US president Barack Hussein Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize 2009, just nine months into his first term in office.
As US troops shift gear from action in war-ravaged Iraq to an expected surge in war-torn Afghanistan, questions are being raised whether the Norwegian Nobel Committee has rushed in its praise for Obama’s foreign policy that is yet to be termed a success.
While the committee pays tribute to the first black US president for ‘his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples,’ the world is yet to see any major conflicts such as the Middle-East crisis coming even close to a resolution.
Some may agree with the committee when it says that ‘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,’ but the question being asked is whether the president will live up to the expectations? Do you think Obama now as a Nobel Peace Prize winner will fare any better for the people of Pakistan and the rest of the world?
The views expressed in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
The Republican Party HATES Barack Obama, and they will oppose him on EVERYTHING purely for the sake of opposing him.
Nice, Very nice
Peace award, has given chance to winner to use his wisdom and goodwill for peace in world. If for reason this chance is lost, the winner of peace award is responsible for own deed.
So I request peace winner to use his influence under the guidance of God’s law to bring peace and prosperity for human world.
May God show him path of Truth and justice.
Ameen!
I think that now the Nobel Prize has lost its worth. Do against for what you want to get the prize and you would get it. Obama has doubled the threats for the world. However, he is the Peace icon for the world.
I don’t think so he deserve the award. Let people perform first and then reward them. He has not performed anything as of yet.
I think this Noble Prize is unique in the term that this award is awarded on the basis of speeches rather than action. Noble Prize Committee rocks.
I strongly believe that THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE awarded to Mr. Obama, is a sign of too much attachment of NOBEL PRIZE COMMITTEE or a volcanic eruption of hope to see a fair world, which Mr.Obama indicated in his speech. I think, American policies don’t change toward the underdeveloped nations and its madness for the control over the world will take the lives of millions of innocent across the globe. Mr. Obama is a new but a different link in the same chain of power seekers for world domination, following in the foot steps of previous presidents. This prize should have been given to someone else who has really done something sincerely for the welfare of humanity and establishment of good relations among the nations.
Seems an interesting gamble. Obviously, the Noble Prize distribution consortium doesn’t consisits of nerds. They would have given it some thousands of thoughts before declaring him the winner. They probably seem to have used the old tactic I feel our school teachers used to do with us. By giving us good marks in prim exam, they are forcing us to think that we can finish with flying colors. The trick is, though psychological, that whenever president Obama thinks/plans of sending its corps for “their long term security purpose”, he is gona give this a second thought. Lets see, whether Obama gets appreciation for his peace projects (if any) in the time to come.
It appears that the Nobel Prize committee has invested in the future by bestowing the honor to the President. Although they are denying it, yet, it is safe to say that Obama’s ‘achievements’ during the course of his less than nine months in office are too few to take notice of in the arena of peace-making. The committee knows that this is a budding young man who holds the strongest office on the planet, one who is ambitious to change the course of world, is deeply interested in forging ahead to establish world peace in the hot pockets in various regions and will not hesitate to take a ‘personal’ initiative to achieve the goal of peace wherever and whenever possible. We should thank the committee for doing us, as humanity, for giving this opportunity to the President, paving the way for him, laying a runway for our better future. True, there is a lot to be done. However, one must not undermine Mr. Obama’s stature and his success as a towering politician and a shining star who has the capability to turn our fortunes around.
Nobel lost it’s significance. Obama is being awarded for things he said he would do. Why present award goes to the future deeds that may or may not result. This is a joke.
I think we all have a right to differ in our opinions but there should be some rationale in our cynical attitudes.How wonderful it would be if we learn to look at things beyond their surface values.As an optimist I see this award to Obama as:
* an acceptance to a man who openly says he has muslims as his family members(despite the fact that his relations to muslims were constantly used as a tool against him during the pres. campaign),
*an endorsement to his efforts to create a trusting relationship with the muslim world(the Cairo speech!),
*a recognition to his insistance of opening a dialogue with Iran(as opposed to its image as an axis of evil and refusal to talk to Iran by the Bush Admin.),
*as a slap to Bush’s policies of waging wars,… Read More
*as an appreciation to Obama’s decision to close down the Guantanamo,see the world free of nuclear arms,and a will to tackle climate change(when prev. govt refused to budge on its carbon emissions),bring the much neede health reforms to americans etc.
*And last but not the least as a means to give moral strength to this man to carry on with his resolves despite all impediments.
