UNITED States President Barack Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Why?

The nomination deadline for the award was 12 days after he entered office so he had hardly had time to do anything to merit it.

His supporters say the award was made because of his initiatives towards peace. His detractors say it was made because he was not George Bush. Many Americans are seeing it as an attack on past US foreign policy. Goodness knows, someone should attack American foreign policy, past and present, but is this the way?

Unfortunately, Obama has been seen as a global Messiah and the award has raised expectations even further of what he might achieve.

He talks a fair game and is a handsome and personable chap but so far he has done nothing. His presidency is getting bogged down at home and it is likely he will attempt to bring peace to Afghanistan by sending more troops.

The whole Middle East problem continues to baffle the West when one obvious step might be to rein in Israel instead of supporting it regardless, including its stockpiling of nuclear weapons. Do not expect Obama to criticise Israel any time soon.

What is likely to happen is that he will continue to make great speeches without much changing. He is likely to stick to established US foreign policy, although he might give it a fresh coat of dove white paint.

And, when all said and done, what is the award? It is not presented by the world but by a committee of five Norwegians. They might as well have given it to Tony Blair, the Middle East Peace Envoy. So far, the pair of them have achieved about the same in the name of peace.