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| Obama defends war at Nobel award | Obama defends war at Nobel award |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| President Barack Obama has said the US must uphold moral standards when waging wars that are necessary and justified, as he accepted his Nobel Peace Prize. | President Barack Obama has said the US must uphold moral standards when waging wars that are necessary and justified, as he accepted his Nobel Peace Prize. |
| In his speech in Oslo, he defended the US role in Afghanistan, arguing the use of force could bring lasting peace. | In his speech in Oslo, he defended the US role in Afghanistan, arguing the use of force could bring lasting peace. |
| He also said his accomplishments were slight compared to previous laureates. | He also said his accomplishments were slight compared to previous laureates. |
| Mr Obama was given the prize in October for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples". | Mr Obama was given the prize in October for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples". |
| Thursday's ceremony in the Norwegian capital came days after Mr Obama announced he was sending 30,000 extra US soldiers to the war in Afghanistan. | Thursday's ceremony in the Norwegian capital came days after Mr Obama announced he was sending 30,000 extra US soldiers to the war in Afghanistan. |
| ANALYSIS Paul Reynolds, BBC world affairs correspondent | |
| He is careful to say that America respects the cultures and traditions of others - again, trying to project the US as a defender not an aggressor. | |
| But he also wants to stand up for "universal values." It is a difficult balancing act. | |
| His statement that "America has never fought a war against a democracy" might raise the issue as to whether it has fought on the side of non-democracies. Point-by-point analysis of speech | |
| There was a mixed reaction when he was named as the winner of this year's prize - only the fourth US president in history to be given the honour. | There was a mixed reaction when he was named as the winner of this year's prize - only the fourth US president in history to be given the honour. |
| Mr Obama's elevation to the rank of fellow laureates such as Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King, before he has even spent a year in office, has sparked fierce debate. | Mr Obama's elevation to the rank of fellow laureates such as Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King, before he has even spent a year in office, has sparked fierce debate. |
| Critics also said it was inappropriate for the honour to go to the commander-in-chief of a country involved in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. | Critics also said it was inappropriate for the honour to go to the commander-in-chief of a country involved in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. |
| Acknowledging the controversy, Mr Obama began by saying: "Compared to some of the giants of history who have received this prize... my accomplishments are slight." | Acknowledging the controversy, Mr Obama began by saying: "Compared to some of the giants of history who have received this prize... my accomplishments are slight." |
| He could not argue with those who said many previous laureates were "far more deserving" of the honour than him, he said. | He could not argue with those who said many previous laureates were "far more deserving" of the honour than him, he said. |
| Defending his Afghan troop deployment, Mr Obama said: "There will be times when nations - acting individually or in concert - will find the use of force not only necessary but morally justified." | Defending his Afghan troop deployment, Mr Obama said: "There will be times when nations - acting individually or in concert - will find the use of force not only necessary but morally justified." |
| He said "instruments of war do have a role to play in preserving the peace". | He said "instruments of war do have a role to play in preserving the peace". |
| Point by point analysis US media reaction Send us your comments | |
| "A non-violent movement could not have halted Hitler's armies," he added. "Negotiations cannot convince al-Qaeda's leaders to lay down their arms." | "A non-violent movement could not have halted Hitler's armies," he added. "Negotiations cannot convince al-Qaeda's leaders to lay down their arms." |
| He said the US "must remain a standard bearer in the conduct of war" to differentiate it from "a vicious adversary that abides by no rules". | He said the US "must remain a standard bearer in the conduct of war" to differentiate it from "a vicious adversary that abides by no rules". |
| This belief had led him to order the closure of the Guantanamo Bay prison and reaffirm US commitment to abide by the Geneva Conventions, he added. | This belief had led him to order the closure of the Guantanamo Bay prison and reaffirm US commitment to abide by the Geneva Conventions, he added. |
| While Russia and America worked to reduce their nuclear stockpiles, he said the international community must also ensure nations like Iran and North Korea did not "game the system". | While Russia and America worked to reduce their nuclear stockpiles, he said the international community must also ensure nations like Iran and North Korea did not "game the system". |
| Mr Obama also paid tribute to anti-government demonstrators in Iran, Burma and Zimbabwe, and said the US would always stand on the side of those who sought freedom. | Mr Obama also paid tribute to anti-government demonstrators in Iran, Burma and Zimbabwe, and said the US would always stand on the side of those who sought freedom. |
| Protests | |
| Anti-war demonstrators gathered outside city hall, where the ceremony was held. | Anti-war demonstrators gathered outside city hall, where the ceremony was held. |
| "We are protesting against him because... we don't think he is a man of peace," one protester, Anna Carraro, told AFP news agency. | "We are protesting against him because... we don't think he is a man of peace," one protester, Anna Carraro, told AFP news agency. |
| Amid high security, the US president earlier signed the Nobel Prize book of previous laureates after arriving in Oslo with his wife, Michelle. | |
| Indonesia unveils statue of Obama Obama tight schedule irks Norway In pictures: Obama's Nobel Prize | |
| There has also been criticism in Norway because he did not have lunch with the king and queen, and he is staying in the country only one day, even though Nobel ceremonies are usually held over three. | |
| At a news conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, Mr Obama said he and his wife wished they could stay longer. | |
| The Nobel Prizes for chemistry, literature, medicine, physics and economics will also be presented in the Swedish capital Stockholm. | The Nobel Prizes for chemistry, literature, medicine, physics and economics will also be presented in the Swedish capital Stockholm. |
| Each laureate receives a diploma, a medal and 10m Krona ($1.4m; £865,000), which is shared by joint winners. | Each laureate receives a diploma, a medal and 10m Krona ($1.4m; £865,000), which is shared by joint winners. |
| Coinciding with the Nobel ceremony, a statue of Mr Obama as a young boy was unveiled in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, at a park, near where the president lived between 1967 and 1971. | Coinciding with the Nobel ceremony, a statue of Mr Obama as a young boy was unveiled in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, at a park, near where the president lived between 1967 and 1971. |