Peace Nobel to Obama evokes strong reactions

LONDON: The surprise choice of US President Barack Obama for the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize evoked some sharp reactions, which dubbed the honour ���premature���, prompting the Nobel Committee to defend its decision.

A former winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Mairead Corrigan Maguire, on Friday criticised the decision to award the prize to Obama. Northern Ireland-born Maguire, who won the prize in 1976 with fellow campaigner Betty Williams for organising peace marches in the violence-torn British province, said the award for Obama was ���very sad���.

The 1983 winner, Poland���s Lech Walesa, said the honour has come ���too fast��� for Obama. ���Sometimes the Nobel committee awards the prize to encourage responsible action,��� he said.

In the US itself, the media described the news as ���surprising���, ���bold��� and even ���completely bizarre���. The chairman of the Republican National Committee, Michael Steele, said Obama���s ���star power has outshined tireless advocates who have made real achievements���.

America���s arch-foe Iran described the selection as an incentive to Obama to ���walk in the path of bringing justice to the world order���.

Within minutes of the announcement, thousands of emails and messages were sent to news organisations. Richard, from Cardiff, wrote to the BBC: "How can the leader of a nation at war be given a prize for 'Peace'?��� Jon Black from London wrote: ���This is an absolute joke.���