Obama receives Nobel Peace Prize
President Barack Obama insisted moral standards that should be upholded when waging justified wars, as he accepted his Nobel Peace Prize.
Mr Obama was given the prize in October for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples”.
Thursday’s ceremony came days after President Obama announced a surge of troops to be sent in Afghanistan.
Criticism arose when he was named as the winner of this year’s prize, before he has even spent a year in office.
Debates also said it was inappropriate for the honour to go to the commander-in-chief of a country involved in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Acknowledging the controversy, Mr Obama said he accepted the award with humility, adding: “Compared to some of the giants of history who have received this prize… my accomplishments are slight.”
Defending his Afghan troop deployment, Mr Obama said there were times when “the use of force [was] not only necessary but morally justified,” as long as force was proportionate and civilian casualties minimised.
“Instruments of war do have a role to play in preserving the peace”, he said.
“A non-violent movement could not have halted Hitler’s armies,” he added. “Negotiations cannot convince al-Qaeda’s leaders to lay down their arms.”
Mr Obama also emphasised alternatives to violence, stressing the importance of diplomacy and sanctions to confront nations like Iran and North Korea over their nuclear programmes. “Let us reach for the world that ought to be,” Mr Obama said. “We can understand that there will be war, and still strive for peace.”
He paid tribute to anti-government demonstrators in Iran, Burma and Zimbabwe, and said the US would always stand on the side of those who sought freedom.
Mr Obama’s elevation to the rank of fellow laureates such as Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King, becoming the fourth US president to be given the honour.
Photo and news via BBC
