U.S. President Barack Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize worth 10 million Swedish crowns ($1.4 million).

The Norwegian Nobel Committee said that President Obama merited the award because his international diplomatic efforts and calls for nuclear weapons reduction have given the world “hope for a better future.” They commended Obama for “his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”

Bloomberg on October 9 quoted Thorbjoern Jagland, chairman of the five-member Nobel committee, as saying: “The Nobel Committee has in particular looked at Obama’s vision and work toward a world without atomic weapons. Obama has as president created a new climate in international politics.”

Since taking office, Obama has engaged in diplomatic efforts regarding the Middle East peace process and promoted nuclear disarmament. Despite such lofty ambitions, few real-world successes have been scored. In September, Obama did chair a United Nations Security Council meeting during which a U.S.-drafted resolution calling for nuclear-armed nations to destroy their arsenals was unanimously approved.

“Very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world’s attention and given its people hope for a better future,” the Nobel committee said in their citation. Nonetheless, the President faces tough choices on Iran and Afghanistan that will put his image as a bringer of hope to the test.

Reuters noted on October 9 that “Obama is the third senior U.S. Democrat to win the prize this decade after former Vice President Al Gore won in 2007 along with the U.N. climate panel and Jimmy Carter in 2002.” Bloomberg pointed out that “Obama is the third sitting U.S. President to be awarded the prize”; Theodore Roosevelt won in 1906 and Woodrow Wilson won in 1919.

It is interesting to consider the other persons who might have won the prize. AP reported before the announcement that Norwegian national broadcaster NRK had named several frontrunners. Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Colombian Senator Piedad Cordoba, Chinese dissident Hu Jia, French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt, and Afghan woman’s rights activist Simi Samar were all listed as favorites.

That none of these other contenders emerged with the award may be related to something Kristian Berg Harpviken, the director of the Peace Research Institute in Oslo, recently told journalists. Harpviken mentioned that Nobel committee chairman Jagland just finished a four-year term as President of Norway’s Parliament, and he was subsequently elected for a five-year term as Secretary General of the Council of Europe on September 29.

Harpviken speculated that Jagland’s ties with both the Norwegian government and the Council of Europe would cause the Nobel committee to be “careful” about its choice. The prize givers would want to avoid controversy about their political independence, and Jagland would shy away from anything that might complicate his time as council head. “It would be hard to think that it hasn’t had an impact” on the choice of a winner, Harpviken stated.

Regardless of the thought processes of the Nobel Committee members, the disparity between President Obama and last year’s winner should be noted. The 2008 Nobel Peace Prize was given to Finland’s ex-President Martti Ahtisaari, who has worked for decades as a peace mediator.

While Ahtisaari’s efforts on behalf of the UN would not make him a model for U.S. diplomats to imitate, one can at least see the logic in recognizing years of work on conflict resolution. Barack Obama has not even been on the international scene for one year, and already the committee equates his efforts with someone who dedicated his life to international diplomacy.

Some of the dissidents, activists, and politicians NRK mentioned as potential Peace Prize winners would also have made a more logical choice. The committee could have at least made the bestowing of such an honor on President Obama look more legitimate if it had waited until Obama put several years of successful international diplomacy under his belt.

Harpviken seems to have been correct that the Nobel Committee is playing it safe this year with their choice of Barack Obama as a winner of dubious distinction.

Photo: AP Images

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Bonnie said:

Welcome to the club Theodore Roosevelt - 1906 - worked hard to get the US involved in a war with Spain - thought it would be a great adventure, volunteered, and relished in the glory of bloodshed. Woodrow Wilson - 1919 - even though the US didn't have a dog in the fight and he promised peace, he worked to get the US into WWI at the cost of many lives, botched the peace (which led to WWII) and tried to establish a world government. George C. Marshall - 1953 - betrayed the Chinese and sent them into communism. Henry Kissinger - 1973 - Vietnam and one world government. Other notables: Desmond Tutu - 1984 UN Peace Keeping Forces - 1988 Mikhail Gorbachev - 1990 Nelson Mandela - 1993 (remember the burning necklaces?) Yasser Arafat - 1994 (terrorist) Kofi Annan - 2001 Jimmy Carter - 2002 Al Gore - 2007

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October 09, 2009
Votes: +7

Flu-Bird said:

	Bobby prize to nobel prize commity These are the same bunch of idiot judges who gave it to JIMMY CARTER,YASSIR ARAFAT and AL GORE everyone of those judges should be banished to the furthists galaxy
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October 09, 2009
Votes: +0

bg said:

	... B.O. said he was humbled....I am still waiting to spot a change in his countenance toward that end. I only see the hubris in his demeanor that has no limit.
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October 09, 2009
Votes: +1

Elmer said:

	... He should have been awarded the Nobel Piece of S*** Prize. Are we SURE he went to Finland to lobby for the olympics in Chicago? Norway is just next door.
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October 09, 2009
Votes: -2

Doc said:

... Article 1 Sec. 9 of the US Constitution No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince or foreign State. The board of peace prize electorates are appointed by the Norway's parlament. The title and cash award of 1.4 million is given to the winner by the King of Norway. I would be asking for an ok from congress before I accept this title and cash award. But then again why follow constitutional law now?

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October 10, 2009
Votes: +3

Cartrite said:

I didn't realize people could actually turn a positive into a negative and make it about politics. Actually, President Obama hasn't even receieved the prize yet, and I'm pretty sure Congress is aware that he received the award(call me crazy) so maybe we should take two steps back, and he plans to donate it all to charity. Also, I don't know how more humble you can be, he even said, "To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace". I don't how you can view him as hubris BG when he's been trying to bring all people together in a united way.I don't know too many people that are hubris that would do that or outlaw torture or any other atrocities. It's strange that people are willing to criticize him for winning an award (mind you) by saying he didn't deserve it and it was premature (maybe maybe not?), but when some people criticize him they don't say, "Well maybe we're judging him prematurely and we should give him some time". Not pointing at anyone in particular, but I just find that fascinating and a little bit unreasonable.

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October 14, 2009
Votes: +1

Cartrite said:

	... Attacking someone before they've even received an award and implying that they are violating the Constitution? Now that's really premature.
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October 14, 2009
Votes: +1