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The Nobel Peace Prize, awarded in Oslo on Friday, often generates a certain amount of controversy. This year's award to peacebroker Martti Ahtisaari seems to take the prize back to its roots. Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, whose will both funded and set up the terms of the Nobel prizes, decreed that the Peace Prize should go to whoever "shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and the holding and promotion of peace congresses." In recent years, though, the prize has gone to environmental champions, human rights...

Iranian "Mothers For Peace" Protest To Ahmadinejad Tehran, 8 Dec. (IPS) In a move to demonstrate their, and the nation’s preoccupation from the antagonistic attitude of the Iranian Government with the international community, more than 600 Iranian women told the clerical-led authorities that they would not support the regime’s nuclear ambitions if war is the price to pay for it. United in a new organization named “Mothers For Peace”, the signatories of a petition warned the fanatic President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that he should stop at once all nuclear activities if it is to cost Iran a war: “We all know...

THERE is a beautiful congruency about Al Gore receiving the Nobel Peace Prize 24 hours after a High Court judge had declared it illegal to screen his 'man-made' climate change propaganda film An Inconvenient Truth in schools, unless accompanied by contradictory information to correct its scientific falsehoods. The judge identified nine scientific errors that would mislead pupils. It takes more than nine inconvenient untruths, however, to deflect the Nobel Peace Prize committee from its political purpose. For aficionados of irony, last week was a deeply satisfying experience. To see the humbugs of the Nobel committee embracing the charlatan Gore to...

Speaker Pelosi meets with Vice President Gore on global warming Reactions to Gore's Nobel win As progressives all over the United States and the world celebrate the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Al Gore and the IPCC, leaders and media outlets everywhere are reacting to the news. First, an excerpt from a terrific Reuters analysis (/sarc): The Nobel Peace Prize he won on Friday was a blow to U.S. President George W. Bush and his widely criticized environmental policy and will long be savored by the man who lost the bitter 2000 presidential election by a whisker. The...

SYDNEY (AFP) - Former chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix, who opposed the US-led invasion of Iraq, was named Monday as the winner of the 2007 Sydney Peace Prize. Blix led the hunt for Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction and argued against the 2003 invasion -- which was joined by Australia -- saying the United Nations should be allowed to continue inspections instead. The citation for the 50,000 Australian dollar (41,000 US) award noted his "principled and courageous opposition to proponents of war in Iraq," his life-long advocacy of non-violence and his leadership of disarmament programs. Blix, a Swede,...

The media can and will ignore one point of view in favor of another (while downplaying the less favorable), because they can. Because they disagree. I’m here to tell you, though, that Al Gore’s contributions to society and world peace or no less important than Limbaugh’s. That’s not to say Rush should win, more than Al Gore shouldn’t. But I’m not on the committee, and (God willing) never will be. So, like Henry Kissinger, Mikhail Gorbachev and Jimmy Carter, Al Gore may well win the Nobel Prize. And Limbaugh, like Gandhi and Pope John XXIII, will not.

Excerpt - The Nobel Peace Prize goes to Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank "for their efforts to create economic and social development from below".

China blasts nomination of Rabiya Kadir as Nobel peace prize BEIJING, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang on Tuesday blasted the nomination of Rabiya Kadir as a Nobel peace prize candidate. Rabiya's statements and actions are aimed at destroying the peace and stability of Chinese society, which runs counter to the original intention of the Nobel peace prize, said Qin at a regular Ministry news briefing when responding to a journalist's question. He added that he wondered about the motive behind the nomination of such a person as a Nobel peace prize candidate. Qin said Rabiya...

Nobel winners call on US to ease up on North Korea Sat Jun 17, 8:54 AM ET The United States should end sanctions on North Korea and the North must be open for inspectors to help end a standoff over the North's atomic ambitions, Nobel Peace Prize winners said on Saturday. The recommendation from a group of 10 individuals and organizations who won the Nobel Prize comes as regional tensions are high over the North's refusal to return to six-country nuclear talks and worries it may soon test fire a missile. The group called on North Korea to return to...

(You must register to hear this, but it only takes a few minutes). http://kfi640.com/podcastlogin.html LISTEN TO THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT ON THIS MORNING'S SHOW Note: on a personal note, this guy banned me from calling his show several years ago after I called Bill Clinton a rapist on his show. Hey, that's okay. This stunt is pretty cool, so I'll give him credit for it. ====================================================================== In an effort to mock the Nobel Peace Prize nominations, William Wulf Handel, morning host on KFI 640 in Los Angeles, convince a S. California congressman to nominate him for a Nobel Peace Price. The...

