Iraq-gate (Finland)
Encyclopedia
The Iraq leak is a series of events that began on 6 March 2003 from a statement given by Anneli Jäätteenmäki
, leader of the Finnish
Centre Party
, in a televised election debate prior to the 2003 parliamentary election
. Jäätteenmäki accused Paavo Lipponen
, the then Prime Minister of Finland
, of attaching Finland to George W. Bush
's 'coalition of the willing
' that was in preparation for the 2003 war in Iraq. Lipponen had visited Washington
on 9 December 2002.
According to Jäätteenmäki, Finland had taken part in a meeting where 'those countries that had promised cooperation and aid' had been invited. It was later discovered that Jäätteenmäki had acquired the information from secret foreign ministry documents, which she had received from Martti Manninen, an advisor to the President of Finland
.
Prime Minister Lipponen's actions were believed to be influenced by the fact that Finland was about to sell AMOS
mortars to the U.S. military to be part of its Land Warrior
program.
The Left Alliance
member of parliament Jaakko Laakso
, together with other representatives, had posted a public question on Lipponen's statements in Washington already on 19 December 2002. There was no public inquiry on the matter, even though the documents cast doubt on the legality of mortar
deals during the 2001 war in Afghanistan
. The Green
member Ulla Anttila
and others questioned an authorisation to export arms that was granted to Patria
-Hägglunds
shortly before the war started.
The Centre Party won the parliamentary election and became the largest party in the Finnish Eduskunta. Jäätteenmäki was appointed
Prime Minister of Finland by President Tarja Halonen
on 17 April 2003. However, the lack of trust in Jäätteenmäki caused by the solicitation of secret documents and her flat-out public denial of this, despite incriminating evidence, forced her to resign as Prime Minister on 24 June. Jäätteenmäki claimed that the documents were given to her unexpectedly and without solicitation, which Manninen denied. A new cabinet was formed by Matti Vanhanen
, who also became the leader of the party. Manninen was also sacked from his job as advisor to the president.
On 19 December 2003, criminal charges were pressed against Martti Manninen for leaking secret documents and against Anneli Jäätteenmäki for incitement and aid to the same. Manninen was found guilty, and had to pay 80 day fines, but Jäätteenmäki was not found guilty, as she did not specifically request the documents.
David Schlaefer, spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Helsinki, denied in 2003 after Jäätteenmäki's resignation that there was ever any understanding on cooperation or assistance between Finland and the U.S. during Lipponen's meetings in Washington, stating at a conference at University of Helsinki that "it is simply not true, it did not happen."
Anneli Jäätteenmäki
Anneli Tuulikki Jäätteenmäki, Master of Laws was the first female Prime Minister of Finland, in office from 17 April 2003 to 24 June 2003....
, leader of the Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
Centre Party
Centre Party (Finland)
The Centre Party is a centrist and Nordic agrarian political party in Finland. It is one of the four largest political parties in the country, along with the Social Democratic Party , the National Coalition Party and the True Finns , and currently has 35 seats in the Finnish Parliament...
, in a televised election debate prior to the 2003 parliamentary election
Finnish parliamentary election, 2003
The Finnish parliamentary election of 2003 was the 34th election to the Eduskunta , held on 16 March 2003 after the termination of the previous parliamentary term...
. Jäätteenmäki accused Paavo Lipponen
Paavo Lipponen
Paavo Tapio Lipponen is a Finnish politician and former reporter. He was Prime Minister of Finland from 1995 to 2003, and Chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Finland from 1993 to 2005...
, the then Prime Minister of Finland
Prime Minister of Finland
The Prime Minister is the Head of Government of Finland. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President, who is the Head of State. The current Prime Minister is Jyrki Katainen of the National Coalition Party.-Overview:...
, of attaching Finland to George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's 'coalition of the willing
Coalition of the willing
The term coalition of the willing is a post-1990 political phrase used to collectively describe participants in military or military-humanitarian interventions for which the United Nations Security Council cannot agree to mount a full UN peacekeeping operation...
' that was in preparation for the 2003 war in Iraq. Lipponen had visited Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
on 9 December 2002.
According to Jäätteenmäki, Finland had taken part in a meeting where 'those countries that had promised cooperation and aid' had been invited. It was later discovered that Jäätteenmäki had acquired the information from secret foreign ministry documents, which she had received from Martti Manninen, an advisor to the President of Finland
President of Finland
The President of the Republic of Finland is the nation's head of state. Under the Finnish constitution, executive power is vested in the President and the government, with the President possessing extensive powers. The President is elected directly by the people of Finland for a term of six years....
.
