🕷️ Crawler Inspector

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Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 96 (from laksa077)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa096.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://foreignpolicy.com/2009/10/09/so-what-did-obama-do-to-get-the-nobel-peace-prize/\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://foreignpolicy.com/2009/10/09/so-what-did-obama-do-to-get-the-nobel-peace-prize/\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2009\/10\/09\/so-what-did-obama-do-to-get-the-nobel-peace-prize\/","crawl_time":1775679351,"first_indexed_time":1562711325,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,foreignpolicy!\/2009\/10\/09\/so-what-did-obama-do-to-get-the-nobel-peace-prize\/ s443","src_root_hash":"6089014433239620496","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"So what did Obama do to get the Nobel Peace Prize? – Foreign Policy","meta_descriptions":[],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"U.S. President Barack Obama was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize just 12 days into office. FP took a quick look back at what Obama did to improve world peace — or, really, anything with foreign-policy relevance — in those two weeks. Here’s what we found: January 21: Obama met with the ambassador to Iraq, ...\nfp-placeholder-social-share-3-2\nOctober 9, 2009, 5:35 PM\nU.S. President Barack Obama was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize just 12 days into office. FP took a quick look back at what Obama did to improve world peace -- or, really, anything with foreign-policy relevance -- in those two weeks. Here's what we found:\nJanuary 21: Obama met with the ambassador to Iraq, commander in Iraq, and regional commander to receive a complete briefing on the war. January 22: Obama ordered the closure of the\nGuantanamo Bay\ndetention center. January 22: Obama signed an executive order explicitly prohibiting the use of\ntorture\nand ordering all U.S. forces to obey the Army Field Manual. He also ordered a review of the case of Ali Saleh al-Marri, a detainee held on a Naval brig in South Carolina. January 22: Obama met with numerous retired generals. January 23: Obama rescinded the\nMexico City policy\n, which had prevented nongovernmental organizations from receiving government funding if they supplied family planning assistance or abortions abroad. January 23: Obama calls Prime Minister Harper of Canada, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain, and Ban Ki-moon, secretary general of the United Nations. January 26: Obama announced his appointing of Todd Stern to the new position of\nspecial envoy for climate change\n-- recognizing the environment as a pressing foreign-policy concern. January 27: More phone calls. This time Obama speaks with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, and Prime Minister Taro Aso of Japan.\nU.S. President Barack Obama was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize just 12 days into office.\nFP\ntook a quick look back at what Obama did to improve world peace — or, really, anything with foreign-policy relevance — in those two weeks. Here’s what we found:\nJanuary 21: Obama met with the ambassador to Iraq, commander in Iraq, and regional commander to receive a complete briefing on the war.\nJanuary 22: Obama ordered the closure of the\nGuantanamo Bay\ndetention center.\nJanuary 22: Obama signed an executive order explicitly prohibiting the use of\ntorture\nand ordering all U.S. forces to obey the Army Field Manual. He also ordered a review of the case of Ali Saleh al-Marri, a detainee held on a Naval brig in South Carolina.\nJanuary 22: Obama met with numerous retired generals.\nJanuary 23: Obama rescinded the\nMexico City policy\n, which had prevented nongovernmental organizations from receiving government funding if they supplied family planning assistance or abortions abroad.\nJanuary 23: Obama calls Prime Minister Harper of Canada, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain, and Ban Ki-moon, secretary general of the United Nations.\nJanuary 26: Obama announced his appointing of Todd Stern to the new position of\nspecial envoy for climate change\n— recognizing the environment as a pressing foreign-policy concern.\nJanuary 27: More phone calls. This time Obama speaks with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, and Prime Minister Taro Aso of Japan.\nFor 12 days, not bad! The resciding of the Mexico City policy, rejection of torture, naming of the climate change envoy, and closing of Guantanamo all seem like banner moments. Hardly equal to, say, negotiating peace between the Israelis and Palestinians or being willing to give up your life to end apartheid. But, not bad. \nOf course, this just provides evidence of Obama’s win as symbolic — the importance of his calls for a nuclear free world pale in comparison to the importance of his tone and his preference for dialogue at the helm of the world’s biggest superpower. \nAnnie Lowrey\nis assistant editor at FP.\nStories Readers Liked\nGo to slide 1\nGo to slide 2\nGo to slide 3\nGo to slide 4\nGo to slide 5\nGo to slide 6\nGo to slide 7\nGo to slide 8\nGo to slide 9\nGo to slide 10\nAn illustration with a world map background texture and fire cutting through three rings in the map with three human figures inside.\nAn illustration shows semiconductor chips structured like a house of cards with a tiny city with government buildings atop it, ready to topple.\nTwo dozen or so scattered pedestrians walking on a large plaza are seen from overhead. There is a giant world map embedded in the pavement, with China highlighted in a dark red and all the other countries in pale gray.\nA photo illustration shows fractured colored shard revealing images of nation states in decline: an upside down U.S. Capitol building, the EU building in Brussels, broken columns, part of Donald Trump's head, explosions in the Middle East, and a tank in Ukraine.\nAfter the Nation-State\nBy\nMichael Hirsh\nA photo illustration showing six classical Greek or Roman-style columns, plus a stack of televisions as the seventh pillar of populism. The TVs show images of Victor Orban, Narendra Modi, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Donald Trump.\nThe Seven Pillars of Populist Foreign Policy\nBy\nLisel Hintz\n,\nBerk Esen\n,\nTudor Onea\nAn illustration of a tombstone reading \"RIP\" appears in place of a globe on a circular stand.\nCentral American migrant children play on a seesaw at a shelter in Ciudad Juárez, state of Chihuahua, Mexico.\nAn illustration shows two men against a bright yellow background. One man wears a Western-style business suit and the other wears a black robe and white head covering. The men are shaking hands. Each holds a briefcase with money spilling out, the left man's briefcase shaped like the United States' and the right man's like the Arabian Peninsula.\nA man in a coat outside of a glass office building, with high rise buildings under construction in the background.\nChina’s Tech Obsession Is Weighing Down Its Economy\nBy\nScott Kennedy\n,\nScott Rozelle\nPhotos of two men speaking each shown as a negative color inside a red and blue circle.\nIran War\nA police officer stands near a poster featuring the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on March 28 in Tehran, Iran.\nDoes Iran’s Future Look Like Cuba, Syria, or North Korea?\nThe Gulf and Israel are pursuing rival strategies toward Iran, but neither is likely to get what they want.\nMissiles are seen in the skies over Doha on March 3.\nA billboard displaying pictures of nuclear scientists, centrifuges and a sentence reading in Farsi: \" Science is the power\", at the Enqelab square in Tehran, on August 29, 2025.