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Barack Obama defends war at Nobel ceremony

President Barack Obama has said the US must uphold moral standards when waging wars that are necessary and justified, as he accepted his Nobel Peace Prize.

In his speech in Oslo, he defended the US role in Afghanistan, arguing the use of force could bring lasting peace.

He also said his accomplishments were slight compared to previous laureates.

Mr Obama was given the prize in October for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples”.

Thursday’s ceremony in the Norwegian capital came days after Mr Obama announced he was sending 30,000 extra US soldiers to the war in Afghanistan.

‘Far more deserving’

There was a mixed reaction when he was named as the winner of this year’s prize – only the fourth US president in history to be given the honour.

Mr Obama’s elevation to the rank of fellow laureates such as Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King, before he has even spent a year in office, has sparked fierce debate.

Critics also said it was inappropriate for the honour to go to the commander-in-chief of a country involved in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Acknowledging the controversy, Mr Obama began by saying: “Compared to some of the giants of history who have received this prize… my accomplishments are slight.”

He could not argue with those who said many previous laureates were “far more deserving” of the honour than him, he said.

Defending his Afghan troop deployment, Mr Obama said: “There will be times when nations – acting individually or in concert – will find the use of force not only necessary but morally justified.”

He said “instruments of war do have a role to play in preserving the peace”.

“A non-violent movement could not have halted Hitler’s armies,” he added. “Negotiations cannot convince al-Qaeda’s leaders to lay down their arms.”

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