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.
I Think the most easiest prize to win is The Nobel Peace Prize….
hey what about Abdul Sattar Eidee. He has done for humanity than anyone else. Am I right or am I right?
Well I think There is no peace all around the World specially the places which are the targets of US.
I don’t understand why such awards are distributed. No one deserve such award.
Can any one tell me one single work done by Mr. Obama and peace created due to which.
Please its my request first we have to prevent the rogue people disrupting the peace but in a right way and then we can distribute such awards.
Thank you
Hina
I guess, Jiss Ki Lathi Uss Ki Bahinse, they control the strings.
Very distrubing…
Many leaders around the world are unhappy that they have been working so hard for peace not knowing that you could win a nobel prize for just making few speeches about peace.
Norway is one of the most pro-American countries in the world. It comes as no big surprise that they chose a US president for the Nobel Peace Prize. I’m not against President Obama…just waiting to see what he comes up with. This award is too premature to say the least. He has yet to deliver on what he claims and promises. Maybe if he’d done what he set out to do, he would have been a good choice. I believe a better choice would be a humanitarian such as Abdul Sattar Edhi.
Nothing wrong with the guy he will be a historical figure but Nobel peace prize is a joke
I heard it in the news he wants to include taliban in afghan government. Despite the perssure he is not yielding to Mccrystal’s demands to incerase the troop level ot 140,000. His focus is on the strategy & not numbers or rooting out the enemy. He is reassessing the vision, goals and strategy. He plans to analyze the surge requirment once he gets the answer why do we want to do it. I think there is none other who can handle the situation better than him. He has aleady commanded to pull the first batch out of Iraq. He is trying help the region with basic needs & eucation to take the interest away from ill conceived jihad. I think things are likely to calm down in few years from now, after taliban will have share in the current afgan governemtn according to their votes. I also think he may be able to conummate the two state solution throug diplomacy. I think he desreves the prize because of his statesmanship & that everyone has this perception that he may be able to lead the world out of various crises.
President Mr. Barak Hussein Obama is a breath of fresh air in the stale environment of international politics where status quo, is the norm. He has initiated a movement of dialogue with the Muslim world to achieve peace, when many of his predecessors have failed, except for President Jimmy Carter. President Mr. Jimmy Carter is also a peace maker and a courageous human being, who is not afraid to speak the truth. May God Bless him. It is up to rest of the world leaders to join President Barak Obama and begin the long journey to resolve our differences on the table instead war grounds, They should work to create peace and harmony among nations instead of creating conflicts and proxy wars leading to human misery and destruction.
I believe he deserves Nobel Peace Prize for his intentions and also for initiatives he has taken to bring the peace among the nations and enemies. This is an uphill battle and a very long journey, we need to have realistic expectations. USA is just one country which is going through extreme difficult times herself. As a president of this nation he can exert some pressure upon some nations, but cannot enforce his will. Let us hope that, the rest of the players in the international forum are able to do the same and join him in this journey, may be together they will build a momentum to bring the peace instead of mistrust, vengeance and conflicts.
Pressure is not only upon Mr. Barak Hussein Obama, but all the leaders in the Middle East, Indo-Pakistan and Afghan to sit together and resolve the issues in civil and intelligent manners instead of piling up weapons of mass destruction, threats and conspiracies to keep the conflicts alive forever. They all need courage and conviction to do the right thing for humanity. Peace makers are God’s favourite people, there are better rewards and prizes waiting for them. May God show them the light.
I’ll second the views of Anum.
He’s being awarded for things he said he would do. What about the people who were nominated for things they HAVE done?
I’d also like to point out that the deadline for nominations was February 1, meaning President Obama was nominated after being in office for just 11 days.
Hmmm….
He has done nothing to control terrorism.
Well done Obama … you got peace prize for doing NOTHING. Just Good talk on Gtmo, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. What a buttering by Nobel committee!!!
popularity contest!
so very disappointing what they have turned nobel peace prize into!!!
Although the awarding of the Peace Prize may seem a little premature, Obama deserves a lot of credit for initiating dialogue and for sowing the seeds of change in an otherwise hostile world–at least from a Muslim perspective.
His address to the Muslim world and many other steps (on his part) to reach out to the Muslim in the US and across the world are definitely praise-worthy–a definite first for a US President in recent years.
