Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize Win Leads to Formal Investigation of Award
- Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:33pm by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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President Barack Obama displays the Nobel Peace Prize during a ceremony in the Main Hall of Oslo City Hall in Oslo, Norway, Thursday, Dec. 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) — Nobel Peace Prize officials were facing a formal inquiry over accusations they have drifted away from the prize’s original selection criteria by choosing such winners as President Barack Obama, as the nomination deadline for the 2012 awards closed Wednesday.
The investigation comes after persistent complaints by a Norwegian peace researcher that the original purpose of the prize was to diminish the role of military power in international relations.
If the Stockholm County Administrative Board, which supervises foundations in Sweden’s capital, finds that prize founder Alfred Nobel’s will is not being honored, it has the authority to suspend award decisions going back three years – though that would be unlikely and unprecedented, said Mikael Wiman, a legal expert working for the county.
Obama won in 2009, Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo won in 2010, and last year the award was split between Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian activist Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman of Yemen.
For this year’s award, Russian human rights activist Svetlana Gannushkina, jailed former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and Cuban rights activists Oswaldo Paya and Yoani Sanchez are among the candidates who have been publicly announced by those who nominated them.
The secretive prize committee doesn’t discuss nominations – which have to be postmarked by Feb. 1 to be valid – but stresses that being nominated doesn‘t say anything about a candidate’s chances.
Fredrik Heffermehl, a prominent researcher and critic of the selection process, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that “Nobel called it a prize for the champions of peace.”
“And it’s indisputable that he had in mind the peace movement, i.e. the active development of international law and institutions, a new global order where nations safely can drop national armaments,” he said
Especially after World War II, the prize committee, which is appointed by the Norwegian Parliament, has widened the scope of the prize to include environmental, humanitarian and other efforts, he said.
For example, in 2007 the prize went to climate activist Al Gore and the U.N.’s panel on climate change, and in 2009 the committee cited Obama for “extraordinary efforts” to boost international diplomacy.
“Do you see Obama as a promoter of abolishing the military as a tool of international affairs?” Heffermehl asked rhetorically.
Nobel, a Swedish industrialist and inventor, gave only vague guidelines for the peace prize in his 1895 will, saying it should honor “work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.”
Nobel said the peace prize should be awarded by a Norwegian committee, and the other Nobel Prizes by committees in Sweden. The two Scandinavian nations were in a union at the time.
Geir Lundestad, the nonvoting secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, dismissed Heffermehl’s claims.
“Fighting climate change is definitely closely related to fraternity between nations. It even concerns the survival of some states,” he told AP.
Still, the County Administrative Board decided to send a letter to the Stockholm-based Nobel Foundation, which manages the prize assets, requesting a formal response to the allegations.
“We have no basis to suggest that they haven’t managed it properly. But we want to investigate it,” Wiman said.
“The prize committee must always adjust its rules to today’s society,” he said. “But peace work has to be at the core – it can’t deviate too much from that,” Wiman said.
The peace prize and the Nobel awards in chemistry, physics, medicine, literature and economics are always handed out Dec. 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.
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Comments (153)
kickagrandma
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 4:06pmThrilled! More investigations from all sides, everywhere. YES!!!
Report Post »Twinspeedr
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 4:12pmUm, Duh?!!!!
Report Post »Rational Man
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 4:29pmWouldn’t it be great if they took back the prize soon. Before the election………………….
Report Post »FreedomPurveyor
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 5:03pm“And it’s indisputable that [Nobel] had in mind the peace movement, i.e. the active development of international law and institutions, a new global order where nations safely can drop national armaments.”
Am I reading this correctly? The Nobel Peace Prize is for promoting the NWO?
Report Post »AvengerK
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 5:10pmI don’t see the problem…it’s an empty award today for an empty president today. You want to talk about “fair”..that’s fair.
Report Post »MCDAVE
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 5:57pmObama’s waging a war of economic destruction on all the citizens of the United States..WE are all the target of this new type of warfare,Every day he takes the wealth of this nation and throws it away
Report Post »Exrepublisheep
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 7:14pmI can almost smell the jealousy wafting from my monitor. The world so hated georgie that the peace prize was given in a knee-jerk reaction to whoever took his place. No, Obama doesn’t deserve it, but move on.
Report Post »TXPilot
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 10:00pmYes, I’d say they need to investigate how a Muslim terrorist got awarded a “peace prize”…….not that it will do any good, because these days, everyone investigates everyone, but it’s all just busy work for the media to report on and keep us all thinking that there is any hope of justice at all in the world today…….that brings a thought to mind….anyone know what the definition of a pessimist is????…..that is an optimist, with “real world” experience…..:D
Report Post »teamarcheson
Posted on February 2, 2012 at 9:32amObama’s Prize Is A Disgrace.
Thew Swedes gave that monster Obama the prize over a women who saved over 1500 children from Nazi death camps by smuggling them out of the Warsaw ghetto in her suitcases. She died shortly after the evil monster got his prize. All Americans want that prize revoked.