\nThe Albina Bulk carrier sits anchored on March 22, 2026 at Sultan Qaboos Port in Muscat, Oman.","attrs_markdown":"## There appears to be a technical issue with your browser\nThis issue is preventing our website from loading properly. 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All contents (c) 2026, Graham Digital Holding Company. All rights reserved. Foreign Policy, 1099 14th St NW, Suite 500 East, Washington, D.C., 20005.\n\nPowered by [WordPress VIP](https:\/\/wpvip.com\/?utm_source=vip_powered_wpcom&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=VIP%20Footer%20Credit&utm_term=foreignpolicy.com)\n\nThis article was published more than **16 years ago**\n\n[Passport](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/channel\/passport-2\/)\n\n# So what did Obama do to get the Nobel Peace Prize?\n## U.S. President Barack Obama was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize just 12 days into office. FP took a quick look back at what Obama did to improve world peace — or, really, anything with foreign-policy relevance — in those two weeks. Here’s what we found: January 21: Obama met with the ambassador to Iraq, ...\nBy [**Annie Lowrey**](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/annie-lowrey\/)\n\n![fp-placeholder-social-share-3-2](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/fp-placeholder-social-share-3-2.png?quality=90)\n\nfp-placeholder-social-share-3-2\n\nOctober 9, 2009, 5:35 PM\n\nU.S. President Barack Obama was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize just 12 days into office. FP took a quick look back at what Obama did to improve world peace -- or, really, anything with foreign-policy relevance -- in those two weeks. Here's what we found:\n\nJanuary 21: Obama met with the ambassador to Iraq, commander in Iraq, and regional commander to receive a complete briefing on the war. January 22: Obama ordered the closure of the **Guantanamo Bay** detention center. January 22: Obama signed an executive order explicitly prohibiting the use of **torture** and ordering all U.S. forces to obey the Army Field Manual. He also ordered a review of the case of Ali Saleh al-Marri, a detainee held on a Naval brig in South Carolina. January 22: Obama met with numerous retired generals. January 23: Obama rescinded the **Mexico City policy**, which had prevented nongovernmental organizations from receiving government funding if they supplied family planning assistance or abortions abroad. January 23: Obama calls Prime Minister Harper of Canada, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain, and Ban Ki-moon, secretary general of the United Nations. January 26: Obama announced his appointing of Todd Stern to the new position of **special envoy for climate change** -- recognizing the environment as a pressing foreign-policy concern. January 27: More phone calls. This time Obama speaks with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, and Prime Minister Taro Aso of Japan.\n\nU.S. President Barack Obama was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize just 12 days into office. FP took a quick look back at what Obama did to improve world peace — or, really, anything with foreign-policy relevance — in those two weeks. Here’s what we found:\n\n- January 21: Obama met with the ambassador to Iraq, commander in Iraq, and regional commander to receive a complete briefing on the war.\n- January 22: Obama ordered the closure of the **Guantanamo Bay** detention center.\n- January 22: Obama signed an executive order explicitly prohibiting the use of **torture** and ordering all U.S. forces to obey the Army Field Manual. He also ordered a review of the case of Ali Saleh al-Marri, a detainee held on a Naval brig in South Carolina.\n- January 22: Obama met with numerous retired generals.\n- January 23: Obama rescinded the **Mexico City policy**, which had prevented nongovernmental organizations from receiving government funding if they supplied family planning assistance or abortions abroad.\n- January 23: Obama calls Prime Minister Harper of Canada, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain, and Ban Ki-moon, secretary general of the United Nations.\n- January 26: Obama announced his appointing of Todd Stern to the new position of **special envoy for climate change** — recognizing the environment as a pressing foreign-policy concern.\n- January 27: More phone calls. This time Obama speaks with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, and Prime Minister Taro Aso of Japan.\n\nFor 12 days, not bad! The resciding of the Mexico City policy, rejection of torture, naming of the climate change envoy, and closing of Guantanamo all seem like banner moments. Hardly equal to, say, negotiating peace between the Israelis and Palestinians or being willing to give up your life to end apartheid. But, not bad.\n\nOf course, this just provides evidence of Obama’s win as symbolic — the importance of his calls for a nuclear free world pale in comparison to the importance of his tone and his preference for dialogue at the helm of the world’s biggest superpower.\n\n**Annie Lowrey** is assistant editor at FP.\n\nRead More On  [Nobel Peace Prize](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/tag\/nobel-peace-prize\/)\n\n## Editors’ Picks\n1. 1\n   [Three Scenarios for a Post-Trump World ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/03\/23\/post-trump-world-order-cold-war-spheres-of-influence\/?tpcc=recirc_trending062921)\n2. 2\n   [Hegseth’s Divine War ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/08\/pete-hegseth-christian-nationalism-iran-war-religious-rhetoric-pentagon-defense\/?tpcc=recirc_trending062921)\n3. 3\n   [Tehran Is Setting a Trap for Trump ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/01\/trump-trap-iran-war-leadership-global-economy-ali-vaez\/?tpcc=recirc_trending062921)\n4. 4\n   [Beijing Is Trying to Break U.S. Narratives Over Taiwan](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/08\/xi-jinping-cheng-li-wun-taiwan-trump-strait\/?tpcc=recirc_trending062921)\n5. 5\n   [Why Trump Mishandled Iran ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/08\/iran-war-ceasefire-trump-united-states-israel\/?tpcc=recirc_trending062921)\n6. 6\n   [Why Trump’s Speech Was So Worrying ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/03\/trump-iran-speech-us-war-outcome\/?tpcc=recirc_trending062921)\n\n## Latest\n- [5 Unanswered Questions on the U.S.-Iran Cease-Fire](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/08\/us-iran-cease-fire-israel-lebanon-strait-hormuz-questions\/?tpcc=recirc_latest062921)\n  \n  April 8, 2026\n- [Xi Jinping-KMT Meeting Is a Signal of Stability From Beijing](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/08\/xi-jinping-cheng-li-wun-taiwan-trump-strait\/?tpcc=recirc_latest062921)\n  \n  April 8, 2026\n- [How Pakistan Helped Secure a Cease-Fire in Iran](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/08\/pakistan-iran-us-cease-fire-mediator-broker\/?tpcc=recirc_latest062921)\n  \n  April 8, 2026\n- [Iraq's Pro-Iran Militias Can't Be Eliminated ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/08\/iraq-iran-militias-war-pmf-shiite-groups-us-israel\/?tpcc=recirc_latest062921)\n  \n  April 8, 2026\n- [Hegseth Promoting Christian Nationalism During Wartime, Experts Say ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/08\/pete-hegseth-christian-nationalism-iran-war-religious-rhetoric-pentagon-defense\/?tpcc=recirc_latest062921)\n  \n  April 8, 2026\n\n[See All Stories](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/category\/latest\/)\n\n### OTHER SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS\n#### 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inside.