahtisaari's whole career. Just because Kosovo was the latest "accomplishment" it doesn't mean he was awarded for that. I guess he got it mainly for the work during Namibia's independence processs.

[Rudolph]

^^^

I wasn't really aware of this fellow before, but here's an article on his work relating to the Namibia peace process:

Ahtisaari's 'Finnish' calm key to mediation in Namibia (http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/236415,ahtisaaris-finnish-calm-key-to-mediation-in-namibia.html)
Posted : Fri, 10 Oct 2008

Johannesburg -Minutes after winning the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize, Finnish ex-president Martti Ahtisaari's thoughts were with the south-west African desert state of Namibia, where he cut his teeth as a peace-broker in the 1970s. The veteran mediator was a United Nations envoy to the country between 1977 and 1990 - during the struggle in then South West Africa's for independence from apartheid-era South Africa.


Ahtisaari oversaw the long and difficult negotiations between Pretoria and the South West Africa's People Organization (SWAPO) liberation movement leading to Namibia's independence in 1990.


Speaking to Norwegian broadcaster NRK minutes after the award announcement Ahtisaari described Namibia as his "most important achievement."


Reacting to Ahtisaari's win, Namibian former prime minister and speaker of parliament Theo-Ben Gurirab, who was SWAPO's envoy to the UN during Ahtisaari's mediation, said Friday he thought being a Finn stood"in good stead."


In an interview with Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa, Gurirab, who described himself as a close personal friend of Ahtisaari, said: "He brought a typical Finnish character - very calm, very friendly, very respectful, a very balanced cultural attitudes to things."


South Africa took over the large, sparsely-populated state during World War 1. Despite the UN ending South Africa's mandate over Namibia in 1966, Namibia, which served as a buffer between the apartheid state and Marxist Angola, did not gain independence until 1990.


Ahtisaari first came into contact with SWAPO when he was ambassador to Tanzania in the 1970s, where SWAPO activists were living in exile. In 1977 he was named UN Commissioner to Namibia and in 1989 became the UN's secretary-general's special representative to the country.


As a negotiator in Namibia, Gurirab said, Ahtisaari had to try to juggle the interests of a bewildering array of stakeholders, for whom south-west Africa became a frontline in the Cold War, including the United States, former colonial power Germany, Cuba and the Soviet Union.


"It took decades, it took death, it took betrayal, it took suffering but in the end he was part of the team that brought about the independence of Namibia," said Gurirab.


Gurirab situated the turning point in the negotiations at the battle of Cuito Cuanavale in southern Angola in 1988 between Cuban Angolan and South Africa forces that left thousands dead on both sides.


"That is what made everybody to say 'there is no point in this, lets sit down and work out a roadmap towards Cuba leaving Angola, South Africa leaving Angola, and on their way, leaving Namibia, and the UN to come and organize free and fair elections'," said Gurirab, who went on to become Namibia's first foreign minister after independence and later prime minister.

For Gurirab, Ahtisaari's Nobel Prize was a "deserved honour" for a "job well done."

[CouchCommando]

I wonder which one is the greater prize for a peace maker, the Nobel prize or being hated by warmongers?

[PEMM]

At first my hair grew up and blood pressure rose up but then again perhaps this is a more accurate view than Finns like to admit...
.

Nope, thats bull. Satellite state would be country like East-Germany, totally different from Finland.

[Karry]

Just because Kosovo was the latest "accomplishment" it doesn't mean he was awarded for that.
You really do believe that ?
Seriously ?

[Stefan850]

I wonder which one is the greater prize for a peace maker, the Nobel prize or being hated by warmongers?

He will be loved by the warmongers for what he did in Kosovo.

[alee]

You really do believe that ?
Seriously ?
Yes. Why wouldn't I?

[INAT]

I've actually met Kissinger several times, a Buddy from Iraq works for him. Nice enough guy


You do know what he said about soldiers right?


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________


The original post stated this "the lengthy talks with Serbia that resulted in the Albanian-majority region of Kosovo becoming an independent nation earlier this year." No the talks (if you can call them that) resulted in Serbia rejecting his plan and the Albanians unilaterally proclaimed Kosovo-Metohija all theirs later on. He was not the deciding factor. It was alleged by German intelligence he got a huge payment from the KLA for his plan to give away Serbian land.


It seems the term Nobel "peace" prize is an Orwellian term or is given to people whom serve the NWO faithfully.

[Paya]

What comes to Kosovo's independent status, there are as many opinions as a$$holes but at least there is no more shooting around.
No, but by granting one side all it wanted, and as mediator actually disagreeing with further negotiations, he effectively set the ground for a future war. And not only in Kosovo.

[0rphie]

Let me first of all say that Ahtisaari is the first recipient in many years who have helped in bringing actual peace, in the true spirit of the prize.

Actually, NATO troops brought peace. Ahtisaari has done
nothing to achieve peace.

[timetraveller]

Let me first of all say that Ahtisaari is the first recipient in many years who have helped in bringing actual peace, in the true spirit of the prize.

Secondly, what some numbnuts don't understand is that the prize isn't meant to be some award for random monks and Ghandi-like individuals. Hiter and Stalin would have both deserved to share the prize had they managed to negotiate a peace that would have spared the lives of 50 million people. Impact, not pious character, should be the first criteria.


true ,,,


but still there are those whom are just blatently jealous

[INAT]

Actually, NATO troops brought peace. Ahtisaari has done
nothing to achieve peace.



