Nobel Peace Prize Committee President Jagland to EuroFora on Obama message : focus on Future ?

The worldwide controversy on the surprising Nobel award to Obama, points to the Future, indicated Oslo Nobel Peace Prize Committee's President, Thorbjorn Jagland, speaking exclusively to "EuroFora" in Strasbourg, headquarters of the CoE, where he was recently elected Secretary General of the PanEuropean organization for 2009-2014.

Questioned by "EuroFora" if, in the decision to attribute the Nobel Peace Prize to Obama, "the most important ..was what he felt that Obama might do in the Future", he did not deny :

- "Well, it's important that he stays the course", stressed in reply Jagland, smiling.

- "And also that other Leaders and Countries follow up", he added.

- "That's the message from the (Nobel Peace Prize) Committee", its President concluded.

- "When it comes to the Nobel Peace Prize, as you know, the deliberations of the Committee are completely secret. So, I can't comment on that" more, Jagland warned "EuroFora" earlier

- "Anybody who is making Peace, or contributes to Peace is, of course, held as a candidate, if he's nominated", Jagland had observed then.

But now, he didn't deny that, indirectly, the Obama move, might also "augment the impetus of the CoE", the PanEuropean Human Rights Organization that Jagland heads since 29.09.2009 : - "Oh, yes !..", he simply replied lauphing, but without elaborating further.

The fact that for the 1st time in CoE's 60 years-long History, its new 2009-2014 Secretary General is also President of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee might become of great potential importance, since - "Human Rights have recently become an important criterion for the Nobel Peace Prize", as his predecessor, Dr. Ole Danbolt, told us earlier in Strasbourg, together with Nobel's experienced Executive Director, professor Geir Lundestad, during their 1st visit at the European Court of Human Rigts.

In fact, by pointing to the Future, Jagland might give some replies to questions raised wordlwide in the present controversy, on whether the Nobel Peace prize should have been given, or not, to Obama. But this also places a heavy burden on the recipient's shoulders...

Recently, Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang, cited by Strasbourg's local newspaper DNA, claimed that a hard political fight, with a clear-cut Left - Right divide, took place inside the Norwegian Nobel Peace Prize Committee,  Jagland giving a decisive support to Obama, shortly after he was himself elected as CoE's new SG despite strong opposition, thanks also to strong support from abroad.

DNA reported that, according to VG, Inger-Marie Ytterhorn from the populist Right, Kaci Kullmann Five of the Conservative party, and Aagot Valle of the Left, had "doubts about Obama's capacity to keep promises", while Jagland and Sissel Roenbeck, both appointed by NewLabour, would have supported him all day long.

Other criics (both inside the US and abroad) seem motivated mainly by their opposition to Obama's controversial move to cancel former US President George W. Bush's August 2001 decision excluding Federal Funding to Genetic "research" on Human Embryos, that they percieve as a threat to open the door to an undeclared "War" against what they call "the unborn child".

However, in this differend field, Obama's proclaimed support to "Ethical Science" might at least alleviate part of such criticism, fex. if the US adhere to CoE's Oviedo International Convention on Medicine, Biology and Human Rights, known as "Oviedo" treaty, open to all Countries worldwide, and to the drafting of which US Experts participated for many years in Strasbourg. CoE prepares, on November 3, an interesting Conference in Strasbourg on the current European and International situation "10 Years since the Oviedo Convention on BioEthics". But new US Consul General and deputy Permanent Representative to the CoE, Curver, told "EuroFora" that, at least for the moment, he"didn't see" yet something coming in this area. --------------------

Obama's Nobel choice paradoxically got support even from ..Cuba's Castro, but, on the contrary, it raised critical eyebrows from other quartets, including former Nobel prize winner for his struggle for Human Rights and Peace, Argentinian Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, who had been arrested and tortured by former Military regimes, and is currently President of the International League for Human Rights, and a member of the Permanent Peoples' Tribunal. Esquivel reportedly said that he was "surprised" by the Nobel attribution to Obama, "president of a country which commited many aggressions accross the world, and imposed industrial-military lobby's views".

- "Political decisions are needed to overcome the armed conflicts.. in which US is involved" "It hasn't yet succeeded to eradicate torture, nor to close the Guantanamo and Abu Graib jails, that US has in Cuba and Iraq" respectively. "Up to now it wasn't possible to carry ahead the decision that (Obama) had repeatedly declared: to put an end to the War in Iraq and Afghanistan". "In Latin America", US should "stop the ..50 years old embargo against Cuba", while "the installation of 7 American military bases in Colombia, ..doesn't contribute to Peace", as shows fex. "the coup d'etat at Honduras", according to Esquivel

- "As President of the U.S. and Nobel Peace Prize, you have to opt and decide the road to take : Either to continue enlarging the Military budget, torture and invading other countries, or to build Peace, overcome hunger, illiteracy, social inequality and build a "New Social Contract" for Humanity, made of respect and equality for all".

Obama "is set against great Challenges", that noone could face alone, but he can count on the active solidarity of those really willing to work together in this direction, Esquivel concluded.
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 - "Both surprised and deeply humbled", Obama himself said that, "to be honest, I do not feel that I deserve" it. "But I also know ..that the .. Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes,..as a call to action". "And that's why this award must be shared with everyone who strives for justice and dignity", he added.   

Will Obama wish and succeed to bypass big Lobbies' interests, notoriously hidden behind the greatest amount of millions ever gathered before a presidential election in US History, (most of which he didn't even need to use) ?    

But his Family Home : Chicago's lakes, are also the greatest...