Finland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Erkki Tuomioja (soc dem) Tuesday sternly spoke out against Israel’s assassination of Hamas leader Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi on Saturday. Tuomioja writes in his website that Rantissi certainly is guilty of horrific crimes against humanity but that this does not make a second unlawful execution a just nor a wise act.
| "Far better to let him continue what he was doing. What's a few dead people? There's lots of people in the world. Eventually they'll all be dead, won't they?" |
The minister points out that the murder took place immediately after Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s Washington visit. From this Tuomioja infers that the act got -- at least an indirect -- carte blanche from the United States.
| It came three hours after the Erez Crossing boom. Y'don't think that might have had something to do with it? |
"One should not wonder if this kind of action by one of the two leading military mights in the world leads to a situation where hundreds of Palestinians and Muslims want to share Rantissi’s martyrdom -- as they see it -- by committing acts of terror on innocent people", Tuomioja writes.
| "Best not to antagonize them. It'll just make them more murderous..." |
Rantissi’s murder nor any other factor does not, however, justify a single terror attack or other form of violence, he adds.
| "Violence, as we all know, is very bad..." |
Those who commit such deeds should be treated as criminals in accord with principles of jurisprudence, said Tuomioja.
| I must have missed it when they swore out the warrant for Rantissi... |
"But also those who use means at odds with the tenets of international law and jurisprudence are in part responsible for terrorism", he nevertheless retorted.
| "Really. You bring it on yourselves, y'know?" |
"At the moment the events in the Middle East and Iraq can only increase terrorism, surely according to Osama Bin Laden’s wishes."
| "And then the Terrorists Will Have Won™..." |
Tuomioja has gained notoriety as a vocal critic of Israel’s policies. An earlier comment where the minister compared Israel’s methods to those used by Nazi Germany provoked diplomatic uproar and a subsequent official apology to Israel was issued. Tuomioja’s article was also published as a column Tuesday in daily Hufvudstadsbladet. |