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Nobel secretary regrets Obama peace prize Nobel secretary regrets Obama peace prize
(about 5 hours later)
The decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to US President Barack Obama in 2009 failed to live up to expectations, the committee's ex-secretary has said. Awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to US President Barack Obama in 2009 failed to achieve what the committee hoped it would, its ex-secretary has said.
In his memoir, Secretary of Peace, Geir Lundestad said the committee expected the prize to be a boost to Mr Obama. Geir Lundestad told the AP news agency that the committee hoped the award would strengthen Mr Obama.
Instead, the decision was met with criticism in the US. Many argued he had not had any impact worthy of the award.Instead, the decision was met with criticism in the US. Many argued he had not had any impact worthy of the award.
Mr Obama himself said he was surprised and even some of his supporters thought it a mistake, Mr Lundestad said. Mr Lundestad, writing in his memoir, Secretary of Peace, said even Mr Obama himself had been surprised.
The US president apparently considered not going to pick up the award in Norway's capital, Oslo, with his staff enquiring whether other winners had skipped the ceremony. "No Nobel Peace Prize ever elicited more attention than the 2009 prize to Barack Obama," Mr Lundestad writes.
But they found that this has happened only on rare occasions, such as when dissidents were held back by their governments. "Even many of Obama's supporters believed that the prize was a mistake," he says. "In that sense the committee didn't achieve what it had hoped for".
He also reveals that Mr Obama considered not going to pick up the award in Norway's capital, Oslo.
His staff enquired whether other winners had skipped the ceremony but found this has happened only on rare occasions, such as when dissidents were held back by their governments.
"In the White House they quickly realised that they needed to travel to Oslo," Mr Lundestad wrote."In the White House they quickly realised that they needed to travel to Oslo," Mr Lundestad wrote.
Mr Lundestad served as the committee's influential, but non-voting, secretary from 1990 to 2015.Mr Lundestad served as the committee's influential, but non-voting, secretary from 1990 to 2015.
He has broken with the tradition of the secretive committee, whose members rarely discuss proceedings.He has broken with the tradition of the secretive committee, whose members rarely discuss proceedings.
Other insightsOther insights
The book also gives other insights into the activities of the committee:The book also gives other insights into the activities of the committee:
This year's Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on October 9.This year's Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on October 9.