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Photographers and reporters gather around Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Thorbjoern Jagland, at podium left, in Oslo as he announces that U.S. President Barack Obama has won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. (AP Photo / Jon-Michael Josefsen, Scanpix)
By GREGORY KATZ
LONDON — The surprise choice of President Barack Obama for the Nobel Peace Prize drew praise from much of the world Friday even as many pointed out the youthful leader has not yet accomplished much on the world stage.
The new president was hailed for his willingness to reach out to the Islamic world, his commitment to curtailing the spread of nuclear weapons and his goal of bringing the Israelis and Palestinians into serious, fruitful negotiations.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, who won the prize 1984, said Obama’s award shows great things are expected from him in the coming years.
“In a way, it’s an award coming near the beginning of the first term of office of a relatively young president that anticipates an even greater contribution towards making our world a safer place for all,” he said. “It is an award that speaks to the promise of President Obama’s message of hope.”
He said the prize is a “wonderful recognition of Obama’s effort to reach out to the Arab world after years of hostility.
In the Kenyan city of Kisumu, the home province of Obama’s father, local radio shows interrupted broadcasting to have live phone-ins so callers could congratulate Obama on his win. Traders in the market huddled around hand-held radios and touts shouted the news from the windows of local minibuses — known as matatus.
“When I heard it on the radio I said Hallelujah!” said 65-year-old James Andaro. “It’s God’s blessing. This win is for Africa.”
Matatu driver Ajos Rambanya, 27, said: “I am very happy. Someone who is good is known by his deeds and Obama has proven that.”
Another former Nobel winner, Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, said Obama has already provided outstanding leadership in the effort to prevent nuclear proliferation.
“In less than a year in office, he has transformed the way we look at ourselves and the world we live in and rekindled hope for a world at peace with itself,” ElBaradei said. “He has shown an unshakable commitment to diplomacy, mutual respect and dialogue as the best means of resolving conflicts. He has reached out across divides and made clear that he sees the world as one human family, regardless of religion, race or ethnicity.”
Still, some said the award came too soon, in light of the lack of tangible progress toward the vital goals of bringing peace to the Middle East, persuading Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions and improving relations with North Korea.
“The award is premature,” said Eugene Rogan, director of the Middle East Center at Oxford University in England. “He hasn’t done anything yet. But he’s made clear from the start of his presidency his commitment to promote peace. No doubt the Nobel committee hopes the award will enhance his moral authority to advance the cause of peace while he’s still president.”
Massimo Teodori, one of Italy’s leading experts of U.S. history, said the Nobel decision is a clear rejection of the “unilateral, antagonistic politics” of Obama’s predecessor, George Bush.
“The prize is well deserved after the Bush years, which had antagonized the rest of the world,” Teodori said. “President Obama’s policy of extending his hand has reconciled the United States with the international community.”
Teodori mentioned Obama’s efforts to reach out to former adversaries and his landmark speech in Cairo addressed to the Muslim world.
“For now it’s still intentions rather then fully implemented policies, but they are deserving ones,” Teodori said.
Reaction was far more muted in some Islamic countries. In Pakistan’s central city of Multan, radical Islamic leader Hanif Jalandhri, said he was neither happy nor surprised by Obama’s award.
“But I do hope that Obama will make efforts to work for peace, and he will try to scrap the policies of Bush who put the world peace in danger,” said Jalandhri, secretary general of a group that oversees 12,500 seminaries. “This prize has tripled Obama’s responsibilities, and we can hope that he will try to prove through his actions that he deserved this honor.”
Others were stunned.
“I don’t think Obama has done anything for peace,” said shop owner Rana Naveed, 38, in Multan. “I am shocked.”
When will the community altars be built?
The best posting I saw on this subject was on drudgereport.com when it asked in 80-point letters [or some such], "FOR WHAT?".
Hey, let's get Dear Leader to run for UN Secretary General. At least it will get him out of the country. Biden cannot possibly be worse.