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-world-after-trump-brian-stauffer-illustration.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/03\/23\/post-trump-world-order-cold-war-spheres-of-influence\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  An illustration with a world map background texture and fire cutting through three rings in the map with three human figures inside.\n  \n  [Three Scenarios for a Post-Trump World ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/03\/23\/post-trump-world-order-cold-war-spheres-of-influence\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  By  [Hal Brands](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/hal-brands\/)\n- [![An illustration shows semiconductor chips structured like a house of cards with a tiny city with government buildings atop it, ready to topple.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-AI-doomsday-house-of-cards-doug-chayka-illustration.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/03\/24\/ai-artificial-intelligence-doomsday-iran-war\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  An illustration shows semiconductor chips structured like a house of cards with a tiny city with government buildings atop it, ready to topple.\n  \n  [As an AI Scholar, I Am Now Putting a High Probability on an AI Doomsday ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/03\/24\/ai-artificial-intelligence-doomsday-iran-war\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  By  [Bhaskar Chakravorti](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/bhaskar-chakravorti\/)\n- [![Two dozen or so scattered pedestrians walking on a large plaza are seen from overhead. There is a giant world map embedded in the pavement, with China highlighted in a dark red and all the other countries in pale gray.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/china-map-GettyImages-2262840218.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/03\/25\/china-us-russia-sphere-influence-geopolitics-competition\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  Two dozen or so scattered pedestrians walking on a large plaza are seen from overhead. There is a giant world map embedded in the pavement, with China highlighted in a dark red and all the other countries in pale gray.\n  \n  [No, China Doesn’t Want Spheres of Influence ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/03\/25\/china-us-russia-sphere-influence-geopolitics-competition\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  By  [Aaron Glasserman](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/aaron-glasserman\/)\n- [![A photo illustration shows fractured colored shard revealing images of nation states in decline: an upside down U.S. Capitol building, the EU building in Brussels, broken columns, part of Donald Trump's head, explosions in the Middle East, and a tank in Ukraine.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-doomsday-books-nation-state-illustration-2188671579.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/03\/27\/book-review-after-nations-dasgupta-westad-prasad-milanovic\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  A photo illustration shows fractured colored shard revealing images of nation states in decline: an upside down U.S. Capitol building, the EU building in Brussels, broken columns, part of Donald Trump's head, explosions in the Middle East, and a tank in Ukraine.\n  \n  [After the Nation-State](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/03\/27\/book-review-after-nations-dasgupta-westad-prasad-milanovic\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  By  [Michael Hirsh](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/michael-hirsh\/)\n- [![A photo illustration showing six classical Greek or Roman-style columns, plus a stack of televisions as the seventh pillar of populism. The TVs show images of Victor Orban, Narendra Modi, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Donald Trump.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1-trump-orban-modi-erdogan-Pillars-populism-2026.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/02\/19\/trump-erdogan-orban-modi-india-hungary-turkey-populism-corruptionthe-seven-pillars-of-populist-foreign-policy\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  A photo illustration showing six classical Greek or Roman-style columns, plus a stack of televisions as the seventh pillar of populism. The TVs show images of Victor Orban, Narendra Modi, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Donald Trump.\n  \n  [The Seven Pillars of Populist Foreign Policy](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/02\/19\/trump-erdogan-orban-modi-india-hungary-turkey-populism-corruptionthe-seven-pillars-of-populist-foreign-policy\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  By  [Lisel Hintz](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/lisel-hintz\/),  [Berk Esen](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/berk-esen\/),  [Tudor Onea](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/tudor-onea\/)\n- [![An illustration of a tombstone reading \"RIP\" appears in place of a globe on a circular stand.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/International-order-dead-foreign-policy-illustration.png?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/02\/09\/liberal-international-order-death-trump-greenland\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  An illustration of a tombstone reading \"RIP\" appears in place of a globe on a circular stand.\n  \n  [Who Killed the Liberal International Order? ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/02\/09\/liberal-international-order-death-trump-greenland\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  By  [Nick Danforth](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/nick-danforth\/)\n- [![Central American migrant children play on a seesaw at a shelter in Ciudad Juárez, state of Chihuahua, Mexico.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GettyImages-1231954938.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/01\/23\/trump-threats-europe-greenland-balance-power\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  Central American migrant children play on a seesaw at a shelter in Ciudad Juárez, state of Chihuahua, Mexico.\n  \n  [The Balance-of-Power Theory Strikes Again ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/01\/23\/trump-threats-europe-greenland-balance-power\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  By  [Stephen M. Walt](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/stephen-m-walt\/)\n- [![An illustration shows two men against a bright yellow background. One man wears a Western-style business suit and the other wears a black robe and white head covering. The men are shaking hands. Each holds a briefcase with money spilling out, the left man's briefcase shaped like the United States' and the right man's like the Arabian Peninsula.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1-instrumental-capital-sovereign-wealth-sebastien-thibault.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/12\/03\/instrumental-capital-sovereign-wealth-funds-gulf\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  An illustration shows two men against a bright yellow background. One man wears a Western-style business suit and the other wears a black robe and white head covering. The men are shaking hands. Each holds a briefcase with money spilling out, the left man's briefcase shaped like the United States' and the right man's like the Arabian Peninsula.