Prime Minister Lipponen's actions were believed to be influenced by the fact that Finland was about to sell AMOS
AMOS
AMOS or Advanced Mortar System is a 120 mm automatic twin barrelled, breech loaded mortar turret. AMOS has been fitted to a wide range of armoured vehicles such as the Sisu Pasi, Patria AMV, Combat Vehicle 90 or Combat Boat 90....
mortars to the U.S. military to be part of its Land Warrior
Land Warrior
Land Warrior is a United States Army program, cancelled in 2007, that was to use a combination of commercial, off-the-shelf technology and current-issue military gear and equipment designed to:* integrate small arms with high-tech equipment;...
program.
The Left Alliance
Left Alliance (Finland)
The Left Alliance is a left-wing political party in Finland. It was founded on the basis of the Finnish People's Democratic League and the Communist Party of Finland in 1990....
member of parliament Jaakko Laakso
Jaakko Laakso
Jaakko Tapani Laakso is a Finnish leftwing politician and member of Parliament since 1991 representing Left Alliance. He is a former member of the Communist Party of Finland....
, together with other representatives, had posted a public question on Lipponen's statements in Washington already on 19 December 2002. There was no public inquiry on the matter, even though the documents cast doubt on the legality of mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
deals during the 2001 war in Afghanistan
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
. The Green
Green League
The Green League is a centrist green liberal political party in Finland. It has ten seats in the Finnish Parliament and two in the European Parliament. The current chairperson is Ville Niinistö....
member Ulla Anttila
Ulla Anttila
Ulla Mari Ainikki Anttila is a Finnish politician and a former member of Finnish Parliament, representing the Green League. She was first elected to the parliament in 1991 and left the parliament 2007. She is also a member of the city council of Vantaa .Anttila was born in Helsinki, Finland...
and others questioned an authorisation to export arms that was granted to Patria
Patria (company)
Patria is a Finnish company which produces a wide range of defence, aviation and aerospace technology. It carries on the firearms tradition of Valtion Kivääritehdas and the aerospace tradition of Valtion lentokonetehdas.-Patria Aviation:* NH90* Mini-UAVs...
-Hägglunds
Land Systems Hägglunds
BAE Systems AB is a Swedish defence company and a subsidiary of BAE Systems Land and Armaments, whose ultimate parent is the British defence contractor BAE Systems. The company was formed in 2006 by the merger of Land Systems Hägglunds AB and BAE Systems Bofors.-BAE Systems Hägglunds:AB Hägglund &...
shortly before the war started.
The Centre Party won the parliamentary election and became the largest party in the Finnish Eduskunta. Jäätteenmäki was appointed
Anneli Jäätteenmäki's Cabinet
Anneli Jäätteenmäki's cabinet was the 68th government of Republic of Finland. Cabinet's time period was from April 17, 2003 to June 24, 2003. It was Majority government....
Prime Minister of Finland by President Tarja Halonen
Tarja Halonen
Tarja Kaarina Halonen is the incumbent President of Finland. The first female to hold the office, Halonen had previously been a member of the parliament from 1979 to 2000 when she resigned after her election to the presidency...
on 17 April 2003. However, the lack of trust in Jäätteenmäki caused by the solicitation of secret documents and her flat-out public denial of this, despite incriminating evidence, forced her to resign as Prime Minister on 24 June. Jäätteenmäki claimed that the documents were given to her unexpectedly and without solicitation, which Manninen denied. A new cabinet was formed by Matti Vanhanen
Matti Vanhanen
Matti Taneli Vanhanen is a Finnish politician. He is a former Prime Minister of Finland and a former Chairman of the Centre Party. In the second half of 2006 he was President of the European Council. In his earlier career he was a journalist...
, who also became the leader of the party. Manninen was also sacked from his job as advisor to the president.
On 19 December 2003, criminal charges were pressed against Martti Manninen for leaking secret documents and against Anneli Jäätteenmäki for incitement and aid to the same. Manninen was found guilty, and had to pay 80 day fines, but Jäätteenmäki was not found guilty, as she did not specifically request the documents.
David Schlaefer, spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Helsinki, denied in 2003 after Jäätteenmäki's resignation that there was ever any understanding on cooperation or assistance between Finland and the U.S. during Lipponen's meetings in Washington, stating at a conference at University of Helsinki that "it is simply not true, it did not happen."
Catchphrases originated from the scandal
A number of comments made by Prime Minister Jäätteenmäki during the unfolding of her part of the scandal remain as popular phrases in Finland. Among the most memorable are:- "I have two ears and I have heard all kinds of things." Jäätteenmäki's explanation for how she got hold of the secret information. Now used in the shortened form "I have two ears."
- "I try to speak as truthfully as I can." Jäätteenmäki to reporters at Helsinki airport in early June 2003. Became a popular example of "politician's ethics".
- "I hadn't asked for them and they came to me as a surprise." Jäätteenmäki defending herself before Parliament on the charges that she had asked for the secret documents from Manninen or somebody else. This is often alluded to with pyytämättä ja yllätyksenä, "unrequested and as a surprise".