MI5 unmasks covert arms programmes: Document names 300 organisations seeking nuclear and WMD technology Nuclear and other WMD jihad update from The Guardian, with thanks to Sr. Soph: The determination of countries across the Middle East and Asia to develop nuclear arsenals and other weapons of mass destruction is laid bare by a secret British intelligence document which has been seen by the Guardian. More than 360 private companies, university departments and government organisations in eight countries, including the Pakistan high commission in London, are identified as having procured goods or technology for use in weapons programmes. The length of...

U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. Her name is among 1,000 women from more than 150 countries collectively nominated for the annual award and one of 14 from the Bay Area. The nominees were chosen by an international team to represent the many women who have worked for peace throughout the world. Lee was selected for being the only member of Congress to vote against the post-Sept. 11 resolution that authorized Pres. Bush to use military force in the fight against terrorism. Project organizers also said that Lee promotes human rights policies and...

Although he is a man who heads an organization in meltdown -- and whose own performance in his most recent U.N. positions has verged on disastrous -- Secretary-General Kofi Annan remains something of a cult hero to hard-core U.N. devotees among the media and cultural elite. In 2001, he won the Nobel Prize for his peacemaking efforts. In 2002, he won the John. F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for his work. In announcing the award, the Kennedy Library Foundation praised Mr. Annan's "courageous and skillful leadership," his work to "confront ... agressors" and "his tireless efforts to advance the...

Is it too early to think about it? A Nobel Peace Prize for President Bush? THIS WEBSITE HAS THE LIST OF PAST WINNERS Yes, things are tentative, but they are certainly moving in the right direction. Freedom and elections in Afghanistan and Iraq. Libya giving up WMD programs. Syria about to move out of Lebanon. Other candidates running in Egypt. Election reforms in Saudi Arabia. Across the Middle East, people are asking why they can't also have elections and choose their own leaders. We all know the reason for the good news. It is the Bush Doctrine. President Bush never...

"We are called to assist the Earth to heal her wounds, and in the process heal our own, indeed, to embrace the whole creation in all its diversity, beauty and wonder," she told the crowd of dignitaries, including the Norwegian royal family as well as talk show host Oprah Winfrey and Kerry Kennedy, a daughter of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. Mrs. Maathai's selection for the peace prize raised eyebrows because of earlier assertions that scientists had created the AIDS virus as a biological weapon.

OSLO - Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai, known for her work as leader of an organization that has planted more than 30 million trees across Africa has won the Nobel Peace Prize. She is the first African woman and seventh African to win the prize since it was first awarded in 1901. "Thank you so much, I am so surprised," she told Norwegian state television. "I am absolutely overwhelmed and very emotionally charged, really. I did not expect this." The committee had a record 194 nominations. The prize, which includes $1.6 million is awarded in Oslo.

Nobel Committee meets to pick Peace Prize winner -- ElBaradei favorite Sep 21, 2004 OSLO (AFP) - The Nobel Committee kept mum on its choice for the 2004 Peace Prize after a final meeting to pick a winner, although the International Atomic Energy Agency and its chief Mohamed ElBaradei have been tipped as the most likely winners. "The Norwegian Nobel Committee reached its decision today and that decision will be announced on October 8," at 0900 GMT at the Nobel Institute, Geir Lundestad, secretary of the five-member committee, told AFP. Observers have said they expect the committee this year to...

Odds for Nobel Peace Prize winner (Centrebet) Competitor Win HAVEL, Vaclav 5.00 INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY/ELBARADEI, Mohamed 6.00 COOPERATIVE THREAT REDUCTION/LUGAR, Richard/NUNN, Sam 7.00 BLIX, Hans 9.00 VANUNU, Mordechai 11.00 PAYA, Oswaldo 12.00 JOHN PAUL II 13.00 YANYONG, Jiang 15.00 SALVATION ARMY 17.00 BRAHIMI, Lakhdar 21.00 DADDACH, Mohamed 21.00 TESFAGIORGIS, Paulos 21.00 EUROPEAN UNION 26.00 BONO 34.00 INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT 34.00 JINGSHENG, Wei 34.00 KOVALYEV, Sergei 34.00 TREATMENT ACTION CAMPAIGN/ACHMAT, Zackie 34.00 AGHAJARI, Hashem 51.00 COMMUNITY OF SANT' EGIDIO 51.00 LULA DA SILVA, Luiz Inacio 51.00 MOTHERS IN BLACK 51.00 QUE, Nguyen Dan 51.00 RYAN, George 51.00 TIANANMEN MOTHERS 51.00...