\n  \n  [The New Wealth of Nations ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/12\/03\/instrumental-capital-sovereign-wealth-funds-gulf\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  By  [Jared Cohen](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/jared-cohen\/),  [George Lee](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/george-lee\/)\n- [![A man in a coat outside of a glass office building, with high rise buildings under construction in the background.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/China-tech-dragon-development-tech-GettyImages-2187442299.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/10\/10\/china-tech-ai-innovation-economy-stagnation\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  A man in a coat outside of a glass office building, with high rise buildings under construction in the background.\n  \n  [China’s Tech Obsession Is Weighing Down Its Economy](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/10\/10\/china-tech-ai-innovation-economy-stagnation\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  By  [Scott Kennedy](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/scott-kennedy\/),  [Scott Rozelle](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/scott-rozelle\/)\n- [![Photos of two men speaking each shown as a negative color inside a red and blue circle.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Kissinger-brzezinski-realism-foreign-policy-illustratrion.png?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/08\/01\/kissinger-brzezinski-trump-realism-realist-democracy-human-rights-us\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  Photos of two men speaking each shown as a negative color inside a red and blue circle.\n  \n  [Kissinger, Brzezinski, and the Promise of Realism ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/08\/01\/kissinger-brzezinski-trump-realism-realist-democracy-human-rights-us\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  By  [Daniel Fried](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/daniel-fried\/)\n\n## Iran War\n- [![Missiles are seen in the skies over Doha on March 3.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2263948504.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/07\/iran-united-states-gulf-uae-qatar-bahrain-saudi-oman-war\/?tpcc=recirc_featured_horizontal051524)\n  \n  Missiles are seen in the skies over Doha on March 3.\n  \n  [The Gulf’s Wartime Unity Is Unraveling ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/07\/iran-united-states-gulf-uae-qatar-bahrain-saudi-oman-war\/?tpcc=recirc_featured_horizontal051524)\n  \n  [Analysis](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/channel\/analysis\/)\n  \n  \\|\n  \n  [Omar H. Rahman](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/omar-h-rahman\/)\n- [![A billboard displaying pictures of nuclear scientists, centrifuges and a sentence reading in Farsi: \" Science is the power\", at the Enqelab square in Tehran, on August 29, 2025.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/iran-bomb-nuclear-trump-war-ayatollah-khamenei-2231892170.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/07\/iran-bomb-nuclear-trump-war-ayatollah-khamenei\/?tpcc=recirc_featured_horizontal051524)\n  \n  A billboard displaying pictures of nuclear scientists, centrifuges and a sentence reading in Farsi: \" Science is the power\", at the Enqelab square in Tehran, on August 29, 2025.\n  \n  [Preventing an Iranian Bomb Is Only Getting Harder](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/07\/iran-bomb-nuclear-trump-war-ayatollah-khamenei\/?tpcc=recirc_featured_horizontal051524)\n  \n  [Argument](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/category\/analysis\/argument\/)\n  \n  \\|\n  \n  [Eric Brewer](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/eric-brewer\/)\n- [![The Albina Bulk carrier sits anchored on March 22, 2026 at Sultan Qaboos Port in Muscat, Oman.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2267954580.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/07\/iran-war-hormuz-toll-booth-peace\/?tpcc=recirc_featured_horizontal051524)\n  \n  The Albina Bulk carrier sits anchored on March 22, 2026 at Sultan Qaboos Port in Muscat, Oman.\n  \n  [The War Will End With a Hormuz Toll Booth](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/07\/iran-war-hormuz-toll-booth-peace\/?tpcc=recirc_featured_horizontal051524)\n  \n  [Analysis](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/channel\/analysis\/)\n  \n  \\|\n  \n  [Amir Handjani](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/amir-handjani\/)\n\n## Trending\n- [Why Trump Mishandled Iran ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/08\/iran-war-ceasefire-trump-united-states-israel\/?tpcc=recirc_right_rail051524)\n  \n  By  [Ravi Agrawal](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/ravi-agrawal\/)\n- [Why Trump’s Speech Was So Worrying ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/03\/trump-iran-speech-us-war-outcome\/?tpcc=recirc_right_rail051524)\n  \n  By  [Howard W. French](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/howard-w-french\/)\n- [Three Scenarios for a Post-Trump World ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/03\/23\/post-trump-world-order-cold-war-spheres-of-influence\/?tpcc=recirc_right_rail051524)\n  \n  By  [Hal Brands](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/hal-brands\/)\n- [The Gulf’s Wartime Unity Is Unraveling ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/07\/iran-united-states-gulf-uae-qatar-bahrain-saudi-oman-war\/?tpcc=recirc_right_rail051524)\n  \n  By  [Omar H. Rahman](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/omar-h-rahman\/)\n- [Hegseth’s Divine War ![This article has an audio recording](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/themes\/foreign-policy-2017\/assets\/src\/images\/icons\/audio.svg)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/08\/pete-hegseth-christian-nationalism-iran-war-religious-rhetoric-pentagon-defense\/?tpcc=recirc_right_rail051524)\n  \n  By  [Rachel Oswald](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/rachel-oswald\/),  [John Haltiwanger](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/john-haltiwanger\/)\n\nLoading graphics\n\nFooter navigation\n\n[Back to Foreign Policy Magazine home page](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/)\n\n- [Follow FP on Bluesky](https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/foreignpolicy.com)\n- [Follow FP on X](https:\/\/twitter.com\/ForeignPolicy)\n- [Follow FP on LinkedIn](https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/foreign-policy-magazine\/)\n- [Follow FP on Instagram](https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/foreignpolicymag\/)\n- [Follow FP on Facebook](https:\/\/facebook.com\/foreign.policy.magazine)\n\n## [FP SOLUTIONS](https:\/\/solutions.foreignpolicy.com\/)\n- [FP Analytics](https:\/\/fpanalytics.foreignpolicy.com\/)\n- [FP Events](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/events\/)\n- [FP Studios](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/fp-studios\/)\n- [Simulations and Peacegames](https:\/\/fpanalytics.foreignpolicy.com\/simulations-peacegames\/)\n- [Advertise with FP](https:\/\/solutions.foreignpolicy.com\/)\n- [Country Reports](https:\/\/sponsored.foreignpolicy.com\/country-reports\/)\n\n## [Subscription Services](https:\/\/help.foreignpolicy.com\/)\n- [Your FP Account](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/manage)\n- [Group Subscriptions](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/group-subscriptions\/)\n- [Reprint Permissions](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/reprint-permissions\/)\n- [FP Magazine