Report Post »teamarcheson
Posted on February 2, 2012 at 9:35amCan’t Swedes hear the dead Jew children ashes in German and Polish graves screaming. Sweden has become the disgrace of Europe and the world.
Report Post »jonrod
Posted on February 2, 2012 at 10:03amGoing back 3 years and deleting the peace prize for Obama would be an insult that would be infuriate any rightous person. No matter what you think of Obama he didn’t ask for it, regardless over whether he was entitled to it, which he was not, in my opinion.
Report Post »turkey13
Posted on February 2, 2012 at 11:00amDidn’t obama give the money to the ACLU?
Report Post »boncarbo7
Posted on February 2, 2012 at 1:32pmHell this guy, Obama, wasn’t even President a month and he received this Nobel Prize, what had he done to date and why was he chosen, answer, he is a Socialist/Communist, and has the same views and ideas that all of Europe, for that matter most of the rest of the oppressed world. Do we want to look like Europe or for that matter the Middle East, where we would live under the oppressive rule of Islam, I don’t know about the rest of the people here, but I sure don’t, but that’s what it looks like is happening. So get ready to submit or get ready for a civil war, you can either stand with us or you can stand with the government.
Report Post »Goldi
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 4:06pm“We have no basis to suggest that they haven’t managed it properly. But we want to investigate it,” Wiman said.”
You have no basis? Can you wake up and see what you have created? You are all bunch of fools and as said above, you have diminished the award to all those who have deserved it!
Report Post »drst4scss
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 4:31pmYou mean like the Gays did to Marriage between a man and a woman?!?!?!
Report Post »dealer@678
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 4:51pmGive the prize to George Soros and be done with it
Report Post »MCDAVE
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 6:15pmBetter still give the prize to the guy who gets rid of George Soros…Put an end to his evil influence in the world..
Report Post »Libertyrevolutionary
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 4:05pmThe Nobel Prize is now a joke, thanks to the progressive eliteists. Might as well change the name to the progressive socialist one world government award. Then BHO, Ozone Al Gore and all their buddies would deserve it.
Report Post »dmerwin
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 4:14pmExactly, Carter, Yasser Arafat? Why not Idi Amin Dada or Fidel Castro or Ahmedinajad and his buddy Hugo? How about Sean Penn? Code Pink? Code Brown (for you health care folks)?
Report Post »ProbIemSoIver
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 4:15pmExactly. I will never acknowledge the Nobel Peace Prize as credible or prestigious again.
Although, I do like it very much…. to poop on.
I will now refer to it as, the ignobel piece of poop prize.
Report Post »Lord_Frostwind
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 4:28pmI could really care less about the Noble Peace Prize. What good is an award from an old arms dealer who wanted to improve his image before he died?
Report Post »Damn_Lucky
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 5:52pmThe Progressive Socialist One World Government Award. Formally known as The
Report Post »Nobel Prize……………I like it.
Holger Danske
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 6:15pmIronic isn’t it? A peace prize created by an “industrialist” whose industry just happened to be dynamite. I’d say the prize recipients match the founder reasonably well.
Report Post »Longbow
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 4:03pmThe Nobel peace prize has become essentially worthless. It used to stand for something, giving the award for partisan political purposes to someone who did nothing to deserve it destroyed its value. It”s just a joke now. Congrats, ‘Nobel Peace Prize officials’, you just took a big dump on the Nobel.
Report Post »doomytram
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 4:31pmPresident Oblah,blahOblamer has a nobel prize, three Time man of the year awards(if you count this years The Protester (for his Occupy and Arab Spring influence), an Advanced Academy Award for his Osama killing movie, and two Tony awards for 2012, and 2013.
Report Post »Machtyn
Posted on February 2, 2012 at 10:50amObama got it for being “Not Bush”. Plain and simple.
Report Post »alpha2omega47
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 4:02pmObama is a liar, a fraud and a Marxist.
Report Post »AmericanBumpkin
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 4:01pmi never realized that the nobel peace prize was a “1984” world gov’t promotional mcguffin….
Report Post »i learned something new today.
KickinBack
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 4:01pmThe Nobel Peace Prize is a joke. Especially since it’s named after the man who invented a way to safely carry explosives (dynamite) which would ultimately lead to the manufacture of bombs.
Report Post »Kiba
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 6:28pmThe ‘Peace prize’ is just one of several Nobel prizes. So it is really in a different perspective.
Report Post »deano24
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 6:57pmIronic isn’t it. The link below has a brief history of his life on how & why he started the Committee.
http://www.answers.com/topic/alfred-nobel
Report Post »Kiba
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 4:00pmMan alive there Barak, it seems like the Halo is getting some cracks in it and the Angel Wings are starting to shed some feathers huh there pal? Oh well, like they say “one day your a hero and the next day your a zero”!
