Nobel peace prize 'surprises' US President

Dubai: After nine months in the Oval Office, US President Barack Obama can now add "Nobel Peace Prize winner 2009" to his growing list of credentials. For the Nobel Committee who made the surprise announcement yesterday, however, it faced one big question: Why?

Under the current prize rules, President Obama was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize just two weeks after taking office.

Asked why the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Obama after just months in office, Nobel Committee head Thorbjoern Jagland said: "It was because we would like to support what he is trying to achieve."

In its citation choosing Obama over front-runner Morgan Tsvangirai, the embattled Zimbabwean Prime Minister who is working to oust dictator Robert Mugabe, the Norwegian committee said that "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".

Palestine talks

Since coming to office in January, President Obama has pursued an international agenda to restart peace talks over Palestine, open the door to negotiations with Iran on its nuclear programme, and committed the US to action on climate control.

But President Obama has also intensified US military efforts in Afghanistan against Taliban insurgents and is unlikely to meet his own stated intention of closing the detention camp in Cuba's Guantanamo Bay.

Jagland said the decision was unanimous and came with ease. He rejected the notion that Obama, 48, had been recognised prematurely for his efforts and said the committee wanted to promote the president.

Former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, last year's laureate, said it was clear the Nobel Committee wanted to encourage Obama on the issues he has been discussing on the world stage. "I see this as an important encouragement," Ahtisaari said.

Like many others, Poland's 1983 laureate, Lech Walesa, was surprised by the announcement. "Who? Obama? So fast?" he said. "Too fast. He hasn't had time to do anything yet."

Since coming to power, Obama has taken steps to rebuild US relationships with the Arab world.