Archive](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/print-archive\/)\n- [Buy Back Issues](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/buy-back-issues\/)\n\n## [EDUCATION](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/fp-for-education\/)\n- [Graduate Education Guide](https:\/\/fpguide.foreignpolicy.com\/2026-spring-summer\/)\n- [FP for Education](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/fp-for-education\/)\n- [Institutional Access](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/group-subscriptions\/)\n\n## [ABOUT FP](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/staff\/)\n- [Writer's Guidelines](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.submittable.com\/submit)\n- [Contact FP](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/contact-us\/)\n- [Meet the Staff](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/staff\/)\n- [Work at FP](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/employment-opportunities\/)\n- [AI Policy](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/ai-policy\/)\n- [Privacy Policy](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/privacy\/)\n- [Do Not Sell My Personal Information](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/do-not-sell-or-share-my-personal-information\/)\n- [Terms of Use](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/termsofuse\/)\n- [Accessibility](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/accessibility\/)\n\n- [Follow FP on Bluesky](https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/foreignpolicy.com)\n- [Follow FP on X](https:\/\/twitter.com\/ForeignPolicy)\n- [Follow FP on LinkedIn](https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/foreign-policy-magazine\/)\n- [Follow FP on Instagram](https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/foreignpolicymag\/)\n- [Follow FP on Facebook](https:\/\/facebook.com\/foreign.policy.magazine)\n\nForeign Policy Magazine is a division of Graham Holdings Company. All contents (c) 2026, Graham Digital Holding Company. All rights reserved. Foreign Policy, 1099 14th St NW, Suite 500 East, Washington, D.C., 20005.\n\nPowered by [WordPress VIP](https:\/\/wpvip.com\/?utm_source=vip_powered_wpcom&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=VIP%20Footer%20Credit&utm_term=foreignpolicy.com)","attrs_readable_markdown":"## U.S. President Barack Obama was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize just 12 days into office. FP took a quick look back at what Obama did to improve world peace — or, really, anything with foreign-policy relevance — in those two weeks. Here’s what we found: January 21: Obama met with the ambassador to Iraq, ...\n![fp-placeholder-social-share-3-2](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/fp-placeholder-social-share-3-2.png?quality=90)\n\nfp-placeholder-social-share-3-2\n\nOctober 9, 2009, 5:35 PM\n\nU.S. President Barack Obama was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize just 12 days into office. FP took a quick look back at what Obama did to improve world peace -- or, really, anything with foreign-policy relevance -- in those two weeks. Here's what we found:\n\nJanuary 21: Obama met with the ambassador to Iraq, commander in Iraq, and regional commander to receive a complete briefing on the war. January 22: Obama ordered the closure of the **Guantanamo Bay** detention center. January 22: Obama signed an executive order explicitly prohibiting the use of **torture** and ordering all U.S. forces to obey the Army Field Manual. He also ordered a review of the case of Ali Saleh al-Marri, a detainee held on a Naval brig in South Carolina. January 22: Obama met with numerous retired generals. January 23: Obama rescinded the **Mexico City policy**, which had prevented nongovernmental organizations from receiving government funding if they supplied family planning assistance or abortions abroad. January 23: Obama calls Prime Minister Harper of Canada, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain, and Ban Ki-moon, secretary general of the United Nations. January 26: Obama announced his appointing of Todd Stern to the new position of **special envoy for climate change** -- recognizing the environment as a pressing foreign-policy concern. January 27: More phone calls. This time Obama speaks with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, and Prime Minister Taro Aso of Japan.\n\nU.S. President Barack Obama was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize just 12 days into office. FP took a quick look back at what Obama did to improve world peace — or, really, anything with foreign-policy relevance — in those two weeks. Here’s what we found:\n\n- January 21: Obama met with the ambassador to Iraq, commander in Iraq, and regional commander to receive a complete briefing on the war.\n- January 22: Obama ordered the closure of the **Guantanamo Bay** detention center.\n- January 22: Obama signed an executive order explicitly prohibiting the use of **torture** and ordering all U.S. forces to obey the Army Field Manual. He also ordered a review of the case of Ali Saleh al-Marri, a detainee held on a Naval brig in South Carolina.\n- January 22: Obama met with numerous retired generals.\n- January 23: Obama rescinded the **Mexico City policy**, which had prevented nongovernmental organizations from receiving government funding if they supplied family planning assistance or abortions abroad.\n- January 23: Obama calls Prime Minister Harper of Canada, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain, and Ban Ki-moon, secretary general of the United Nations.\n- January 26: Obama announced his appointing of Todd Stern to the new position of **special envoy for climate change** — recognizing the environment as a pressing foreign-policy concern.\n- January 27: More phone calls. This time Obama speaks with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, and Prime Minister Taro Aso of Japan.\n\nFor 12 days, not bad! The resciding of the Mexico City policy, rejection of torture, naming of the climate change envoy, and closing of Guantanamo all seem like banner moments. Hardly equal to, say, negotiating peace between the Israelis and Palestinians or being willing to give up your life to end apartheid. But, not bad.\n\nOf course, this just provides evidence of Obama’s win as symbolic — the importance of his calls for a nuclear free world pale in comparison to the importance of his tone and his preference for dialogue at the helm of the world’s biggest superpower.\n\n**Annie Lowrey** is assistant editor at FP.\n\n## Stories Readers Liked\n- Go to slide 1\n- Go to slide 2\n- Go to slide 3\n- Go to slide 4\n- Go to slide 5\n- Go to slide 6\n- Go to slide 7\n- Go to slide 8\n- Go to slide 9\n- Go to slide 10\n\n- [![An illustration with a world map background texture and fire cutting through three rings in the map with three human figures inside.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-world-after-trump-brian-stauffer-illustration.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/03\/23\/post-trump-world-order-cold-war-spheres-of-influence\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  An illustration with a world map background texture and fire cutting through three rings in the map with three human figures inside.\n- [![An illustration shows semiconductor chips structured like a house of cards with a tiny city with government buildings atop it, ready to topple.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-AI-doomsday-house-of-cards-doug-chayka-illustration.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/03\/24\/ai-artificial-intelligence-doomsday-iran-war\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  An illustration shows semiconductor chips structured like a house of cards with a tiny city with government buildings atop it, ready to topple.