President Barack Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize

(AP) - President Barack Obama is the surprise winner on the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

Obama's name had been mentioned as a possible recipient, but
many Nobel watchers believed it was too soon into his presidency.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee saw it differently, saying "Obama is
now the world's leading spokesman" for the kind of international
diplomacy it has sought to stimulate. The committee said it decided to give the prize to Obama
to "promote what he stands for" and for the "positive
processes" that he's started. The prize was created partly to
encourage ongoing peace efforts -- but Obama's work is at a far
earlier stage than with past winners of the prize.

The committee cited Obama's initiatives to rid the world of nuclear
weapons, ease tensions with the Muslim world and stress diplomacy
and cooperation over unilateralism. It also praised the "more
constructive role" the U.S. is playing on climate change under
Obama's leadership.

Obama woke up to the news before 6 a.m. Eastern
time. He plans to attend the Nobel prize ceremony December 10 in Oslo to accept the award and its $1.4 million prize.

Obama is the third sitting U.S. president to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
The first was President Theodore Roosevelt. He received the
award in 1906 and was also the first American winner.
President Woodrow Wilson was awarded the prize in 1919 for his
role in founding the League of Nations. The institution ultimately
failed, but served as a forerunner of the United Nations.
Former President Jimmy Carter won the prize but not until 2002,
more than 20 years after he left office. Carter was recognized for
his mediation in international conflicts. The Nobel committee
chairman said afterward that Carter's award should be seen as a
"kick in the leg" to then-President George W. Bush's hard line in
the buildup to the Iraq war.
In all there are now 21 U.S. Nobel Peace laureates, including
former Vice President Al Gore, Martin Luther King Jr. and Henry
Kissinger.