To those who think President Obama doesn't deserve the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, I suggest they remember the Bush Doctrine.

In 2002, then-president George W. Bush claimed the United States could attack any country that supports or harbors terrorists. This proclamation occurred after we attacked Iraq, on the pretext that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, which it didn't.

The Bush Doctrine was incorporated into the National Security Strategy Act, published Sept. 20, 2002. It is understandable that other countries would feel at risk of attack with such a policy.

Many people in the world watched the horror of our planes bombing Baghdad, at least one station in the U.S. added music as if it were a fireworks display.

Now, we have a president who travels frequently to meet with leaders of other countries, even those with whom we have disagreements. He treats everyone with courtesy and respect. This is engagement and diplomacy, something we saw little of during the Bush administration.

President Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples," in the words of the Nobel Committee.

Betty Tegner

Orcutt