Obama wins 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

[HURAKAN]

Obama wins 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

US President Barack Obama has won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

The Nobel Committee said he was awarded it for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples".

The committee highlighted Mr Obama's efforts to support international bodies and promote nuclear disarmament.

There were a record 205 nominations for this year's prize. Zimbabwe's prime minister and a Chinese dissident had been among the favourites.

The laureate - chosen by a five-member committee - wins a gold medal, a diploma and 10m Swedish kronor ($1.4m).
ANALYSIS
Paul Reynolds BBC News, London

The award is certainly unexpected and might be regarded as more of an encouragement for intentions than a reward for achievements.

After all, the president has been in office for a little over eight months and he might hope to serve eight years. His ambition for a world free of nuclear weapons is one that is easier to declare than to achieve and a climate control agreement has yet to be reached.

Indeed, the citation indicates that it is President Obama's world view that attracted the Nobel committee - that diplomacy should be founded "on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population".

"Only 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 Norwegian committee said in a statement.

"His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population."

Asked why the prize had been awarded to Mr Obama less than a year after he took office, Nobel committee head Thorbjoern Jagland said: "It was because we would like to support what he is trying to achieve".

"It is a clear signal that we want to advocate the same as he has done," he said.

He specifically mentioned Mr Obama's work to strengthen international institutions and work towards a world free of nuclear arms.

'New climate'

Since taking office in January, President Obama has pursued an ambitious international agenda including a push for peace in the Middle East and negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme.

But critics say he has failed to make breakthroughs. Domestically, Mr Obama has been working to tackle an economic crisis and win support for healthcare reform.

The statement from the Nobel committee also said the US president had "created a new climate in international politics". HAVE YOUR SAY
Richard, United States

"Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play," it said.

The committee added that the US was now playing a more constructive role in meeting "the great climatic challenges" facing the world, and that democracy and human rights would be strengthened.

Mr Obama is the first US president to win the prize since former US President Jimmy Carter in 2002. Former vice-president Al Gore shared the prize in 2007.

Among earlier US leaders, Theodore Roosevelt won the prize in 1906 and Woodrow Wilson won in 1919.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/e ... 298580.stm

[x-y-no]

Well ... I'd have to call that really premature.

I'm racking my brain for anything else nonpolitical I can say about this, but I'm drawing a blank.

[brunota2003]

Hey, how about our armed forces? Guess we're chop liver.

[Pburgh]

Hmmmmmm

[HURAKAN]

I think everyone is surprised, supporters and non-supporters.

Still, congrats.

[Derek Ortt]

things like this is why we need a political forum here once again

Nothing non-political can be said about this topic

[somethingfunny]

This is kind of declaring 2006 an extremely active hurricane season.

[angelwing]

Ummm....errrr....well....darn I am at a total loss for words here

[Tireman4]

Well good for him. Agreed by his supporters and non supporters, I am suprised as well.

[MGC]

I'm speechless......MGC

[zaqxsw75050]

Is this a joke?

That was my first reaction.

[HURAKAN]

Is this a joke?

That was my first reaction.

No joke.

[DanKellFla]

Ummmmm, I think it is a possiblity that he qualifies for this in a few years and I hope he does. But, I think this is less about him, and more of a commentary. This will be explained someday down the road.

[HURAKAN]

Afghan Taliban condemn Obama's winning Nobel
AP 9 October 2009, 07:41pm IST

KABUL: A Taliban spokesman in Afghanistan has condemned President Barack Obama's winning of the Nobel Peace Prize, saying the American president had only escalated the war by sending more troops.

Qari Yousef Ahmadi accused Obama ``of having the blood of the Afghan people on his hands.''

Ahmadi said in a telephone interview Friday from an undisclosed location: ``Why are they giving this prize to Obama, who has sent more troops to Afghanistan, who is bombing and killing innocent people?''

Obama ordered 21,000 additional troops to Afghanistan earlier this year and is debating a request from his top commanders to send 40,000 more.

[streetsoldier]

I find it very interesting that the nomination was made by 01 FEB 09...21 days after Obama took office, and with no achievements under his belt.

[southerngale]

things like this is why we need a political forum here once again

Nothing non-political can be said about this topic

That's what I was thinking and skipped replying earlier. Now I'm replying just to say that I can't comment on it.



And it's highly unlikely that we'll have a political forum here again. It caused a lot of angry feelings toward members who otherwise seem to get along fine. As staff, we spent way too much time moderating that forum. The main focus of this board is weather and the political forum was the cause of more suspensions and bans then all the other forums put together, in all the time we've been a site. As much as I personally love to discuss politics, it just isn't a good idea for Storm2k.

[x-y-no]

And it's highly unlikely that we'll have a political forum here again. It caused a lot of angry feelings toward members who otherwise seem to get along fine.

Yeah ... for one thing if the political forum had stayed ... I would have managed to get myself banned a long time ago. I recall being suspended at least twice ...

[southerngale]

And it's highly unlikely that we'll have a political forum here again. It caused a lot of angry feelings toward members who otherwise seem to get along fine.

Yeah ... for one thing if the political forum had stayed ... I would have managed to get myself banned a long time ago. I recall being suspended at least twice ...

[Pburgh]

Ah, I remember it well.
I wasn't suspended but I sure had a few people that learned to dislike me.

[P.K.]

Honestly I thought it was April Fool's Day when I saw this earlier. He hasn't actually done anything to deserve this yet (Not saying he won't in the future) unlike others far more deserving who were nominated such as Morgan Tsvangirai.