Award of Nobel Peace Prize to President Obama

international | anti-war / imperialism | press release Saturday October 10, 2009 17:02 by Mairead Maguire - Peace People

I believe the award is premature

Press release averring disappointment with the award of this prize to President Barack Obama

PRESS RELEASE

Speaking from Belfast regarding the NPP Award to President Obama, Nobel Peace Laureate, Mairead Maguire, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in l976. said:

‘I am very disappointed to hear that the Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama.

They say this is for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples, and yet he continues the policy of militarism and occupation of Afghanistan, instead of dialogue and negotiations with all parties to the conflict.

I believe the award is premature.

Furthermore,I believe the Nobel Committee has not met the conditions of Alfred Nobel’s will where he stipulates it is to be awarded to those who work for an end to
militarism and war, and for disarmament. This is not the first time the Nobel Peace Committee in Oslo has ignored the will of Alfred Nobel and acted against the spirit of what the Nobel Peace Prize is all about.

Giving this award to the Leader of the most militarized country in the world, which has taken the human family, against its will, to war will be rightly seen by many people around the world, as a reward for his country’s aggression and domination’.

Mairead Maguire
Nobel peace Laureate
www.peacepeople.com
9th October, 2009