Tony Blair and George Bush have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for waging war on Saddam Hussein. They have been put forward by a Norwegian politician who said ousting the dictator had reduced the threat of a war with weapons of mass destruction. It also laid the foundation for the development of democracy in Iraq, he said. The five-member Norwegian awards committee will announce the winner on December 10. The move has been condemned by anti-war campaigners. Andrew Burgin of the Stop the War Coalition said: "This is completely unbelievable. It shows the stupidity of this peace prize...

NEW DELHI (AFP) - India awarded former Czech president Vaclav Havel its highest honour, the Mahatma Gandhi peace prize, saluting him for keeping alive the "flame of democracy" when his country was under communist rule. AFP/File Photo   At a ceremony at the presidential palace in New Delhi on Monday, President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam hailed Havel as "a courageous voice of democracy" as he gave him the Gandhi peace prize which carries with it an award of 10 million rupees (200,000 dollars). "The way he (Havel) kindled and kept the flame of democracy burning amidst a storm of repression and...

CONTROVERSIAL Palestinian MP Hanan Ashrawi arrived in Sydney this morning ahead of a ceremony to award her a peace prize. Dr Ashrawi was chosen by the Sydney Peace Foundation to receive the Sydney Peace Prize for her commitment to human rights, to the peace process in the Middle East and for her courage in speaking against oppression, against corruption and for justice. Dr Ashrawi will deliver the 2003 Sydney Peace Prize lecture tonight at the Seymour Centre in Sydney, a Sydney Peace Foundation spokesman said. NSW Premier Bob Carr will award the peace prize to Dr Ashrawi at a dinner...

Protest Sydney Peace Prize to Hanan Ashrawi To: NSW Premier Bob Carr The Sydney Peace Foundation and Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies (under the auspices of the University of Sydney) have decided to award its annual peace prize to Hanan Ashrawi. As detailed below, Hanan Ashrawi is a prominent official of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation, and this prize makes a mockery of the peace studies, while providing direct evidence of the claim that many such programs have become synonymous with support for violence and terrorism. We therefore call on the University of Sydney and Mr Bob Carr, the Premier...

<p>TEHRAN, Iran (Reuters) -- Iran's first woman judge before the 1979 Islamic revolution, Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi's work as a human rights activist has landed her in jail and seen her branded a threat to the Islamic system.</p>

Like a lot of folks who actually are old enough to remember what a scoundrel Henry Kissinger is, I got a pretty good laugh out of his appointment to head a commission that will, we are assured, determine just why this nation was caught unawares on 9-11. This is a man who dragged out the peace negotiations with the North Vietnamese so Richard Nixon could get re-elected. And, of course, won a Nobel Peace Prize in the process. Yassir Arafat and Jimmy Carter won the prize too. The Swedes should give me one just for making a damned fine...

- Barely a week after Jimmy Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, North Korea has stunned American diplomats by disclosing that it has a secret nuclear weapons program, in violation of its 1994 treaty with America. Mr. Carter’s role in this matter is more than incidental; a report in Saturday’s New York Times, enumerating the accomplishments for which Mr. Carter earned the prize, cited the ex-president’s trip to Pyongyang “in 1994 to ease tensions between North Korea, South Korea and the United States over North Korea’s alleged nuclear weapons program.” Alleged, indeed. Mr. Carter will now join 1994 winner...

[Excerpt] I AM NOT too optimistic that I will have any influence with the Nobel Committee, but on the grounds that one good futile gesture deserves another, I would like to suggest a more fitting recipient for this year’s peace prize — George H.W. Bush or his son, George W. Bush. Seriously.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter (R) talks with Cuban President Fidel Castro after a friendly game of baseball in Havana, May 14, 2002, in this file photograph. Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize on October 11, 2002. (Rafael Perez/Reuters)

<p>OSLO, Norway  — In a rare show of discord, members of the Nobel Peace Prize committee criticized their chairman for using the award Friday to former President Jimmy Carter to speak out against the Bush administration's threats of war against Iraq.</p>

OSLO, Norway, Oct 11, 2002 (AP WorldStream via COMTEX) -- Leaders and peace activists worldwide applauded the award of this year's Nobel Peace Prize to former U.S. President Jimmy Carter on Friday for his decades of mediation efforts and promotion of human rights. Carter, 78, won the 10 million Swedish kronor ($1 million) award, "for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights." The Norwegian Nobel Committee singled out Carter's brokering of the Camp David Accords in 1978 and his work with conflict resolution and human rights after his presidency....