Oslo newspaper Aftenposten's chief political commentator calls Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Barack Obama's acceptance speech "powerful". Never before has the message of the need for war been presented with stronger conviction by a peace prize winner. (With new material added)

However, Aftenposten commentator Harald Stanghelle goes on to say that Obama made just as clear a message of faith in international order and in an ethical base for the handling of the problems of this world. Obama represents a hope for change, Stanghelle writes.

The Christian newspaper Vaart Land noted in its editorial Friday morning that politically the important part of Obama's speech was the fact that the US president so clearly stated that the US would not act alone, and that the US would respect the limits on war put down by international law. This part of the speech could not have been made by his predecessor, the newspaper writes.

Norway's largest newspaper Verdens Gang concludes its main editorial: Yesterday's speech will remain in history as a great Nobel Speech, possibly the greatest. A sitting US president, involved in two wars, was going to speak in favour of war and of peace. He managed to do both. And he made it clear to all that Peace has a price. This price must be paid by us all. Only then will we have a more peaceful world, the editorial concludes.

According to west coast newspaper Stavanger Aftenblad, Obama in his acceptance speech delivered an unapologetic defense of armed intervention, while also recognizing the controversy surrounding his selection.

Many, including chief editor Trine Eilertsen of the Bergens Tidende
and professor of rhetoric at the University of Oslo Jan Svennevig
lauded Obama’s speech for being brave, significant and touching.

"It was a truly amazing speech. He went straight to the heart of the
criticism and explained why war may sometimes be necessary. It was
truly touching. People had tears in their eyes”, Eilertsen commented.

Professor Jan Svennevig, in a comment to Aftenposten was also pleased by the president’s direct tone. By counting the number of time different words were used by the
president, he concluded:

"Instead of round, pleasant phrases, Obama plunged into the difficult
topics. This word-count confirms that point, he takes up war and
problems a lot more than the “plus-words” peace and friendship", Svennevig
said to Aftenposten.

Stavanger Aftenblad also calls it “an honest speech”, and reports that the
US press corps, namely Washington Post, Time and The New York Times,
also has praised the speech. Maybe not so surprisingly, Fox News and
much of the right-wing media remained sceptics.

Not only Fox News but some Norwegians were also displeased with
Obama’s speech. Some criticized the president for spending too much
time justifying so-called “just wars”.

"I am disappointed by Obama’s speech – he spent half the time talking
about war, one protester said to Oslo newspaper Dagbladet, a criticism shared by
historian Hans Olav Lahlum. Lahlum believes the Nobel Committee must
be somewhat disappointed by Obama’s war rhetoric.

“They are probably a bit disappointed, but this is what you get when
you give the prize to a sitting American president. In the US, Obama
has been criticized for being too soft on his foreign policies, and
today he wished to prove to the American people that this is not the
case. Obama is under pressure at home, and has to take into
consideration that his country is at war”,  historian Lahlum says.

Compiled for Norway Post by Sindre Eidissen and Rolleiv Solholm