But what remains to be seen is whether or not the slogans of ‘hope’ and ‘change’ from his Presidential run-up to the White House will bear fruit and truly reverberate through the entire world with Palestine and Kashmir issues coming to a reasonable resolution during his tenure.
Perhaps, the reasoning behind the bestowal of such honors on him was simply to goad him on the path of change enough to not be swayed by dark forces of evil and conflict.
All the best to him and may his level of sincerity (for his nation) inspire in Pakistani leaders the same sense of devotion and commitment for their country so they could finally rid the landscape of such vices as corruption, feudalism, embezzlement, tyranny and treason. Amen!
Best wishes to 21st Century’s living legend Mr. Barack Husain Obama to win the most Nobel Prize for peace. I have no doubt this will encourage Mr. Obama to embark and live up to the hopes of lay man by initiating even more Peace missions and conflict resolutions around the globe. Hope this award will make Mr. Obama’s dreams of accomplishing positive change in millions of peoples lives.There is no doubt Mr. Obama could win hearts of the Nobel prize committe and people who currently suffering due to extreamism and terrorists in and around Afghanistan Pakistan region.This could eventually lead champion Peace Initiatives by Mr. Obama with more decisive actions. God Bless Mr. Barack Hussain Obama.
Nobel prize will become a motivating factor to instill positive changes and inculcate a new Hope to those peoplls who out there still suffering in pain.
Gandhi was denied the Nobel peace prize because he was a ‘patriot’, apparently he would see the interests of Indians before he would see the interest of peace. Obama is the president of a country which is engaged in two big wars and holds the largest stockpile of nuclear arms ever. He is the first American president in the last 50 years to not meet the Dalai Lama because that may anger the chinese, on whom the US economy is dependent for the time being. Does he (or can he) see the interests of all humankind before the interests of his voting constituency? Giving the Nobel prize to the sitting president of a country is a mockery of the prize. Obama’s time may have been in the future, when he has really achieved something important for all humankind and no longer worries about getting elected, but most definitely it is not now. Disappointed with the Nobel committee.
Bush and Obama:
“Ghate tau bas ek musht-e khak hai insaan
Barhe tau wusaat-e kaunain mei sama nah sake”
At least Obama is setting the direction.
Well done.
I am naturalized US citizen. I voted for President Obama, I contributed towards his campaign. I pray for his life and success for his efforts to bring peace in the world. Unfortunately, he is not showing as much forte as many Americans were expecting. May be the reality of strength of Israeli Lobby in US has taught him limits of his power. No question, if Israel can share land for peace with Palestinian, then both Muslims and Jews will be able to live n peace and harmony. US and Europe will be safe and their security risk will be less. Loss of American lives for Israel will stop.
Usually there is difference of 18-20 in US foreign policy towards Muslim countries and Pakistan with change in its president/ party. This time I expect little more change may be 15-20. The max.
What a joke !
haha…haha..so funny…tht news caused me stomach ache i laughed so much hahahaha very funny.. i think Osama and Obama both shd share tht…..haha………..
Its unfair man ! what did he do? i think many others have done better. Nobel peace prize is one of the awards left that the whole world respects and this nomination is a not a good sign.
Win a Nobel Peace prize without accomplishing anything as a president ! Being first afro-american to hold this office, certainly does not qualify him for this coveted prize.
Some of the pluses of being the most powerful man in the world. People magnify any work you do. He is an awful choice to say the least.
I can’t believe that Obama gets Nobel peace prize. He has done nothing concrete till now.Guantanamo Bay is still open , US troops still in Iraq and infact he is planning to step up war in afghanistan and spread it to Pakistan.
Nobel peace prize is given based on some accomplishment and Obama has achieved none.
What a joke! If one speech could earn you a Nobel peace prize then i think it has lost its credibility. What has Obama done in last few months to earn this reward. It shows that Nobel Peace Prize is for political reasons and irony of all this is that it is the third American president who got it. And i think they were awarded these prizes for bringing misery through wars and dropping nuclear weapon to end the war. What a joke it is. i mean if Obama could get it for doing nothing and only doing some impressive speeches then an Israeli prime minister should also get it for his efforts to end the Palestinians (conflict). Nobel Peace prize is for occupying and killing innocent civilians. Great!! keep it up.