That is exactly what I said. Remember it was a humanitarian bombing campaign.

War for peace.

[V.I.D.]

I wonder which one is the greater prize for a peace maker, the Nobel prize or being hated by warmongers?

If only world were that simple. "Peacemaker" for sale .........

[Wrangel]

Actually, NATO troops brought peace. Ahtisaari has done
nothing to achieve peace.

NATO troops brought peace,thats for sure:

:roll::roll:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_unrest_in_Kosovo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gra%C4%8Danica_bus_bombing

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/628880.stm

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E01E0D8173DF93AA3575AC0A96F958260


As for Ahtisaari,his plan for Kosovo was truly brilliant,impartial and creative,and it goes like this:
"Either will Serbia recognize Kosovo independence,or Kosovo will become indipendent."

Kinda like existentialist "dilemma"....:|

[signatory]

How unusual. Some bitter serbs think they are the centre of the world.

Ahtisaari is a decent recipient.

[The Balkan]

It seems the term Nobel "peace" prize is an Orwellian term or is given to people whom serve the NWO faithfully.

Don't forget the reptoids, Greys and the underground mole race that dug tunnels for Hitler at his spacestaion on the Moon.

http://fermentation.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/06/27/tinfoil.jpg

[Wrangel]

How unusual. Some bitter serbs think they are the centre of the world.


Like some bitter Americans....:)

[Chulo]

That freakin' damn Peace Prize lost all creditability when Arafat won it back in '94. I havnt taken that sh*t seriously since......and Al Gore's pick proved that the committee work for MTv

[signatory]

Like some bitter Americans....:)

I'm pretty sure that 99.99999999% of Americans don't give a damn let alone start threads about it.

[The Balkan]

I'm pretty sure that 99.99999999% of Americans don't give a damn let alone start threads about it.

I started the thread lol. I'm one of the "enemies" of Serbdom as well. By default.

[cinoeye]

How unusual. Some bitter serbs think they are the centre of the world.

Ahtisaari is a decent recipient.
SOme are bitter, and some do think they are the center of the world.
But you should know one thing-Ahtisaari was wrong about Kosovo, and he did not do the right thing there!

[Wrangel]

I'm pretty sure that 99.99999999% of Americans don't give a damn let alone start threads about it.

Balkan is Bosnian Muslim,not Serb..

As he said:


I started the thread lol. I'm one of the "enemies" of Serbdom as well. By default.

See how honest he is...:)

[signatory]

To be honest no one can keep a track of you balkan guys. It's that same crap just different angles.

[Mate]

To be honest no one can keep a track of you balkan guys. It's that same crap just different angles.
roflrofl
I just spilled my beer out of my nose....you,sir,owe me a keyboard.

[The Balkan]

To be honest no one can keep a track of you balkan guys. It's that same crap just different angles.


http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e399/RaulRigel/Balkanpals.jpg

[Pejon09]

Congratz to him, well deserved.

[Wall]

How unusual. Some bitter serbs think they are the centre of the world.

Ahtisaari is a decent recipient.
I agree. 123456789

[11 Bravo]

I'm pretty sure that 99.99999999% of Americans don't give a damn let alone start threads about it.

Damn ; you read my mind on this worhtless thread !.

[Stefan850]

I'm pretty sure that 99.99999999% of Americans don't give a damn let alone start threads about it.

I agree. And not only that, I'm pretty sure 99.999999% of Americans have no idea whatsoever about anything related to Ahtisaari, Kosovo, or as you put it "us balkan guys", and yet, your word is final. That's because you are the most powerful nation currently, and that's absolutely normal, it's the way world works.

Where is that clip of those Australians interviewing Americans, where Americans are saying how they should invade Italy and Canada :)

[domokun]

The decision also reinforced a long-held resentment against Mr. Ahtisaari by Russians, whose distrust dates back to his period as president of the former Soviet satellite state of Finland, from 1994 to 2000.


Okay... There is term Finlandization about internal coercion of independent state by foreign state. Finnish policy regarding Soviet Union was not to critizise them in any possible way and having good relations with them was imperative to prevent possible Soviet occupation. But satelite state is too much, we were both democratic and capitalistic. Due to strong enough military to delay/defeat Soviet attack in WWII, we got own interim peace with them. For that reason we remained independent and got lot better deal at end WWII than rest of countries in between Germany and Soviet Union.


They gave a Nobel peace prize to Henry Kissinger for crying out loud...

He got for ending Vietnam war... War actually ended two years after he got award. :D


Since i was born i haven't taken it seriously; Kissinger already had it. Arafat's prize was just continuing the criteria.

True and Arafat got it with couple of Israelis, Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin.


I've actually met Kissinger several times, a Buddy from Iraq works for him. Nice enough guy

Good for you and your friend. He is nice enough guy to keep his archive over stuff he did in regards to Vietnam war classified for reseachers and historians for couple decades after his death. He apparently fear what damage those would make to his public image and personal liberty (in sense possible illegal orders go to causing possible prison sentence).

[IronFinn]

From Saturday's Globe and Mail
October 10, 2008 at 9:43 PM EDT
former Soviet satellite state of Finland.

Wat?

Globe and Mail really need to get their facts straight.