Nobel committee is too political

But this year's decision to grant the honor to U.S. President Barack Obama has stunned just about everyone and even embarrassed Obama himself.

The committee, made up of five little-known Norwegians appointed by the country's parliament, selected President Obama despite his term beginning a mere two weeks before the deadline for nominations.

Many reports have pointed out the obvious fact that while President Obama has made history and generated goodwill around the world, his young administration has yet to score any major achievements promoting world peace, not to mention far lesser domestic goals.

President Obama himself was clearly unaware that his nomination for the prize would be taken seriously and has done nothing wrong by announcing he would humbly accept this honor.

However, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has once again tarnished its reputation by making a political and partisan selection.

In its announcement, the committee left no room for doubt that it was pleased to see the departure of former U.S. President George W. Bush and his policies.

While committee members are free to think what they want about Bush, this blatant partisanship violates the will of the prize's founder, Alfred Nobel, who willed the prize to be granted to persons working to reduce standing armies, organize “peace congresses” and promote “fraternity between nations.”

Even though he merely inherited them, President Obama is still commanding American forces in no less than two ground wars, including one in Iraq and another in Afghanistan, as well as a worldwide effort against terrorism that includes use of military force.

And at the time of the award's announcement, President Obama was pondering a request from his generals requesting the dispatch of even more U.S. troops to fight Taliban forces in Afghanistan.

This is hardly the first time that the committee has made a controversial choice.

In 1973, the committee selected Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho for their role in negotiating a peace settlement between the U.S. and North Vietnam that led to the end of the Vietnam War.

Le Duc Tho refused to accept the prize, while Kissinger was pounded with snowballs by angry Norwegian demonstrators when he turned up to accept his prize due to the controversial American bombing of North Vietnam and Cambodia that pressured Hanoi to negotiate.

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