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COMMENT: DETTE MCLOUGHLIN
Posted: Oct 09, 2009
Obama and the Nobel Peace Prize
By Dette McLoughlin
As Brian Cowen congratulated President Barack Obama on behalf of the Irish people on winning the Nobel Peace Prize many people in Ireland and around the world are livid at the award.
On 7th October a legal case was filed at the Spanish Audiencia Nacional against the United States president for commissioning, condoning and/or perpetuating multiple war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Iraq. Strangely this did not receive international mainstream media attention.
Why has Barack Obama been awarded the prize? The US leader’s efforts to strengthen international diplomacy was acknowledged but no mention made of how much substance it contains.
Obama’s alleged willingness to talk with leaders of Iran and Syria was refreshing yet he has extended sanctions against both countries.
His declaration to pursue a worldwide reduction of nuclear weapons,and ending the Eastern European missile defence system are welcomed, yet Obama is supporting Israel’s 200 nuclear warheads while repeatedly raising the threat of an unconfirmed Iranian nuke. Here is Obama with troops engaged in wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan demanding that Iran, which is invading and occupying no country, cannot be trusted with nuclear energy capability, because the capability might in the future lead to nuclear weapon capability, like Israel’s, India’s, and Pakistan’s--all non-signatories to the nuclear proliferation treaty, countries that, unlike Iran, have never submitted to IAEA inspections.
The Israeli government is screaming at the suggestion that Israel submit to IAEA inspections.
Iran is insisting that the US government abide by the non-proliferation treaty that the US originated and that Iran signed, but there is no co-operation from Obama on that one.
Meanwhile, the US and Israeli governments, who are so solicitous of international law and holding accountable countries that violate it moved to prevent the report of Judge Richard Goldstone from reaching the UN Security Council.
Despite the findings of the report on war crimes committed by Israel Obama refuses to challenge the Israeli blockade of Gaza or to induce the United Nations to challenge Israeli impunity. Instead he supports increasing US military aid to Israel to $30 billion over the next 10 years.
Obama continues to ignore Hamas notwithstanding the party’s democratic mandate since 2006. This policy shows that talk of diplomacy and promoting democracy in the Middle East is a bad joke.
The US president’s priorities are escalating war in Afghanistan, spreading war into Pakistan whilst continuing an almost forgotten war in Iraq. He has substantially increased the number of mercenaries involved in these occupations. Obama toured around the G20 trying to sell his AfPak strategy to his NATO allies to commit large numbers of troops to a doomed war.
He's asking Europe to support U.S. objectives in western and central Asia. He has retained the use of extraordinary rendition and secret prison camps involving third countries. He's pumping up the National Endowment for Democracy to promote U.S. neoliberal economic policy and interferes in the elections and democratic processes of countries where the outcome might not be favourable to U.S. interests. He's continuing to use the rhetoric of the war on drugs in Latin America.
Is this “co-operation between peoples” Obama style?
The Norwegian Nobel Committee said “only very rarely has a person captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future to the same extent as President Obama”.
It is true that during his electoral campaign, Barack Obama raised the hopes of many around the world. But examining his months in office many are disappointed. Barak Obama asserts a different image and puts a different face on US foreign policy without providing any substantive change in policies.
President Ahmadinejad told the UN that "selfishness and insatiable greed have taken the place of such humanitarian concepts as love, sacrifice, dignity, and justice. . . . Lies have taken the place of honesty; hypocrisy has replaced integrity, and selfishness has taken the place of sacrifice. Deception in foreign affairs is called foresight and statesmanship, looting the wealth of other nations is called development efforts; occupation is said to be a gift that promotes freedom and democracy; and defenseless nations are subjected to repression in the name of defending human rights."
No wonder Obama joins the likes of Henry Kissenger in receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.
Read also these recent articles on USA:
Nov 06, 2009: Mass Shooting Indicates Breakdown of US Military
Oct 09, 2009: Obama and the Nobel Peace Prize
Sep 28, 2009: The Police Are Rioting: Reflections on Pittsburgh
Sep 21, 2009: 1934: The battle for the docks in the USA
Aug 28, 2009: Ted Kennedy: Myth of the liberal lion
Aug 23, 2009: View from America: The free fall is over, but the crisis continues
Jun 17, 2009: Obama: Rebranding war and occupation
Jun 16, 2009: How the Wall Street bankers bought Congress
Jun 15, 2009: Obama and torture
