Bloody conflicts around the world could well have been worse if it weren't for the work of a man most Americans have never heard of. That's the conclusion of the Nobel Committee, which has awarded this year's Nobel Peace Prize to 71-year old Martti Ahtisaari. The Nobel Committee has commended the former President of Finland for mediating between hostile parties in South Africa, Indonesia, Kosovo, Northern Ireland, Central Asia and, most recently, in Iraq. Pekka Lintu, the current Finish Ambassador to the United States, is a friend and colleague of Ahtisaari's.
