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Bill Clinton or Bono not Obama deserved Nobel Prize

By
Niall O'Dowd

Published Friday, October 9, 2009, 7:52 AM
Updated Friday, October 9, 2009, 5:01 PM

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Bill Clinton or Bono not Obama deserved Nobel Prize | Irish News | IrishCentral




Nobel puzzle: How could the Nobel Peace Prize go to President Obama and not Bill Clinton or Bono?
Nobel puzzle: How could the Nobel Peace Prize go to President Obama and not Bill Clinton or Bono?

IRISHCENTRAL TV / NIALL O'DOWD SPELLS OUT WHY BARACK WAS BAD CHOICE / CLICK HERE

The Nobel Prize committee has decided to punish George Bush by awarding his successor the Nobel Prize.

That is the only conclusion I can come too when the head-scratching verdict of this year's Nobel Prize winner was announced.

The hatred for Bush was profound in Europe and it seems the global outreach Obama has done since he took office a mere 10 months ago has achieved mythical status already in Europe.

The widespread approval for Obama's policy is warranted, the Nobel Prize is not. Frankly where are the great foreign policy achievements?

Compare Obama to former President Bill Clinton whose global initiative has stemmed the tide of AIDS in Africa, has raised billions to fight previously incurable diseases and who dedicated himself in office to solving the Middle East - almost - and Northern Ireland where he played an invaluable role in the peace process there.

Or think of Bono the global crusader for Africa who like Clinton on Africa has raised hundreds of millions for the cause and energized millions of young people to think beyond themselves and give back to the world.

Both men would have been profound and deserving choices for the Nobel Prize.

Last month I interviewed former Irish president and UN Human Rights chair Mary Robinson about the impact of Barack Obama since he took office.

She immediately referred to his now famous Cairo speech where he reached out to the Muslim world and carried the olive branch that had been missing during the Bush era.

Robinson had been traveling in the area during the period on her own humanitarian work and had been well-placed to assess it.

She said the speech had been transformative and overnight the image of America had shot up in countries where under Bush it had been at its lowest point ever.

I thought of that conversation when the Nobel Prize committee awarded its top honor to President Obama.

I understand where they are coming from - mainly delivering a belated kick in the pants to former President George Bush I think, but it is far too early.

Obama has been wonderful on rhetoric but understandably short on delivery as he has been in office less than a year.

In the Middle East it has been very tough going,with no tangible success In Afghanistan and Pakistan the war drums still beat.

In Iraq a shaky civilian government still has much to prove.

It may well be that in a few years Obama will have brought peace and stability to those war torn regions.

But the Nobel Prize this year has been awarded for rhetoric not results.

Bill Clinton and Bono have a reason to be annoyed.

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Bill Clinton or Bono not Obama deserved Nobel Prize | Irish News | IrishCentral


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