Yesterday, four of the five members of the Nobel Committee responded to the largely U.S. controversy over the selection of President Obama as this year�s recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. “The question we have to ask�, said Thorbjoern Jagland, head of the Committee, "is who has done the most in the previous year to enhance peace in the world, and who has done more than Barack Obama?”
In fact, world leaders and past Nobel winners have reacted positively, with the Committee noting that "much of the criticism is coming from the media and Obama’s political rivals." “I take note of it. My response is only the judgment of the committee, which was unanimous,” Jagland said. Aagot Valle, another of the five panelists said of critics: “Where do these people come from?"
Alfred Nobel, a Swedish arms manufacturer and the inventor of dynamite, stipulated in his 1895 will that much of his vast fortune be used to establish five prizes, one of which was to go “to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between the nations and the abolition or reduction of standing armies and the formation and spreading of peace congresses.”
Mr. Jagland said the committee considered a record pool of 205 nominations and had “several candidates until the last minute,” but it became more obvious that “we couldn’t get around these deep changes that are taking place” under Mr. Obama.
Perhaps what his US detractors really find unfair is the complete repudiation of the foreign policy of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, et al. In order to understand the movement towards peace that President Obama has made, you must first accept the catastrophic trajectory of endless war that we were on. And while many justify his actions because of September 11, the truth is his administration put us on that path early in 2001 as he rejected the 1972 ABM Treaty in May of 2001 and announced his intention to begin nuclear testing as early as June 2001. His disengagement from almost all international institutions only accelerated after 9/11, which doesn't even include the horrific acts associated with the Iraq War or the massive number of suppressed and altered reports on everything from Abu Ghraib to climate change.
Contrast that with the movement made by President Obama, and the decision of the Nobel Committee becomes insightful and lucid. As Mr. Jagland said, ”Can someone tell me who did more than him this year? It is difficult to name a winner of the peace prize who is more in line with Alfred Nobel’s will."
So just what is it that Barack Obama has done to move the world towards peace?
(Hat Tip to w8ghtliftinglady and her LTTE)
Jan 21 Met with military leaders to instruct engage in additional planning necessary to execute a responsible military drawdown from Iraq with a final plan detailed on Feb 27 wherein combat troops would be removed by Aug 2010 with 35,000-50,000 support troops remaining until 2011.
Jan. 22, Appointed a Special Envoy for Middle East peace;
Jan. 22, Review and Disposition of Individuals Detained at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base and Closure of Detention Facilities
Jan. 22, Revoked Executive Order 13440 of July 20,2007 and ordered that all interrogatiwill comply with the Geneva Conventions and Army Field Manual, ordered the CIA to close as expeditiously as possible any detentifacilities that it currently operates and shall not operate any such detentifacility in the future, established a Special Task Force Interrogatiand Transfer Policies to review interrogatiand transfer policies.
Jan. 23, Lifted "Global Gag Rule", instantly improving the health of billions of women and children around the world
Jan. 26, Signed Energy Independence and Security Act, addressing climate change and increasing fuel standards for automobiles;
Feb. 5, Required Dept of Energy to implement 2005 appliance and equipment standards and implement deadlines for equipment standards in the 2007 Energy Act.
Feb. 25, Joined 140 nations in signing a UN legally-binding pact to cut toxic mercury emissions.
Mar 30 Appointed special envoy to Sudan to explore peace talks in Darfur
April 1 Negotiated framework for the United States and Russia to lay the groundwork for a follow-up treaty to further reduce nuclear weapons stockpiles and signed a Joint Understanding in Sept that defines the reduction goals.
April 2, Led G20 response to the global economic crisis obtaining commitments of $1.1 trillion
April 4, Renewed dialog with NATO and other key allies gaining support for Afghan strategy
April 5, Historic Praque speech when he announced new strategy to responsible address international nuclear proliferatiand commitment to American ratificatiof the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and a nuclear free world
April 12 Ordered rescue of Capt. Richard Phillips from Somali pirates without creating an international incident.
April 13 Lifted travel and remittance restrictions for Cuban families, establish fiber optic and satellite communications and equipment export, increased eligible humanitarian donations.
May 8, Proposed International Affairs budget that included funds to create a civilian response corps teams of civilian experts in rule of law, policing, transitional governance, economics, engineering, and other areas critical to helping rebuild war-torn societies; Provide $40 million for a �stabilization bridge fund, which would provide rapid response funds for the State Department to help stabilize a crisis situation.
June 4, Historic address to the Muslim World in Cairo following historic interview with Al Arabiya in January, making clear that �American is not at war with Islam� while challenging the Middle East to take concrete steps towards peace.
June 12 Removed Marxist-Leninist designation from Cambodia and Laos
June 17 Ordered federal benefits be extended to all gay federal employees wherever currently legal to do so, setting an international precedent in gay rights.
July 6 Presidents Obama and Medvedev agreed to create a new strategic framework for military-to-military engagement between the United States and the Russian Federation, agreed to a new, comprehensive, legally binding agreement on reducing and limiting strategic offensive arms to replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which expires on December 5, 2009 and agreed to create a Bilateral Presidential Commission, which will be coordinated by Secretary of State Clinton and Foreign Minister Lavrov, with working groups on issues ranging from agriculture to energy to space cooperation and cultural exchanges.
Aug. 4, Used all diplomatic resources available to free two American journalists from a North Korea prison.
Aug 18 Joined with Canada and Mexico in a Declaration on Climate Change and Clean Energy which commits the three countries to alternative energy advancements as well as developing a grid to transport renewable energy among the three countries.
Sept. 18 Announced a new phased, adaptive approach for missile defense in Europe prompting Russia to withdraw its missile plan.
Sept 24 Set the world on a path of ending subsidies for fossil fuels at the G20 meeting in Pittsburgh.
Sept 24 Chaired historic meeting of the United Nations Security Council with all 15 nations signing Nuclear Weapons Resolution 1887 which will rid the world of nuclear weapons and materials, signed Joint Understanding with Russia.
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