Obama Accepts Nobel Peace Prize And Defends War
Last week Obama traveled to Norway to accept his Nobel Peace Prize. The trip was routine, if disappointingly short for the citizens. But what was not routine was President Obama’s speech.
In a move that can only be classified as gutsy, Obama gave a speech defending war while accepting a peace prize.
In his acceptance speech, Obama told Nobel Committee members and guests in Oslo that achieving peace must begin with the recognition that the use of force is sometimes morally justified.
“Make no mistake: Evil does exist in the world. A nonviolent movement could not have halted Hitler’s armies. Negotiations cannot convince al-Qaida’s leaders to lay down their arms,” he told the crowd.
It was just nine days ago that Obama announced he is sending an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan in an effort to step up training of Afghan security forces and root out insurgents operating on the border with Pakistan.
The president also used the Nobel platform to exhort allies to help eradicate terrorist extremism in Afghanistan.
“I understand why war is not popular, but I also know this: The belief that peace is desirable is rarely enough to achieve it,” he said, urging support for NATO and saying peacekeeping responsibilities shouldn’t be left to a few countries. (source)