Only time will tell if he is able to live up to his dreams.
I think as a president of US Obama has no glaring achievements to is credit till now nevertheless, he has expressed hopes to shift the gears from violence to peace.His efforts might fare well to the world in general and the trouble areas in particular.The world hopes that he would not turn out to be a real pacifist in the time of doldrums
There is hidden but a very positive agenda in giving Mr Obama the Nobel Peace Prize.The
world except for the Neocons and perhaps two
European leaders the rest think differently.
By giving Obama the Peace Prize they have tied him down to his campaign slogan “We Want Change”. Now he has to decide how soon
he should begin withdrawing from Afghanistan
and Iraq,improve relations with Iran and not
bow to Israel in solving the Palestinian issue.
The Nobel Foundation deserves the ‘peace’ award for putting the most powerful man on earth on the spot – a pre-emptive strike if there ever was one. Obama will have this hanging over his head while he decides what to do in Afghanistan, Iraq and the mid east!
How can one trust on these types of awards. In 1939, they nominated Hitler for nobel prize as well
Moreover, they gave nobel prize to Philipp Lenard who was an advisor to Hitler….
Obama is the first President of United States favored by the vast majority of human beings on this planet. It is also a fact that fanatics and extremists in all religions, especially Muslims and Christians do not like him, but they are minority in world population.
Those who want Americans pulled out from Iraq and Afghanistan right away, have absolutely no idea what will happen there if Americans leave right away. You have to have local national government capable to maintain law and order as well to protect the minorities. There is a fear that the moment Americans pack up and leave, there will be blood bath and genocide in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Those who say Obama should not get Nobel Peace Award because America has stock piles of nuclear weapon, a threat to humanity.
Then why Vice President Al-Gore got the award. His country had stock-piles of nuclear weapons all the time. We should realize that having nuclear weapons is also a safeguard against evil nations (like former Germany or Russia) who may want to attack another country. So the purpose of Nuclear weapons is to maintain peace in the world as well.
Obama has opened the dialogue with North Korea and Iran. This is a bold step towards peace.
Obama deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.
only future will tell whether consideration which weighed with Noble Committee in giving peace prize to obama were correct. apparently it is an award in anticipation. let us hope and pray that the award will spur the president of world (defacto)to act in a manner which will bring peace and prosparity to the world and his action will not be subservient to the narrow American interst.
A worthy prize for one of the most worthy recipients of — one of the most worthy countries of the world – the United States of America.
Imagine a ‘Husain’ getting elected by an overwhelming majority of the voters in the SAME United States that destroyed another Husain and Husain’s country in a foreign land for no rhyme or reason – except for the whims and the paranoia of a mentally challenged lawless cowboy.
A country turned from a berserk imperialist Neocon invader country — into a peace promoting consensus seeking Jeffersonian country overnight by the magical personality of one man — Barack Obama.
The Nobel peace prize to Obama is a TRIBUTE to BOTH: to the MAN who transformed overnight a US hating world into once again US respecting world – and to a COUNTRY for finding it Jeffersonian moorings as an upholder of International Law — and at peace with the entire world — once again.
If the criteria of giving Nobel Peace Prize is based on the judgment who orates the finest rhetoric and cliches about “Peace”, I think Altaf bhai, Zardari and Nawaz stands best with it — much better than Obama yet. Agreed?
he got the award just for saying that he would bring change…i wonder what award would be given to him if he really bring a change:o
I agree with Mr. Jahiz and few others that Edhi Foundation of Pakistan would have been a good choice.
However, we do not belong to a Western nation.
its very obvious that he’s got this prize for his pre-election life. hopefully he will deserve another for his post 2008 election life.
I want to nominate ABDUL SATTAT EDHI for Nobel Prize. Now theres a man who deserves one.
They are good comedians; the committe memeber of the Nobel Prize. Or, more likely, the space between their ears if empty.
Did they ask how many people Afghans, Pakistanis have been killed because of Obama’s policies. Is he not the Commander of the US Army?
No. It was not premature to award Obama the NP. He does not desrve it now or in the future.
IS HUMANITY DEAD? Perhaps Afghans and Pakistanis are not human.
Barack Hussein Obama II has given Nobel prize on the bases of his beautiful empty talk.
I thought you can only get award by talking about empty Peace talk is Miss. world but i was wrong.
I hope i will get next noble prize,its easy to get now a days.