Obama Wins 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded U.S. President Barack Obama the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, which has sent ripples of praise and protest around the globe. According to Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, the award carries high expectations for America's path forward on nuclear disarmament and international diplomacy. The Associated Press reported that the five-person Nobel Committee shares the same far-left leanings as the Norwegian Parliament, which may have been a large factor in the committee's unanimous decision. Opponents of the award claim that Obama's actual accomplishments are negligible, and that the prize was awarded preemptively in order to create political pressure for nuclear disarmament talks and to diffuse rumored "Plan B" military operations against Iran.

Praise for Nobel Laureate Barack Obama
Afghan President Hamid Karzai congratulated Obama, saying that the people of his country "recognize and commend President Obama's vision and leadership with a hope that peace and normalcy will return to Afghanistan and our region."

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak congratulated Obama, and communicated with the IDF that being a Nobel laureate should boost Obama's efforts to "settlement between [Israel] and the Palestinians that will bring security, prosperity and growth to all the peoples of the region."

Prominent figures in the Muslim community praised Obama's award. Saleh al-Mutlaq, a senior Sunni Muslim lawmaker in Iraq told Reuters that "Obama succeeded in making a real change in the policy of the United States -- a change from a policy that was exporting evil to the world to a policy exporting peace and stability to the world." His remarks are echoed by Masdar Mas'udi of Indonesia, who claims that Obama is "the only American president who has reached out to us in peace."

Hamas official Ahmed Yousef began by congratulating Obama, but states that "the president has done nothing to push forward peace between Israeli and Palestinians."

Senator John McCain expressed a vote of confidence to President Obama, and added that he was concerned about how winning this prize would affect America politically. "I can't divine all their intentions," said McCain of the Nobel Committee, "but I think part of their decision-making was expectations. And I'm sure the president understands that he now has even more to live up to."

Protest for Barack Obama's Nobel Prize
While the typified criticism for Obama stems from his own political system, world leaders, human rights activists, and other Nobel laureate were among the loudest voices to criticize his award. "So soon? This is too soon. He has not yet made a real input. He is proposing, he is starting, but he still has to do it all," said Lech Walesa, a 1983 Nobel Laureate and Polish human rights activist.

"He has achieved nothing. He's stumbling. He hasn't achieved any of his promises and nothing is working. He promised to close Guantanamo and now that's not going to happen, and the Arab-Israeli conflict looks like it's going to get very nasty," said Yet Hisham Quasim, an Egyptian human rights activist. Quasim's remarks come on the heels of a theme popularized by a skit performed on the popular American comedy show, Saturday Night Live. The media has questioned if the comedy program's veiled criticism of Obama's lack of measurable action is the signal of the end of the American people's optimism that Obama would deliver the change he promised while campaigning.

"The Nobel prize for peace? Obama should have won the 'Nobel Prize for escalating violence and killing civilians'," said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujaid to Reuters. This criticism came as Obama met with generals to discuss the possible deployment of 40,000 additional troops to Afghanistan in addition to the 21,000 troops he has already ordered earlier this year.

"The real question Americans are asking is, 'What has President Obama actually accomplished?'" said Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele. "It is unfortunate that the president's star power has out-shined tireless advocates who have made real achievements working towards peace and human rights."

Obama's Response to Winning the Nobel Peace Prize
President Obama said that he was surprised and humbled by the news, which was relayed to him in the early hours of the morning. Obama was not informed by the Nobel Committee prior to the announcement, because they did not want to wake him up.

"I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many transformative figures that have been honored by this prize," said Obama of winning the prize, which he says is not in recognition of his accomplishments, but for the new agenda he has set for the United States.

Obama joins Al Gore, Jimmy Carter, Woodrow Wilson, and Theodore Roosevelt as Nobel laureates that have served in the White House.