U.S. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama depart the White House en route to Andrews Air Force Base on December 9, 2009 in Washington. The President and First Lady are traveling to Oslo, Norway to attend the Nobel Prize ceremony. UPI/Olivier Douliery/Pool |
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OSLO, Norway, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in ceremonies Thursday in Norway.
The Nobel Peace Prize Committee cited Obama's "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples" in saying it was giving its most prestigious award to someone relatively new to the world stage. In particular, Obama's statements regarding global climate change and a goal of a nuclear-weapons free world caught the attention of committee members.
Speaking before the formal awarding of the prize, which includes a gold medal and about $1.5 million, Obama said his goal was not to win an award but to "advance America's interests" and if he ends up being successful, criticism of his receiving the Peace Prize will subside.
The ceremonies took place Thursday under tight security as protesters gathered to demonstrate against Obama's continued prosecution of the war in Afghanistan. Last week, the U.S. president said he was deploying an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to that fight.