\n- [![Two dozen or so scattered pedestrians walking on a large plaza are seen from overhead. There is a giant world map embedded in the pavement, with China highlighted in a dark red and all the other countries in pale gray.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/china-map-GettyImages-2262840218.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/03\/25\/china-us-russia-sphere-influence-geopolitics-competition\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  Two dozen or so scattered pedestrians walking on a large plaza are seen from overhead. There is a giant world map embedded in the pavement, with China highlighted in a dark red and all the other countries in pale gray.\n- [![A photo illustration shows fractured colored shard revealing images of nation states in decline: an upside down U.S. Capitol building, the EU building in Brussels, broken columns, part of Donald Trump's head, explosions in the Middle East, and a tank in Ukraine.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1-doomsday-books-nation-state-illustration-2188671579.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/03\/27\/book-review-after-nations-dasgupta-westad-prasad-milanovic\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  A photo illustration shows fractured colored shard revealing images of nation states in decline: an upside down U.S. Capitol building, the EU building in Brussels, broken columns, part of Donald Trump's head, explosions in the Middle East, and a tank in Ukraine.\n  \n  [After the Nation-State](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/03\/27\/book-review-after-nations-dasgupta-westad-prasad-milanovic\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)By  [Michael Hirsh](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/michael-hirsh\/)\n- [![A photo illustration showing six classical Greek or Roman-style columns, plus a stack of televisions as the seventh pillar of populism. The TVs show images of Victor Orban, Narendra Modi, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Donald Trump.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1-trump-orban-modi-erdogan-Pillars-populism-2026.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/02\/19\/trump-erdogan-orban-modi-india-hungary-turkey-populism-corruptionthe-seven-pillars-of-populist-foreign-policy\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  A photo illustration showing six classical Greek or Roman-style columns, plus a stack of televisions as the seventh pillar of populism. The TVs show images of Victor Orban, Narendra Modi, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Donald Trump.\n  \n  [The Seven Pillars of Populist Foreign Policy](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/02\/19\/trump-erdogan-orban-modi-india-hungary-turkey-populism-corruptionthe-seven-pillars-of-populist-foreign-policy\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)By  [Lisel Hintz](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/lisel-hintz\/),  [Berk Esen](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/berk-esen\/),  [Tudor Onea](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/tudor-onea\/)\n- [![An illustration of a tombstone reading \"RIP\" appears in place of a globe on a circular stand.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/International-order-dead-foreign-policy-illustration.png?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/02\/09\/liberal-international-order-death-trump-greenland\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  An illustration of a tombstone reading \"RIP\" appears in place of a globe on a circular stand.\n- [![Central American migrant children play on a seesaw at a shelter in Ciudad Juárez, state of Chihuahua, Mexico.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GettyImages-1231954938.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/01\/23\/trump-threats-europe-greenland-balance-power\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  Central American migrant children play on a seesaw at a shelter in Ciudad Juárez, state of Chihuahua, Mexico.\n- [![An illustration shows two men against a bright yellow background. One man wears a Western-style business suit and the other wears a black robe and white head covering. The men are shaking hands. Each holds a briefcase with money spilling out, the left man's briefcase shaped like the United States' and the right man's like the Arabian Peninsula.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1-instrumental-capital-sovereign-wealth-sebastien-thibault.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/12\/03\/instrumental-capital-sovereign-wealth-funds-gulf\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  An illustration shows two men against a bright yellow background. One man wears a Western-style business suit and the other wears a black robe and white head covering. The men are shaking hands. Each holds a briefcase with money spilling out, the left man's briefcase shaped like the United States' and the right man's like the Arabian Peninsula.\n- [![A man in a coat outside of a glass office building, with high rise buildings under construction in the background.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/China-tech-dragon-development-tech-GettyImages-2187442299.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/10\/10\/china-tech-ai-innovation-economy-stagnation\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  A man in a coat outside of a glass office building, with high rise buildings under construction in the background.\n  \n  [China’s Tech Obsession Is Weighing Down Its Economy](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/10\/10\/china-tech-ai-innovation-economy-stagnation\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)By  [Scott Kennedy](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/scott-kennedy\/),  [Scott Rozelle](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/author\/scott-rozelle\/)\n- [![Photos of two men speaking each shown as a negative color inside a red and blue circle.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Kissinger-brzezinski-realism-foreign-policy-illustratrion.png?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2025\/08\/01\/kissinger-brzezinski-trump-realism-realist-democracy-human-rights-us\/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524)\n  \n  Photos of two men speaking each shown as a negative color inside a red and blue circle.\n\nIran War\n\n- [![Missiles are seen in the skies over Doha on March 3.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2263948504.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/07\/iran-united-states-gulf-uae-qatar-bahrain-saudi-oman-war\/?tpcc=recirc_featured_horizontal051524)\n  \n  Missiles are seen in the skies over Doha on March 3.\n- [![A billboard displaying pictures of nuclear scientists, centrifuges and a sentence reading in Farsi: \" Science is the power\", at the Enqelab square in Tehran, on August 29, 2025.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/iran-bomb-nuclear-trump-war-ayatollah-khamenei-2231892170.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/07\/iran-bomb-nuclear-trump-war-ayatollah-khamenei\/?tpcc=recirc_featured_horizontal051524)\n  \n  A billboard displaying pictures of nuclear scientists, centrifuges and a sentence reading in Farsi: \" Science is the power\", at the Enqelab square in Tehran, on August 29, 2025.\n- [![The Albina Bulk carrier sits anchored on March 22, 2026 at Sultan Qaboos Port in Muscat, Oman.](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2267954580.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2026\/04\/07\/iran-war-hormuz-toll-booth-peace\/?tpcc=recirc_featured_horizontal051524)\n  \n  The Albina Bulk carrier sits anchored on March 22, 2026 at Sultan Qaboos Port in Muscat, Oman.","meta_canonical":null}