First the notion that he is some sort of 'messiah'. Then, school children forced to learn and sing a song, "Barack Hussein Obama mmm.mmm.mmm". What next? The Neo-Obama Dalai Lama? I smell a UN/EU force coming around the bend and it stinks. I hear the first shofar blowing up ahead.
What about the candidates: a brave Chinese dissident or the equally brave Afghan activist I read about? They deserve the Peace prize even more. They have everything to lose and nothing to gain. And, that prize may have kept the authorities off their backs for awhile as the world watches them. What a colossal waste!
Jonah Goldberg posted this morning... "What's next, the Cy Young award..." afterall, he did "throw" out the first pitch once.
This is laughable, and demeans the Nobel prize and what it stands for. No doubt Obama could be worthy of it one day, but now? No.
He should decline the award and suggest a more suitable alternative winner. That would be classy, and would do more to fill his otherwise empty suit than anything he has done thus far.
Walden writes:
"He should decline the award and suggest a more suitable alternative winner."
I support that idea.
Vanity and Power will be hard to resist, I think.
Here's the full dialog concerning the Cy Young Award. I, personally, think it's brilliant!
"I was listening to ESPN radio this morning, and Stuart "Boooya" Scott was interviewing the commissioner of MLB baseball. The commish was elated to hear that Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize after being in office for just 11 days, that he too wanted to be in on the action.
After having Obama "throw" out the first pitch at the All Star game, the powers that be in MLB have decided to make just one Cy Young award this year instead of the traditional two awards for each leage (American and National).
The award this year will be merged into one giant trophy, and handed to Obama. Then, beginning in 2010, the Cy Young award will be renamed the "Barak Obama Best Ever at Everything Even Though Nothing Has Been Accomplished Award". It has yet to be determined if this award will be given out at all, considering no one, even God, is as good as Obama.
Scott asked the commisioner why Obama deserved the Cy Young, and his response was, "You could just tell from his delivery that if he worked at pitching....I mean, it could take him decades....but IF he wanted to do that, he would clearly win the Cy Young award". "
Jimmy Carter "won" this prize too and we all know how much of a disaster he was during his presidency.
What he actually deserves is an Oscar for playing the role of someone who knows what he's doing, even though it's only the kool-aid drinkers that won't admit it's an act.
What's the difference between Barack Obama and God?
God doesn't think He's Barack Obama.
Congratulations to President Barack Obama for winning this award. The description of why he received the award is true. Too bad he’s going to have to send more troops and bombs to Afghanistan which doesn’t show much peace. However he has attained a mass amount of respect and approval from around the world which is one reason why he won this award. I’ve never seen so many people from across the world celebrate a US president being elected, truly amazing.
All you people jabbing at him right now are just jealous. Man you people are too attached to your political parties, praying to donkeys and elephants.
CollegeGraduate- The real problem here is that the Nobel committee is playing Obama like a puppet. Now that they have deemed him some transcendental global man of peace, it will be even more challenging for him to make the difficult decisions he may have to make down the road with respect to sending troops into harm's way. Our nation is being played the fool by a bunch of leftist/elitist Euro turkeys.
College Grad I said it before Education was wasted on you. Jealous about a clown destoying the American way. WHy don't you come back when you can have a serious INTELLIGENT conversation, your not quite there yet.
enufisenuf- You can stop being jealous on the fact that I have a degree now. I'm sure you measure intelligence on how much somebody agrees with you. So if I agree with you I’m intelligent, but if I don’t, education was wasted on me, ha. Yea I'm stupid for congratulating and respecting the President...that makes a lot of sense.
"The American Way".....I would like to know what you mean by this. What is the American Way, and does it pertain to all Americans?
Walden- I respect your comment. There are always behind the scenes people trying to manipulate people in power or coming into power. Going all the way back to who knows when. This award does put him in the spotlight even more in regards to world peace, which I don't see being accomplished anytime soon no matter whom the president is. We can take some big steps towards it though with him in office. If more people would come together with their actual ideas, and an open mind instead of all the bickering we could go forward.
