Obama and the Peace Prize ~ War is Peace

by Cyprus IndyMedia Editorial Collective


"Does this look like the work of a Nobel Peace Prize recipient?" - Debra Sweet.



"So soon? Too early. He has no contribution so far. He is only beginning to act," - Lech Walesa, former President of Poland, who won the Nobel Peace prize in 1983.

"Many were shocked by the unexpected choice so early in a presidency that began less than two weeks before the February 1st nomination deadline for the prize and has yet to yield concrete achievements in peacemaking." - Associated Press writers Karl Ritter and Matt Moore.

"Jesus Christ, why didn’t they just give it to George Bush?" - Cindy Sheehan, US Peace activist.

The US continues to arm, fund and train the Occupation army from Turkey that holds illegally half the country and continues a decades-long policy of ethnic cleansing and systematic genocide in Cyprus:
o- "It is already known that the Turkish occupation army brings arms in Cyprus aiming at its modernization or at the repairing its arms." - Mehmet Ali Talat,
http://www.hri.org/news/cyprus/tcpr/2005/05-02-24.tcpr.html#03
o- "Most of the equipment and weapons systems used by the Turkish Armed Forces is of US origin" - Burak Sansal
http://www.allaboutturkey.com/army.htm

"We are in need of actions, not statements. If there is no fundamental and true change in American policies toward the acknowledgment of the rights of the Palestinian people, I think this prize won't move us forward or backward." - Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, based in occupied Gaza.

What does the American Peace movement say about Obama's Nobel Peace prize? Here is an article by Debra Sweet, noted US Peace activist. Following below is a statement by our Editorial Collective, titled "Our View".

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In the Nobel Peace Prize for War Makers Department
By Debra Sweet, Friday, 09 October 2009


Barack Obama just joined the esteemed company of other US winners of the Nobel Peace Prize, notorious peace-niks Henry Kissinger and Theodore Roosevelt.

What do you think about the Peace Prize going to Obama? SIGN ours, or WRITE your own LETTER to the EDITOR here:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=eClwIKLU%2B%2FmBdJrntywRqzDUPbAak6Yg

Note that Barack Obama: is about to sign the biggest war-funding bill in world history; almost certainly will go with the generals and send 40,000 more troops to Afghanistan; is destroying the Kyoto climate negotiations; is refusing to release detainees already cleared and holding them indefinitely; and is directing the rush production of a huge "bunker busting" bomb to attack Iran.
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Hdsu0Dqpsfcl%2FtfCKoCG6zDUPbAak6Yg

Glen Greenwald, [wrote] this morning:
"Already this year, [Obama] not only escalated the American war in Afghanistan, but has ordered air raids that have produced things like the destruction pictured here:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6237189.ece

That was from a May airstrike in which over 100 Afghan civilians were killed by American jets -- one of many similar incidents this year,
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/72063.html
including one only a week ago that killed 9 Afghan civilians:
http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-10-01-voa23.cfm

How can someone responsible for that, and who has only escalated that war, possibly be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in the very same year that he did that? Does that picture above look like the work of a Nobel Peace laureate?"
Glen Greenwald,
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=QJOaBvt50fl3PkgmBrVQzaG%2FOU81aFi%2B

I'm seeing comments today that indicate some people against the war are hoping -- against hope -- that this prize will force Obama to be more peace-like. But the Nobel Committee once again kept the world status-quo in place, and gave the prize to Barack Obama only to re-enforce his use of "multi-lateral" negotiations, (i.e. superpower bullying) instead of the Bush doctrine style of unilateral invasion.

Debra Sweet

Debra Sweet is a US anti-war activist prominent with the campaign named "The World Can't Wait" which is loosely associated with the US Revolutionary Communist Party. Her article was originally published here:
http://www.worldcantwait.net/index.php/home-mainmenu-289/5912-in-the-nobel-peace-prize-for-war-makers-department

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Our Views
{please click on the image!}

Certainly, awarding the Nobel Peace prize to the Head of State of the most Imperialist country in the world, while that Presidency is actively engaged in slaughtering Afghani, Iraqi, Palestinian and Pakistani people for the crime of existing, is outrageous. Obama's White House and Obama's Pentagon continue to arm and fund the Zionist slaughter and occupation of Palestine, and continue to arm, fund and support the occupation, genocide and ethnic cleansing of Cyprus by Turkey.