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Boilerpipe Text	U.S. President Barack Obama was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize just 12 days into office. FP took a quick look back at what Obama did to improve world peace — or, really, anything with foreign-policy relevance — in those two weeks. Here’s what we found: January 21: Obama met with the ambassador to Iraq, ... fp-placeholder-social-share-3-2 October 9, 2009, 5:35 PM U.S. President Barack Obama was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize just 12 days into office. FP took a quick look back at what Obama did to improve world peace -- or, really, anything with foreign-policy relevance -- in those two weeks. Here's what we found: January 21: Obama met with the ambassador to Iraq, commander in Iraq, and regional commander to receive a complete briefing on the war. January 22: Obama ordered the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention center. January 22: Obama signed an executive order explicitly prohibiting the use of torture and ordering all U.S. forces to obey the Army Field Manual. He also ordered a review of the case of Ali Saleh al-Marri, a detainee held on a Naval brig in South Carolina. January 22: Obama met with numerous retired generals. January 23: Obama rescinded the Mexico City policy , which had prevented nongovernmental organizations from receiving government funding if they supplied family planning assistance or abortions abroad. January 23: Obama calls Prime Minister Harper of Canada, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain, and Ban Ki-moon, secretary general of the United Nations. January 26: Obama announced his appointing of Todd Stern to the new position of special envoy for climate change -- recognizing the environment as a pressing foreign-policy concern. January 27: More phone calls. This time Obama speaks with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, and Prime Minister Taro Aso of Japan. U.S. President Barack Obama was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize just 12 days into office. FP took a quick look back at what Obama did to improve world peace — or, really, anything with foreign-policy relevance — in those two weeks. Here’s what we found: January 21: Obama met with the ambassador to Iraq, commander in Iraq, and regional commander to receive a complete briefing on the war. January 22: Obama ordered the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention center. January 22: Obama signed an executive order explicitly prohibiting the use of torture and ordering all U.S. forces to obey the Army Field Manual. He also ordered a review of the case of Ali Saleh al-Marri, a detainee held on a Naval brig in South Carolina. January 22: Obama met with numerous retired generals. January 23: Obama rescinded the Mexico City policy , which had prevented nongovernmental organizations from receiving government funding if they supplied family planning assistance or abortions abroad. January 23: Obama calls Prime Minister Harper of Canada, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain, and Ban Ki-moon, secretary general of the United Nations. January 26: Obama announced his appointing of Todd Stern to the new position of special envoy for climate change — recognizing the environment as a pressing foreign-policy concern. January 27: More phone calls. This time Obama speaks with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, and Prime Minister Taro Aso of Japan. For 12 days, not bad! The resciding of the Mexico City policy, rejection of torture, naming of the climate change envoy, and closing of Guantanamo all seem like banner moments. Hardly equal to, say, negotiating peace between the Israelis and Palestinians or being willing to give up your life to end apartheid. But, not bad. Of course, this just provides evidence of Obama’s win as symbolic — the importance of his calls for a nuclear free world pale in comparison to the importance of his tone and his preference for dialogue at the helm of the world’s biggest superpower. Annie Lowrey is assistant editor at FP. Stories Readers Liked Go to slide 1 Go to slide 2 Go to slide 3 Go to slide 4 Go to slide 5 Go to slide 6 Go to slide 7 Go to slide 8 Go to slide 9 Go to slide 10 An illustration with a world map background texture and fire cutting through three rings in the map with three human figures inside. An illustration shows semiconductor chips structured like a house of cards with a tiny city with government buildings atop it, ready to topple. Two dozen or so scattered pedestrians walking on a large plaza are seen from overhead. 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All contents (c) 2026, Graham Digital Holding Company. All rights reserved. Foreign Policy, 1099 14th St NW, Suite 500 East, Washington, D.C., 20005. Powered by [WordPress VIP](https://wpvip.com/?utm_source=vip_powered_wpcom&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=VIP%20Footer%20Credit&utm_term=foreignpolicy.com) This article was published more than 16 years ago [Passport](https://foreignpolicy.com/channel/passport-2/) # So what did Obama do to get the Nobel Peace Prize? ## U.S. President Barack Obama was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize just 12 days into office. FP took a quick look back at what Obama did to improve world peace — or, really, anything with foreign-policy relevance — in those two weeks. Here’s what we found: January 21: Obama met with the ambassador to Iraq, ... By [Annie Lowrey](https://foreignpolicy.com/author/annie-lowrey/) ![fp-placeholder-social-share-3-2](https://foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/fp-placeholder-social-share-3-2.png?quality=90) fp-placeholder-social-share-3-2 October 9, 2009, 5:35 PM U.S. President Barack Obama was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize just 12 days into office. FP took a quick look back at what Obama did to improve world peace -- or, really, anything with foreign-policy relevance -- in those two weeks. Here's what we found: January 21: Obama met with the ambassador to Iraq, commander in Iraq, and regional commander to receive a complete briefing on the war. January 22: Obama ordered the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention center. January 22: Obama signed an executive order explicitly prohibiting the use of torture and ordering all U.S. forces to obey the Army Field Manual. He also ordered a review of the case of Ali Saleh al-Marri, a detainee held on a Naval brig in South Carolina. January 22: Obama met with numerous retired generals. January 23: Obama rescinded the Mexico City policy, which had prevented nongovernmental organizations from receiving government funding if they supplied family planning assistance or abortions abroad. January 23: Obama calls Prime Minister Harper of Canada, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain, and Ban Ki-moon, secretary general of the United Nations. January 26: Obama announced his appointing of Todd Stern to the new position of special envoy for climate change -- recognizing the environment as a pressing foreign-policy concern. January 27: More phone calls. This time Obama speaks with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, and Prime Minister Taro Aso of Japan. U.S. President Barack Obama was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize just 12 days into office. FP took a quick look back at