A Nobel Peace Prize During a Time of War

By Keith Boykin

Just days after traveling to West Point to announce a major escalation in the war in Afghanistan, President Obama went to Oslo, Norway to receive the Nobel Peace Prize Thursday, December 10, 2009.

According to news accounts Obama arrived on Air Force One with his wife, First Lady Michelle Obama, and a small group of friends. He attended several meetings with dignitaries before receiving the award.

President Obama was awarded the prize "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." But that announcement was made before the president ordered 30,000 more U.S. troops to the war in Afghanistan.

In fact, the president's speech seemed to focus directly on the paradox of the moment as he accepted a prize for peace during a time of war. "...the most profound issue surrounding my receipt of this prize is the fact that I am the Commander-in-Chief of a nation in the midst of two wars."

Obama became the fourth U.S. president -- behind Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson and Jimmy Carter -- to receive the honor, and the first American president since Wilson in 1919 to receive the award while still in office. Former U.S. vice president Al Gore was also awarded the Nobel Peace Prize after he left office.

Ever since the Norwegian Nobel Committee selected Obama in October, the decision has stirred controversy. The committee noted that Obama had been chosen "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples," according to the official citation.

But the nomination took place last winter, well before Obama had a chance to accomplish much as president. Nonetheless, the committee said it attached "special importance" to Obama's "vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons."

"We are not awarding the prize for what may happen in the future but for what he has done in the previous year," Nobel committee chairman Thorbjorn Jagland said at the time. "We would hope this will enhance what he is trying to do." Jagland, a former prime minister of Norway, stood by the committee's choice under questioning.

"The question we have to ask is who has done the most in the previous year to enhance peace in the world. And who has done more than Barack Obama?" The White House said the president was "humbled to be selected."

Jagland said the committee was impressed by Obama's efforts at nuclear arms reduction and his attempts to reach out to the international Islamic community as president. "One of the first things he did was to go to Cairo to try to reach out to the Muslim world, then to restart the Mideast negotiations and then he reached out to the rest of the world through international institutions," Jagland said.

The prize includes the 18-carat gold medal, the diploma and a check for 10 million Swedish crowns (1.4 million U.S. dollars), which Obama said he would donate to charity.

South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who won the prize in 1984, described the choice as a sign of hope about the future, according to the Associated Press. "It's an award coming near the beginning of the first term of office of a relatively young president that anticipates an even greater contribution towards making our world a safer place for all," Tutu said. "It is an award that speaks to the promise of President Obama's message of hope."

Click HERE to read a transcript of the President's speech