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Today's Top News
WikiLeaks Among Nominees for Nobel Peace Prize
OSLO - Anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks has been nominated for the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian politician behind the proposal said on Wednesday, a day after the deadline for nominations expired.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee accepts nominations for what many consider as the world's top accolade until February 1, although the five panel members have until the end of the month to make their own proposals.
Norwegian parliamentarian Snorre Valen said WikiLeaks was "one of the most important contributors to freedom of speech and transparency" in the 21st century.
"By disclosing information about corruption, human rights abuses and war crimes, WikiLeaks is a natural contender for the Nobel Peace Prize," Valen said.
Members of all national parliaments, professors of law or political science and previous winners are among those allowed to make nominations. The committee declined to comment on the WikiLeaks proposal or any other nominations.
Washington is furious at WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange for releasing tens of thousands of secret documents and diplomatic cables which it says have harmed U.S. interests abroad, including peace efforts.
Assange, An Australian, faces extradition to Sweden from Britain for questioning in a sex case which he and his supporters say is a smear campaign designed to close down WikiLeaks, a non-profit organization funded by the public and rights groups.
Awarding WikiLeaks the prize would be likely to provoke criticism of the Nobel Committee, which has courted controversy with its two most recent choices, jailed Chinese pro-democracy activist Liu Xiaobo and President Barack Obama a few months after his election.
NOBEL DEFINITION STRETCHED
The prize was endowed by Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor of dynamite, who said in his will it was to be awarded to whoever "shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."
In past decades the committee, appointed by the Norwegian parliament, has stretched Nobel's definition to include human rights, climate activism and even micro-financing, which have been a source of criticism from Nobel traditionalists.
Nobel watchers say a prize for WikiLeaks would highlight the growing role of specialist Internet sites and broad access social media in bringing about world change.
Sites such as Twitter and YouTube have played important roles in mobilizing people in countries with a tight grip on official media, such as Egypt where mass anti-government protests have been taking place.
Kristian Berg Harpviken of the PRIO peace think tank in Oslo agreed that innovative use of "new tools for bringing about peace" could be a major theme in this year's Nobel, but he said he expected the prize to go to a woman after a series of male recipients.
His strongest tip was the Russian human rights group Memorial and its leader, Svetlana Gannushkina.
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19 Comments so far
Show AllMaybe they are on some kind of a guilt trip. It was an abomination when it was awarded to Barry.
So who runs that show??? abombination-yes
Somewhere I have the NP emails to write those guys in support of Wiki and Assange. Gee, maybe the tide is turning. Just wish those courageous people in Eygpt were safer.
The prize has been tainted because of past recipients. BUT, a BIG award to Wiki is deserved!!!
Maybe we need to think of another award that would be really epic, historical, and recognize the Wiki contribution to global humanity.
WikiLeaks is the biggest news story of the century. It could change the power structure of the planet. As Assange says: "... history will win...".
Yes, Kissinger was a big taint, and Obama, who was apparently awarded the prize solely for his campaign rhetoric, seems to be even more devoted to enabling war and war profiteering than the Bush family.
I wonder if the Nobel committee has considered revoking Obama's prize - perhaps such an action would help restore some semblance of credibility to the prize...
I can see the coming news headline and story now....
-- Mark Zuckerberg nominated for Nobel Peace Prize --
Fresh from his great win as TIME Magazine's Person Of The Year, Mark Zuckerberg looks set to also receive a Nobel Peace Prize for his contribution to world peace in having FaceBook allow demonstrators worldwide to organise including the recent misguided Egyptian situation which was sadly in reality a plot by al-Qaeda as has been revealed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and previous Nobel Peace Prize winner Barack Obama.
WikiLeaks and Pvt. Manning to make up for all the politicals
What good is the Peace Prize when you are tied to a tracking/ankle bracelet and up for possible extraordinary rendition?
Recall that the last recipient is in a Chinese prison. That's worse than an ankle bracelet, and probably comparable to rendition.
Dear Nobel Prize Committee:
Normally, I am not gender neutral, and it would be wonderful for a woman, which could represent than 50% of the population of the world, to be recognized.
However, this is not the Oscars; as much as I hate to say this, don't take turns with gender. It demeans the process and the prize.
Wikileaks has changed the world for the better. Ask NOT what the Nobel Prize can do for a person, ASK, what it can do for the World.
So many nation have lost their centers, so please tweak the wobble of the world axis and stand up for ALL the people of the world. Award the Prize to Wikileaks, for that would make a WORLD of difference to us all..
fabulos comment and very well said. WikiLeaks certainly deserves it more than Obama!
Boy do I agree with you ! I hope WikiLeaks does get the Award. Only God knows why Obama got it as he put more boots on the ground ! I would like to see the U.S. try and prosecute WikiLeaks after they win the Award ! What fools we have as Leaders..if only we had the Guts to stop these people from ruining our country more and more. The New Obama love affair has rose colored glasses to see him with. He still is signing things that clear the way for commercial pollution, and selling weapons to any country that will pay, we do evil things behind closed doors.
I almost fell off the chair when I read the starting phrase "Normally, I am not gender neutral, ....." I thought you are proposing Hillary Clinton to be the 2011 Nobel's recipient. As I continue reading, it becomes clear you're indeed a person of sound mind and worth praising. Very well said, and I add my support here.
Contrary to what our brutal regime said, Julian Assange's action will save many lives in the future and may make this world a safer place. War mongers will think twice before embark another senseless war.
Given the low-level enmity that exists between Norway and Sweden, the WL nomination scores extra points because of the Swedish draconian condemnation of WL's founder.
Another excellent observation.
Awarding Wikileaks/Assange the Nobel Peace Prize would do a lot to atone for the Obamanation of awarding it to Obama as well as in having given it to the execrable Henry Kissinger.
"WikiLeaks Among Nominees for Nobel Peace Prize"
It's fine that some Norwegians now support the harassed Assange by this nomination. It should reduce some pressure on Assange.
But it's not likely that the current Nobel Prize committee will do anything which could rile the USA. 2010's Nobel prize was not so much a criticism of China as a support of USA, with its economic struggles against China. Not to mention the travesty of Obama 2009: the leader of the world's worst warring power, rewarded for supplying false hope.
The Nobel committee leader Jagland is more pro-USA "values" than Obama. A woodheaded @$$#¤£€. He'd suck black rod for a photo-op (not of that, obviously).
How about nominating Julian Assange for the prize? Wikileaks would not be except for him.
Perhaps awarding the prize to the whole organization will have this obvious implication, but by gosh, he has done a lot, been through a lot, and who knows what else is in store for him. He has my vote. Wikileaks can ride on his coat tail, but he is the man.
The recent developments in Yemen are directly traceable to Wikileaks' leak about the perfidy of Yemen's President. For that alone WL deserves some price. Is there a prestigious price for WL to substitute for the contaminated (Kissinger, Obama) Nobel Peace Prize?
Wikileaks' achievements are their prizes, more noble than the Nobel prize.