what Obama did to improve world peace — or, really, anything with foreign-policy relevance — in those two weeks. Here’s what we found: - January 21: Obama met with the ambassador to Iraq, commander in Iraq, and regional commander to receive a complete briefing on the war. - January 22: Obama ordered the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention center. - January 22: Obama signed an executive order explicitly prohibiting the use of torture and ordering all U.S. forces to obey the Army Field Manual. He also ordered a review of the case of Ali Saleh al-Marri, a detainee held on a Naval brig in South Carolina. - January 22: Obama met with numerous retired generals. - January 23: Obama rescinded the Mexico City policy, which had prevented nongovernmental organizations from receiving government funding if they supplied family planning assistance or abortions abroad. - January 23: Obama calls Prime Minister Harper of Canada, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain, and Ban Ki-moon, secretary general of the United Nations. - January 26: Obama announced his appointing of Todd Stern to the new position of special envoy for climate change — recognizing the environment as a pressing foreign-policy concern. - January 27: More phone calls. This time Obama speaks with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, and Prime Minister Taro Aso of Japan. For 12 days, not bad! The resciding of the Mexico City policy, rejection of torture, naming of the climate change envoy, and closing of Guantanamo all seem like banner moments. Hardly equal to, say, negotiating peace between the Israelis and Palestinians or being willing to give up your life to end apartheid. But, not bad. Of course, this just provides evidence of Obama’s win as symbolic — the importance of his calls for a nuclear free world pale in comparison to the importance of his tone and his preference for dialogue at the helm of the world’s biggest superpower. Annie Lowrey is assistant editor at FP. 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Readable Markdown	## U.S. President Barack Obama was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize just 12 days into office. FP took a quick look back at what Obama did to improve world peace — or, really, anything with foreign-policy relevance — in those two weeks. Here’s what we found: January 21: Obama met with the ambassador to Iraq, ... ![fp-placeholder-social-share-3-2](https://foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/fp-placeholder-social-share-3-2.png?quality=90) fp-placeholder-social-share-3-2 October 9, 2009, 5:35 PM U.S. President Barack Obama was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize just 12 days into office. FP took a quick look back at what Obama did to improve world peace -- or, really, anything with foreign-policy relevance -- in those two weeks. Here's what we found: January 21: Obama met with the ambassador to Iraq, commander in Iraq, and regional commander to receive a complete briefing on the war. January 22: Obama ordered the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention center. January 22: Obama signed an executive order explicitly prohibiting the use of torture and ordering all U.S. forces to obey the Army Field Manual. He also ordered a review of the case of Ali Saleh al-Marri, a detainee held on a Naval brig in South Carolina. January 22: Obama met with numerous retired generals. January 23: Obama rescinded the Mexico City policy, which had prevented nongovernmental organizations from receiving government funding if they supplied family planning assistance or abortions abroad. January 23: Obama calls Prime Minister Harper of Canada, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain, and Ban Ki-moon, secretary general of the United Nations. January 26: Obama announced his appointing of Todd Stern to the new position of special envoy for climate change -- recognizing the environment as a pressing foreign-policy concern. January 27: More phone calls. This time Obama speaks with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, and Prime Minister Taro Aso of Japan. U.S. President Barack Obama was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize just 12 days into office. FP took a quick look back at what Obama did to improve world peace — or, really, anything with foreign-policy relevance — in those two weeks. Here’s what we found: - January 21: Obama met with the ambassador to Iraq, commander in Iraq, and regional commander to receive a complete briefing on the war. - January 22: Obama ordered the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention center. - January 22: Obama signed an executive order explicitly prohibiting the use of torture and ordering all U.S. forces to obey the Army Field Manual. He also ordered a review of the case of Ali Saleh al-Marri, a detainee held on a Naval brig in South Carolina. - January 22: Obama met with numerous retired generals. - January 23: Obama rescinded the Mexico City policy, which had prevented nongovernmental organizations from receiving government funding if they supplied family planning assistance or abortions abroad. - January 23: Obama calls Prime Minister Harper of Canada, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain, and Ban Ki-moon, secretary general of the United Nations. - January 26: Obama announced his appointing of Todd Stern to the new position of special envoy for climate change — recognizing the environment as a pressing foreign-policy concern. - January 27: More phone calls. This time Obama speaks with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, and Prime Minister Taro Aso of Japan. For 12 days, not bad! The resciding of the Mexico City policy, rejection of torture, naming of the climate change envoy, and closing of Guantanamo all seem like banner moments. Hardly equal to, say, negotiating peace between the Israelis and Palestinians or being willing to give up your life to end apartheid. But, not bad. Of course, this just provides evidence of Obama’s win as symbolic — the importance of his calls for a nuclear free world pale in comparison to the importance of his tone and his preference for dialogue at the helm of the world’s biggest superpower. Annie Lowrey is assistant editor at FP. ## Stories Readers Liked - Go to slide 1 - Go to slide 2 - Go to slide 3 - Go to slide 4 - Go to slide 5 - Go to slide 6 - Go to slide 7 - Go to slide 8 - Go to slide 9 - Go to slide 10 - [![An illustration with a world map background texture and fire cutting through three rings in the map with three human figures inside.](https://foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1-world-after-trump-brian-stauffer-illustration.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/23/post-trump-world-order-cold-war-spheres-of-influence/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524) An illustration with a world map background texture and fire cutting through three rings in the map with three human figures inside. - [![An illustration shows semiconductor chips structured like a house of cards with a tiny city with government buildings atop it, ready to topple.](https://foreignpolicy.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/1-AI-doomsday-house-of-cards-doug-chayka-illustration.jpg?w=800&quality=80)](https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/24/ai-artificial-intelligence-doomsday-iran-war/?tpcc=recirc_more_from_fp051524) An illustration shows semiconductor chips structured like a house of cards with a tiny city with government buildings atop it, ready to topple. - [![Two dozen or so scattered pedestrians walking on a large plaza are seen from overhead. 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