Obama's Nobel prize earns mixed reaction in UAE press

• Text size
•  
•  

ABU DHABI, Oct. 10th, 2009: The choice of Barack Obama on Friday as the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 has drawn mixed reaction and editorial comments by UAE English language newspapers, as it did elsewhere around the world, about the validity of the Nobel Committee's decision to honor a work in progress just nine months into his term as president of the United States, and for that matter, as a world leader who two years ago the world hardly knew.

The decision to award the Nobel Prize for Peace to Obama has shocked many, even the recipient himself who said he was "most surprised and deeply humbled", by the award, which the Norwegian committee said he had won for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples".Nearly 205 names were considered before the Nobel Committee chose to reward him for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples" for 2009. It acknowledged his vision of a nuclear free world, concern for the environment, and the climate he has created for multilateral diplomacy. "Only 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", said Thorbjoern Jagland, chairman of the Nobel Committee.Obama is the third sitting US president to have won the prize, following Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 and Woodrow Wilson in 1919. Jimmy Carter won in 2002 and the former vice president Al Gore received the prize in 2007 for his work towards promoting climate change.Khaleej Times defended the Nobel Committee's pick of Obama."Despite the fact that a man leading a nation at two wars - in Iraq and Afghanistan- the honour might seem "woefully misplaced at the first blush", it might help to remember that these are wars he has inherited, according to the paper.It might help to also dwell on the intent Obama has shown in multi-lateral diplomacy, added the paper citing his efforts to "undo the damage of Bushfires" in the Middle East and his "unwavering faith in dialogue-over-confrontation," a proclivity the paper said "might be proving infectious." "The United Nations is being seen as a more credible arbiter, thanks to Obama, claimed the Khaleej Times.Gulf News said awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to a Obama, whose oratory is second to none and who has said the right words since coming to office was "premature" because the Norwegian Comittee members were "swayed by his style." "One could simply argue that any leader who followed George Bush would naturally have created a new climate, simply by replacing the warmonger." But Obama's substance is yet to be seen. "It also remains to be seen what progress, if any, can be realistically made (by Obama) given Israel's rigidity on its colonies," according to the Gulf News.This premature win, it said, raises the interesting scenario that Obama was nominated for the award after just two weeks in office - hardly enough time to change the world in a peaceful manner.The Abu Dhabi-based The National was not simply content with the wave of praise for Mr Obama’s efforts to bring about a nuclear free world and peace to the Middle East. It also casted a shadow of dount on the credibility of the prestigious prize."Perhaps the award was given too early, before the young president has scored even one major foreign policy victory," it said citing comments from people in the region."To be honest, what have we got so far? There are promises, nice language and over-ambitious plans for peace....There is no peace in Afghanistan. Iraq is not stable, Palestine is more complicated than before. There are settlement issues. They are jumping the gun here," said Dr Mustafa Alani, senior adviser and programme director of security and terrorism studies at the Dubai-based Gulf Research Center."What has Obama done to deserve this? So far it is only words about peace, but in practice what has he done for human rights, to end wars or to improve American foreign policy?", said Mohammed Zeidan, the director of the Arab Human Rights Association, a Palestinian advocacy group based in Nazareth, Israel."The important question is does (Obama) have the determination to impose his will on the parties in the Middle East, especially Israel? It is disappointing that in practice he gave in to Benjamin Netanyahu on the settlement freeze, but we are hopeful that was tactical retreat", said Uri Avnery, the founder of Israel’s Gush Shalom peace movement and winner of the 2001 Right Livelihood Award, often called the "alternative Nobel Peace Prize."

However, previous Nobel Prize awardings, highlighted by The National, raise question marks: "In 1973, Henry Kissinger, the former US secretary of state, received the prize for his work on the Vietnam Peace Accords but was involved in several covert operations, including a bombing campaign in Cambodia."

"In 1994, Yasser Arafat, from left, Yithzak Rabin and Shimon Peres were jointly awarded the prize for efforts to bring peace to the Middle East. Yet, all three were accused of putting obstacles in the way of a lasting agreement."

"In 2007, Al Gore won the prize for championing the conservation of the environment, which appeared to be at odds with the will of Alfred Nobel that states the peace prize be awarded to a person who has worked to abolish or reduce standing armies or promotes peace between people."

"In 1992, Rigoberta Mench? won for her work protecting and promoting the rights of Guatemala’s indigenous people. However, research into her biography showed that some facts regarding her family history and her circumstances growing up in Guatemala were altered to fit her leftist leanings."

© Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2009.