Thursday 10 December 2009

Accepting Nobel, Obama Says War Sometimes Justified

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Posted by realistic bird under Caricature, Politics | Tags: , , , , , , , |


{Iraq-Afghanistan giving NO-bel} by Jalal Al Rifa'i-Al Dustour newspaper-Jordan
10/12/2009 US President Barack Obama accepted the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize on Thursday, acknowledging the controversy over the choice of a wartime president and saying he reserved the right to take action to protect the United States.

Obama said during his acceptance speech that use of force was sometimes justified, but a resilient peace can be achieved if the world imposes limits and conditions on violent forces.

He said that violence was especially justified when used on humanitarian grounds, adding that in the case of Al-Qaida, negotiations would not cause them to lay down their arms.

He called for tough action against countries that broke international laws, such as sanctions that “exact a real price.” Iran and North Korea, which are in nuclear stand-offs with the West, could not be allowed to “game the system,” he said, referring to tactics employed by both countries in the past to draw out negotiations.
Obama also said unity within the international community against what he called “evil” forces was the only way to create a future with an alternative to violence, but said he did not see wars ending in our lifetimes. “I believe that we must develop alternatives to violence that are tough enough to change behavior – for if we want a lasting peace, then the words of the international community must mean something,” he said.
As he opened his address, Obama acknowledged the criticism that his accolades were undeserved. “I receive this honor with deep gratitude and great humility,” he said. “It is an award that speaks to our highest aspirations – that for all the cruelty and hardship of our world, we are not mere prisoners of fate. Our actions matter, and can bend history in the direction of justice.”

“I cannot argue with those who find these men and women – some known, some obscure to all but those they help – to be far more deserving of this honor than I,” he said.

Obama said during that he did not “bring with me today a definitive solution to the problems of war.” “What I do know is that meeting these challenges will require the same vision, hard work, and persistence of those men and women who acted so boldly decades ago,” he said. “And it will require us to think in new ways about the notions of just war and the imperatives of a just peace.”

While expressing belief in Martin Luther King, Jr.’s statement that “Violence never brings permanent peace,” Obama also said that he had to face the world as it is, and cannot stand idle in the face of threats to the American people.”

“For make no mistake: evil does exist in the world,” he said. “A non-violent movement could not have halted Hitler’s armies. Negotiations cannot convince Al-Qaida’s leaders to lay down their arms. To say that force is sometimes necessary is not a call to cynicism – it is a recognition of history; the imperfections of man and the limits of reason.”

Hours before he was set to receive the prize, Obama said that he hoped to achieve his goal of advancing U.S. interests and peace around the world. “If I am successful in those tasks, then hopefully some of the criticism will subside, but that is not really my concern. If I am not successful, than all the praise and awards in the world will not disguise that.”

Addressing criticism that the award was premature, Obama told reporters after landing in Oslo that he does not doubt there are others who may be more deserving of the honor.

“I have no doubt that there are others that may be more deserving. My task here is to continue on the path that I believe is not only important for America but important for lasting peace in the world,” Obama said in response to a journalist’s question on how he planned to use the accolade to advance his goals.

Obama said he wanted to continue working on issues that are important for the U.S. and for building lasting peace and security in the world, such as halting the spread of nuclear weapons, addressing climate change and stabilizing Afghanistan.

Obama arrived in Oslo on Thursday morning and met Norway’s Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and the Norwegian royal family before receiving his medal.

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