Peace Prize: Praise or Challenge for Barack Obama?

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(Free-Press-Release.com) October 9, 2009 -- The good news for Obama came just 263 days after his taking office. It's argued that the prize rewarded him more for promise than achievement.

The decision was welcomed by world leaders. Angela Merkel, the newly re-elected German chancellor, said Mr Obama had rapidly changed the tone of international diplomacy towards dialogue. “There is still much left to do, but a window of possibility has been opened,” she said.

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Peace Prize: Praise or Challenge for Barack Obama?

But others were scornful of the decision to reward a president who has yet to score any breakthrough in the Middle East or halt Iran's nuclear programme – and who may soon be sending thousands more troops to war in Afghanistan.

Lech Walesa, Poland's former president and a Nobel laureate himself, said it was too early to bestow the award on the 48-year-old US president.

Indeed, the news was so good that it took the White House by surprise. However, the $1.4m award was also seen as something of a challenge to Mr Obama, with his critics arguing that he has so far failed to secure a clear foreign policy success.

Barack Obama     Iran s nuclear programme     Nobel Prize