How does the Nobel Committee answer for supporting these crimes by awarding Obama with the Peace prize?

Of course the Nobel Committee does not care to answer; it is not accountable to the multitude of dying and suffering people.

But the outrage goes further.

Here is what Obama, speaking at the White House, stated about the Peace award: "Let me be clear: I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations."

But what does Obama really think of our noble aspirations about American "leadership" on issues of global Peace? Please compare the above to Obama's statements only a few weeks ago, which were significantly launched from the podium of the U.N. General Assembly while he addressed the Heads of State of the whole world:
"Those who used to chastise America for acting alone in the world cannot now stand by and wait for America to solve the world's problems alone. Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges."

Blaming the world for global problems like militarism, genocide and widespread ecological catastrophe, instead of blaming US policies, Obama complained about "an almost reflexive anti-Americanism" that swept the globe under the administration of his predecessor, George W. Bush, which he said is not a valid "excuse for collective inaction."

In reference to the world's complaints about US policies that have led the globe's human, animal and plant populations to unecessary suffering of untold magnitude, Obama said:
"Nothing is easier than blaming others for our troubles and absolving ourselves of responsibility for our choices and our actions."

Just so that the grammar and syntax are not misunderstood, let's just restate that. Obama told the world that it is NOT the United States' policies we should be complaining about. We should NOT be blaming the USA "for our troubles and absolving ourselves of responsibility for our choices and our actions."

Meaning: Obama claims that the people of Palestine, Cyprus, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kurdistan, Lebanon and Pakistan are all facing the horror, wrath and genocidal violence of the US because of our OWN choices "and our actions." Not because the US White House and Pentagon - the largest killing machine in the Solar System, which only yesterday had the audacity to Bomb the Moon! - are in the service of a global capitalist ruling class whose interests they serve by killing, bombing and starving the defenseless peoples of the world.

In that infamous speech Obama added that "No one nation can or should try to dominate another nation." Yes, he actually said that! and, "That is the future America wants — a future of peace and prosperity that we can only reach if we recognize that all nations have rights."

But try to liberate your own community, your own enslaved country that's living and dying under the force of US weaponry because "all nations have rights" and you will get a tast of how much Obama really believes that - every freedom fighter in the world today is branded a "terrorist" and annihilated with extreme cruelty. By a globe-wide system of US State-sponsored terrorism that is so pervasive as to be seen as almost "normal".

Do you hear and see the hypocricy in Obama's words? Does it hurt you as much as hurts us?

Yes Obama, your bombs and guns are killing us and continue the occupation of our countries and the genocide of our peoples, while those who survive are forced under slavery. Your words of hypocricy are poison.

At least George Bush was easier to see as an enemy.

Cyprus IndyMedia Editorial Collective
http://CyprusIndymedia.org/
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Further Sources

Obama, the Nobel Prize, and What Peace Means
By Cindy Sheehan
http://www.worldcantwait.net/index.php/home-mainmenu-289/5910-obama-the-nobel-prize-and-what-peace-means

Gasps as Obama awarded Nobel Peace Prize
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091010/ap_on_re_eu/eu_nobel_peace

Military Occupation of Cyprus under US weapons provided to Turkey
Famagusta, The Hostage Ghost City of Europe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcfBJ7DimB8

Obama to world: Don't expect America to fix it all
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090924/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_55

"Most of the equipment and weapons systems used by the Turkish Armed Forces is of US origin. Today, other main weapons suppliers of Turkey are Germany, Israel, England, France and Russia.
Turkish Armed Forces are greater than those of France and Britain combined, with 514,000 men under arms and 380,000 in reserve, plus a robust air force with American fighters. Actually, it's the 2nd largest standing force in NATO after the United States, and 8th biggest number of active troops in the world."
http://www.allaboutturkey.com/army.htm

Copyright notice:
http://cyprusindymedia.blogspot.com/2008/08/legal-issues-copyleft-copyright-notice.html
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