How Obama award shapes this year's choice

The Norwegian Peace Prize committee has a dilemma this year: how to top last year’s surprise award to President Obama. The prize aroused criticism for being awarded just nine months into Mr. Obama's presidential term and while the US was heavily engaged in two military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq. The committee granted him the prize for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”

The controversial selection will probably compel the committee go for a more traditional choice on Friday – such as human rights campaigner or pro-democracy organization – which could have an impact on the political process, according to Kristian Berg Harpviken, director at the Peace Research Institute Oslo.