Nobel to Obama; For What He Has Done or for What He Has to Do

8/14/2019 Nobel to Obama; For What He Has Done or for What He Has to Do

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NOBEL TO OBAMA; FOR WHAT HEHAS DONE OR FOR WHAT HE IS TO

DO

The conferment of Nobel Peace Prize for

2009 on Barack Hussein Obama, the US

President has triggered a debate across the

world that whether it is a premature decision

or it is a wrong decision altogether. Manynews channels and newspapers have started

online voting on this issue. Prior to Obama,

three US Presidents, one after retirement and

two in the office have also been awarded this

prestigious and perhaps the most coveted

and recognised award, they are TheodoreRoosevelt in 1906 and Woodrow Wilson in

1919 and Jimmy Carter in 2002. But in none

of the case did controversy and public

interests arise to such a magnitude.

The decision was so unexpected and

surprising that even Obama himself, who wasin sound asleep in White House was made to

awake to break this news on him, was

astonished on the decision. Although

diplomatically, he reciprocated with words

like Humbled and Honoured, it was not

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easily palatable to him also; it was like a

pleasant dream for him.

The decision of Norwegian Nobel Committee,which was established in 1901 by Alfred

Nobel, the Inventor of Dynamite, the

explosive, presently comprising of five

eminent people from Europe and headed by

Thorbjorn Jagland, the former PM of Norway,

to award Obama was not an easy task

because a all time record 205 nominations

were on the board, including persons like

Morgan Tsvangirai of Zimbabwe and Chinese

dissident Hu Jia, Martti Ahtisaari etc.

WHAT OBAMA HAS SO FAR DONE FOR

PEACE- Many people including some thinktanks and world leaders are asking that what

Obama has so far accomplished? Walesa, the

former President of Poland and himself Nobel

Peace Prize winner also openly criticized this

decision by saying that Obama has so far

accomplished nothing.

People say that Obama has opened many

fronts in international diplomacy of course,

but results or logical conclusions of these

back or front door diplomacies have not yet

come. He has been desperately trying to

solve vexed and seemingly unending West

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Asia problem and has appointed George

Mitchell as special envoy to initiate dialogue

with warring factions including Hamas on the

one hand and Israeli government on the

other. The victory of Benjamin Netanyahu in

Israel has made Obamas task only difficult

as former has openly but diplomatically not

accepted Obamas two Nation and Stop

Settlement theory. The famous Cairo

Speech of Obama which stirred hornest nestin the Muslim world and was termed as

Obamas bold and farsighted effort to avert

the imminent Clash of Civilisations as

propounded by Samuel Huntington. Obama

wanted to end or at least mitigate this hatred

in the Muslim world for Americans inparticular and European in general, a

grotesque legacy which both senior and

junior George Bush had left for him.

Although, a lot more is required to be done

both by the international community and

Obama in this regard, a humble beginningwas definitely made by Obama, for which he

rightly deserves appreciation. At least, he

could muster courage and showed political

sagacity and diplomatic audacity to accept

that America has done some wrongs, for

which time has arrived to mend ways and

rectify and nullify the wrongs done.

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On Afghanistan, Obamas policy is yet to

take definite shape and yield results. By

appointing Richard Holbrook as special envoy

for Afghanistan, he sent signal to the world

community, especially the Muslim world, that

he is all set to change the old stereotypes

and colonial mindset towards South-Asia.

Although by the time Obama could arrive at

White House, huge collateral damage had

been done both in terms of man and money.Many American politicians and many security

experts also including Stanley A. McChrystal,

the chief of NATO forces in Afghanistan say

openly now that America and West is fighting

a lost war in Afghanistan. McChrystal in a 66

pages report has demanded 40,000 moretroops in Afghanistan; otherwise, he said, US

will lose the war. This report has shaken

confidence security and defence

establishments including Pentagon. Joe Biden

in not in favour of sending more troops and

Obama is not yet made up his mind, whichway he will go. It is not possible for him

either to eschew or to end the war abruptly

and abjure attacks on Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

The USA is to decide and choose between

devil and the deep sea. Eight precious years

and loss of billions of dollars has brought for

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America only causalities, defame and

injuries. Obama has to overcome from this; a

huge and stupendous task of finding an

amicable but lasting solutions. The hope

generated during Afghanistan election also is

going to be a fiasco. But so far Obama has

been able to play very cautiously and

intelligently and he requires consistency as

well as continuity in this regard and this

award is definitely a prize and a go aheadsignal for him.

As far as Nuclear disarmament and arms

race are concerned, Obama has taken bold

and decisive steps. Although, it is premature

to give him a certificate of victory or

accomplishment, a beginning is made, the

process has been incited, which had been in

hibernation for a long time. The controversial

Europe Missile Defence plan has been

abandoned by Obama, a decision which was

very difficult to take under the prevailing

politico-strategic global environment. Bydoing so, Obama has tried to lessen the

tension with Russia, the arch rival even after

losing its superpower status.

Even during Georgian crisis, which led to

establishment of South Ossetia and Abkhazia

as independent nations, Obama maintained

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outstanding restraint, a posture which was

unheard of during recent times by White

House.

In UN General Assembly session, Obamas

initiative brought CTBT and NPT again on

international agenda. In recent times, both

these treaties had been put into mode of

pause. The Nobel Committee must have

taken into consideration these aspects also

before taking a final decision on this issue.

The US posture of ready to take on those

who dare to challenge has been bid good-

bye by Obama. He repeatedly utters

conciliation and not confrontation and

advocates for peaceful co-existence

rather than dominance. These are some of

the steps taken by Obama, which has

definitely ushered in a new era of difference,

for which Obama must be encouraged.

The experience ofpolicy of economic and

military sanction has been proved

disastrous and has done more harm than

good. This perhaps due to this mindset,

Obama did not act the manner his

predecessors would have acted with North

Korea and Iran on their defiance of

international opinion by test firing N-Missiles

etc. He is trying to end economic sanctions of

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Myanmar also, but not unilaterally but by

taking into confidence Suu Kyi also.

Last but definitely not the least is thedecision of release of hundreds of detainees

in Guantanamo bay. Though it was criticised

by many including his compatriots, Obama

did not hesitate and took a historic decision

to show that he really cares for all what he

says. The results in terms of prevail of good

will in the Muslim world is still a distant

dream, but Obama has tried to undo many

wrongs which has been done by his

predecessors including George Bush, the

junior.

Thus there is no denying the fact thatObamas actions have yet to be translated

into achievements, his efforts are inculcated

with sincerity and honesty for which he must

be praised and suitably rewarded. And Nobel

Prize for peace was definitely the best

available option for the Nobel Committee.

However this award will ever be remembered

for making a departure in the sense that all

previous Nobel Prizes had been conferred for

What has been done but this years

award perhaps for the first time has been

given for What is to be done. Perhaps due

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to this departure, even chairman of the

committee Thorbjorn Jagland also said If you

look at the history of the Peace Prize, we

have on many occasions given it to try to

enhance what many personalities were

trying to do he added It was because

we would like to support he is trying to

achieve. The message clear; Obama has

been awarded for what he is to do and not

what he has done.

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Nobel to Obama; For What He Has Done or for What He Has to Do