Report Post »Dstarr55
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 4:00pmPresident Obama getting the prize prior to him even doing anything (it was awarded on his ‘promises’ most of which have not been kept) was a mockery of the award and only reinforced what most believed anyway – the Nobel Peace Prize is a joke. It lessens the award and makes it more a leftist political award than a true merit award for the promotion of peace. Al Gore receiving it on lies and half truths was another example of the misguided nature of this award and let us not forget Jimmy (never met a dictator he didn’t like) Carter. Only the far left still see any merit in the Nobel Peace Prize – maybe once it was a worthy award, now it is sadly diminished.
Report Post »AmericanBumpkin
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 4:08pmremember his orriginal oath of office?
Report Post »“i solemly swear that i will execute the office of president faithfully”
i know he re-took his oath, but it seems to me his actions coincide with the first version =/
GeorgieJo
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 4:12pmThey should rename it Nobel Promise Prize
Al Gore? Jimmmy Carter? Obummer?
YIKES!!!!!!!!!
OMG in 2012
Report Post »gr8t2bfree
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:58pmWell it’s about time!!! Wake up!!
Report Post »gr8t2bfree
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:57pmWell it’s about time!!!!!!! Wake up world!
Report Post »Ben__Franklin
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:56pmYou do not have to accomplish anything. You only have to be a Progressive Liberal or that other religion that will not let women leave their house alone or drive and is censored every where you go so you do not offend them. Nuff said.
Report Post »GaryInTheMiddle
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:54pmObutthead’s so-called presidency should be investigated.
Report Post »MYHEROISRON
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 4:03pmOBAMMY was a fool to accept the prize in the first place. His stock would have gone through the roof if he would have just said ‘… not appropriate. No thanks.’
Report Post »ADNIL
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 5:06pmmyhero – I think they all just got caught up in the “love fest” that was generated around him at the time.
Report Post »jakartaman
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:54pmWhen these dopes gave obama the peace prize – all they did was to cheapen its value and insult previous winners.
Report Post »It is recognized that they are a bunch of liberal socialist
They want to take it back for obama’s efforts in the middle east – which they perceive as naughty and
not because of anything else
felix
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:53pmpeace prize for a P.O.S.
Report Post »Smokey_Bojangles
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:51pmDoes that mean Satan did not deserve his either?
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:58pmAl Gore earned that award, he put together a powerpoint presentation for Pete’s sake.
Report Post »Rajabear1
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:48pmNow this has to make a person laugh. Boy, oh boy! This guy and his administration are the inspiration for many investigations. Even in the surreal world of the Nobel Peace prize. Think they can’t avoid the all too obvious mucking around in the arab spring and the whole caliphate thingy? or is it the whole removing ‘dictators’ or whomever at will with troops or drones to suit your fancy that makes them think that it may look like a flippin JOKE that they handed this to him on a silver platter for merely being elected, but never doing a damn thing worth mentioning that could be deemed ‘good’ or peaceful?
Report Post »Sirfoldallot
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:56pmObama = wanna a peace of apple ?
Report Post »Unix
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:57pmObama needs to be investigated for a LOT of things, including his past, his transcripts, his birthplace, just to name a few…this imposter is a liar and a theif, and he shall one day go to jail for what he has done, along with Soros, Pelosi, Reid and others. they are committing treason every day they are in office, they go against the Constitution, they incide race and class warfare and lie to our faces. this farce has to stop. Once we vote this peckerwood out, then we put him on trail along with all of the thugs, Rahn, Axelrod, Plouf, Gore, Ayers, Dorhn, Jones, Jarret, just to name a few…then we get on with the business of dismantling the Muslim Brotherhood, Black Panthers and the rest of the subversives. They will not stand much longer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »T-2
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:48pmgood, lets investigate his election result and voter’s intimidation too.
Report Post »Baja
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:43pmObama is good company with other anti-Semite Nobel winners like Yasser the “Terrorist” Arafat.
Report Post »Unbelievable
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:53pmAnd Jimmy Carter
Report Post »Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:42pmOsama Bin Laden brought peace to almost 3,000 people on Sept 11, maybe he should get a prize. (Sarcasm off)
Report Post »steveh931
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:41pmEveryone knows he never deserved the award, take it away.
Report Post »Harry Assenback
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:41pmNew Rule…….You MUST actually accomplish something.
Report Post »Sirfoldallot
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:45pmU think , lol.
Report Post »thegreatcarnac
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:41pmObama‘s ’peaceprize’ was another affirmative action perk. He got it because he is black. He has to thank affirmative action programs for almost everything in his life. He is the foodstamp-affirmative action president.
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:40pm“New Global Order” ??
Barry negated being eligible for this sham of a Prize, when he and Eric Holder spread PIECES all over Mexico. The firepower of those PIECES murdered many Mexicans, and at least one AMERICAN Border Agent.
Report Post »HKS
Posted on February 1, 2012 at 3:38pmNever understood this thing, looks like a political football to me. Must be something in it for someone.
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