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Nobel officials
Stunning pick was meant to build momentum behind Obama's initiatives to reduce nuclear arms, ease tensions with the Muslim world and stress diplomacy and cooperation rather than unilateralism. “msnbc Oct. 9, 2009”
Indian Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor
Tharoor believes that US President Barack Obama truly deserves the Nobel Prize, amid global criticism that the award was premature.
US President Obama has given a lot of people hope around the world and has helped in improving the image of the US, Tharoor said. “Hindustan Times October 14, 2009”
Chief Palestinian peace negotiator Saeb Erekat
Erekat said the award could be a good omen for the region.
"We hope that he will be able to achieve peace in the Middle East and achieve Israeli withdrawal to 1967 borders and establish an independent Palestinian state on 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital," he said. “Reuters Oct 9, 2009”
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Venezuela's socialist leader Hugo Chavez
U.S. President Barack Obama had done nothing beyond wishful thinking to earn the Nobel Peace Prize.
"What has Obama done to deserve this prize? The jury put store on his hope for a nuclear arms-free world, forgetting his role in perpetuating his battalions in Iraq and Afghanistan, and his decision to install new military bases in Colombia," “Reuters Oct 11, 2009”
Afghanistan's Taliban
Taliban mocked the choice, saying it was absurd to give it to Obama when he had ordered 21,000 extra troops to Afghanistan this year.
"The Nobel prize for peace? Obama should have won the 'Nobel Prize for escalating violence and killing civilians'," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location. “Reuters Oct 9, 2009”
Poland's Lech Walesa
Walesa, former leader of the pro-democracy Solidarity trade union that toppled communism, thought it was too early. "So soon? This is too soon. He has not yet made a real input," Walesa, who won the prize in 1983, told reporters. The prime minister of Sweden, which holds the six-month presidency of the European Union, said winning the Nobel Peace prize had raised the bar for Obama on delivering results at a climate change summit in December. “Reuters Oct 9, 2009”
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Marwan Kabalan, a Syrian political analyst
"There is a positive perception about Obama in general, and everyone here appreciates that he is trying to do something concerning the peace process between Arabs and the Israelis," says Marwan Kabalan, a Syrian political analyst. “The Christian Science Monitor Oct 9, 2009”
In Lebanon, which has known long periods of instability in recent years, Paul Haidostian, who is the president of Haigazian University, believes that Mr. Obama's Nobel is a step in the right direction and is a positive omen for the future.
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In June, when President Barack Obama came to Cairo, Egypt and made his historical speech to the Muslim world, reaction in Egypt was wildly positive
Many Egyptians had fallen in love with the new young American president with an Arabic middle name. Some even picked up the "Yes we can" slogan.
Egypt’s Al-Dustur daily called the award “political hypocrisy”. “What’s he done to get this prize?” the paper asked, recalling that US troops remained in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Middle East peace process was still deadlocked and Mr Obama “hasn’t done anything to oblige Israel to get rid of its nuclear weapons”.
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