CollegeGraduate writes:
"This award does put him in the spotlight even more in regards to world peace[. . . .]"
There is the rub. To paraphrase Emerson, who will "let this pass"?
Will President Obama accept a Nobel Peace Prize that any clear-eyed supporter and well-wisher must see him as far from deserving?
After all, one view might say, "The End ("highlighting" World Peace) justifies the Means (President Obama's acceptance), right"?
Or will the more difficult road be traveled?
I am no Bush supporter. I stood in the opposition then. I stand in the opposition now.
But I must say that the Nobel committee is using the award to celebrate the Fall of Bush's Unilateralism and the Rise of Obama's Multilateralism.
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/shortfacts.html One Peace Laureate has Declined the Nobel Peace Prize
The Vietnamese politician Le Duc Tho, awarded the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, is the only person who has declined the Nobel Peace Prize. They were both awarded the Prize for negotiating the Vietnam peace accord. Le Doc Tho said that he was not in a position to accept the Prize, citing the situation in Vietnam as his reason.
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2009/press.html
The Nobel Peace Prize for 2009
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.
All Nobel Peace Prize Laureates
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/index.html
Inspector, that was very well put. I have not agreed with much of what you have posted in the past but this showed a lot of intelligence on your part. Hats off to you.
Thank you, nurseforjustice.
I try to hold up a certain standard.
That does not always make everyone in the room happy.
Do good work.
They gave one to Al Gore didn't they???
That whirring sound you hear? Alfred Nobel spinning in his grave.
Ridiculous. They gave the award to Carter in 2002 as an intentional (and admitted) slap in the face to Bush. Then again to Gore in 2007 for the same reason. Now they are just doing it again. The committee is being driven by politics now. I think these awards used to be given to people who had actually acheived something in the field that it is given. Why didn't they go ahead and give him the prize for literature for his book "Dreams From My Father" and another one in Chemistry because, well, he just has chemistry?! That would have rounded of the absurdity of this prefectly!
College, I wasted my money Graduate, I would explain it to you again but I was taught not to haver a battle of wits with an unarmed person, go get some ammo, a little intelligance, common sense, rational, reasoning and removing the blinders would hurt ya much either
CollegeGraduate- I get it. The collective world tries to avoid war at all cost, while we actively seek it. In my opinon, it is an attempt to reward the President for what he is trying to do, not for what he has done.
Don't hold your breath waiting on enufisenuf to explain the 'american way', I'm still waiting on a definition of a "real american".
President Obama humbled: I do not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize From Times Online October 9, 2009 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6868457.ece
From Times Online October 9, 2009 Comment: absurd decision on Obama makes a mockery of the Nobel peace prize http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6867711.ece
The Wizard of Oslo: Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize? By John Dickerson SLATE Friday, Oct. 9, 2009, at 8:52 AM ET http://www.slate.com/id/2231909/
seasmoker, unfortunatly any explanation I would try to make you wouldn't understand, please refer toi the battle of wits comment, it applies to you also
Without talking points, the silence is deafening.
In other surprising news, the winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize for Chemistry was awarded today to 23 year old Benjamin Kuzelka of Lake Elsinore, California. Benjamin was unable to accept the award however because he was in the Intensive Care Unit of the Lake Elsinore Hospital after blowing both of his hands off while making a homemade bomb in his mother's house.
"The point is that he wanted to build a bomb and he intended to use the chemicals in the proper proportions," said a spokesman for the committee responsible for choosing Nobel Prize recipients. "We believe Mr. Kuzelka's desire and intention shows the kind of spirit and appreciation for chemistry that the Nobel Prize for Chemistry embodies," he continued. "The fact that Mr. Kuzelka will no longer be able to scratch his buttocks or use the keypad on a cell phone does not diminish the importance of his intentions," he said. "Besides," he added "the last six people we tried to give this award to blew themselves up in crowded markets or police stations in Pakistan and Afghanistan before we could announce their names."
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