Editing Martti Ahtisaari (section)

=== Syria conflict ===
[[File:The Elders (9358747992).jpg|thumb|Ahtisaari (first from left) with [[William Hague]], [[Jimmy Carter]], and [[Lakhdar Brahimi]] from The Elders group in London, 24 July 2013]]
In August 2012, Ahtisaari opined on the sectarian violence in [[Syrian civil war|Syria]]<ref name=yle01/> and was mentioned as a possible replacement as Joint Envoy there to succeed former [[Secretary-General of the United Nations|Secretary-General]] [[Kofi Annan]].<ref>[http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20121017165403/http://ukun.fco.gov.uk/en/news/?view=PressS&id=796877582 "General Assembly adopts Resolution on Syria"], transcript of UK Ambassador Sir [[Mark Lyall Grant]]'s remarks at the 'stakeout' after adoption of the resolution, British UN Mission website, 3 August 2012. Ahtisaari's name only mentioned in a media question. No comment from Grant. Retrieved 3 August 2012.</ref><ref>[http://rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/03/whos-crazy-enough-to-take-on-syria/ "'Crazy' Enough to Take on Syria?"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150611020432/http://rendezvous.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/03/whos-crazy-enough-to-take-on-syria/ |date=11 June 2015 }}, The New York ''Times'', 3 August 2012. Posted 3 August 2012.</ref> However, Ahtisaari then told the Finnish state broadcaster [[YLE]] that "he wished the mission would fall on someone else"<ref>{{cite news|url=http://yle.fi/uutiset/ahtisaari_syyria-tehtavasta_toivoisin_etta_se_menisi_jonnekin_muualle/6248657|title=Ahtisaari Syyria-tehtävästä: Toivoisin, että se menisi jonnekin muualle|date=8 August 2012|work=YLE Uutiset|language=fi|access-date=11 August 2012|archive-date=9 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120809163658/http://yle.fi/uutiset/ahtisaari_syyria-tehtavasta_toivoisin_etta_se_menisi_jonnekin_muualle/6248657|url-status=live}}</ref> which it ultimately did in the person of [[Lakhdar Brahimi]], a former [[Algeria]]n foreign minister and longtime U.N. diplomat.<ref>[https://archive.today/20130130042618/http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-08-17/news/33252347_1_syria-envoy-arab-league-envoy-lakhdar-brahimi "UN: Algeria's Brahimi will replace Annan in Syria"], AP via New York ''Daily News'', 17 August 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2012.</ref>

In late 2015, Martti Ahtisaari reiterated charges he already had made in an interview with German broadcaster [[Deutsche Welle]] in early 2013 against members of the [[UN security council]] on the obstruction of a political solution to the escalating conflict in Syria.<ref>[http://www.dw.com/de/ahtisaari-sicherheitsrat-ist-schuld/a-16577293 Ahtisaari: "Sicherheitsrat ist schuld"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160419213528/http://www.dw.com/de/ahtisaari-sicherheitsrat-ist-schuld/a-16577293 |date=19 April 2016 }}, dw.com, 11 February 2013 (in German)</ref> Ahtisaari said in an interview in September 2015 that he held talks about Syria with envoys from the five permanent members of the [[UN security council]] in February 2012. According to Ahtisaari, [[Vitaly Churkin]], Russian ambassador to the [[United Nations]], laid out three points during a meeting with him, which included not arming the Syrian opposition, commencing talks between Syrian president [[Bashar al-Assad|Assad]] and the opposition and finding "an elegant way for Assad to step aside". But the US, Britain and France subsequently ignored the proposal. Ahtisaari said in the interview: "Nothing happened because I think all these, and many others, were convinced that Assad would be thrown out of office in a few weeks so there was no need to do anything."<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/15/west-ignored-russian-offer-in-2012-to-have-syrias-assad-step-aside West 'ignored Russian offer in 2012 to have Syria's Assad step aside'] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161008083307/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/15/west-ignored-russian-offer-in-2012-to-have-syrias-assad-step-aside |date=8 October 2016 }}, theguardian.com, 15 September 2015</ref>