A Norwegian lawmaker has nominated WikiLeaks for the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of its release of classified U.S. government documents. "WikiLeaks wants to make governments accountable for their actions and that contributes to peace," says Snorre Valen, the 26-year-old legislator from Norway's Socialist Left Party who nominated the whistleblower website. One leading Nobel-watcher, Kristian Harpsviken of the Peace Research Institute Oslo, says Wikileaks probably isn't a strong candidate for the $1.6 million award. Should it be? (Watch an AP report about the controversy)
WikiLeaks absolutely does not deserve it: The Nobel committee would have to "be crazy" to give the prize to WikiLeaks and its controversial founder, Julian Assange, says Bella Rose at Gather. The award's "distinguished reputation" has been damaged enough by earlier controversies, such as Al Gore's 2007 win for fighting climate change, not war. The prize could be irreparably "tarnished if Assange was found guilty of his pending sex charges" in Sweden, or if the U.S. manages to convict him for releasing confidential government documents.
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