
Some have complained the prize was given too early and was undeserved
Just nine months into his first term as President of the United States, Barack Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
The Nobel committee said it had done it because of the President's "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples".
Accepting the prize in Oslo, Mr Obama said he was not bringing with him a definitive solution to the problems of war, but he talked about the vision and hard work that would be needed to meet the challenges of this century.
So did President Obama deserve to win?
Newshour spoke to Joe Klein of Time Magazine, Damon Moglen who is Head of Greenpeace's US Climate Campaign and by James Zogby, head of the Arab American Institute.
Julian Marshall asked Joe Klein first whether Mr Obama had given a convincing case for a just war in his speech.
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What does being awarded the prize mean for the winner?
Kenyan environmentalist and human rights campaigner Wangari Maathai won the prize in 2004.

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First broadcast 10 December 2009
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