Finland is disappointed with the answer it has received from the United States with regard to a stopover of a suspected prisoner transport plane at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport.
On Wednesday, Finland received a written response, which, according to the Minister for Foreign Affairs Erkki Tuomioja (SDP), can only be described as "very general". The letter does not reveal the specifics of whether the US Central Intelligence Agency transported terrorist suspects from one location to another via Finland.
"We are disappointed. It would have been better in this instance if we had received more precise information regarding the matter", Tuomioja told the Finnish News Agency (STT) on Thursday.
According to Tuomioja, the letter received is clearly an identical copy of the reply that has been sent to all European countries that have requested further clarification.
Tuomioja does not believe any additional information will be forthcoming from the United States regarding the matter.
The letter mainly repeats what the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has already publicly stated with regard to the suspicions. Rice has emphasised that the United States adheres to the law and does not treat suspects in a humiliating fashion.
The CIA is suspected of having transported prisoners regularly to secret detention centres via European airports in recent years. In Finland's case only one flight falls under such suspicions.
A Hercules transport plane claimed to have been used for the transport of prisoners landed briefly at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport in mid-May 2003. The plane came from Frankfurt, spent about an hour on the ground in Helsinki, and proceeded to Stockholm. The plane was said to have carried supplies for the US Embassy in Helsinki.
Two weeks ago the Finnish Security Police (SUPO) asked the CIA for further clarification on the matter.
