October 9, 2009
Obama: Nobel Peace Prize is 'call to action'
updated 1 minute ago
(CNN) -- President Barack Obama said Friday that he was humbled by the decision of the Norwegian Nobel Committee to award him the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.
"I am both surprised and deeply humbled," Obama said at the White House."I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments. But rather as an affirmation of American leadership. ... I will accept this award as a call to action."
Obama said he did not feel he deserves "to be in the company" of past winners, but would continue to push a broad range of international objectives, including nuclear non-proliferation, a reversal of the global economic downturn, and a resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
He acknowledged the ongoing U.S. conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, noting that he is the "commander in chief of a country that is responsible for ending" one war and confronting a dangerous adversary in another.
"This award is not simply about my administration," he said. It "must be shared" with everyone who strives for "justice and dignity." Watch Obama speak at White House »
The Nobel Committee said it decided to honor Obama for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." Zakaria: Nobel honors Obama's 'bold gambit'
The president had not been mentioned as among front-runners for the prize, and the roomful of reporters gasped when Thorbjorn Jagland, chairman of the Nobel committee, uttered Obama's name.
The president had not been mentioned as among front-runners for the prize, and the roomful of reporters in Oslo, Norway, gasped when Thorbjorn Jagland, chairman of the Nobel committee, uttered Obama's name. Watch announcement of 2009 Nobel Peace Prize »
The Nobel committee recognized Obama's efforts to solve complex global problems including working toward a world free of nuclear weapons. Watch CNN's Christiane Amanpour's analysis »
"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 committee said.
Jagland said the decision was "unanimous" and came with ease. Listen to Jagland explain why Obama was this year's choice »
He rejected the notion that Obama had been recognized prematurely for his efforts and said the committee wanted to promote the president just as it had Mikhail Gorbachev in 1990 in his efforts to open up the Soviet Union. Ed Rollins: Obama now must earn it
"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," it said.
Some analysts have speculated that the prize could give Obama additional clout as he forms a strategy for the war in Afghanistan and attempts to engage Iran and North Korea. Another senior administration official told CNN he hopes the White House can "use it for the positive." Praise, skepticism greet Nobel announcementThe domestic political consequences are unclear. Supporters hope the prestige associated with the prize will strengthen the president's hand in the health care reform debate. A top Republican from George W. Bush's administration, however, argued that "this will backfire on them for a while" and asserted it was "a gift to the right." Laureates to Nobel winners: Prepare for 'lightning bolt'
Obama's recognition comes less than a year after he became the first African-American to win the White House. He is the fourth U.S. president to win the prestigious prize and the third sitting president to do so. Watch John McCain's reaction to Obama be awarded prize »
The award comes at a crucial time for Obama, who has initiated peace missions in key parts of the globe.
Obama's envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, has returned to the region to advocate for peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. A view from Egypt: Obama honor premature
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton starts a six-day trip to Europe and Russia on Friday. On the trip, the secretary will discuss the next steps on Iran and North Korea, and international efforts to have the two countries end their nuclear programs.Mohamed ElBaradei, who won the 2005 peace prize for his efforts to prevent nuclear energy being used for military means, said Obama deserved to win for his efforts to bring Iran to the table for direct nuclear talks with the United States.
"I could not think of anybody who is more deserving," said ElBaradei, the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Listen to ElBaradei react to the announcement »
As the news of Obama's win broke online, postings on social network sites Twitter and Facebook expressed surprise. Many started with the word: Wow. Watch how online community reacted »
The last sitting U.S. president to win the peace prize was Woodrow Wilson in 1919. The other was Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. Jimmy Carter had been out of office for more than two decades when he won in 2002. Obama unique among presidential Nobel winners
This year's Peace Prize nominees included 172 people -- among them three Chinese dissidents, an Afghan activist and a controversial Colombian lawmaker -- and 33 organizations, the highest number of nominations ever.
The Nobel recipient receives a prize of about $1.4 million.
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4 comments:
May be the Swedish academy needs some bail out money! That is why they chose Obama for the Peace prize. These guys are bunch of goons who never recognized the Mahatma, but awards rich Americans! What else could be the motive but big money! This is the first time the Nobel prize is given to someone for doing something spectacular and not for one who has already done something to the humanity! Disgraceful!
You have plenty of information in this post from a number of people giving various versions of their opinion about the reason why the Nobel Peace Price was awarded to President Obama. Browse trough the post in written form or in video or links and you should come out with a fairly clear picture of what happened during the procedure before the final nominee was selected.
I was most impressed by Thorbjorn Jagland, chairman of the Nobel committee, he explained that the award was given to Obama not for what he has already done, but for the new policy he promoted during his two years of campaigning about being more open to diplomacy and less aggressive against the offensive states. Diplomacy and attention to all other partys included was essential for Mr. Obama's policy. Which was a 190º turn from the Bush policy of Hell, and who wanted to do everything unilaterally and as he saw it proper for the United States and himself. All others, including many Americans, me too, be damned.
The Nobel committee should release information about the finalists. This information will best illuminate the real damage done here. I think that we'll find that the debate mirrors that of affirmative action very closely.
You sound like a republican, Paul K. If you aren't, you still sound like so many of them. So I ask you, Have the Nobel committee ever released information about its winners before? Not in so many words. So why should they do it this time? But even if they did, to which I am not opposed to, only not for your reasons, it would only prove that they made the right decision.
And by the way, the committee already reported some of the information you are talking about, you just probably didn't care to see the segment on TV and didn't hear it: the day the award was given to President Obama, Mr. Thorbjorn Jagland, the chairman of the Nobel committee, explained that the award was given to Obama not for what he has already done, but for the new foreign policy he promoted during his two years of campaigning. A policy of all Nations working together, not egotistically and unilaterally like somebody else did in the very recent past, making enemies all over the world and placing our Country in horrible terms with almost everybody on the planet.
As always, many republicans don't hear what they don't want to hear even if it is the true and make up what they whish had been said; but only because it serves their purposes, not the Country's.
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