Nobel honour stuns Obama - and the world

A slightly sheepish President Barack Obama accepted the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize as a "call to action" to the whole world to confront the global challenges before it, ranging from climate change to the threat of nuclear proliferation. But he made no attempt to conceal his astonishment at being selected.

Mr Obama used a Rose Garden appearance yesterday partly to deflect the attention from himself with humour and humility. "This is not how I expected to wake up this morning," he said, noting that his daughters were as quick to inform him it was also Bo the dog's birthday. Children, he said, "keep things in perspective".

The pre-dawn news from Oslo seemed to affirm the strong message of tolerance and dialogue that Mr Obama has proffered since before he was elected, but also threatens to heighten the burden of expectations on him. He indeed warned that much of what he aspires for will not be achieved in his presidency - or even his lifetime.

The announcement in the Norwegian capital drew gasps from assembled reporters. There were some expressions of shock, even disapproval, from a smattering of world figures, many sharing a theme that Mr Obama has won the prize too soon considering his goals have not borne much fruit.

But there was also a mild whiff of embarrassment at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Rahm Emanuel, the chief of staff, conceded that his boss winning the Nobel Peace Prize had not been discussed once. David Axelrod, his political aide, had not even known that he had been nominated for it. When a reporter told Mr Axelrod that many people around the world were stunned, he replied: "As we are."

Mr Obama is only the third sitting US president to receive the peace prize, the other two being Woodrow Wilson in 1919 and Theodore Roosevelt in 1906. Jimmy Carter won it in 2002, two decades after leaving the White House. The 44th President was asleep when the call came from his spokesman Robert Gibbs. "To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honoured by this prize," he said, "men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace".

He said he would collect the award in person at the ceremony in Oslo on 10 December and would donate the $1.4m prize money to charity.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee praised Mr Obama for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples", citing his fledgling push for nuclear disarmament and his outreach to the Muslim world.

As world reaction came in, offering praise and scepticism, some noted that the deadline for nominations for the prize fell just 11 days after Mr Obama was inaugurated.

Lech Walesa, former leader of the Solidarity union, which toppled Communism in Poland, was among those voicing doubts. "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," Mr Walesa, who won the prize in 1983, told reporters.

The timing of the award was both providential and awkward for Mr Obama. It came just seven days after his global standing was dented by a failed trip to Copenhagen to try to win the 2016 Olympic Games for Chicago.

But it also coincides with frantic foreign policy debate inside the Oval Office that may see him stepping up US troop numbers in the war in Afghanistan.

The reaction from the Taleban was acerbic."The Nobel Prize for peace? Obama should have won the 'Nobel Prize for escalating violence and killing civilians'," said a spokesman.

Nor was there a rush to applaud Mr Obama on the other side of the political aisle in Washington. Former members of the Bush team expressed their anger, among them former political aide Pete Welner, who called the prize "risible and worth mocking".

Of the Nobel Committee, he added: "George W Bush can live a fulfilled life without being honoured by such an organisation," which "long ago ceased to be a serious entity".

In 2008, Mr Obama suffered a backlash domestically when he was received as a celebrity making speeches in Europe, and there are political risks attached to the Nobel endorsement. A hero stature abroad does not impress those in need at home.

The right-wing radio talk-jockey Rush Limbaugh wasted no time in attacking him for it. "Obama gives speeches trashing his own country and for that gets a prize, which is now worth as much as whatever prizes they are putting in Cracker Jacks these days," he scoffed.

Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican Party, issued a statement asking what Mr Obama has "actually accomplished" to deserve such an accolade.

"It is unfortunate that the President's star power has outshined tireless advocates who have made real achievements working towards peace and human rights," he added. "One thing is certain, President Obama won't be receiving any awards from Americans for job creation, fiscal responsibility, or backing up rhetoric with concrete action."

But the honour could help Mr Obama in some forums, for example in Copenhagen this December, when world leaders will negotiate a climate warming treaty, or in his attempts in the coming weeks to corral Russia and China into taming the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea.

It also gives weight to his call, first made in Prague in April, to set the world on a course towards scrapping all nuclear weapons.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, recipient of the prize in 1984, said the decision "anticipates an even greater contribution towards making our world a safer place for all. It is an award that speaks to the promise of President Obama's message of hope."

- THE INDEPENDENT